are guinea pigs VERY HARD to care for??

Question

while i was strolling in our local mall...i passed by a pet shop...i saw cute little critters...at first i thought they were hamsters!! LOL...but the pet shop owner corrected me and said that they are guinea pigs..hahaha!...

i really want to buy one..and of course they are not cheap...can u plss tell me tips on how a helthy piggy looks like because i'm afraid that when they arrive home they will die immediately...

Are guinea pigs very hard to care for?? can u give me tips so that i can give my guinea pig a healthy life?? plsss... help me...THANKS!!! BTW...this is my first time...hehehe!!!

Answer 1

NO and yes but I was 5 when I had one but I say go for it!

Answer 2

They aren't HARD to care for, when you learn the proper way to care for them. Please do read all of guinealynx.info . It is the BEST information on keeping your GP healthy and happy. The forum there is the best too. The people there can answer almost any question you have.
You will need to consider a few things before getting a pig too. Space, time, money for food and vet bills all need to be thought about.
Pet store cages are wayy to small for any guinea pig. A C&C cage is easy to make, cheaper, and much bigger and better gor your pig. www.guineapigcages.com has instructions on making your own or ordering a premade one. DO NOT use cedar chips for bedding like someone previously suggested. They are very harmful to your gp. GuineaLynx has bedding ideas.
Diet is very important: Quality pellets (no extra colorful bit or seeds) are essential. Oxbow is a good brand pellet. At least a cup of fresh veggies every day. Unlimited timothy hay 24/7. Vitmain c supplements. http://www.guinealynx.info/diet.html has more diet details.
* Vitman C should not be put in the water. It weakens in water and you can't measure how much the guinea pig gets a day. Use vit.C drops or chewable tablets.

Guinea pigs need daily floor/exercise time in a safe place. At least an hour a day is best. Since GP are social animals, it's best to have 2 so that they will have company all the time. Be sure they are the same sex though. Pregnancies are very dangerous for piggies.

Also, please consider adopting your pig instead of buying it. There are sooooo many great, healthy guinea pigs that need homes in shelters and rescues all over the country. Pets stores usually sell unhealthy pigs that have been poorly taken care of. Petfinder.com will help you find a pig in your area.

Answer 3

If you're a first-time pet owner it can be hard.

First thing you need is a cage. These can be very expensive so make sure you choose wisely. You need two guinea pigs, if you have just the one it will get lonely. Get two female guinea pigs, as two males are likely to fight.

Take the cage home and buy some bedding, hay, food and water, prepare the cage for your new animals.

When you bring your animals home, if they're in a cardboard box, put the cardboard box in the cage and let your guinea pigs come out by themselves. Don't try to talk, stroke or pick up your guinea pigs until 48hrs have gone by.

After 48hrs, check your guinea pigs are okay. Don't pick them up. Talk to them and stroke them if you wish by using two fingers, but if they scared, leave them alone for now.

Change your guinea pig's cage at least once every 2 weeks. Leave this 3 weeks for your new guinea pigs. You have to pick up your guinea pigs in order to chang their cage. To pick up your guinea pigs, use both hands and put them in a toybox or something similar (with the lid open so they can breathe).

Don't worry about your pets dying. The best thing to remember is, that if your guinea pig gets ill or something is not right with their behaviour, to contact a vet, who will do a full examination. That's all you need to remember.

Also, change your guinea pig's food at least every 2 days, and water every day.

Good luck and enjoy your new pets =] i'm sure they'll be well looked after.. if you need any more tips or if you have any more questions, you can e-mail me. x

Answer 4

Yes they are, you'll be making a big mistake if you buy them. I have owned rabbits for 10 years, and know how difficult it is to look after small creatures. The general rule is, the smaller they are, the harder they are to care for.

Think about this: when it gets sick (and it will eventually) no vets are going to know how to treat it. Guinea pigs aren't a common pet like cats or dogs, and are difficult to diagnose. They have a short lifespan so are going to cause you heartbreak in the not too distant future.

If you want to do something really good, get one from a shelter. Pet shops are cruel and don't have the animals' best interests at heart. If you rescue one from a shelter, you'll know that even if it doesn't live for very long, you will have at least prolonged its life a few years.

