Hi everyone!

[Abeille]

We are new to the world of guinea pigs. We purchased from a store that is going out of business. It is to be a pet for our 9 year old granddaughter, with our help, of course! We don’t normally acquire animals this way but we thought it might be in for a worse fate being the last one. We have 2 rescue dogs and 2 golden retrievers from a reputable breeder. We took him/her straight home and set up the cage. We have a sheet draped over all but one side tonight so it can acclimate to its new surroundings. I am here to learn what we need to know to take care of our new baby properly. I used my knowledge of having rabbits to help me shop at another store. We were told that we were buying all the right things by the cashier who owned 5.

[bpatters]

I'm not sure I'd trust the word of a cashier at a pet store about pet care -- we've seen people get some awful advice from store clerks over the years.

The first thing you need to know is that you need another pig. They're herd animals, and they do much better with another of their own kind. However please don't buy another -- there are plenty of homeless pigs in shelters and rescues that need loving homes.

Here's a thread to get you started on pig care: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...nea-pig-owners

[Kelsie]

Let me welcome you to the forum. It's so nice to see a new member to the world of guinea pigs. What did your granddaughter name the new baby?

This is a side note, but I just love Golden Retrievers. What a wonderful breed of dog.

[Abeille]

I'm not sure I'd trust the word of a cashier at a pet store about pet care -- we've seen people get some awful advice from store clerks over the years.

The first thing you need to know is that you need another pig. They're herd animals, and they do much better with another of their own kind. However please don't buy another -- there are plenty of homeless pigs in shelters and rescues that need loving homes.

Here's a thread to get you started on pig care: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...nea-pig-owners

Thank you for the great information! The cashier wasn’t trying to sell me anything. She just said that I was buying the right things for staring out. We bought a toy to chew on, a house to hide in, a dish that holds hay, and Timothy hay. I am taking my granddaughter shopping tomorrow or Tuesday (depends on road conditions) for more supplies. I would love more suggestions on what we need.

[Abeille]

Thank you Kelsie! She named him Meatloaf. We think it’s a boy anyway. I show goldens in obedience, agility, and FastCAT. I love them!

[Kelsie]

He is such a cutie. It sounds like you are off to a good start with your purchases. One thing that I might suggest is an item from the GP Market right here on the forum. It's called the Magic Muff. I have a couple of them and my pigs just adore them. They love to crawl into them and sleep. They also are open on both ends so the young pigs really enjoy running through them. With the rare exception, you will probably find that most pigs won't play with toys. Most do like if you take an empty toilet paper roll and fill it with hay. They really enjoy pulling the hay out and eating it.

Although they certainly aren't the same, having a knowledge of rabbits will help you navigate the world of guinea pigs. I've had both as pets and in my opinion guinea pigs are more friendly and relate to their owners more.

I don't mean any offense to rabbit owners. They are wonderful pets too.

[bpatters]

That link I gave you has a ton of information about what you'll need.

[TheGuineaPigGal]

I'm not sure I'd trust the word of a cashier at a pet store about pet care -- we've seen people get some awful advice from store clerks over the years.

The first thing you need to know is that you need another pig. They're herd animals, and they do much better with another of their own kind. However please don't buy another -- there are plenty of homeless pigs in shelters and rescues that need loving homes.

Here's a thread to get you started on pig care: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...nea-pig-owners

Haha, yes, A pet store clerk told me guinea pigs use wheels!!!

[TheGuineaPigGal]

Aww! how cute!

[JenMorri88]

Hello everyone, I've been living with a beautiful pig for a year now, and then we were told that we have the opportunity to take two girls to our home. We have a boy. Tell me what problems I will face or will everything be okay?

[bpatters]

Your best bet would be to get the male neutered and then introduce them all. If not, he'll be lonely by himself, and is apt to go into spasms of bar chewing Just wait four weeks after neutering before introducing him to the females.

Under no circumstances put their cage adjacent to each other without locking down the lid on the females' cage. A determined male can push up the lid on his own side, but can't lift the lid to get to the girls. However, the lid does need to be locked, as occasionally the females will escape to get in with an adjacent male.