soon to be slave (tips?)

[hippiechick]

Hello, my name is Alison and i have been a cavy slave before but here i am again ready for another.
I gave my last guinner to my friend Vanessa because my parents split up and i was under the impression that we were moving, however, we didn't move, in fact, i have since moved into the master bedroom and have LOTS of room!

i obviously didn't have the heart to take back my pig so i waited because all her supplies went with her and the cost of starting over was a little much for me at the time.

now, I've recently had my 20th birthday and have some extra birthday money left and decided to make a cage to cut cost AND avoid buying one of those tiny pet store cages. so I'm quite proud of it even though it's not very big compared to all of you it's twice the size of any old pet store cage!


i will be getting my corroplast today and i will be getting my pig as soon as pet city gets more (i know and trust this pet store because I've worked there and i know the place is operated wonderfully by people who care for the animals and none of the animals are from mills and are all healthy and not poked at 24/7, if you need me to explain i can but i would rather you trust me because I'd have to write a long story i just know this is a good reliable place to get pets when there are no adoptions available)

anyway i would love any tips that you have for me, i do, however have training as a vet assistant and am very detailed in my "studying" before i get any pet.
but as fellow slaves any toy ideas or anything you'd like to throw out there would not go astray:listen:

thanks for letting me introduce myself
Alison (hippychick):cheerful:

 

[Kipsie]

Are you gonna get to pigs or just one? Oh, and don't get coroplast from a store chain called FastSigns. They wanted 45 bucks from me for a small sheet of coroplast for a 2x4 cage.

 

[hippiechick]

wow i was going to go there yesterday but they relocated and by the time i went to bugden's signs it was 6:30 and all those places were closed... if they charge too much i'll probably do linoleum.

oh yes!

edit: I would much rather get 2, i know all about companionship and i would really want happy piggies! but (and here's where the tips come in) do you think it's ok to put 2 pigs in a 2footX2foot cage? it's much larger than a petstore cage that some people would put 2 in, but that's not much of an argument... although when you make your cage it's MUCH easier to expand as your pigs grow and i can easily do that the next time i have a bit of extra money (it doesn't take long to add up, mom makes sure i always have a little cash in my wallet) so maybe is it ok to get 2 and have them in the 2X2 cage until they outgrow it? i'll definitely expand it before they're full grown...
thanks!

it wouldn't let me edit it because i jabber on and it took me too long

 

[Kipsie]

I don't think that's such a good idea. They need space to get away from eachother.

 

[hippiechick]

even if it's only temporarily that small, they will be babies, the ones at the store are tiny, but if it's not a good idea to get two right now, how will one do on it's own? introductions late into their life is much harder than getting littermates or cagemates from a young age...

tips?
thanks

 

[dra&pigs]

Introductions can be done at older ages, and I wouldn't get 2 in such a small cage, they will be much more likely to fight and not get along. I would wait until you have proper space before getting a second. Pairing old and young is easy, as well as a fixed boar and a female (or vice versa).
Edit: This doesn't mean, though, that two same-sex pairs of similar age cannot get along. I have two girls who are around the same age and they are as bonded as can be, and while my boys don't snuggle like the girls, they definitely are close and they are also only a couple of months apart in age.

 

[hippiechick]

ok, thanks for the feedback

so, it's definitely not a good idea to get just one?
or get two babies for the time being and expand the cage asap?

(another idea i had is... i intended on making a 2X3 cage but couldn't find the cube set so i got a shoerack with 6 shelves that are 2 feet wide and about a foot and a half "high"(when used as walls ) anyway i proceeded to putting it together when i got home and to my surprise and dissappointment the top shelf of the rack was "shorter"/smaller than the rest, resulting in a section of cage wll that is shorter than the rest! so i used the short shelf and the extra normal shelf as a half top and a swinging top door but now i'm thinking i can use them as sections of wall and make a 2X4 cage and just put the short section higher (level with the top of the cage and have the gap on the bottom as opposed to vice versa) and have the corroplast or linoleum meet up with it (by which i mean go at least 1 inch past the bottom part of the short shelf and then i'll be able to have a 2X4 cage and get 2!)

i'm sorry for the long explanation i hope it was clear:guilty:

thanks!
:cheerful:

 

[claire]

I think you'd probably be better to wait until you have a bigger cage before getting any piggies. If you look at the guide on the home page ( Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home ) 2ft x 2ft is generally considered too small even for one pig. It may be bigger than people with pet store cages have, but it's still insufficient space for 2 active pigs to live happily. And young pigs are very active! You should aim to have at least the equivalent of a 2x4 C&C for 2 pigs.

From what you've said, it shouldn't take too long to save the cash up to do this though. The grids etc are very cheap if you shop around. I'm in the U.K and i built a 2x5 C&C for only £40 (which isn't many more dollars with the exchange rate as it is, i think maybe $60?). All the information on finding the materials and building your cage can be found in the cages section of the forum. I think it's great that you're doing the research before getting the piggies. Good luck!

 

[hippiechick]

i think i'm going to try to modify the cage i've made because my little creative lightbulb just popped on, poor thing hardly gets use anymore, it used to be so bright, now it's dusty, and i CAN use the short rack, just put it level with tthe rest and the coroplast will make up for the lost few inches of the bottom of that wall!

i'll try it out after/while i eat my breakfast and report back with my success or failure...

 

[IluvePiggies]

Have you decided if you're going to get males or females?

I haven't built a C&C cage yet so I can't help you there. I have two females right now and I want to build a large cage big enough for 3!

