What size should the cage be?
If I buy food with Vitamin C in it do I need to add a supplement?
Do I absolutely need to find a Vet?
What can I make for it so it can have fun outside the cage?
What things can i add to make the inside of the cage more interesting?
What kind of bedding should I use?
and How much can i expect the total of costs for the first year to be?
2007-02-03 00:36:39 · 11 answers · asked by ironchef48 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Guinea pigs do not smell! As long as you clean their cage at least twice a week (Mondays and Fridays for instance) they should not stink!
Guinea pigs need at least a 3 ft by 3 ft cage (it should be bigger if you have more than one). It should not have a weaved floor (like a bunny cage). The floor needs to be a solid piece. Choroplast (what business use to make posters) is a heavy kind of plastic that is a good floor material to use. I have it as the floor and two inches on the side so it is easier to clean. Some people just line the bottom of the cage with newspaper, but I find that it makes it more smelly and more of a chore to clean (surprisingly). You can find choroplast at any poster store. They may even give you a discount if you say you're using it for the bottom of a guinea pig's cage.
Guinea pigs need hay (as well as regular guinea pig food) as part of their diet. Timothy Hay is the best hay for guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs need a salt/mineral wheel because they do not get enough salt in their diets out of their native enviornment. They also need wood strips (or anything wood related) to chew on. Their teeth keep growing and in order to keep them under control they need to chew! If you cannot find any salt wheels there are also pills available that you can drop in their water bottles that will supply them with the same nutrients. And your piggie might not eat the whole wheel, my piggie only chews on the wheel every now and then (usually when I'm running low on fresh veggies and fruit!).
Guinea pigs need lots of water so a large water bottle is key.
A vet might be in order if your guinea pig gets sick! If your guinea pigs start eating or drinking less or more than usual something may be wrong with them so monitor them carefully. Also, guinea pigs may pick up mites. This could cause at it's most severe seizures (my guinea pig had seizures when he contracted mites) but mostly it causes his skin to become a sickly color, his fur to fall out and he becomes very (VERY) sensitive to the touch (since the mites are under the skin, you can imagine why). Luckily, most vets are able to give you a sulfur-smelling (rotten egg) "dip" that you can scrub your piggies with using a few cotton balls. Also, they may give your piggies some shots or even a formula to give your piggies orally. But this is all if they contract mites. Since guinea pigs are prey animals they usually try very hard to put off the "I'm-alright" facade. They act like they're fine even if they're in a lot of pain. This is why its important that you really pay attention to your piggies!
If your piggie does become ill it is best to clean out the cage fully. A regular cleaning involves the sweeping out of bedding (pine is best as cedar is prone to causing lung problems) and then washing it down with vinegar (vinegar is best to pick up that stubborn guinea pig poop!). After that wash it again with bleach and wash the food containers using bleach and soap too. If your guinea pig has a hammock (my guinea pig LOVES his hammock ) wash it in the laundry with your rags that you use to clean his cage and items. If your hammock is a colored hammock, don't be afraid to clean it by itself (I have a colored hammock and I don't want to lose that color!).
Guinea pigs are a wonderful pet to have and after enough handling will welcome being picked up and petted (my first guinea pig immediatly liked the attention my current piggie doesn't like it so much but I'm trying to get him to like it over time).
Even though guinea pigs fair well on their own they will be stimulated more with another guinea pig. Two females are best since they are, on average, less smelly and more gentle. Two males are prone to fighting (my guinea pigs were both male and did fight a bit at first but then it just became "don't-come-to-close-to-me-when-im-eating-or-sleeping" and they both respected each other's boundries (and I worked to put them together over a period of many weeks - so it was a slow process)). And a female and male put together will obviously create mini-guinea pigs!
Guinea pigs love fresh vegetables and fruits (and they need a good heaping serving each day). Most piggies love celery, corn husks, apples, carrots and lettuce. My piggie doesn't like carrots but loves lettuce (as long as it is not wilted). Cabbage, grape vines (not the grapes, they're too squishy), peaches and potato skins are also favorites!
Avocados are posionous to guinea pigs so do not feed them acocados! Pears are also bad for guinea pigs. Your piggies might even like orange peels (not oranges or limes or lemons because they're a little too acidic for the piggies). But they might like the peels. You'll notice with time what your piggies like or don't like.
