Level of Effort? Proper Guniea Pig Care?

[Filia]

I currently have 2 chinchillas, but after falling in love with my friend's guinea pig, I'm thinking about getting one for myself. I went through a lot of fuss to make my chinchillas' habitat (and lives!) safe, healthy, and happy. The common theory is that guinea pig's needs are much lower...Is this actually true? It's common sense that an animal who chews on things to maintain healthy teeth, shouldn't be given plastic to chew on...And yet every guniea pig habitat I see has a plastic igloo in it that's half eaten...So really, what IS proper guinea pig care? Is filing their teeth necessary if you give them wood to chew on daily? SHOULD guinea pigs have wood? I know little to nothing about guniea pigs, so I would really appreciate a simple 101 guide to PROPER guinea pig care...Also, when my friend's guniea pig was sitting in my lap, he started shivering...What does that mean?Thanks for your time!

 

[asnnbrg]

My guinea pigs don't have any plastic in their cage -- pigloos or otherwise. The hay -- timothy or orchard grass -- keeps their teeth healthy. They don't need wood to keep their teeth trimmed, as far as I know. There's lots of info here on good guinea pig care.

 

[YourSoJelly]

Ok, I am VERY proud of you for coming and finding the proer information on here! Piggies needs are the same of that of a dog or a chin. They are actually a lot like chins, in my opinion.

Plastic shouldn't be given as a chew toy in specifics but if the pigs eat the pigloo, they eat the pigloo. The hard plastic like that of an igloo or a PVC pipe is better than that of a tissue box. If you give them a tissue box, take out that plastic that keeps the tissues in.

Wood chews are fine as long as they have no artificial dyes or anything like that. The wod should also be kiln dried and no cedar wood. The only wood chews that they should have should be made out of pine, willow, or aspen wood. I know that my pigs are not big wood chewers unless it is willow. If I give them a willow ball, they are all over it!

The shivering you felt was probably churring. That is when they vibrate out of happyness or our of irritation. Pumpkin does that when ever she chatters her teeth. Nala vibrates a lot when I pet her adn she falls asleep.

Other things that are need to know are that they need an unlimited amount of timothy hay and water. They shold also get 1/8 a cup of timothy based pellets. The best pellets I have found are Oxbow and this brand that a local farmer produces. That Fiesta Mix is pure garbage and should not be fed. They also need 1 hidey per pig. Also, a pig needs a friend. Instead of getting one pig, get 2. Also PLEASE do NOT buy from a pet store. Try to find local rescue groups or even check in at you rlocal dog/cat rescue. Small animals are often dropped off. The cage sizes are also posted at the main page of the site. Good luck on you search for a piggy!

 

[MummyOf5Piggies]

Hi! Welcome to the forum. I don't have chinchillas so, I couldn't really say which has more work/less work. But guinea pigs, Should not chew on plastic if you see a guinea pig chewing on the plastic take it out, because it can do damage. And they should have something to chew on, Like the all natural fiddle wood chews.

How many are planning on getting? Guinea pigs are herd animals and do better in pairs or groups, The bigger the cage the better for piggies(I.e C&C cages petstore cages are basically litterboxes they sit in). So they have room to popcorn, do laps/zoomies.(which is really cute to watch!) And floor time is a must also. Which is important if you have them in a small cage, the more important floor time is. the bigger the cage, is still important. Floor time should generally have a spot bigger than the cage it self.

And they should have veggies everyday, Romaine, red/green/yellow peppers, Parsley, cilantro, kale etc. (theres a food chart on here with tons of veggies/fruits for them) And for fruit apples,oranges,grapes, etc don't give them so much fruit it has to much sugar in them.

For bedding/ toys, I personally like fleece in the cage, you sweep the poos everyday. And they have cute prints! And change it every week like you would with bedding. Toys, natural wood fiddles are great for them to chew on/hide in. You can also make them snuggles/cozies. My girls like playing with a cat toy that has a bell in that i found at the 99 cent store, Or ping pong balls for them to roll around. And tunnels, paper bags.

