Thinking of getting 2 guinea pigs...

[CarlHickbread]

This will be the first time that we have had guinea pigs so just looking for general dos, don’ts, tips and advice please.

TIA

[Dillydallyontheway]

Hi, we got our first guinea pigs recently and I would say go for it! Choose a rescue centre as sadly many are desperate for homes. There are many small pet rescues around the country and Pets at Home also have them in waiting to be adopted. We got ours through the Pets at Home adoption scheme and they were only 6 months old when we got them. They ask for a donation which goes entirely to local pet rescues/ charities. Pets at Home do not get any of the fee at all.
In terms of care, they are really easy to look after. We feed them on a mix of Timothy hay, pellets and fresh veggies. They are lots of fun and lovely gentle animals with their own rather silly personalities. Very playful and chatty. Downside is they can be very nervous and skittish at times, which is improving as they get used to us. I have heard several people say though that they often never get used to picking them up, so that's always a bit of a challenge!
The other thing I would say is think about housing. Many people keep them in cages that are far too small, despite what the pet shops often advise. Google C&C cages which are modular and can be tailored to suit your requirements. Affordable option which gives them plenty of space to run around and play. They are social animals which should always be kept in pairs or groups (never mixed sex unneutered pairs though for obvious reasons).
They are lovely pets and don't need much work to care for them. I wish I had made the leap years ago

[CarlHickbread]

Thanks Dilly.

I’ve just done a google search on adopting GPs and it turns out that there is a rescue centre for GPs and rabbits so will give them a visit this weekend hopefully.

Do you keep yours outside during the spring/summer and indoors during winter?

We don’t have the space for a cage in the house but we do have a huge shed with plenty of space for a cage in there.

[ASDismynormality]

I have two boys and they really are lovely creatures. They need a lot of food, we keep ours in the house and every time someone comes into the room they squeak for food! They have surprisingly big personalities for such small animals!

[CarlHickbread]

I just love their little faces ASD, They radiate personality!

[Dillydallyontheway]

I keep mine indoors - our house is tiny but we have a big summerhouse which I put their cage in. I also have an outside run which I put them in on warmer days, before putting them back in their cage at night

[EastMidsGPs]

Hi and welcome.
There are lots of threads in here giving help and advice to people thinking of becoming guinea pig slaves 🐹🐹
Have a trawl through (it might take you a while ) .
But think you'll find quite a lot of what you want to know here - especially the threads by 70 on food, what you need, and also the downside of keeping gps. They are a bigger commitment that people realise and potentially your pigs, if children lose interest.

We are all more than happy to help you with any questions you have

[TimeIhadaNameChange]

They are wonderful creatures! They tend to fall into two groups - those that are far too busy munching and snoozing to move anywhere (obviously they're not 'lazy' - honest!) and those that spend most of the time running around like lunatics, climbing on (low) things and basically having a crack. In my experience it's not decided by age or gender, just personality. Both types are lots of fun in their own way.

The great advantage of guineas is that your shopping trolley suddenly looks as though you're on a major healthy eating splurge. Honestly, about half of ours is not full of fruit and veg, a lot of which goes in their direction. But we don't tell anyone in the shop that!!!

Oh, and I found out last night that Michael Bond, of Paddington fame, had guineas right up until his death (I think). There are some very cute photos of him cuddling them. Another fan was Dick King Smith, who even wrote a book about the guineas he kept. So they're definitely not (just) for children! (Actually, they're not really for children, but you know that!)

[CarlHickbread]

Thank you for your replies

EastMidsGPs, I’m East mids too waves

I’m going to do some reading up on here tonight to make sure that GPs will suit our family (although I’m pretty sure they will )

[MargoLovebutter]

I love guinea pigs. We've had them over the last 12 years and I definitely love them more than the DC (who do love them but not as much as me). They are the sweetest, most benign of pets and are relatively easy to look after, remembering that they need room to run around.

We've always kept ours indoors with a pen outdoors in the summer for grass munching. They like being dry and I've always worried about them being damp and cold in the winter if kept outside.

We're down to one very, very ancient pig now. Nearly 7 years old and very elderly. One back leg doesn't work very well anymore, but she doesn't seem to be in pain. Her sister died last year and I thought she'd go soon after, but she's still here. I think almost completely deaf and eyesight very poor now too, so it is hard work trying not to startle her. Still loves her cucumber though.

[EastMidsGPs]

👋👋👋👋 Carl

If you are in or near Nottinghamshire there are a couple of guinea pig rescues.

Bramcote Animal Shelter (NG9)
Avalon Guinea Pig rescue - Wollaton (NG8)

[CarlHickbread]

I’m a Lincolnshire girl but on the Nottinghamshire border.

