What pet store should i get my first guinea pig at, petco or petsmart?

Question

hey! i want a guinea pig, i need answers, and not the answer, i have worked there and they don't care for them, or just get one at a shelter! i need store based answers, from Ppl who know. and what is the best type of cage??Also, do they sell Mutt's or do they sell more pure breed? i don't care, but just wondering!plz answer!

Answer 1

You would, knowlingly, rather buy a sick and dying pig than adopt one that is healthy and needs a home?? If that is true, then I sincerely hope you don't get one at all.

There are soooo many pigs that are in shelters and rescues that need homes desperately. Breeders are in it for the money, as are pet stores. As "friendly" and "knowledgable" as they seem, they aren't. Pet store pigs are often sold sick and neglected. They are kept in small, inadequate cages, and fed crap. 99.99% of pet store pigs have mites. Yeah, if you complain enough or threaten to call the ASPCA, they MIGHT take a dying pig to the vet. Otherwise, they don't. Don't believe me? Read this article http://www.peta.org/feat-petsmart.asp......

Before I knew better, I bought my pig from PetSmart. He had ringworm, mites, and an URI. A few more days in there, he'd have been dead. Over $200 later in vet bills and 3 months later, I finally got rid of those sicknesses. He, however, still is not the healthiest pig. After months of complaining to their corporate offices, they finally reimbursed me for my vet bills. It's a sad reality, please don't support it!

Try petfinder.com There are tons of pigs who need homes that you can adopt.

Answer 2

adopt one from ur local shelter. ur saving a life and it will be so much healthier and they will give u the right gender. guinea pigs in pet stores can be infested with mites have upper respitory infection or so many other problems. u can end up spending a lot more money in vet bills than u did on the guinea pig in the first place. also the best kind of cage is a c&c cage wich stands for cubes and coroplast. u can read all about these cages and how to make or buy one online at www.guineapigcages.com. they're cheaper and bigger than most pet store cages

ps guinea pigs at shelters usualy cost $10-$15 where guinea pigs at petco or pet smart are usualy $30-$35

Answer 3

My personal opinion is to adopt or get one from a breeder, but if you are intent on Petsmart or Petco, it depends on the store. I have seen Petsmarts that are dirty and I have seen Petcos that are dirty, I have heard horror stories and sucess stories from each store. It depends on the managers and employees.

Go to the stores look at them. Dont just look at the markings or cuteness of the pigs. Look closely at them. Are their eyes clear? Are they lively? Are they friendly and curious? Are the cages clean? And not just the pig cages are all the small animal cages clean? Do all of them look healthy and alert? Ask the employees about them. Do the employees have a favorite or are they knowledgeable about them? If the employee is apathetic or doesnt seem to care about them, they probably dont get a lot of people time. When someone puts their hand in the cage and doesnt move, do the pigs run and hide or check out the hand. When someone picks them up, do they squeal and try to get away or cuddle up just fine?

Look at every aspect. Sometimes one store will stand out better than the other. And most of it comes down to the employees. If the employees are knowledgeable and eager about them, then they are probably well cared for.

As for a cage, a one story (guinea pigs dont climb much) wide cage is best. the kind usually say that they are good for guinea pigs, rats and sometimes rabbits. Make sure you have a hiding place for them too...and preferably one that isnt plastic or metal, pigs chew on everything. The boxes for velveeta shells and cheese always worked well for my pigs.

Answer 4

You can get your first Guinea pig at either store. I would reccomend petsmart if you are looking for a younger animal but if you want a friendlier animal i would go to petco. That is my personal experience. I have found animals at petco are friendlier but they are quite old. The best cage for a Guinea pig is a wire cage with a plastic bottom. no wire on the bottom because it can cause foot problems. good luck

