To ask about guinea pigs...

[MushySeas]

I adore animals and really want a pet, but can't get a dog or cat at the moment.

I'm just thinking about guinea pigs. Are they high maintenance? Would I need to buy 2 or 3? Are they boring? Smelly? How big a hutch/run would they need? Cuddly? Expensive?

Please share your advice and photos

I have 2 guinea pigs (sisters) and I love them so biased. Are they high maintenance - well obviously that depends on what you count as high maintenance. I'd say they are slightly more work than a cat but much less than a dog. They need their cage spot cleaned every other day and fully cleaned out and bedding changed every week to stop it smelling (I find in summer it starts whiffing after 24hrs ish but if you use the right beddding it's not too bad, I use a paper based one), plus I spend some time every day taking them in/out of their run, cuddling them, chopping veg for them etc. But I wouldn't call them hugely high maintenance.

You absolutely need 2, they are herd animals and shouldn't ever be kept alone. One 'con' of guinea pigs (or most rodents really) is that they do die quite abruptly and with little warning, leaving their companion pig alone, you then need to get a friend for the bereaved one and so you enter an endless cycle of pigs (not a problem if you love them but an issue if you ever wanted to not have pigs!).

They need much more space than you'd think, the RSPCA recommended minimum is 120cm x 60cm x 45cm, but ideally they'd have more than that especially if they are indoor pigs who don't go out into a run daily.

Boring? Well they can't be trained in the same way as a dog and they are quite placid - their main goal in life is to eat and sleep! But I find them really cute. They have a variety of funny noises they make and learn what various household noises mean (especially the fridge opening and closing ) and respond accordingly. So long as you handle them every day they get quite tame (they tend to be nervous at first) and enjoy being stroked, cuddled etc. Just watch out for them weeing on you! They make excellent pets for children because they are so easy to handle - they very very rarely bite, scrabble, scratch etc.

Please please please don't buy.

Re-home via a reputable rescue (who will also help you with appropriately sized housing etc). That way you know you're getting well bonded animals who have been vet checked, accurately sexed, aren't pregnant and are free of parasites and disease.

What sort of area are you? Can probably point you in the right direction.

We have two and as pets I’m not fussed. The kids like them.

But their cage really does honk

But their cage really does honk

Then they need cleaning more frequently.

And/or stop using newspaper. Newspaper + urine = smell very quickly

My DD has 2 and we have had to get a new one when one died to keep company.Make sure you get either 2 males or 2 females - you don't want little piggy babies running around.

Cleaning here is about twice a week - and we have a big hutch in the sitting room so that's quite a big job. Fresh veggies are cut for them every day - they start squeaking every time they hear paper rustle or the fridge opening which can be cute or annoying.

DD loves them - she gets them out every day and plays with them. They do pee and poop indiscriminately so just look out for that. They are very sociable and cuddly so are great for that.

I'm not overly fond of them - we have dogs as well - but DD is smitten

We have 2 in a 2 storey outdoor hutch. They have a run which they go in when the weather is dry enough. They're very low maintenance, especially compared to a dog. Handful or hay and pellets, some chopped veggies or herbs, fresh water each day and they're all good. I do a full cage clean once a week with wood shaving bedding and they don't smell at all

I have two, they are gorgeous little creatures.

Chatty, friendly, gentle and very, very sweet. They live inside and as pp says above, will squeak for food when the fridge door opens. I clean them every couple of days so they don't smell at all.

They're not too hard work, ours come out and sit with us each night. I do agree that they can go from okay to dead quite quickly if they fall ill. Having said that one of mine is often at the vets for various recurring illnesses and aside from the fact he's tried to bankrupt us over the years with is treatment, he always bounces back.

The opposite of Iggly, I got them for the kids, the kids aren't too fussed but I've grown really fond of them so they're pretty much mine now.

We spot clean every day, clean out every 3rd or 4th day and they do smell. Maybe our boys are just mingers 😂

Our cage is bigger than recommended but I still worry its too small.
Ours are adorable but hate being taken out of their house and wont climb out themselves so its a necessary evil so that I feel they are getting space and play time.

