General Beginner pig keeper here, please give advice!

[Stargazer]

About a month ago, I got my first guinea pig. I can't remember what breed she is, but Cricket is blonde and white and has long, smooth fur. She was about four weeks when I got her, so she should be about 2 months old now. She's grown quite a bit since I got her already...is this what is feels like to be a mother?!?!? :|

This isn't the very first pig my family has owned, but it's the first one that is exclusively mine. My sister has had three pigs in the past, but never really knew how to take care of them properly. I'm here to make sure I know as much as I possibly can about guinea pigs ASAP.

My first issue is, well...financial. As a 17-year-old, it's hard for me to find a real job. I work as a lifeguard during the summer and Tim Horton's a few times a week year-round. The combination of these jobs makes pretty decent money, but not quite enough to juggle pig stuff and college stuff.

My first problem would be the cage. Cricket's cage is about 2ft×2ft (30cm×30cm) and is the same cage used for the last three pigs, so it's quite old. I'm hoping to get her a new one, so if you guys could recommend some sizes, that would be fantastic. I'm currently using simple paper bedding (I've heard other kinds cause respiratory problems?) layed down about an inch thick. She has an edible pigloo, made of alfalfa and honey, since past pigs have gotten sick from chewing on the plastic ones. She chews on it quite often and seems to enjoy it. Also in her cage is a simple food bowl, a water bottle and a salt lick. She also has a carrot-shaped chew toy weaved out of wood and hay, which she's eaten almost all of. If you guys have any suggestions for what else to put in her cage, that would be fantastic.

My second question is the diet. Right now I'm feeding her basic kibble and one or two barely biscuits a day (she really likes these). I usually give her some fresh foods too; a bite or two of a banana or apple, a small piece of carrot, that kind of thing. I also give her a handful of alfalfa hay before I leave for school in the morning and refill her water bottle with fresh water twice a day (when I get up and before I go to bed). If you have any suggestions for what else she should be eating, I'd appreciate it very much!

Third stop: hygene. Cricket it very good about keeping herself clean; she grooms consistently and never smalls bad or anything. I'm not sure how to bathe her, so I haven't been because I don't want her to get sick. Sometimes I'll take a wet comb and run it through her fur (there's a spot on her back she can't quite reach to groom), but I need to know how to bathe her for real if you guys have any tips.

A fourth is bonding with her. She seems pretty content with me, though she still runs away when I try to take her out of her cage. She makes purring noises when I'm petting her, but it's hard tell whether it's because she's happy or annoyed. I spend quite a lot of time with her, but I wonder if I'm spending too much time with her and it's making her anxious?

And one last question--cage mates. Cricket does seem awfully lonely. I know her cage isn't big enough for two guinea pigs, so how big should it be? I've read up on how to introduce pigs, so I don't need any advice on that.

If you have any advice, any at all, I would really appreciate it. I love Cricket a lot and want her to be as happy as possible. Thank you for reading :3

 

[thistlewriter]

Guinea Lynx is a website that has a lot of good information on piggie care.

Pigs are expensive pets. Buying the proper cage and reusable bedding was pricey, but it's worth it for a one-time purchase. But they do need proper veggies on a daily basis, fresh hay, and good pellets, all of which will add up over time.

I'd take the salt lick out of the cage. Your piggy won't need it.

Kibble? What kind of food is it? Is it specifically for guinea pigs? She will need more veggies than what you're currently giving her. Apple, banana, and carrot are all high in sugar, good for an occasional treat but not a daily thing. Like I give my boys a baby carrot each once a day, but that's only one part of their diet, which is lettuce, bell pepper, and cucumber alongside hay and pellets.

Guinea pigs aren't the kind of pet that really like to be petted or held. A very few pigs enjoy it, but most don't. My boys at the moment don't like it when I touch them, but I've found other ways to bond with them that they far prefer. They love it when I sit by their cage and talk to them, and they do enjoy taking food from my hand.

Guinea pigs are social animals and do need a friend. I'd recommend either another female for Cricket or a neutered male. A 2 x 4 cage is usually a good start for two pigs, though mine is a 2 x 5 because I have two boys, who need more space. Basically, the bigger the cage, the better.

As I suggested, check out the Guinea Lynx website; it'll have more details than what I just gave you.

Hope this helps!

 

[bpatters]

Here's some recommended reading for new pig owners:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/113176-Information-for-new-guinea-pig-owners

Ditch the salt lick. Pigs don't need it, and it can cause severe urinary problems.

You probably won't have to bathe her unless she's got long hair around her butt. And if you keep that trimmed, you can bathe even less frequently.

 

[ItsaZoo]

Congratulations on your new piggy! There are lots of experienced people here with good advice.

As others have said, ditch the salt lick. The edible pigloo isn’t a good idea either since it’s sweet and not really healthy.

Invest in a small bag of good quality pellets, like Oxbow brand. I’d get the adult variety since you’ll be feeding that after she’s six months old. She gets more when she is young, and 2 tablespoons daily after she’s six months old. A small bag lasts quite a while. You’ll need good hay. Alfalfa is okay now, and switch to Timothy after six months of age. Or just get a large quantity of Timothy (cheaper per pound) and add fresh foods with calcium like parsley.