Answer 5

Think about it before you buy! Research and make sure you understand what you are getting into. They are not harder to care for - any more then other pets, but they do require attention. Nothing about caring for a pet is "cheap" even a $5 hamster will cost a lot more then that to house and feed for it lifetime.

Guinea pigs are also referred to as cavies (kay' vees) in the guinea pig world. When searching for guinea pig info on the Internet, try using 'cavy' or 'cavies' as well.

I like guinea pigs, I do not find them hard to care for. I also knew what I was getting into when I decided to own one.

Answer 6

They are not very hard to care for, but make sure you really want one before you get it. Handle the guinea pig, understand what they are like. This animal will last a while so don't be impulsive.
I don't think I've ever seen a sick guinea pig. Just make sure the eyes and fur look healthy and the nose isn't running or cruddy. Its eyes should be bright and open. Guinea pigs hardly ever close their eyes except to blink.

Answer 7

I think guinea pigs are one of the easiest pets to care for. I have had two for about three years now and I have never had a problem with them. Just make sure you give them food and greens every once in awhile and dont forget to refresh their water everyday. Also you have to keep up on their nails. If you dont get them cut they can get really long and a turn green and curl. A healthy guinea pig probally is very active at night and might squeal a lot.

Answer 8

I had two guninea pigs at the same time and I got them about 3 years ago they are still alive today , and the only reason they don't live in my house is because I was allergic to them. When I had them I thought they were relativley easy to care for. I changed there crate about 2 times a week which took ten minutes and basically I fed them and gave them water. I also played with them , and while I had them I realy enjoyed them .

Answer 9

I've found that pigs are fairly easy to care for. They aren't particularly loud or messy. Their food costs about the same as other rodents. The only special care they really need is a vitamin supplement added to their water or food (they can develop scurvy) and some fruits and veggies occasionally. If you do get one make sure that you get it non-wood shavings (I prefer the recycled newspaper kind) and a place to hide. I got my pig one of those grass tubes and he adores it. Good luck with your new pet. :D

Answer 10

it's not as easy as some make it sound. you have to know the right things to get him/her. for instance. i was using a bedding material that aggervated an underlying URI (upper resperatory infection). i had to switch to a puppy-pad/100% cotton towel/polyesterblend layering technique to keep him from getting sicker, then i had to get him on an antibiotic. the antibiotic has to be delivered orally through a syringe that will fit into his mouth. well the antibiotic made him loose his appetite. so i had to force feed him. this went on for 2 weeks. i barely slept, missed meals etc. i had to take care of him first. he can't take care of himself, and for all i know he's crying inside because he felt so sick. he came first every day for those two weeks. now, i have to keep him on that layering of bedding, and i have to sweep the poop up everyday (and he poops a lot!). and i have to wash and change the bedding every week and sometimes twice a week (which should be done anyways). and on monday, we are getting him a cagemate. the cagemate has to be in quarentiene for 22 days to make sure he doesn't have any type of illness that could be passed onto my current cavy. and you have to know how to 'sex' them correctly (determine the sex of the cavy). a LOT of petstores don't know how to do it right. and a LOT of petstores swear they know how to do it right! and a LOOOOOOOT of cavy owners become the owners of 6 cavy's, instead of the 2 they'd intended on owning! the best thing i can recommend to you. join a cavy forum. google them, and you will find one :o) i'm on: www.cavycopendium.com

you will get top notch advice from these people! they've owned cavy's for 12+ years! they can tell you what to feed them, how often to feed them, how often to bathe them, etc... all you need to know that is never told to you. cavy's are one of the least known small animals. many things that are told to cavy owners are incorrect. you know those cages they sell in petstores for cavys? those are less than 1/3 of the size a cavy actually needs! you have to build a cage for them out of cubes and coroplast. you can get all of this information on the website i provided you with above and sourced below. please research this in depth. pet ownership is not a light responsibility.... i wish you all the best and i hope i didn't scare you. owning a cavy is one of the greatest joys i've experienced! he is such an awesome little guy! i love my little buddy! but i also make sure that he recieves the best care he can recieve, since he relies on me for everything.

Answer 11

We had a black and white guine pig named Otis when we were younger and the only thing i can remamber about him is he made a cute funny little noise and he was squirmy as could be. I also remember giving him carrots and lettuce. He was cool. I dont remember what happened to him though.