For the pellets and hay, Do not get them the pellets with seeds/ colorful bits in them. They are a waste of money and pigs do not care for them. And hay, You can order from small pets select hay, Or get some at your local feed store. And no treats with seeds and other crap in them. Good treats for piggies are fruits.

Sorry if its a lot to read! But hopefully I could help!

 

[aubrey]

I just wrote a whole essay on guinea pigs for you, and it just erased somehow :grumpy:
but here are a bunch of helpful links!

Guinea Pig Toys and Play


FAQ: Introducing and reintroducing guinea pigs - The Guinea Pig Forum


https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...y-nutrition-charts-poisonous-plants-list.html


How to Bath Guinea Pigs - including Ears & Grease Glands - The Guinea Pig Forum

Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home

hay

hope those help

 

[YourSoJelly]

I just wrote a whole essay on guinea pigs for you, and it just erased somehow :grumpy:
but here are a bunch of helpful links!

I HATE when that happens!

 

[Zubbus]

Yes they do chew and eat plastics. I was too lazy to remove 1 plastic tag from a cave bed and my piggie ate it. It's been a while now so she's fine. They can chew wood and like it. But they are not anywhere nearly as relentless as hamsters or gerbils so they won't do much damage to wood. Obviously avoid painted or heavily pesticided wood.

They grind their teeth mostly by eating hay. Their back teeth need grinding as well so anything they can't gobble up will not help with that.

Guinea pigs must have 1) hay 2)pellet/nugget/feed and 3) daily fresh vegetables. They hay will take care of the teeth grinding.

 

[RodentCuddles]

I would also like to point out.

They cost a lot of money when cared for properly.

Veggies can cost a lot...we are averaging around 13 pigs in the house per week...we are spending around $350 - $480 a week on veggies.
Vet care easily goes up into hundreds....You need to be prepared to spend a heck of a lot of money on them for vet care...I'm talking into the thousands. Last year before we started the rescue we had a hard vet time with my male trio and it cost us $2892...That money was spent in just 3 weeks...

They are not cheap. Care free. Easy pets. They take a heck of a lot daily time to care for. They take a lot of money. They take an okay amount of space. They steal your heart though.

I'm also one of the people who doesn't like using plastic in the piggies cages.

They need daily hay. Daily Veggies. Daily fresh water. Daily pooh sweeps. Daily time with you. Weekly (or how ever often depends on the cage size) cage cleans. Nail clips every few weeks. Being weighed weekly.

 

[CanadianComforts]

@Paula has Chins and Pigs. I know she would have a lot of insight about the different needs of each, I'd pm her unless she comments here.

 

[ellisa]

We have a chinchilla and guinea pigs. We only have one chin as she is aggressive towards other chins. She loves people, though!!

I would say that our pigs are a bit more work. Lola is litter trained so she doesn't need a full cage cleaning as often as the pigs do. She also doesn't need to be groomed like our guinea pigs do, she just needs her dust bath. Guinea pigs also need daily veggies, whereas chins do not. Lola loves to chew things so she gets new chew toys pretty much everyday. Our pigs don't really care for chew toys, they mostly just like their hay and veg. Chinchillas seem to be more mischievous, and need to be closely supervised when out of the cage. I can set up a play pen for the pigs, but that would never work for Lola. She would be out of there in a second! I have plastic huts in my pigs cage, but they never chew on them. They have hay and a log house to chew on. Lola also has a pigloo and she also doesn't really chew on the plastic either. She's too busy with her toys or hay to care about plastic houses.

I don't know. Other people who have both chins and pigs may have it differently, but our pigs seem to be more work than our chinnie.

 

[Little One]

Hi! I also have 4 chinchillas and 2 GPs.

Guinea pigs do not chew like chinchillas do. My chins will chew through just about anything in an afternoon. I personally do not use pigloos or plastic hideys with my guinea pigs. Cardboard boxes or fleece forests work great for hideys, are cheap, and if they chew the boxes it isn't the end of the world. Neither of my GPs will use a chew stick. As long as they have unlimited amounts of hay that will wear down their teeth enough.

