guinea pigs.. talk to me...

[umami_mommy]

got one today from another HS mom. her kids lost interest and she feels he is lonely. so she gave me cage, food and all for nothing.

but i know nothing about them either. i had gerbils when i was a kid, but nothing rodent-y since then.

tell me how to care for them and what to feed besides those bagged pellets.

[Breathless Wonder]

http://www.cavyspirit.com/
http://www.guineapigcages.com/

http://www.guinealynx.info/

[umami_mommy]

i was hoping for a little convo. google i know how to use.

[mommyoftwo]

We love our pig. Unlike gerbils or hamsters, they love attention and handling. They are funny little animals. Over time you'll start noticing that they have their own little language. We can tell when she is hungry, lonely, feeling playful or just anxious.

She is a really fun, easy to take care of pet. They are messy and a bit smelly. And she can be down right loud sometimes especially when the refrig. door is opened.

You should give her timothy hay, fresh veggies (we call her our compost bin) and she needs to have some source of vitamin C (they sell supplements). Also ours drinks a ton of water so you'll need to check it daily. They do require that the nails are clipped once or twice a month. They should have somehting to chew (hardwood) or the front teeth can grow too large.

Have fun!

[umami_mommy]

thank you! that helps lots! he seems to LOVE carrots, but oranges not so much.

i guess i trip to the pet store is in the works! i need cat food anyway.

what do you put on the bottom of it's cage? there were just newspapers in there when we got him. but that seemed really gross. i know cedar is out. we tried shredded paper from the shredder, but he started eating it, so we took it out.

[Narmowen]

Fleece. You'll have to wash it pretty often, but it's great for the bottom of their cage.

[simple life]

Originally Posted by umami_mommy

thank you! that helps lots! he seems to LOVE carrots, but oranges not so much.

i guess i trip to the pet store is in the works! i need cat food anyway.

what do you put on the bottom of it's cage? there were just newspapers in there when we got him. but that seemed really gross. i know cedar is out. we tried shredded paper from the shredder, but he started eating it, so we took it out.

I used pine shavings. And also shredded paper, but we didn't have the eating problem . I miss mine .

[Oubliette8]

I really love Carefresh Bedding, which is a soft bedding made of recylced paper. Its in a much different form than paper from the shredder and I've never had an issue with Guinea Pigs eating it. Its also VERY absorbent and low odor. I much prefer it over other types of bedding.

[*Jade*]

My sister recently got into guinea pigs, and then had to give them up because of allergies She loved them for their little personalities and their cuddliness, and made me watch youtube videos of them "popping" when they were excited! So cute!

I have no idea how to care for them, but I know she got a lot of good information from guinea pig-specific forums, especially around making snuggly little caves for them!

[SophieAnn]

I did a whole bunch of reading because I love guinea pigs and seriously considered getting a pair awhile back.

Guinea pigs are very social animals, so please seriously consider getting a second one to keep your guinea pig company.

Also, pet store cages are too small for happy living - the information on http://www.guineapigcages.com/ is very helpful, and shows how you can custom build your own interesting, fun habitat fairly cheap. There's also lots more information including health, feeding, exercise, etc.

Guinea pigs need some floor time each day - time out of their cages to play on the floor. Somewhere safe where they can't get trapped under/behind furniture. Consider a large bathroom, or blocking off the kitchen, with some fun, safe toys (note that guinea pigs can get stuck in toilet paper rolls).

Just found this page - http://www.guineapigcages.com/toys.htm
Top priorities:
1) Another guinea pig
2) A larger cage
3) Floor time
4) Hidey house
5) Fresh hay

Try laying a paper bag on its side for a hidey-hole that's fun to chew!

[momto3bboys]

I fostered for a guinea pig rescue in the area and just loved the little guys. Fresh veggies are a must, dont worry about vitamin C drops for the water they sell they are no good, just get a good vitamin c fortified pellet like Oxbow. LOTS AND LOTS OF HAY is a must, must, must. I used a C&C cage for my guys which is built out of storage cubes, and i used fleece for mine, so much cheaper in the long run then buying carefresh or shavings of some sort. I too agree that piggies are very social creatures and i am sure that yours would love a friend but make sure that the friend is the same sex as your current piggie or fixed. If you are looking for a piggie you can check online at Petfinder there are tons of piggies looking for homes, who would think that there was such a need for homes for guinea pigs but you would be suprised how many there are,lol.

[buttercup784ever]

We got a couple of piggies from a rescue last year. They are great little pets, aren't they?

The kids and I made a C&C cage for them, and we went with fleece bedding. You can make your own, but we bought a little system for them from this site.

http://www.piggybedspreads.com/

They are sort of pricey, but I'm not good with a sewing maching so it's not something I could do myself. I had a guinea pig as a child, and I remember all that loose bedding was a mess! This is so easy to strip off, shake out, and throw in the washing machine. Plus it keeps the piggies cleaner.

I didn't know this when I was younger, but piggies need LOTS of hay! Pellets are sort of an extra for them. I get both from here. Very high quality hay and pellets.

http://www.kmshayloft.com/index.html

Another thing I didn't know when I was growing up with my pig is that they need veggies every day. I used to give them to him as a treat, but my pigs now get a nice little salad every night. Here's a link to veggies that your pigs can eat sometimes, every day, or not at all.

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ants-list.html