Hello, we're new and we've got a PLAN

[M.and.F.Piggies]

Hi Everyone,
My Daughter is quite keen that we become guinea pig owners soon, and I have to be honest I'm as excited about it as she is . So we have made a Plan. My daughter is only 3 years old, but as I've said she certainly would not be expected to take care of them by herself, or even be left unattended with them! However we are a very animal orientated household and she has experience with many different animals, so I would not be afraid of her intentionally or unintentionally hurting them, she is quite capable of lifting and holding day old chicks and ducklings (and they are very fragile little creatures). We are happily doing this the proper way and will have every thing ready before any animals arrive, we have already bought 2 books about their care, and each week she is allowed to pick up a piece of equipment for the guinea pigs, drinkers, bowls, igloos etc. I'm working on the larger items. I have been looking at c&c cages, I was thinking around 2' x 4' feet (because that's the size of my dinning room table and that's where it's been decided the guinea pigs will live, and who really needs a dinning room anyway) but with a second story, and I've already found the coroplast, I'm really lucky that an old school friend runs a really big sign company, and I can pretty much get whatever size, thickness, or colour I want, and any small bits like for my 2nd floor I get for free. Its very hard to get the cubes in the UK now, and I'm in Northern Ireland which makes it even harder, I actually ordered them online already, but when the company(in England) found out where I was they are now really trying to rip me off for the postage>(.
The only part of the plan, that I'm slightly uneasy about, is that I have decided to buy two/three baby guinea pigs :guilty:, I will try to get these from someone who has had an accidental pregnancy, rather than a breeder, as I am very aware of the large number of unwanted animals who really need good homes:sad:. I have made this decision because when I was growing up, my Mum took in all the strays (mainly dogs and cats) in our area, she had just over 40 dogs at one point in my life and although many of those animals were my best friends and companions, I don't think that at only 3 years old my daughter is ready to understand the "evils men do" and I really don't want her to be hurt by being rejected or even bitten by her pet because of a hurt or fear someone else had caused. I would hope that in the future, if she wanted to increase her guinea pig herd, when she was a little older, and we were both more experienced guinea pig keepers, we could then take on some piggies in need of a new and loving home.
Does the plan sound OK to everyone? Any extra info, advice, opinions, or just someone who has spotted a flaw in our plan would be very gratefully received.
Thank you All in advance

 

[kourt1313]

Hi and welcome! I so don't recommend buying, only because chances are you will end up with a sick pig and you would be contributing to the overpopulation. My first two pigs I purchased, before I was educated, and both died, one within 5 days of having her, and the other within 24 hours, due to pneumonia. I don't think you want your daughter to go through that either. I do recommend a rescue or shelter. Sometimes they will get in pregnant pigs and once she has the babies, will adopt them out. I know the shelter where I got Matisse has about 3 possibly pregnant piggies, so in a case like that you wouldn't have to worry about the harm someone else has caused a pig in the past. Just something to think about =)

 

[blueberry]

About purchasing the baby guinea pigs -

I can completely understand your concern, but it's important to realize that many (I'd say the majority) of rescue piggies were not abused. Lots of owners just can't keep their piggies because of divorce, moving, new baby, kids lost interest, etc. You can find lots of well-behaved, easy-to-handle, child-safe (and healthy!) guinea pigs whose owners just can't keep them, at GP rescues and on sites like Craigslist.

Another important thing to note is that baby guinea pigs are, as a general rule, skittish (from what I've heard). In fact, the more mellow adult piggies make better pets and are less likely to bite or be afraid of young children than babies are! It's important to consider that guinea pigs are very different from dogs, and so things that are true with dogs are not necessarily true with guinea pigs.

Overall, I highly recommend you check out any GP rescues in your area (or online sites where GPs are up for adoption, such as petfinder.com) and adopt a pair or trio of calm, mellow adults. I promise you that as long as she's careful, your daughter will have a blast with them.