Gp also need 1 cup of veggies per pig, which is way different from a chinchilla as well, and you will need to consider the cost of that, as well as pellets. They need a timothy based Guinea pig pellet. Alfalfa based is to high in calcium and you run the risk of stones (unless your pig is under 6 months old or is pregnant-only then is alfalfa based pellets ok). I always have timothy hay on hand (for the chins), I just have to buy the really big bags now!

Also my chins are very sturdy it seems. I have never had to take any of them to the vet (I've been a chin mama for over 6 years now), nor have I had any real probems with them health wise, but guinea pigs are totally different! Make sure you have a good exotic vet that is cavy savvy, and be sure to have a vet fund in place. Gps seems to get themselves into all sorts of issues that require vet attention.

GPs don't really jump so my cage for them doesn't even have a lid, which is actually kind of nice. C&C cages are whats recommended here. My chins live in ferret nation cages (with plastic parts removed), but pet store cages for GP are way to small. Also my chins have flying saucer wheels, but no wheels or roll about balls are good for guinea pigs. They are just not made for that. Also fleece is my favourite bedding (for chins and gps!)

 

[ellisa]

@LittleOne, I was going to say that, too!
Our chin has only been to the vet once in the 8 years of having her. We had a small fire in our house, and she ended up inhaling smoke so she had to be rushed to an emergency clinic. Other than that she has never gotten sick or had any ailments. On the other hand, our pigs have been to the vet many times and we have been through a quite a few surgeries and whatnot with them.

 

[Mastershroom]

Never owned a chinchilla, so I can't help you there. I can tell you guinea pigs will chew on just about anything. My oldest pig, Quee, lived alone in a cage with one pigloo for 5 years before we adopted her. When we got her, the doorway of her pigloo had been almost entirely chewed off. She's now 6 years old and still kicking despite all that plastic, so I assume it's not too dangerous...though I'm sure it's better for them not to chew on it. Two of my younger pigs also chew on the tops of their coroplast walls.

If you feed them unlimited grass hay (timothy and orchard grass are the most popular, alfalfa has too much calcium for adult pigs, but is good for babies and pregnant mothers), it will keep their teeth in good shape with no need for dedicated chew toys or tooth filing. That said, mine like to nibble on apple wood sticks.

 

[addictivejuliet]

@Filia: I think guinea pigs are great. All you need to think about to start off is do you have room? They require space to run around in and live happily. Do you have time to get them out and give them snuggles?
There is SOOOO much information on here and its great. I suggest spending time reading through everything on here, looking at people's posts and also googling guinea pigs.
They shouldn't really chew plastic, I read somewhere they can get plastic fragments stuck or hurt their cheeks etc. It is much safer for them to chew the toys from pet shops, stores, online etc that are wooden and designed for piggies. Also, if you're planning on keeping guinea pigs outside - I wouldn't get any. They should live indoors and I know everyone on here agrees with that. They have a problem with the temperature and the fact that its changes randomly etc etc.
One important thing to know is, you shouldn't just get one piggie. They normally live in groups so you must get at least two
Anything else you wish to know, I'm sure all of us will be happy to help you with

 

[juliannimal]

Personally, I think guinea pigs are way easier. I had a chinchilla a few years ago and loved it but it seemed like a lot of work. The pigs are easy. Sweep poop daily, wash bedding once a week, feed veggies twice a day, lap time, and adore them.

My chinchilla was an escape artist. We had to padlock every corner and door of the cage and she still managed to find ways out of it while I was at school or work. She would then run all over my room chewing up everything. By the time I moved out of my parents house there was no base board left in my room, lol

 

[Filia]

Thanks so much for all the info guys! I have a few more questions, though...

Do guinea pigs need NECESSARY shots or any other need that involves vet bills?

What's the ideal age to adopt a GP? What are your thoughts on local pet stores (not the big brand ones like PetSmart/Co, etc)? What about craigslist piggies?

Supposing I only have one GP, how big should the cage be? The most common cages I see are: (broken link removed) But that looks a bit small to me.

Could they possibly get into fights if I get two? I would really like a lot of info on this...I already go through enough stress when my chinchi's fight for dominance.

