How long do guinea pigs live - how old are yours?

[nappyzonehasastroppytoddler]

How old is your oldest piggie and whats the average popping off to piggie heaven age? Just wondering thats all - min will be 2 this year so hoping we have some good years left yet.... even though i have just cleaned them out and said not very nice things

[CarGirl]

generall 4-6 years but some hang around even longer.

[TheThoughtPolice]

Some sites say that they can live up to 9yo. I think 5-7 yrs old is about average.

Mine are babies, about 5mo

[ZoeC]

I lost one of mine in September, she would have been 4 and a half, her sister is still with us and would be coming up for 5 now.

[nappyzonehasastroppytoddler]

i clean mine weekly and today they were an inch thick in sh** and mud - they have been free to roam outside all week - must have had a poo fest !

[aGalChangedHerName]

Too bloody long!!

Ours lived for 7 years. I hated having to clean them out (can't bear the squirmy bodies) hated being the only one who fed them etc. The dc are begging for another pet but no chance!!

[nappyzonehasastroppytoddler]

Well i encouraged my dd to get one just after ds was born and made it clear they were hers (naturally we ended up with 2)- she is 6 so hardly responsible enough but basically its me who peeters out in nmy wells everynight inthe dark to lock them in , feed them, clean them etc.. - they havent had much pettign over the winter which makes me feel bad but i suppose they have a canny enough existence tearing up my lovely lawn which is now a quagmire - Charlie and lola will live on then they will never be replaced.

[chloejessmeg]

I have had one live for 11 years

[tibni]

dd piggie is 5.5, he lives inside and has an easy life.

[multitask]

We had one lived to nearly nine years and another that lived to nearly eight years. Both were very healthy. The one is have now is four but been to vet twice with breathing problems and has masses of fatty lumps all over her underbelly. I doubt if she will live as long..

[nappyzonehasastroppytoddler]

wow 11 years! Ours live outside all year round... so far so good. Was your 11 yr old an inny or an outy piggy?

[Yurtgirl]

How do outdoor piggys cope with the cold and frosty grass?

Ours are indoors and only 18 months so I have no idea yet!

I am [astonished] at 11 years for a gp

[nappyzonehasastroppytoddler]

This is the 2nd winter outside for my piggies - they have a plastic hidey house that sits in the main part of the hutch filled with straw and they both huddle together in there - i let them out every morning to roam free in the garden and then lock them back in at dusk and chuck over like a polysterene paper sheet thing thats held on with a brick (hi-tec) but it keeps wind out. ANyway disgustingly dh forgot last night - he told me at 11.30pm when we were snuggled up warm in bed he had forgot and i thought oh well they will have made way up the ramp and will be ok - when i got up this am the door was half shut so they couldnt have got in, however, they were happily snuggled under dc.s cube climbing block thingy. So 'ard' as nails my pigs!

[silver73]

Sorry but reading the last post has made me angry and upset to hear that those little pigs were left out all night - they must have been freezing.

[chloejessmeg]

Yes I know, 11 years is rediculous for a g.pig. She was very healthy. Lived outdoors but in a shed in the winter and had loads of Hay to eat and snuggle in. Was very skinny the last few years and we kept thinking she was on her last legs but was still happy and would be out munching on the grass all day. Had several "cage mates" through her life as none of the others lasted as long (we used to have loads of G.pigs when we were little). Vet was amazed she lived so long too and was always happy with her heath when we went - it wasn't like she was better off to be put down, she was happy and healthy!

[PurpleOne]

my indoor piggies are a year old next month.

ive just bought them a hutch so they can use that in the day, and moreso in the summer time.

that reminds me....dd1 is away so feeding time for them now. *rummages in vegetable rack

[whispywhisp]

I've got five!

Hugo - 1yr
Peggy - 1yr
Olive - 8mths
Cyril - 5 almost 6
Henry - 5 almost 6

All live indoors in a life of luxury. In fact they're better looked after than DH!

[nappyzonehasastroppytoddler]

Silver it was not intentional - i have spent many a late hour chasing them around the garden to get them in but if they dont want to go in they are left to party! Mostly they go in and out themselves - it was ufortunate the door had closed accross but as i said they had shelter which is generally where they huddle though the day anyway and where we put food through the day.

They are actually currently in a large cardboard box in my front room having oodles of cuddles with the dc.

[whispywhisp]

nappy....pigs cannot defend themselves against prey. They are a walking dinner for lots of animals - cats, foxes, rats etc...you must not leave them out in the garden on their own even during the day. They cannot fight for their lives and they must be kept enclosed - even if they're in a run they must be enclosed.

You say it wasn't intentional....ok, so you didn't deliberately leave them out but you knew when you went to bed they were out - how would your kids have felt if they had been killed? I would never EVER leave mine out - especially at this time of year, that is bloody madness.

Yes your post has made me angry too...it was completely irresponsible of you to leave them out and it is completely irresponsible of you to let them roam the garden even during the day. A rabbit can kill with its back legs - pigs can't. Bloody ridiculous.

[nappyzonehasastroppytoddler]

The garden is very enclosed with lots of coverage and hidey holes - we dont even get birds in our garden let alone foxes, birds of prey etc...

[whispywhisp]

nappy.....you may well think you don't get much in your garden, especially at night, but any animal will sniff out a meal and like I've said before pigs cannot defend themselves. Even an owl will know there is a potential meal scuttling around the garden. How do you know what you get/don't get in your garden? Do you sit up all night with your night vision camera?

[nappyzonehasastroppytoddler]

I think an odd burglar may pass through.....

I will endeavour to be a better piggy keeper

[whispywhisp]

I'm glad you find it funny, cos I don't! Perhaps I look after my pigs too well, I don't know, but to go to bed knowing full well they were out roaming free in the middle of Winter is simply beyond belief. They are not designed to survive this type of cold wet weather - considering the fact they originate from the very hot climate countries too. Anyway enough said.

[nappyzonehasastroppytoddler]

Yes i think enough said too . I only asked how long they live i didnt expect my arse slapped!

[whispywhisp]