Answer 5

Congrats on your new guinea pig!!!!
1) Do Not BUY AT A PET STORE!!!! They do not know anything about guinea pigs and they usually are unhealthy because the employees their usually don't know how to care for them
2) The best type of cage, personally I think is the C&C Cage. You can make them really big. go to www.guineapigcages.com for information on C&C cages and I think it shows how big a cage for certain amounts of guinea pigs.
3) There are no guinea pig "mutts" If the guinea pigs are not the same type of guinea pig, they will not breed. All guinea pigs are purebred.
here are some caresheets for guinea pigs
http://www.petco.com/caresheets/small%20animals/GuineaPig.pdf

http://www.skytoseapetshop.com/guinea_pig_care_sheet.htm

http://www.cavyspirit.com/care.htm

http://www.sunseed.com/artccatE6T7KX99.html

http://www.exoticpetvet.com/breeds/guineapig1.htm

http://wildsidepetsinc.com/GuineaPigCareSheet.html

http://www.raleighrodentrescue.org/guineapig-care.html

Answer 6

I am a guinea pig mom AND a Petsmart employee. I'll tell you this - the first two guinea pigs I bought came from a small pet store (I have since moved states). They both had upper respiratory infections and mite infestations that had to be treated by a vet. I still have them both and love them dearly. I recently acquired two more pigs through a rescue group I found on Petfinder. They're younger than my other two (who were approx 3 & 4 yrs old at the time of purchase), and they're in good health. I'm not sure what your aversion is to looking up available guinea pigs on Petfinder - there are lots of homeless and abandoned piggies who need forever homes that are healthy and used to being handled by people (unlike the majority of pet store pigs). That said, here is my advice to you on buying from a pet store:
1) Look for healthy pigs. Guinea pigs should have all their fur and no crusties around their eyes and nose. They should be fairly active and social, interacting with the other pigs in the cage. Pigs that seem overly lethargic or have crusties by their eyes and nose are most likely ill (but bare in mind one pig in a cage means the rest are exposed to it as well, and most likely will get ill). Also, most pet stores sell baby guinea pigs, barely weened from their mom. Size isn't always a reliable determining factor for figuring out age - they babies may look like adults, but it's more likely their a few months old (I have a 9 month old who's the same size and weight as my 5 year old).
2) cages sold in pet stores are really not big enough for guinea pigs. And to top it off, they're REALLY expensive! I'd recommend checking out guinea pig cages.com - they have info on recommended space requirements as well as how to build your own and where to get supplies. They also have a link on where you can purchase a kit with all the supplies you'd need, all for around $50 (and TWICE the size of most pet store cages)
3) pet stores gets their pigs from breeders. Petsmart has a policy that all animals are "vet assured," though I can tell you that this isn't always the case. Breeders breed animals to make money, not for the benefit of the breed. The different breeds of guinea pigs, like Abbysinnian, American, Peruvian, etc., can all be found in a pet store as well as a shelter. The domesticated guinea pig really is a "mutt," regardless of where you get it.

I'd recommend checking out Guinea Lynx.com for general care and nutrition information on guinea pigs. I refer to it constantly! It's a reliable source that will help ensure you have happy and healthy piggies.

Answer 7

I have had 4 guinea pigs before, and I have 1 now! Here are the answers to your questions:

1). Petco, or Petsmart? I would recommend Petsmart. They give the guinea pigs a bigger cage there compared to Petco.

2). What is the best type of cage? I would recommend any kind of plastic cage. Pretty much any kind of cage made for guinea pigs will work!

3). Do they sell mutts or do they sell more pure breed? They are more likely to sell purebred guinea pigs. Animal shelters sell mutt guineae pigs!

I hope that this helps! Good Luck!

Answer 8

When we got our guinea pigs a few years back we went to Petsmart. They keep their rodents separated by sex, and I like that. I didn't want to go in for one and wind up with 5 a couple weeks later:o)

The cage I would get is the biggest one possible, with a stand. I bought the standard one, but pigs, just like puppies, like to roam around. I use to let them around in a spare bedroom when I was home. They whistle and "popcorn" when they roam free. I loved that.

I think they are purebred. I don't know too much about the different types of guinea pig breeds to know the difference though.

Also, look on line for guinea pig enthusiasts. They are a great source. You can look them up by google-ing guinea pig or cavies. Hope this helps. :)

Answer 9

Petco because when I go in there the guinea pigs are in clean cages and I think Petco has a better guarantee on their pets. The animals there always appear to be healthy too. Most of the guinea pigs there are purebred. The best cage is Superpet in my opinion. It's sturdy and easy to clean. Petsmart doesn't seem as "directed" to animals but seem to fucus more on supplies.

Answer 10

look.you go to petco. no cage is really the best. whatever you can afford. there are no such things as mutts or purebreds in guinea pigs that is for dogs. i seggest u read up on this.