Any tips for guinea pigs?

Molly41

My piggies live indoors from late September to late May. Then they go outside and enjoy the sunshine (when we have some!!)

I feed mine a little kale, q, red, yellow and orange pepper and little gem lettuce (not huge amount). Again mine have the old Gertie and lots of fresh hay that has had the dust removed. I use Carefresh as their bedding which i buy in bulk from Vetpet UK. Also make sure there is fresh water and mine cant drink from a water dispenser so have a very small bowl (which they regularly sit in). Also make sure there are a couple of igloo type houses and a tunnel so they can hide away as they can be very shy and need space away from each other at times.

I have had a love-hate relationship with my piggies. I had a couple die unexpectedly and it totally upset me and I became paranoid that I would go up and find them. However I am better now and have a 6 year old pig and a 2 year old and they seem to be fine (touch wood).

Mine are called Squeak (6 years) and like her name is very noisy and also only has one eye as she had a nasty infection. I syringe fed her every two hours after her op as she would not eat but I was determined that she would not starve. In particular she starts singing for her food at 6.30 and if not given the correct amount will carry on until she has the missing items. Misty is very shy but very pretty and feisty. She has bitten me on several occasions but handles much better now.

I love my piggies (well they were my son's) but have decided not to have anymore when these have gone......but then again......

blossomhill_2

Please please please go to a rescue - I have had to sort out so many mis-sexing problems from so many poorly bred (and poorly healthwise) guineas from pet shops - the rescue will know the full health-picture of the piggies and also be able to find a pair that suit your temperament (different breeds have different characteritics and different care needs)

You wouldn't want a puppy-farm puppy, would you, please don't buy the guinea pig equivalent - neuro problems, systemic illnesses, skeletal deformities

Anacrusis

Thanks for the info about the bran, I'll get some - also I had no idea about banana skin I'll have to see if my piggies like it! I forgot to mention that my pigs love melon too, I give them what's left over when I eat it. Some prefer the rind and some the little bit left over inside.

Lozza, I would get your pigs from a rescue or a breeder for two reasons: rescues have loads of pigs who need a new home and depending on the rescue centre/breeder you can get less frightened Gpigs there. It can take ages to "tame" a pet shop Gpig, one of mine took nine months to win round but I eventually suceeded with the aid of parsley (his fav)!

Anacrusis

Oh and like someone said above make sure they have lots of hay. They need to be able to eat it all the time + they like to burrow in it too. If you have a shed to store it in you can get it by the bale which works out much cheaper.

blossomhill_2

In many years helping children with their pigs we noticed a trend - the ones called Squeak seem to live longest out of pairs called Bubble + Squeak, Pip + Squeak - so I would draw a simplistic conclsion that noisy ones are more robust - survival of the fittest maybe? So if chosing from a selection, go for the noisy ones ... they are great fun anyway

sock-knitter

i have one called squeak who is very noisy, pip is very quiet, am also rescueing one called biscuit, wonder what she will be like. is it wise to add another female to an already bonded pair of females, or would it be best to house her seperatly

lozza1985

Yeah we already buy bales of hay for the bunnies so the piggies will have plenty

Is it better to have 2 boys or 2 girls?

jaqui59

I think it will be better to get 2 girls, as there is the possibility that 2 males might fight (slightly less of a possibility if they are siblings)

Also, for 2 piggies their housing shouldn't be less than 48" long.

I would definitely recommend (as they are going to be outside) that you get shorted haired piggies, as long haired ones have to have their rear ends washed on a fairly regular basis, and those piggies might end up becoming unwell if their hair if left to dry outside in the winter months .. Guinea pigs do not thrive too well in cold, damp and draughty conditions!

Also, check their toenails on a regular basis, as their nails can curl under and pierce the pads on their feet.

As far as their dry food is concerned, I would highly recommend Oxbow pellets .. My 2 piggies, Chloe and Hannah absolutely love them, and ive read on other threads here about Guinea Pigs that they are very popular, sadly a bit pricey though

Megazorb is a brilliant bedding, and well priced too, I order mine from https://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk

lozza1985

What sort of toys does everyone give their pigs? Are apple twigs/small branches good for them to chew?

For lettuce, is most kinds Ok?( apart from iceberg) - even the purple frilly, lollo rosso sort?

blossomhill_2

lozza1985 wrote: »

What sort of toys does everyone give their pigs? Are apple twigs/small branches good for them to chew?

For lettuce, is most kinds Ok?( apart from iceberg) - even the purple frilly, lollo rosso sort?

Stick to the fruit trees as some branches are not okay and others are only ok at some times of year

Lettuce has little food value for them although they will happily eat it, better to give greens, less likely to cause squits too

Is it better to have 2 boys or 2 girls? Either as long as the boys won't ever get a whiff of girls, it can cause serious fights. But a non-bonded pair of girls can fight too until they bond - you may get the odd ones who never bond.

Is it wise to add another female to an already bonded pair of females, or would it be best to house her seperatly - try introducing on neutral territory and give plenty of space - lots of owners do it in a child's paddling pool (empty!) - any problems with cramped quarters may lead to problems, they can live in groups of 20 or 30 as long as they have space to get away from each other

Boys have a slightly stronger smell and need some male guinea private parts maintenance when they get older. I prefer the male characters though, even if they are a bit more maintenance.