i'm buying a guinea pig! what do i need to buy for him?

Answer 1

A guinea pig cage should NOT have a grated base! This is an old-fashioned belief that often ends in guinea pigs getting a condition called bumble-foot (pododermatitis). Bases should be solid, regular cleaning will prevent them becoming soiled by their own faeces!

You can buy special guinea pig cages of decent sizes from Petsmart. This is the biggest expense of owning a guinea pig, so go for it and get the biggest cage you can afford!

Guinea pigs need straw as a base and bedding. Their diet is very much the same as rabbit's (hay, pellets and veg) though they do need veg every day as they cannot synthesise their own vitamin C - they need to get it from vegetables. Do buy proper guinea pig pellets from pet shops - not rabbit pellets. Supaguinea Excel is the top brand.

Here's the PetsatHome site - English, but tells you everything you need to know about buying a guinea pig:
http://www.petsathome.com/pcat/guineapig

Chalice

Answer 2

Guinea pigs like to have a friend. So the first thing you should do is get him another piggie. Also, instead of buying, you might look at your local humane society and see if you can adopt.

Guinea pigs need quite a bit of space to be happy. The current recommended is 7.5 square feet for 1. I have 2 in 7.5 square feet and they seem to be pretty happy though.

You will need a water bottle, a cage, bedding, a couple of toys, something for them to "burrow" in (like a tent or tunnel), food and timothy hay. Also, try to find a heavy bottom bowl to put in the cage to put food in.

The best resource I've found is:

http://www.cavyspirit.com/

There is a link from that site to a website that tells you how to make a guinea pig cage thats pretty easy and fairly inexpensive. You can also adopt guinea pigs from that website. Good luck!

Answer 3

You will need a cage with a grated bottom which is best to avoid them stepping their own feces...although a open bottom is fine with plenty of cleaning...A water bottle which is easiest for them to drink from...A salt wheel which all small animals love to lick on..guinea pig food...and some treats if you want...They love wood to chew on so you could even get some chew sticks at your local pet store...Even Walmart has a full selection of just guinea pig foods and supplies..They love wood chips to nest in also...Good Luck with your new baby

Answer 4

A little top hat and a bow tie....and a small jar of potted meat.

Answer 5

here are 2 great websites that might help you!