You all suggest it would be best if I get two...What are the pros and cons of just getting one?

And finally!
The gender of chinchillas play a large role in their personality...Is this the same with GP? Are some breeds different in personality than others? Which gender and breed do you prefer/suggest?

Phew...That seems like a lot of questions, but I greatly appreciate all your guys' help!

P.S. To the chinchilla owners: How much does guinea pig food and chinchilla food defer? Do you think they could eat the same pellets? My money saving mind at work here...I'm not expecting the answer to be: "There's no difference at all." but it's worth a shot!

 

[clb89]

@(broken link removed) I can answer some of those but not all.

1) Guinea pigs don't need monthly shots, really just need exotic vet if they become sick. Vet bills are something you need to save up for. On here people have told me to save up about $500 per guinea pig.

2) Guinea Pigs are herd animals, they are more happy and healthier with a same sexed buddy. Sex wise, two males will need slightly bigger cage then two females. Everything else is just individual personality of guinea pig. Click this for chart on Cages.

3) Introductions are different then Chinchillas. You need to introduce on neutral territory, not in a cage, a place neither have been before. Click here for Guinea Pig Social

They can fight, but unless their is blood it's usually just them figuring out hierarchy.

 

[Filia]

Thanks, again!


I'm disappointed to say that I forgot a few questions...Sorry for having so many!

In the summertime my room gets a bit toasty; what is the maximum temperature they can withstand? Can a fan cool them off? (I'm planning on investing in a window air conditioning unite since my chins cannot survive the heat, anyway.)

How does playtime work? If you set them on the ground, they'll just sit there...DO they run around if they're comfortable? Are they any toys they like?

Do GP's need a wheel? If so, what kind is best?
Also, a silly question but....What about those giant hamster balls? I assume they're probably bad for their backs, but I'm just curious....

~~~~~~~~~
I have a pretty big room, which is where I keep my chinchillas....There's a nice play area for them to run around in. I play with them nearly every night (and of course I certainly don't plan on letting the chins and the GP to play together!) Conveniently chinchilla's are nocturnal, and piggies' are apparently day time creatures...So they're playtime schedules will work out well

 

[addictivejuliet]

@Filia : I'll answer the questions I know most about xD
I think age doesn't matter, ideally adopt from a shelter/breeder and you'll be rescuing a piggie who needs a loving home. You can find them at any age in shelters/rescues. Avoid breeders and petshops as they don't always treat them right and then there's the whole breeding for profit thing which is really unhealthy for the females.
I'm trying to avoid the word 'must' here haha, but people will really insist you get two. If you get two that were housed together, it is likely they won't fight anyway, and if they have the right amount of space, they'll have nothing to fight over! I read that some guinea pigs can take time to get to know one another if they haven't been together previously and I would read about introducing new piggies if you're gonna choose two that weren't together to start with. It's better to get two minimum as they normally live in groups and it's in their nature to talk to one another, play, follow each other around etc and they can get depressed alone. Us humans like to think we're enough for them but we're not haha, it's just a simple fact they need their own kind to be around.
I would only get piggies if you can get two.
andddd I'm not sure about breeds but personality depends entirely on the piggie itself
the big hamster balls are a no. Sadly they are made, eventhough they are really unsuitable, piggies spines do not bend that way.
Temperature....someone will know, it's written somewhere on the site here, but they do need ventilation so I wouldn't recommend those plastic cages for a permanent home.
Floor time is needed daily really, for exercise. There is information on the homepage of this site, but basically you set down a 'base' area, some newspaper and food and let them round around if you can. It has to be safe and you should watch them all the time. They may just stay on the paper or they may run and hide or they may wander off, it depends on how used to it they are, how brave they are feeling etc. You can also close off areas with a pen, just keep wires and chewable things out of the way. And always supervise them

 

[clb89]

Yeah guinea pigs don't need wheels or balls. The balls are actually dangerous for all animals to be put inside. May make a good toy to roll around on the outside lol. You can get various toys for playtime with guinea pigs, from what I hear they do a lot more then just sitting still.