I will check those out if nothing comes of the rescue centre in the next village, thanks 👍🏼

[CarlHickbread]

I’m a Lincolnshire girl but on the Nottinghamshire border.

I will check those out if nothing comes of the rescue centre in the next village, thanks 👍🏼

[EastMidsGPs]

I bet there are rescues out your way 👍

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Read as much as you can about guinea-pigs. They are fantastic but in their own way quite complex little animals.
They like routine and kind words (they don't mind what you say as long as the tone is kind), especially if the kind words are "Here's your supper pigs"

They need protected against everything . Cold, heat, damp, predators.

They are quite vunerable really. They like to run up to your neck and snuggle their. Ours are good at letting us know they need a pee but my pig GP8 just sat lifting her rump and leaving me a pile of droppings !

In return you'll get chatty ( noisy ) endearing little pets.

Read up on their food, they eat fairly constantly and cannot vomit.

There are loads in Rescue, lots of boars in pairs . Boars are lovely cuddly pigs but need loads of space.

They flipping well break your heart when they die, they do have a tendancy to go quite quick. Often you'll find them dead in the cage when the night before they were ok. Or they do that starey coat tucked up look which bodes that they're on the way to The Bridge.
We've cuddled guineas in their final hours, had them go in the Pighouse and had to have one PTS. Even though you know you've done your best for them its hard to lose them.
They gouge a space in your heart and burrow their way in .

[SillyBillyMe17]

I love my two boys and would be utterly lost without them, they are around 18 months now and live indoors in a two storey cage with a permanent run attached.

I use vet bed for the flooring but am switching to fleece in the new year.

Be ready for the amount of poo they produce - it is phenomenal!!

They really are the most characterful, loving little beings. I have one that loves cuddles and one that hates them (He jumps on your lap when you sit in his run but trying to pick him up is a no-no), so be prepared to accept they may not all like cuddles.

Also think about insurance - I pay £27 per month for up to £3000 per pig (you can get joint) per treatment with Exotics Direct - if you go down that route get it when they're young to miss any pre-existing clauses!

If you make certain noises at certain times, they'll recognise them - mine know it's dinner time and really wheek as soon as they hear me say 'Ooo that's nice', and breakfast is marked with a tapping of the bowl, to which they come running!

Give them an hour and they'll be in your heart so deep you won't remember life before them!

[Dancergirl]

Watching with interest, I am also thinking about getting GPs.

Can they live outside all year round? Someone I spoke to was talking about an 'igloo' which protects them from the cold.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Hi Dancer

They can live out all year in theory, but its hard. Its not just the cold its the damp and its dark for a lot of winter days. Mine have a wooden playhouse which is nice and airy in summer but its still difficult keeping them cool , and I wouldn't feel happy with mine being in their run while I'm at work.

I think the "igloo" you mean is an Omlet + run. They're insulated but tiny inside (and £££ unless you get one pre-used)

My piggies have been in the small bedroom since Guy Fawkes , usually they go out in the daytime . This year its been colder, my guineas are getting middle aged and I only have 3 now (last year I had 5 so they wouldn't tolerate being in all the time) .

Now before you get them, as a Thank You for my kind Piggy Wisdom.......how the Heck do I get all their bloody hay off my woolly socks ? Any ideas are welcome !

[brizzledrizzle]

Ours live indoor all year round, I can't imagine not having them in the house. One of ours is an elderly pig, though we were told he was middle aged; we don't believe them. He's lost weight recently which is due to old age according to a trusted vet, he still manages to come and stand up at the end of the cage when he wants us though

[XmasGrinchynessPersonified]

I feel I must share my guinea pig journey from my only ever previous ownership. Fred (names changed) lived indoors all the time and lived on his own. Well in fact it transpired that Fred was actually a girl but hey ho, that had no effect on the pleasure of owning her.

We closed the hutch (in the front room) during the day but on evenings I would go and play with her and give her food and stuff. She used to THUNDER into the hutch and smash her carrot on the back wall! And she would sit on my lap and almost fall aslseep - she as lovely.

I'm thinking of getting two for my DD (15) - she may want a pug but that's out of the question plus we're all out of the house during the day so she will have to have some with them in the mornings and then a longer session at the end of the day.

Can I issue a warning. I loved that guinea pig with all my heart (this is actually making me cry!) and one day (because she was running free), mum opened the door on her leg and she must have broken it. We took her to the PDSA and she was PTS. Me and my mum were stood there just crying our eyes out! So if you are letting your piggies run free in the house, think of ways of guarding against this whilst enabling free running - oh, and watch out for your electrical wires! Mine would sit and chomp on the wires of the (unplugged) record player and we had to move it for when she came out.

For such small animals they have some great personalities and quirks and I have always been completely in love with the noises that they make!