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Does anyone have any advice for a new guinea-pig parent?

pipsparent

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Hi and congrats on your new baby! I started with the very basics as well with a rescue we got through our pet store. Unfortunately here, we are limited and the local rescue adopts in an area of our PetSmart. However, Gracie was 8 months old when we brought her home and asked the store. Purchased everything they said was best and it is now in storage-brand new.

We purchased very little for our cavy cages. Although we have added products from this site, we had a LOT more fun creating and making our own. We started with purchasing a package of storage grids for about $20 plus shipping from amazon. We went to Ollies and purchased plastic ties to re-inforce for about a dollar. We started with a 4x8 tarp under the cage and used the ties to twist up. Then added puppy pads and 5-x60 fleece blankets for the liner. This was the beginning and we started on a 2x4. However, that changed very very quickly. We found corrugated cardboard at home depot, bought another package of storage grids for the same price and added two lofts with many of the supplies here (a bit at a time for price balancing). We also eventually got some accessories from the other link here at guineapigmarket. However, with so many cages now in the house, I learned to get fleece at wholesale and some uhaul pads to go over my bases made of corrugated cardboard.

You can really have a ton of fun with this, honestly and the cost can be very little for basics. My daughter gets allowance but also does chores and helps to make the cage and accessories along with using allowance for the ones she likes from this site. It's a project I never thought I would enjoy with my daughter but a passion and joy we now both love.

If your area is not limited, I suggest to talk to your local rescue for 'piggy dates' to find a rescue whom will bond best. Any rescue will be very happy to help you with that and bonding a 6 month old rescue can be simpler for all if you let her have some say, if at all possible. While this was only our experience, Gracie just could not be bonded with another sow. I am told this is pretty rare but she is also very close with my daughter. My daughter has an open cage that is only used as a kitchen and sleep area while she is let to have the run of the room and has been from the beginning. My daughter stays in there all day and is home schooled so Gracie is used to this. She is also roughly the size of our 2 lb chihuahua and plays with her pretty much all the time :).

Take a look on google search as well for cavy cages. Pinterest even has tons of pics and ideas for cages. Trust me, you and your little ones can really have a blast with this and we can now kick out a base and cage in about 45 minutes after doing this and changing so many times. Please start larger as vs basics. Our family room and my daughter's room is now cavy cages and our guinea pigs are so happy for it. I have three in our family room but it is now 6x 2 and lofts. I promise they noticed; anytime we added for them, they did zoomies and popcorned non stop. Also, check out requirements for their dietary needs. We were quite surprised that it was not as simple as what the pet store portrayed. Their salad time each day is a fun time that we chart every day to be sure everything is balanced. Make certain there are two of everything. Especially water bottles and tons of hay!

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pipsparent

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Cavy Gazer
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Joined
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FLEECE CLEANING- Just adding. I change the fleece one day a week. However I also use a vacuum downstairs twice a day for feces but upstairs my daughter uses a hard bristled small broom and dust pan. You can get for a few dollars. Again, twice a day. We have 2x1 kitchens with soft bedding for eating. It keeps down cost and cleaning. Corners can have additional squares for easy daily changing as it's collected here most. You don't have to be complex. Clean in washer once a week; add a bit of vinegar and no scent allergen free detergent. I hand wash small items.
 

spy9doc

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We found corrugated cardboard at home depot

Very thorough and very helpful post! However, one correction.......your use of the term "corrugated cardboard" may be confusing for newbies. It is actually corrugated plastic which is where the brand name Coroplast comes from.

It sounds as though your household has become "cavy crazy"? Welcome to the family! It's delightful to welcome a newbie to the Forum who has experience and good advice.

So how about some pics of Gracie and your daughter or Gracie and the chihuahua? :D
 

pipsparent

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Cavy Gazer
Joined
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Joined
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Messages
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Very thorough and very helpful post! However, one correction.......your use of the term "corrugated cardboard" may be confusing for newbies. It is actually corrugated plastic which is where the brand name Coroplast comes from.

It sounds as though your household has become "cavy crazy"? Welcome to the family! It's delightful to welcome a newbie to the Forum who has experience and good advice.

So how about some pics of Gracie and your daughter or Gracie and the chihuahua? :D

Thx and you asked for it! Gracie is my Guinea grandbaby :). The first are from about 6 months ago when she was smaller.



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pipsparent

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Cavy Gazer
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Joined
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Excuse my daughter's room-We relocated here after hurricane Irma from Fla, closed on the house in just before Christmas and just now mostly completed the wall and door to separate one large bedroom into two for my daughter and 20 year old son. Still painting the new wall. We are also slowly completing and adding to Gracie and pumpkins cages as Pumpkin turned into a mis-sexed boar that we needed to separate from Pip (yep, Pippin is about 5 weeks pregnant). That's when we rescued both Salem and Pixie for newly alone Pippin. Really hoping for a boy for poor papa "Punk'in" (as my daughter lovingly calls) to have as a cage mate.
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spy9doc

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Cavy Slave
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Cute pics! Just be aware that one can only insert a maximum of five pics in one post. As a result, some of your pics aren't available to be viewed.

That chihuahua looks much heavier than 2 lbs! My 3 lb. Sparky might be a better match. lol
 

pipsparent

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Cavy Gazer
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Sorry-I'm still bonding with my smart phone and new tech of this century. I'm old :). Would love to see pics of Sparky and the other four legged family members. Your home sounds as happy as mine. Ours are Bella and Lollipop along with the guinea pigs in here.


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spy9doc

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Cavy Slave
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Sorry-I'm still bonding with my smart phone and new tech of this century. I'm old :).

If you are over 50+ y.o, there are many of us here in that category!

You know, I have never done a photo shoot of the boys! The cavies in my avatar are my dearly departed Chester and Maya. Now that the weather is improving, one of the things on my to-do list is to take pics of Sparky & Chip. The boys are the only four-legged creatures in our home......unless you count my husband when he is cleaning the bathroom floor. :crazy:
 
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