i have a new guinea pig, and its my first pet, any tips?

Answer 1

don't use pine bedding they can get respiratory infections and hold it alot otherwise they will always run and make loud noises when you hold them. And don't give them vitamins especially any that go in water most people put too much and end up killing the animals. Good Luck!!

Answer 2

yea i have some things that can help your guinea pig stay alive as long as possible. Try to take it out of the cage at least one time every day, and try to clean the cage one time a week. You don't have to really give the guinea pig a bath because it can keep itself clean, put it's hard for it to do so if the litter isn't changed every week. Also don't have the cage facing the sun, because guinea pigs eyes aren't that strong and the sun will hurt their eyes. I hope that i helped!

Answer 3

I should be a pro at this one! hehe. When you first get your guinea pig, give him at least till the next day before handling him/her. They are most likely afraid and need to get used to their surroundings. Despite what I read here for answers, you need to put vitamin C drops in their water. However, it's only vitamin C made especially for guinea pigs and follow the directions on the bottle. Guinea Pigs cannot extract enough vitamin C from their food. Also, carrots, romaine lettuce and apples are good treats, though only give one at a time and in small portions just to make sure your piggie doesn't get diarrhea. They also LOVE timothy hay and it should always be available to them as well as piggy pellets. Hope this helps!

Answer 4

First of all, GREAT choice for a pet! Here are my tips:

1) Give it vitamin C tablets EVERY day.
2) Get a big cage (not just the little starter cages from the pet store - check out http://www.cavycages.com )
3) Give it lots of fresh vegetables and fruit
4) Get it treats and wood to chew on
5) Get animal nail clippers and clip the nails once/month
6) Make sure it always has Timothy Hay (NOT alfalfa hay) and pellet food in the cage at all times.
7) Change it's water daily or bidaily.
8) Clean out the cage often, DON'T use cedar shavings.
9) Don't get it a running wheel or running ball.
10) Give it a house (you can get pigloos in pet stores).

Have fun playing with your piggy!!!

Answer 5

They are very sociable creatures and should not be kept on their own. Keeping them in solitary confinement is cruel and they will get very fed up and depressed. Males should be neutered to cut down the risks of testicular cancer. Their bodies cannot retain Vitamin D, which they get from the sun, so they need to be out in sunlight for at least 3-4 hours daily. Their diet should consist of 80%-90% grass, so making sure they are out in a decent sized run, on grass in the sunlight, with some shade too, is a very good idea.

They love to eat apple, carrot, cucumber, cabbage, a small amount of lettuce, thistles, and some like bananas and tomatoes.
They need a constant supply of fresh clean water. So make sure that their water bottle is always clean, not green with algae, and the water is fresh.

Answer 6

Guinea pigs are great pets, they like to eat apples, lettuce, carrots, tomatos and yogurt drops ( you can get them at the pet store most of the time.) Dont feed him any cabbage because its bad for them it gives them gas and they can't get rid of it. Feed him snacks and handle him at least once a day and he'll be your best friend.

Answer 7

I've had pigs for more than three years, and they are some of the best pets in the world. Love them, and they will love you back in spades.

First, their homes. Unless your giunea pig is very young (less than six months), the cages that they sell in pet stores are not nearly big enough. Cavies (a cavy is another name for a guinea pig) need to run around and have room to play, and the best way to make sure they have that room is to build your own cage. We have done that for a couple years now, and it's both easy and inexpensive. Cavy Cages (http://www.guineapigcages.com/ ) is a great resource for how to do this.

In terms of their bedding, we have used just about everything out there. Cedar is a definite no-no, as the aromatic oils are bad for their skin. Aspen and pine, while not ideal, are okay. For a long while, though, we used fleece remnants as their bedding. The plus is that it saves money; the minus is that they need to be changed regularly or they get sodden with pig pee, which is just all bad. Lately, we have been using KayTee brand Total Comfort bedding, which is basically recycled newspaper. The pigs love it because it's soft on their feet, and it also keeps the odor down for a long time. You still need to change it regularly, but it's easy to take out the sodden bits and put down fresh bedding.

Guinea pigs need lots of fresh Timothy hay. Pigs use this hay both as food and as bedding. (Many is the time that I've seen my pigs fall asleep in the middle of chowing down on some hay.) Alfalfa hay is not good for them. Similarly, your pig should have pellet food that is mostly made from Timothy hay. I highly recommend Oxbow Hay's Cavy Cuisine (http://www.oxbowhay.com/ ). The first time I opened a bag of it, I wanted to dig in myself. You can't get it at most pet stores, but many vets carry it. You can get a list of places to buy it at the website. Avoid the "gourmet" pig foods with bits of corn and seeds and other extras, as the pigs really don't need it.

Your pigs should eat at least a cup of fresh veggies a day. Romaine lettuce, green and red leaf lettuce, dandelion greens, parsley, cilantro, green and red peppers, carrots (in limited quantities, since they're very suggary), grapes, tomatoes, apple, spinach (limited because of calcium and gas). Beans are bad for piggies, as are any veggies with a lot of calcium or that cause gas. Most of your pig's vitamin C should come from fresh veggies.

Pigs do need vitamin C, as their bodies do not produce it themselves. Guinea pigs and humans are the only animals that get scurvy. However, supplements added to their water usually make the pigs avoid drining water (they don't like the taste), so you're really better off making sure they get lots of veg.

Handle your pigs regularly. They love being held and petted. They will run away when you stick your hand in the cage, and they may nibble on your hand, but they also bond very deeply. They love kisses in the bald patches behind their ears. Their ears will get very warm when they are happy; if you have a light colored pig, you will see his or her ears turn purple. A great time to pet your pig is while you're watching TV. Once bonded, they will be very relaxed with you. If they get relaxed but start wiggling, that often means they need to pee, so you can get them to their cages.

Your pig will pee on you a few times. You just kind of have to deal with that. Nothing you do will keep it from happening.

Enjoy your pig. Also, pigs love company, but make sure you have two of the same gender. Also, if you have two boars (male pigs), they will fight for dominance. This is normal, and should be allowed to follow its course, unless the two animals are really hurting each other. Then you may need to separate them.

Answer 8

There is so much to learn...google it...there are many wonderful sites here. You can even listen to the different sounds they make and one site tells you what the sound you hear means. The squeking is done usually when your guinea pig wants to be fed.....also when he is afraid and lonely. Don't give him/her too much veggies, yet...because diarrhea is something you will have to deal with. They love apples, pears, pineapple, cucumber....don't give beans or anything that can cause gas.

Answer 9

Guinea pigs are awsome and i have the best advice ever


ALWAYS PET THEM and jw but how old are you im 11

Answer 10

all of these people give you good advice. I say get the guinea pig book and read it. I've been having piggies since i was little. Follow all these people's advice and when you see your piggie growing up it's going to give you lots of love. Don't forget He/she needs love to since now your a piggie parent.