 

[Kimberly713]

If you can find a rescue, that would be a better option. Don't only try for babies, adults might even be easier to care for since they are often already used to handling and you know their history. As an addition to the previous poster's babies being skittish, I can vow for that. My girls took months to be comfortable around us. If that falls through, looking for someone who has to rehome their pigs is a great option, babies or not. Everything else sounds perfect, and good luck! Hope you find your perfect piggies.

 

[sillylittle]

Welcome!

If I can just add my two cents, I have actually heard it said that some of the older pigs can be more loving. The younger ones just have instincts to go off of (the instinct of a prey animal) while the older ones have had the opportunity to learn that people are not bad (if they come from a loving home) so you might have a better chance finding piggies with suitable personalities if you work very closely with your local shelter. Or, if you can only find one pig with a loving personality, you might consider getting that pig and a baby. The baby will definitely learn certain behaviors from the adult, and there is a possibility that their loving personality will "rub off" on the baby.

 

[bpatters]

Welcome to the forum!

My biggest caution to you is to be sure you really want guinea pigs. They're very skittish, usually not cuddly, and will probably only come when called when you've got food in your hand. Your daughter won't be able to catch them herself, and she won't be able to carry the guinea pigs around the way she would a dog or a cat. Their backs are quite fragile, and a fall, even from the height of a three-year-old, can mean extreme pain and/or paralysis. I wouldn't let our kids get them until the youngest was seven, and I should have probably waited another year or so.

As far as her holding them, I've no doubt that she can do that if they cooperate. But they don't always. One poster on another forum, a very experienced, long-time guinea pig owner, has just had one suffer an injured hip and back because he tried to jump out of her hands when a bird squawked at him, and was severely injured as she tried to catch him and break his fall. If you let her hold them, I'd make her sit on the floor and put the pigs in her lap rather than letting her move around with them.

Second, see if you can return those books and get your money back. Many of them have incredibly bad information in them -- some of it just out of date, and some of it just plain wrong. The articles on this site, at Guinea Pig Education, Care, Rescue and Adoption at Cavy Spirit, and at www.guinealynx.info are the best information available for guinea pig care.

Third, if you do get the pigs, hold off on the pigloos for quite a while. They'll just go in them and hide, sitting in their own waste and breathing the fumes thereof. I prefer hideys with both entrances and exits, so that no pig gets trapped. Step stools from the dollar store work well, as do cardboard boxes with holes in the end and the bottoms cut out. Fleece forests are great, and towels draped across a corner of the cage are good.

You also need to fasten the cage to the table somehow. I don't care how well-behaved your daughter is, and how much you caution her about them, she will try to get the pigs out of the cage, and may push it off the table.

Don't get sucked into buying the things in the pet stores that are advertised for guinea pigs. They don't need store-bought treats -- think herbs when you think about treats for them. Mine go absolutely wild for dill, cilantro and basil, and one of them loves thyme.

About the cubes -- if you can't find them, closet shelving makes a very good, very sturdy cage, and the shelving is available just about everywhere.

I applaud you for looking for guinea pigs that need homes. Not every country has the pet over-population of the US, and there may not be many rescues where you are. Not only would I encourage you not to buy from a breeder, I'd also encourage you not to get baby guinea pigs. They're very skittish, very user-unfriendly, very fast, and it can take months of gentle care by an adult to bond with them. With a three-year-old, I don't know if they ever would. They're cute, yes, but by the time you can take them home, they're pretty much acting like the adults, with a little more popcorning. Settled older pigs would be a much better choice for a home with a small child, if you even decide to get guinea pigs.

I don't want to discourage you from getting them if you've really thought it through and know that GPs are what you want. But over and over, we see people who thought the pigs were cute, or gave in to a child's pleas to have one, and then found out that they didn't get what they thought they were getting. If your kid wants something she can play with and snuggle with, dress up in clothes, play with outside, etc., guinea pigs are not your answer.