You’ll need about a cup of fresh veggies daily. Sweet peppers, cukes, green or red leaf lettuce, a baby carrot, are all good choices. Maybe Tim Horton’s will have some parsley, leaf lettuce, or endive garnish that they can send home with you as an employee perk.

Vitamin C is really important - piggies can’t stay healthy without it. I get Oxbow Natural Science and feed half of one per day since I also feed green bell pepper and pellets with Vitamin C.

Hideys can be made from boxes, like shoe boxes or the taller Amazon boxes. Remove labels and any suspicious tape that might be chewed. Cut two entrances to make it like a tunnel. I buy the stackable bins from Dollar Tree and flip those over for hideys. They are slanted on both ends and my piggy likes to pull them around on her shoulders.

Bedding can be shredded paper as long as you know there are no staples. I shred office paper from work. In my large exercise cage I use fleece over washable absorbent incontinence pads. Check thrift stores for fleece fabric pieces and fleece throws. Also, check for a cute coffee cup that’s kind of short. These are great for feeding pellets. I hang one from the handle using a bent paper clip hooked on the side of the cage. The cup doesn’t get tipped over that way. Thrift stores sometimes offer a student discount day each week.

You can build a pen from metal storage cube panels. Be sure to get the ones that are nine squares across and down. If your piggy is small, maybe wait until she’s older so she can’t stick her head through the grids. You never know what they’ll do.

Good luck with your piggy and keep us posted!

 

[Spotakiss]

Congratulations on your new piggy! There are lots of experienced people here with good advice.

As others have said, ditch the salt lick. The edible pigloo isn’t a good idea either since it’s sweet and not really healthy.

Invest in a small bag of good quality pellets, like Oxbow brand. I’d get the adult variety since you’ll be feeding that after she’s six months old. She gets more when she is young, and 2 tablespoons daily after she’s six months old. A small bag lasts quite a while. You’ll need good hay. Alfalfa is okay now, and switch to Timothy after six months of age. Or just get a large quantity of Timothy (cheaper per pound) and add fresh foods with calcium like parsley.

You’ll need about a cup of fresh veggies daily. Sweet peppers, cukes, green or red leaf lettuce, a baby carrot, are all good choices. Maybe Tim Horton’s will have some parsley, leaf lettuce, or endive garnish that they can send home with you as an employee perk.

Vitamin C is really important - piggies can’t stay healthy without it. I get Oxbow Natural Science and feed half of one per day since I also feed green bell pepper and pellets with Vitamin C.

Hideys can be made from boxes, like shoe boxes or the taller Amazon boxes. Remove labels and any suspicious tape that might be chewed. Cut two entrances to make it like a tunnel. I buy the stackable bins from Dollar Tree and flip those over for hideys. They are slanted on both ends and my piggy likes to pull them around on her shoulders.

Bedding can be shredded paper as long as you know there are no staples. I shred office paper from work. In my large exercise cage I use fleece over washable absorbent incontinence pads. Check thrift stores for fleece fabric pieces and fleece throws. Also, check for a cute coffee cup that’s kind of short. These are great for feeding pellets. I hang one from the handle using a bent paper clip hooked on the side of the cage. The cup doesn’t get tipped over that way. Thrift stores sometimes offer a student discount day each week.

You can build a pen from metal storage cube panels. Be sure to get the ones that are nine squares across and down. If your piggy is small, maybe wait until she’s older so she can’t stick her head through the grids. You never know what they’ll do.

Good luck with your piggy and keep us posted!

Food is 1/8 cup after 6 months not 2 tablespoons. Pigloo is a great idea they can chew on it for their teeth if they choose which most do at first but it keeps heat in.


Spotakiss the Spartan

 

[bpatters]

This is for you, Spotakiss: (broken link removed)

 

[TearLily]

Just a note about the veggies to make sure to slowly introduce veggie types and amount so it's not a huge transition.

If you change to the grid cage as someone mentioned the grids and everything together end up being much cheaper than a bought cage I believe. You can buy grids on Amazon or go to stores for about 16-20 dollars and then get chloroplasts sign things or someone mentioned before asking for old signs and zip ties are cheap. I use fleece bedding on top of washable on incontinent pads but it is a pricey transition all at once while paper in bulk ends up being cheap at the moment but you could slowly buy washable pads or the uhaul pads and fleece blankets over time and then transition later or paper is fine. Aspen bedding is okay too and is cheap but not as soft.

For stuff for inside the cage I like to look at Walmart sometimes because they have. Cheaper (and of course they are thinner) version of the chewable hidey and sometimes some plain wooden toys (if it has a bell at the end I just take it off before putting into cage). Sometimes there are small coupons for pet stores on things like retailmenot you can use to help with supplies and toys.

If you are going to splurge on anything cost wise I'd get good quality oxbow pellets and Timothy or orchard hay and not alfalfa unless young aged but even then still mixed with other hay. I started getting hay in large 50 pound bulk which costed 60 upfront but it was orchard oxbow hay and will last me a long time. It is a pain to store but I think it comes out to about $1.20 per pound of hay.

 

[Stargazer]

Thanks for the advice! Cricket seems much happier