Youngest DD isnt as involved as she had hoped/planned because of this and shes a young 11. DD1 and I chat to them loads, sitting beside their cage if we’ve attempted a couple of times to free them.

They we’re also a wee bit nibbly when younger can bit off putting if you get a nip.

Still cute as buttons but not really low maintenance.

If you have Facebook, pop on over to The Guinea Pig Community page, they're very helpful!

Then they need cleaning more frequently

We clean every few days and more often if I need to.

They smell a day after a clean!

But we do use newspaper so maybe that’s it. What’s a sensible alternative??

Very sweet creatures. We always had girls because when we were first thinking of getting some DD was small and the guy in the pet shop who DH asked for advice said "If you are getting them for a little girl and you don't want awkward questions get females because males try to mate with anything and everything!"

After that we always had to replace the deceased one with another girl. Yes they do tend to die suddenly - which is probably better than seeing them linger on suffering. However, they are not too short lived. We had them reach 3, 4, 2 and finally 7 years old.

Agree with all the PPs really - if you clean them regularly they don't smell.

you don't want little piggy babies running around

but little piggies are gorgeous!

(I do know what you mean :) )

But we do use newspaper so maybe that’s it. What’s a sensible alternative??

Most likely. It smells almost immediately (I only bed my post op pigs on just newspaper). I use puppy pads (or these days Huggies night time bed pads because they are the perfect size for the width of my enclosures. More expensive though) then whatever bedding you use (I use hay rather than wood shavings or anything) on top. Lasts me a week between cleans. I scatter fresh hay over the top each day (just cheaper bedding hay, they're fed better quality hay food wise) and clean once a week - I overlap the pads and it rolls nicely from one end to the other into a nice big bed pad/hay/pee/poop Swiss roll, then I take it out, unroll it into the green waste bin and remove the pads and pop into general waste. Makes full cage cleans very quick.

They are wonderful creatures! I have two and they are very sweet. They're currently in the house, but will be moving into a custom-built shed shortly, at which point I might get them a couple of pals.

If you keep them inside you'll never be able to open the fridge door or rustle a plastic bag without hearing about it. Mine are convinced they are starving if they've not been fed for about 2 minutes, and like to make sure I know about it!

I use washable incontinence pads (that are made for beds) as their substrate, and when they get a bit old (ie chewed) I use wood pellets (same as cat litter, but I buy the ones sold to be burnt as they're cheaper) underneath the pads. Clean them out three times a week (poos, hay and food goes into the compost, then washed in the machine inside a horse bag).

Unlike rabbits they don't need vaccinations, and rarely go to the vet (though one went three times recently due to hay poke, and was close to losing her eye, but is fine now, albeit with limited vision).

Their main food should be hay, then a few decent-quality pellets and fresh fruit and veg daily. Like humans they can't synthesise vitamin C so need their 5 A Day (though it's more like 500 a day!). This does mean that your shopping basket will look INCREDIBLY healthy.

Enjoy them. They are darling creatures.

We have 2 boars who live indoors. They are absolutely gorgeous, a big part of our family. They are quite a bit of work though. They need a big pen and very regular cleaning. Ours are inside so I clean them fully everyday. They need regular exercise outside of their cage too and lots and lots of love and cuddles. They are very demanding of their food, ours eat tonnes.
They can get ill and go down hill fast. Both of ours have had respiratory infections and were very ill, needing lots of nursing back to health. Be warned guinea pigs are considered exotic animals by most vets. You many need to find a specialist for anything other than the very basic medical needs.
We rescued ours and it gives me huge happiness to give our little lads a happy safe home. I wouldn’t be without them.

We had outside piggies - hutch against a sheltered house wall, one side (all enclosed) filled to the brim with hay, the other - open with mesh to the front with food/water/toys/tunnel.

They were put in the run on the grass every day. Lawn mowing becomes less of a need! Do not think they will be short lived pets - one of ours lived to 9, the other to 10.