 

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Is your Pet City the same as the big chain, as co- owned by Shoe City? If so, they do buy from backyard breeders. Even if they are a private pet shop, buying from a pet store is no excuse. It is never okay to buy from a pet store no matter how clean the store may look or how nice the employees.

Often the backyard / local breeders are much worse than the big mills.

Why can't you just adopt? Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder

A 2 by 2 is much too small. Younger guinea pigs are more active so they need space.

Intros are not that hard actually. Read Guinea Pigs Social Life Even littermates can fight.

 

[hippiechick]

Oh, no this pet store is a privately owned store and there is only one, and I know the owners/managers and staff personally. I used to work there so I know what goes on behind closed doors and that the staff is well trained and all love the animals and care for them to the best of their abilities. Also, I'm almost 100% sure the animals don't come from any backyard breeders. Except for the fish, I have no idea about where fish come from or if there are fish mills in existence or whatever. For example: the store NEVER has puppies and only has kittens on occasion and when they do have them it's when they take in unwanted litters and get them dewormed and get their needles and make no profit. Good people run this store.
This is the reason I trust this specific pet store above other pet stores... I also value the importance of adopting homeless animals but there aren't any homeless guinea pigs around here, believe me I checked!

Oh, and I'm pretty sure I'm going for girls, unless there's not two girls there when i get them.

 

[hippiechick]

Oh, and my 2X4 cage was a success but the sign store was closed so I'll have to wait until Monday for my corroplast!
Yay for space to run and play! Now I get to construct something to elevate the cage, just in case the piggie wiggies are afraid of my little dog... which actually will probably be fun because I like to make things

 

[dra&pigs]

Cool! A 2x4 is enough room for two piggies...so no worries there.

 

[Peggysu]

Congrats on doing your research before getting your fuzzy little buddies!

I also value the importance of adopting homeless animals but there aren't any homeless guinea pigs around here, believe me I checked!

This site is a pro-adoption/rescue site. If you have petstores in your area I guarantee you that there are unwanted guinea pigs in your area. I live in a small community and there are no guinea pig rescues and the shelter here does not take in guinea pigs. I can search online and pull up at least four that are being re-homed for various reasons.

I suggest if you really want to help an animal please search a little harder you will find them! If you search petfinder you might be able to find some through there. Anyways saving a life is more rewarding that buying one.

Good luck and I think a 4x2 for two females would work out just fine. That's what I had originally with my two girls.

 

[hippiechick]

I've checked every shelter in the province and we even have an actual small animal rescue with no guinea pigs at all and I checked all the local classifieds. The pet stores don't even have many. The big chain ones do but I wouldn't buy from them EVER only the little place I trust.

I'm very excited to get new babies but I do keep looking just in case something pops up but as of right now it looks like I'm getting them from this pet store. Trust me on it though, it's really not a bad place.

Thanks for all the info and tips everyone!
keep 'em coming :cheerful:

 

[Peggysu]

Trust me on it though, it's really not a bad place.

Personally I don't support pet stores no matter how nice the people are. Unfortunately by supporting the pet store you are killing a poor piggy that needs a forever home. Because you have been browsing this site you should know the better choice.

 

[AnimalHouse36]

ANY petstore that adds to the over population is bad.

Your excuse of "there are no homeless guiena pigs" has been used hundreds of times here. Have you checker craigslist? Have you called shelters? If you waited and asked raround you would have found some. I promise you. If you haven't already, don't get those pigs.

I find the small "mom and pop store's", some of the worst. They often get them from horrible back yard breeders. Have you seen you "supplier"?

 

[hippiechick]

Personally I don't support pet stores no matter how nice the people are. Unfortunately by supporting the pet store you are killing a poor piggy that needs a forever home. Because you have been browsing this site you should know the better choice.

Um, except there aren't any homeless piggies around here, I'm not just saying that because i want cute babies from a pet store or anything anyone may think. If you can find me 2 piggies to adopt here I'll adopt them! but there aren't.


And, if you hate hate hate pet stores so much where did all your pigloos and everything come from? you may not be buying the critters but you're still keeping the pet store in business... no?

I'm just lucky enough to have a local small business that i worked at and KNOW where the critters come from and how they are cared for I didn't chose the store just because the people are nice, that's a little ridiculous. I'm not running off to the nearest pets unlimited to grab up one or two of their mill piggies which they have an endless supply of, I'm patiently waiting for the small trustworthy business i know of to get more piggies from their breeder.

I HATE forum arguments because they're always so silly. Anyone who STILL disagrees with what I've stated in all my posts and still want to yell at me for adopting piggies that are not there for me to adopt I'd like if they didn't even read my threads because it's NOT productive at all.

Thank You to all of you that have given productive, helpful feedback!

 

[AnimalHouse36]

Before I knew about the terrible buissness of petstore's, I bought their horrid cage from a petstore. I bought carefresh from petstores. I bought toys from petstores.
Now:
I bought the fleece from walmart.
I bought the dish from target.
I buy bedding from Agway, and Target.
I buy veggies from my Big Y.
I bought their hideys from various online sources, and some are just shoe boxes.
I buy pellets from only pet supply stores. Same with hay.

I'm patiently waiting for the small trustworthy business i know of to get more piggies from their breeder.

That statement says it all. They buy from a breeder. They take homes away from innocent animals. Where do you live? Town and state please. I'm going off to look on petfinder for you. And craigslist. I'm sure I'll find some within two hours away.