They're wonderful, and cute, and I love mine dearly. But I wouldn't even have considered buying them when the kids were little. And now that I've had them a while and have gotten so involved with all things guinea pig, I'm even more glad that I didn't.

 

[M.and.F.Piggies]

Thank you all SOOOOOOO..... much, this is why I'm really happy to be posting here, I have never kept piggies before (one of the few animals I haven't kept), and I just don't know these things! If I had been getting them for my self I would have gone straight for rescue/adoption ones, I was only hesitant because of my little one, but now you've set my mind at ease about that, I would be very happy to adopt

 

[Henrysmommy]

Hey and welcome! You sound like such a cool person.
I have to agree with everyone else- an adult guinea pig is going to be much much better for a younger child, no matter how good with animals they are. Baby guinea pigs are lovely but they will go through puberty and get grouchy for a bit. A nice older mellow pig seems much less likely to bite, and your little girl can cuddle him/her almost right away. With baby piggies it's a very long process to gain their trust. I bought Henry at a shop about 10 months ago and I still don't fully have his trust/bond. When buying you also run the risk of getting a pegnant pig thats been miss-sexed, so one little cutie turns into a 6some of tribles. Keep us updated on what you decide.

 

[Eimear]

Welcome to the forum! someone else from ireland! woop! Im finding it impossible to find grids aswell, i'll have to order them online. you're so lucky you can get all that coroplast for free

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

I have two young boys (2yrs and 4yrs) and the guinea pigs have been wonderful pets for the kids. They have been the center destination for wooden train tracks to stop, cuddly friends for watching TV with and occasionally reading buddys. My kids love to build forts and have the guinea pigs run through them. All of this is of coursed supervised by me. I stay home with my kids so I get to spend a lot of time playing with them.

We currently have 4 guinea pigs. I think out of the 4 that are the most kid friendly are the two I have adopted as adults. I knew, through talking to the rescue/owner that they were friendly very people interactive guinea pigs. Both of those are older one is 3yrs the other is 1.5yrs. The seem to enjoy snuggling and being pet. I did adopt a baby guinea pig over Christmas he is adorable and so much fun to watch but he's hard to catch, doesn't hold still and is terrified of the kids! He isn't very trusting of me either. I am hopeful though with careful handling and bribing with food he will turn into a mellow loving adult like the others.

My experience with owning guinea pigs with young children has been a very positive one. The kids certainly do love their guinea pig friends too.

 

[M.and.F.Piggies]

Hi bpatters,
I'd already read that tip about getting children to sit on the floor when holding GP's, in one of my books and indeed I would more than likely apply it to adults too, my self included, as it's a safe(for the animal) and good way to get to know any animal, although I have to say laying still while a badly beaten one eyed Rottweiler investigates and gets to know you is not for the faint hearted I didn't just buy the first books I saw, I read the reviews and looked for the ones really recommended by GP owners, and I got 2 so I could check 1 against the other and against the internet info!
If the igloos are a problem I can soon get my handy hubbie to make another entrance/exit in the one I've got with his trusty hack saw, as he is already making them little wooden houses and has said he will make wooden sides for their cage if I can't get cubes.
I allow my daughter to pick a little item for the piggies anytime we are in a pet store as we are there quite a lot for the needs of our other animals, and it makes her feel included in our plans and activities. As for GP food apart from pellets, which I've been told are a necessity, we grow all the veg and herbs we eat ourselves so the piggies should be well catered for
If my daughter wanted a pet to cuddle and play outside with she has our very willing dog, and if she wants to dress something up shes got her Dad
I have never and will never buy any animal from a "breeder"! I was not well enough informed (so I posted here) in GP behavior and thought that unplanned babies were the way to go, now I know better I will look for adults. I know better than most the consequences of "breeders". Right now I am home to 3 rescue horses,who will see out their 30 year lives with me, (which is why I don't feel daunted at taking on GP's who's life span is at best 10 years), 4 sheep who had been suffering neglect, and 6weeks after arriving with me turned into 11 sheep!! 10 hens rescued from battery cages, 3 and a half ducks, (one has only one leg), 2 fish, my neighbors children got fed-up with, an unwanted sheepdog who was going to be shot, and 5 indoor rescue cats one of whom is blind. I live right next door to my mother, who has the 16 cats who can cope with an in and out door life, and 14 dogs most of whom are thrown out at her gates, some times the people stop their cars, before throwing the dogs out, some times they don't my mum also keeps hens and ducks and 1 disabled guinea hen. In short we are NOT the kind of family who get "fed up with" any animal! We chose GP's as an addition to our menagerie because as you might have guessed we frequent our 3 nearest animal rescue centers, and GP's have been coming in to them more and more recently.
Perhaps I should have said all this in my first post but I didn't want to make it too long, opps, doesn't look like I've been very successful.