Piggies also love shredded paper. It's healthy for them to have paper. In fact, when I give my piggie hay I put it in a toilet paper roll tube. It's a toy because he has to wrestle the hay out of the tube but then it's food because he can eat the whole tube throughout the week. (I feed my guinea pig hay whenever I clean his cage - twice a week).
Your piggie itself might become stinky sometime throughout the year. Guinea pigs only need bathed no more than twice a year (there are exceptions, of course). If your piggie is super stinky you can give him a bath in the sink using baby shampoo. The "no-tear" forumla is best!
Most of the guinea pig maintance is an experience. If you notice that your piggies are getting too hot in the summer put a frozen water bottle in the cage (wrapped in a rag so they don't get "burned" by the ice). If they have a lot of poop in the cage before you usually clean it - clean it up. If your piggies nails are getting long - cut them (you can use a normal nail clippers and a buddy to hold your piggies).
Guinea pigs should have something to hide in or under. I use to have an igloo for them to hide in but when his roommate died I bought a slightly smaller cage since my piggie suddenly became a bachelor! Now the igloo doesn't fit but he hides under his hammock when he's scared.
A ball, similar to what hamsters run in, is not a good choice for a guinea pig because guinea pigs are prone to back problems (short legs and long body). Nor do they need a wheel like a hamster to play in for their cage. They do not climb very much unless you introduce unsteep ramps into their cage (depending on how long your cage is some people do add ramps to their cage).
And guinea pigs are vocal! If you place your guinea pig in the dining room near the kitchen he will soon learn where all his fresh veggies and fruits come from! He might even remind you himself if you are running late giving him his veggies! Mine reminds me when I'm running late for dinner (he starts squeaking at five excatly and gets louder and more upset if you don't get up right away to feed him!).
I wish you luck with your pig!
2007-02-03 02:36:58 · answer #1 · answered by Marilynne 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
faith had a lot of good advice. The only thing that I would add is I would use "care fresh" animal bedding. It's made out of paper and doesn't have all that dust that wood shavings was. The dust in the wood shavings is bad for their lungs. Also, if you are allergic to cats or other small animals... beware (idk if I'm the only one, but I'm horrible allergic to guinea pigs, worse than any other furry critter i've come across so far) That said, you can prolly spend about $150 to $250 if you go all out with a BIG cage and all the accessories (though you can prolly do it for much cheeper if you look for a second hand cage). After the intial set up it will be cheaper, 10 bucks here and there for food and bedding. Plus, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that guinea pigs enjoy the company of their own kind. Just make sure you get two of the same sex or you'll have dozens before you know it!
2007-02-03 01:00:07 · answer #2 · answered by timesdragonfly 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It's generally recommended that you get two guinea pigs rather than one, as they are very social animals and one will be lonely on its own. Get two males, or two females. Two females are better.
What size should the cage be? 4 square feet for one piggy, 6 square feet for 2 pigs (8 square feet for 3).
If I buy food with Vitamin C in it do I need to add a supplement?
No. They'll get enough in the special guinea pig food.
Do I absolutely need to find a Vet? No. Vets don't know much about guinea pigs and are rarely able to treat them anyway. But if you have local vet, it is no harm.
What can I make for it so it can have fun outside the cage?
Guinea pigs are more interested in eating than fun, so make sure always to have some food for them to look for. Dandelion leaves are something they really love!
What things can i add to make the inside of the cage more interesting? THey need lots of hay to hide under. A lump of wood for them to nibble on. They don't need wheels or anything like that.
What kind of bedding should I use? Don't use sawdust! Put newspapers at the bottom and then lots of hay. They'll chew the newspaper but it doesn't do them any harm.
See this for more details: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A401842
2007-02-03 00:54:14 · answer #3 · answered by Gnomon 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Guinea pigs are social, so you might want to think of getting two so they can have company. Two females work out the best. Males tend to fight unless they are siblings, and even then, it is still possible.
You want to make sure you get a large enough cage so they can have plenty of room to run around and play. The large ones on the market are expensive and not really big enough for the pigs to run around in. Here is a great website for making your own cage. It is cheap(mine cost about $25), very roomy, and very easy to make www.guineapigcages.com.
