any guinea pig money saving tips?

wbk666 · 24 July 2007 at 9:24PM

carrie483 wrote: »

The vibrating noise is a happy noise.

As for the maggoty things, go to your local pet shop and see what they advise.

Also, if you have found a guinea pig at a second hand store then i would report the shop owner as that could be classed as animal cruelty.

but rspca wont take action as you've removed the evidence by buying the piggy.

seek vet advice but it may be too late for piggy

Vindiesel · 27 July 2007 at 10:50PM

Hi all

I found the whole thread really interesting. I have always wanted a gp, and now i have my own house, I can have one (wasn't allowed when i was a kid). I have some queries though- I am allergic to cat and dog hair. I assume i will be ok with gps? I am fine with rabbits, hamsters etc.

also, how DO you care for them? Do they need a hutch/run on grass? When kept inside, do they need a hutch, and do people leave these on their lino, in their kitchen or what?

Oh, one more thing- do they grind their teeth like hamsters? My hamster used to keep me awake every night grinding it's teeth when i was a youngster..

cheers all :-)

LizD_2 · 31 July 2007 at 1:03PM

Hi Vin

You should be fine with GPs if you are ok with other small animals. If you're not sure, try going to a rescue place and volunteering with them. This will also get you used to handling them: they do have a tendency to wriggle and jump out of your hands if you're not confident. Even small falls can seriously injure pigs as they're not designed for it.

GPs need a large hutch to live in and a secure run for exercise. They love to eat grass - your garden is like an all you can eat buffet to them!

Most people keep them in large rabbit cages when indoors. I have a similar set up to this:

http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/3105/cat/515

This site has loads of useful information.

Mine chatter their teeth when hungry (I think it's their versio of licking their lips), but I've not heard them grinding. They do gnaw a lot though.

Get some good books: I would recommend any by the late Peter Gurney - a genuine expert on our furry friends.

If you decide to get some, go to a rescue centre first - there's usually loads looking for homes. You'll be hooked, though!

lellie · 31 July 2007 at 4:07PM

We've just got two pigs from https://www.lymmguineapigrescue.co.uk and they're quite flighty too.. very cute though. Ours will be kept indoors which is what's expected by the rescue - it's fine to put them outside for a few hours in a run, but they give lots of good reasons for housing inside - the main one being you're more likely to notice if there is something wrong and they get used to being around people.

LizD_2 · 31 July 2007 at 4:38PM

Those are good reasons to keep them indoors, but I mean that there's no physical reason why they can't live outdoors in summer.

If they're kept in a hutch, they still need daily care and attention.

robwend · 31 July 2007 at 9:46PM

yes but being from peru they dont much care for our weather. they are group animals and really will be happier in doors where they can hear noise and have a constant tempreture.sure during nice arvos put em outside but at night they really should be tucked up indoors. ive owned 13 at one time and kept them all indoors.GP are nothing like rabbits and should not be cared for in the same way

LizD_2 · 1 August 2007 at 8:53AM

Absolutely. There's good and bad things about both camps.

The other thing is of course that they need vitamin c every day and should NEVER be given rabbit feed.

midlandsfairy · 1 August 2007 at 2:29PM

My OH and I sadly lost one of our piggies, Rufus, a month ago and are now left with Rocky, our other very cute piggy (who has been checked out by the vet and is totally fine). They had been living together in a very spacious sheltered outside home. However, now that Rocky is by himself, we would like to be able to bring him inside for more floor time with us now for company.

I've been looking on http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/7599 and greatly admiring everyone's arrangments but the cages/pens/etc are in america. Does anyone know of a reputable UK site that offers similar in the way of the way of wire 'fence' type things (i think on that site they call them 'creative cage grids') that slot together to fence off a nice safe area?

Not strictly moneysaving but has anyone introduced another guinea pig to an existing pig? We are unsure whether to get another piggy to keep Rocky company. Rocky was born in January 07 and is a boy. When Rufus was alive, Rocky was most certainly the more dominant piggy although they didn't scrap at all.

Thanks!

borderlakland · 1 August 2007 at 2:38PM

it can be harder to get boy piggies to accept a new friend but we have done it a few times.it is easier if your piggy hasn't had the pleasure of female company before as this makes them more aggressive to other boys.. just introduce them slowly,in if poss neutral terrotry,keep an eye on them. we have usually a bit of squeeking and pushing about,thyen the odd "face off" but in a very short space of time they generally get on as they are socialable little critters

lellie · 1 August 2007 at 2:45PM

I love the stuff on cavy cages

We didn't get any grids (Argos have stopped doing their utility storage cubes which are the same as those grids) although there are quite a lot on ebay from america you could get.. Not seen any elsewhere though.

We've made our own area with some hardboard panels (got a sheet from b&q cut into 1 foot high strips) and then drilled holes in them and attached to each other with cable ties - works great. Not quite as pretty as the cages but just fine for them to live in. You could also get some of that green pvc coated garden mesh and build something with that - we've used some of that to cover their ramp.

How old was poor rufus? Same age as rocky?

I think you'd probably be okay getting a second piggy - they like company so they'd be happy to get a new friend.

You should consider rescuing a pig - we just got 2 from https://www.lymmguineapigrescue.com which might be a bit far away from worcester, although she has had people rescue from birmingham and all sorts of places.

http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/search.asp?GpigAge=Any&GpigSex=Any&County=Worcestershire&Submit=++Search++
Loads of pigs in worcester on here - plenty of other boys to choose from (don't want to breed and bring more piggies into the world - there are enough unwanted ones to go around at the moment!) There are plenty that are the right sort of age to go with Rocky.

any guinea pig money saving tips?

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