 

[Hhbean]

Hi and welcome! Once you get your piggies we will need to see pigtures, please feed our adiction:crazy:! Reading your last post about all you animals reminds me of my childhood and my grandparents farm. My aunt's farm is now the place to go if you want to go to a "zoo"! My 5 year old grandaughter loves it there.

 

[bpatters]

That does sound like a zoo!

 

[kourt1313]

Can I come live with you?! I'd love to be surrounded by so many animals! lol

 

[ellisa]

Welcome to the forum!
Wow, you do have a very large bunch of animals! I want to come visit you!
Can I be in charge of hugging the sheep?

 

[Piggie Mom]

Welcome to the forum!
Wow, you do have a very large bunch of animals! I want to come visit you!
Can I be in charge of hugging the sheep?

I was seriously thinking the same thing.


OP, your house sounds like a ton of fun, and lots of work. I want to have my own farm one day.

 

[M.and.F.Piggies]

Volunteers for sheep hugging detail are always welcome They are a lovely bunch and really enjoy attention (which is unusual in sheep). When the lambs were born their mothers were not in great shape, but I really hadn't the heart to take them away from their mothers who had given their all (and in one case almost her life) to get them here, so I let them stay together and just spent a lot of time with them offering bottles to take the pressure of their mums. The result is a very friendly little flock, they are an absolute pleasure to watch with my daughter, they will all gather in a circle around her (they are all taller than her now) and sniff her hands and hair, then kiss her face, she can reach out and touch their faces, then when this greeting is complete they all just wander off

 

[M.and.F.Piggies]

It all happened so fast!!!! So the piggies have arrived ) even with all my good intentions it was a bit of a scramble at the end, we have been amassing supplies for some time now, but I had really found it very difficult to get cubes, here in the UK, I managed to get them and they were delivered 3days ago. yesterday two things happened at once, I had already arranged to go get the coraplast from my friend, and on the way there I noticed an add on a card in my local shop "3 female guinea pigs free to a good home" so I rang the number and arranged to met with a girl in I think her late 20's she said the piggies were her daughters, and she didn't want them any more. I tried to say very little, as I can't really trust my mouth once I've opened it All 3 were in a store bought cage with not much space, she explained the guineas were free but the cage was not as she had already advertised it on ebay, I said I didn't mind as I had a cage. It had taken this person so long to get fed up with these poor animals that she still had the box they had came from the shop in at Xmas. I KNOW, I KNOW, I've done a silly silly thing, and they could be sick, and they could be pregnant, and your all probably going to give me a great long list of other things that could be wrong with them, but I couldn't just leave them there!!!! So home they came and the long suffering Hubby and I quickly put together the C&C cage and go them in. I left them in their box and just carefully cut a hole and then set box and all into the cage, to try to give them some sense of security. So off you all go..... I need, hints, tips, dire warnings, what to look out for, how to know if there is something wrong, etc. so far they all seem to be eating, drinking, and cautiously doing the things any guinea pig should, I think???