We did a full hutch clean once a week and spot cleaned the area they tended to use as a loo each day. They were handled and brushed daily and their claws clipped monthly.

They can be loving creatures (though some are not!) and are certainly noisy when you open the fridge!

One thing to note is that if you are allergic to cats or horses it is likely you will be allergic to Guinea pigs too. (DD now 18 could not handle them without anti-histamines)

Wow BeyondMyWits, that's a ripe old age for a pig! And they sound like they lived the life of Riley.

I am allergic to cats but not Guinea pigs (or horses for that matter).

We love ours, they are clever enough to know the time and to recognise us individually (they know dd gives them peasquash treats before she goes to bed and they are in the right corner waiting about 5-10 mins before and they know dh us a soft touch and will get them extra veggies from the fridge do they go mad when they hear him call hello from the front door when he gets in from work.)

Ours are mainly indoor girls but they do use a run outside too. The best bedding we have found for them is a layer of recycled paper pellets on the bottom and shredded cardboard over the top. It all then goes in the compost bins.

Thanks so much for the responses! Lots to think about...

Trottersindependenttraders - we think they lived to a ripe old age because their parents did too - we bought the "show rejects" from a local breeder whose piggies were renowned for age, health and markings (we had to have a home visit and were on a long waiting list) - the fact that they were bred to be outdoor piggies probably helped too - since they had less "excitement" in their lives than indoor piggies who are constantly startled by people being around.

(I just could not believe that they just kept on going, and going, and going... still - they were healthy 'til the end and we had no vet bills to speak of at all.)

I've got 2 skinny pigs, so the hairless variety! They have a big indoor cage, which is a c&c 2x4 grids with a correx base.

I spot clean twice daily as they poop so much!! I change the towels in their little houses each night. I feed them burgess pellets, a bowl a day, Timothy hay and fresh veg and herbs + fruit every so often as a treat. I clean the cage out fully every Saturday morning. I use auboise bedding which is dustless wood chippings and it's really good at absorbing wee without any smell. I'm thinking of moving to fleece though as the wood bedding is messy!

Mine are only young so I have been getting them out for short daily handling and they are really calming down which I'm so pleased with. They are such gorgeous little creatures and the little sounds they make are adorable.

If you get boars like I have, I'd advise you to get 2 food bowls, houses etc as they can get quite territorial and squabble.

I did not know that about newspaper! I use hay on newspaper, and a vetbed carpet in their loft. But they seem to prefer the hay so don't want vetbed all over. I did use the pads for a while but then put newspaper on top! The paper is very cheap though (ie free) compared to the pads...

We had two boy piggies for a while. Bought for the children, but actually, of course, became mine. They lived outdoors all year, in a large hutch, and were put out in a large run pretty much every day that was mild and dry. They adore dandelions, and would run around and "pop" to their hearts content. I spot cleaned every day, fully changed every week, using newspaper on the bottom, wood chip over the top, and hay in their bed, which they pretty much ate through every day. They also had a bowl of pellets and a water bottle. Additional veg was whatever we had that day, or the day before. All the off-cuts from carrots, cauliflowers, brocolli, apple cores, etc etc. We never had to buy anything extra. They never went to the vets, I clipped their nails regularly, and combed out their fur when they got fly blown (that was disgusting), they lived to 8 and 9.

We've always had males as I find themto have a nicer temperament to females.

Always kept indoors, cleaned out once a week fully. Ours get spoilt with parsley, carrots and celery (especially the leaves).
I've never known mine to smell.

We only have one piggy left now... He's been on his own for over 2 years after his friend died (both rescues). As he is an indoor pig he gets a lot of attention and social time so didn't want to traumatise him by introducing a stranger into his habitat.
This doesn't seem to have affected him (he's over 7 now) and he's the tamest piggy I've ever had.

And I absolutely KNOW, because Mary Reynolds told me in Primary School, that if you hold them up by their tails, their eyes fall out.