Some Questions About Guinea Pigs?

Question

#1. Does PetSmart sell only one kind guinea pig, or are the mix-breed piggies?

#2. WHY is it better to have a pair of guinea pigs instead of only one?

#3. What brand of food is the best (expense doesn't matter) for piggies?

#4. Does it cost much to get a pig spayed/nuetered?

As in pair I mean 2 of the same sex!

Answer 1

Pestmart does sell different kinds of pigs, depending upon their supplier. Its usually a breeding mill of some sort. They are often sick in the store & you don't know it till they get home.

Cavies are herd animals. They live in the wild in big herds. When they are kept by themselves, they get very depressed & lonely. They *need* to interact with other piggies. They "talk" to each other & play with each other. It is a comfort to have another piggie in the cage.

The best pellets you can buy are made by Oxbow or by Kleenmama. You can order them online at http://www.kmshayloft.com/ or http://www.oxbowhay.com/index.sp These are Timothy based pellets with stabilized Vitamin C.

I would not get a sow spayed if you didn't *have* to. To neuter a boar is about $60. Don't let anyone tell you that two males cannot get along. That is a MYTH. You can get two baby/young males or an older male w/ a baby male. They will get on fine if properly introduced. See http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm & look under introductions (you'll need to scroll down a ways).

Good luck! Glad you're researching!

Answer 2

1) I think PetSmart only sells one kind of guinea pig, but I am not sure. I would go there and ask the people who work there before I decided on which one to get.

2) It is usually better to get 2 because they can get lonely. Putting 2 females together is not such a good idea, because they are not very social toward one another,and they might fight. 2 boys will get along just fine.

3) I use TimothyHay Complete that you can get at PetSmart. This is the pellets. Also feed them Hay and tons of veggies. My piggies love parsley and most types of fruit. I also give them a supplement of Vitamin C. You can buy it at a vitamin store like the vitamin cottage or wild oats maybe whole foods. It is a liquid and you give it to them through a glass eyedropper (my piggies love it). Also give them fresh water!!

4) I've heard that it does cost a lot, but if you get 2 that are the same you won't have to worry about it. This one site below says $85, just keep scrolling down and you will see the section about piggies.
http://www.sniksnak.com/ac/costs.html

Answer 3

1. Both! It's hard to tell though. Also, beware with store ones, often they aren't treated too well, and are unhealthy. They usually don't get much human interaction at stores, also.

2. They should have a companion. Unfortunatly, it is impossible for my guinea pig and her lifestyle as she is very territorial and can be very aggressive, so i wouldn't trust her with other pigs; very anti-social as if until i got her, she had no human contact. I would DEFINATLY get 2 as it usually makes guinea pigs happier and more playful, but in some circumstances, it just won't work. However, it almost always does, so get a pair to see your piggy happy!

3. Food....yum! Some guinea pigs are more picky than others, so part of this is personal preference. My pig's favorite is these pellets, plus this added...other stuff. She won't eat any other food! But no matter how much nutrition the piggy food says it has, ALWAYS give your little guy fresh veggies and fruit. Oranges are VERY good, high in Vitamin C! Surprisingly, my piggy can't stand them.....she's a little weird! Lettuce and grapes(fully peeled in my pig's case!) are also great, but KEEP AWAY FROM ICEBERG LETTUCE!!! It contains chemicals that can be VERY bad for them. Also, feed them Timothy hay, but not alfafa, because when they become adults(which happens pretty fast!) they can't digest it well! Put the hay rack up a little higher so your piggy can have some excercise to get it! My friend has feed them lollipops, bubble gum, crackers, and many other strange foods, but don't! It's bad for them! Just think- if it's bad for us, it's bad for them.

4. Altering costs usually between $75-100 US dollars, but it isn't always necasary! The surgery is hard on such tiny little guys! However, altering them CAN make them more friendly!

Have fun with your piggy! SQUEAK!

Answer 4

1. They carry different kinds, usually classified by haircoat. Smooth, Abyssinian, Peruvian long hair.

2. They live in herds in the wild. They feel more secure with a buddy (but 2 males will fight violently).

3. I use Oxbow brand--it is timothy, not alfalfa based so that is better for pigs. Also, timothy hay every day.

4. We charge $75.00 to neuter a pig. Only do it if you have to. Spays can be done, but are dangerous for small rodents. They don't handle pain well.

Also, don't forget you need to supplement vitamin C every day. I add 100mg/16 ounces of drinking water. I use the pediatric liquid.

Answer 5

#1. you would probably be better off buying a guinea pig at a breeder, the pig i got at petsmart died 2 weeks after i got him b/ of a respiratory illness.
#2. it's better to have 2 because if you can't always play w/ your pig it will have a buddy to play with, but don't get a boy and a girl because you will end up with many baby guinea pigs!!
#3. a vet. told me that the brand Kaytee timothy hay and hard food are the most healthiest for your pig.
#4. Call your local vet, b/ the price varies. Call the human society and see what they think. Our vet was going to charge about $100. But it depends where you go.
P.S BOY GUINEA PIGS DON'T KILL EACH OTHER!! i have 2 and yes the do occaisionally fight, but they won't draw blood!!

Answer 6

Piggies are playful and like companions but you can't put a male and female together unless you neuter the male for sure or you will have your hands full..It cost me $98.00 to neuter my male and I think it was worth every penny .. It is very hard to manage guinea baby piggies...

Yes, there are mixed breeds of Guineas but I am not sure why your Pet Smart doesn't have a variety

Answer 7

i'm happy you prefer to get him a chum atleast you be attentive to what you're doing. Male guinea pigs can one hundred% stay jointly luckily. that is in easy terms a fantasy that men continually combat. it could of been extra advantageous to get 2 from an identical muddle in spite of the shown fact that that is super to function yet another boy... a stable trick is to lead them to scent an identical perhaps positioned slightly vanilla essence on them, then positioned them in a huge play pen or on the floor with distinctive veg interior the middle and hiding residences around... they many times are extra involved interior the yummy veg and fruit and don't even worry approximately the different piggie. stable success :)

Answer 8

#1 there are mixed and pure breeds; according to what is available at the time.

#2 They are social animals and require interaction with at least one other.

#3 One may get two females, but never two males. They will kill each other. Males are even aggressive with their own off spring. They also will sexually assault their female off spring, so it is a good idea to separate her as soon as possible to insure no interbreeding happens.

They can be neutered,but it may be difficult to find an experienced Vet for that.

Answer 9

#1.It depends on the management the store is under but to my knowledge I thunk that they do.
#2.It is not better to put 2 males in the same cage or they will fight and sometimes get hurt.But otherwise,it is good because your guinea pig(s) need to have friends besides humans.
#3.Fiesta is the best kind of food because it has all of the nutrients that guinea pigs need.
#4.No.But if you want to make sure,look at smarter.com

Hope this helps!

Answer 10

1. idk about that one srry

2. bc guinea pigs r pack animals and they get lonely easily that is why i got two

3. um Animal Planet has good food mine eat that

4. i think it does unfortunately and i think it is more painful that a dog or cat's operation

hope that helps!!