This site also has links to some great guinea pig care sites. It will tell you what kind of toys the guinea pigs like( no plastic balls!), What kind of bedding to put in their cages (no cedar!) and what kind of things to feed them.
Good Luck! They are very fun animals. Very loving and very tame.
2007-02-03 01:11:22 · answer #4 · answered by kiham 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
This answer is just to address MANY of the problem answers put in above me...
Do not use cedar or pine, the phenols cause respiratory problems.
Do not use running balls or wheels, they'll break their backs.
Do not use salt or mineral wheels, they contribute to bladder stones.
Yes, do find a vet. A vet that treats guinea pigs will be very knowledgeable about them, and it's highly unlikely that your pig will NEVER get sick.
Do not use vitamin C drops, they break down in the light, and sometimes pigs refuse to drink them. Feed fresh vegetables every day, 1 cup per guinea pig.
Do not use a harness, they cause the same problem as balls and wheels.
The following sites have very reliable information:
http://www.guinealynx.info
http://www.guineapigcages.com
http://www.cavyspirit.com
2007-02-03 03:04:37 · answer #5 · answered by Lotus Effect 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well guinea pigs are wonderful pets. They are my favorite little critter. You will need a cage large enough to give you pet plenty of exercise. Petsmart sells starter kits that are pretty big cages with everything inside that you will need. I would recommend getting Vitamin C drops to place in their water. Guinea Pigs need tons of Vitamin C...they can get very sick without it. They will also need Hay in their cage every day...this will help with digestion. You can also feed them lots of fruits and veggies to help them have a well balanced diet.
You can by a harness at most pet stores...so you can take you GP for a walk. They also sell large wheels or balls so they can have exercise outside the cage. I would recommend having some different chew blocks. Some have little bells on them that keep it interesting. At Petsmart we sell this Tiki hut that is completely edible its so cute and they love it.
The bedding is up to you... you can go with the cedar or you can go with the softer kinds. I would stay away from scented cause they hate that
It may be a good idea to find a vet just in case. Normally you don't need to take them for check ups. If they become inactive, hair becomes matted or rough, or eyes and nose become crusty I would take them to the vet.
If you need any other advice you can email me faith16_2003@msn.com
Good luck!
2007-02-03 00:47:08 · answer #6 · answered by faith16_2003 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I have a pet Guinea Pig! Its really easy to take care of. It sheds a lot of fur though. You should let it walk around the house and roll aroound in those little ball things with the hole in it. You can use either pine bedding or a soft flimsy kind such as the kind made by "Carefresh". It needs nutraphase and Guinea pig Food Formula to help stay healthy such as "Nutrphase Gold." Give it baths at least twice a month and let it see the vet every year. Guinea Pigs are loyal, and fun pets. I hope you have fun with yours!!! :)
2007-02-03 02:09:00 · answer #7 · answered by A Girl With a Dream 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My friend has a guinea pig,he is very small and very sweet(it's a boy by the way).And he is very clever,when I see him I ask myself is this really a guinea pig,everyday his fur becomes longer.......well guinea pigs don't stay out of the cage much,the size should be not too small and not too big,the food thing is correct you don't need to add something but you can give him carrots,etc..........When you buy one you should go to a vet,you can put a......a thing for him to sleep in it,guinea pigs like to sleep in places like little caves.The cost won't be too much,at least for my friend it wasn't too much,nut it's a little expensive too.
2007-02-03 02:20:01 · answer #8 · answered by . 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Answer to Q1:
It depends how big the hamster is to know how big the cage should be.
Q2:
i dont know what supplement is!
Q3:
Not really, i hav had my hamster for over a year and he hasn't needed to go to the vet.
Q4:
u can only put him/her in a ball because it will run away if it is out freely.
Q5:
Tunnels (loo rolls r good use for this) and climbing frmaes (from ur local pet shop).
Q6:
Sawdust, Paper shredding, anything comfortable!
2007-02-03 00:52:43 · answer #9 · answered by Sammy 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
when you get a guinea pig the pet store people should tell you all the requirements and it all depends on what kind it is
2007-02-03 00:45:47 · answer #10 · answered by equestrian♥babex2 2 · 0⤊ 5⤋