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Original poster

guinea pigs - does anyone have them?

24 replies

SSShakeTheChi · 02/03/2007 20:57

Dh says they will smell. Is it that bad?

I'm wondering if you find them easy to deal with. Bit concerned about having to trim their claws but other than that are they quite straight-forward?

Also wondering how you toilet train them.

Thanks for any tips

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tortoise · 02/03/2007 21:00

I have a female one. It lives in a hutch outside with the rabbit. I have not noticed it smelling.
No idea about toilet training!

Original poster
SSShakeTheChi · 02/03/2007 21:01

Do you ever have it in the house Tortoise? Do you clip the nails. I was reading you have to do that every month and it sounds like an awkward business

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littlemissbossy · 02/03/2007 21:03

We used to have one. Didn't particularly smell but he was outside with the rabbits. He was never toilet trained, poohed everywhere TBH. BTW they don't last as long as rabbits.

Original poster
SSShakeTheChi · 02/03/2007 21:06

yes I was wondering how long they lived

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wannaBeWhateverIWannaBe · 02/03/2007 21:16

guinea pigs can live between 4-8 years, no idea how you toilet train them though as have never owned one, and it's also definitely not adviseable to put them in with rabbits.

DontlookatmeImshy · 02/03/2007 21:19

They only small if you don't clean themout often enough. The animalsthemselves don't smell, they are very clean, groom themselves etc but obviously the bedding etc will start tosmell if left too long.

Nails don't have to be done everymonth, depend on the pig. We've had some that hardly ever needed doing, others needed it every few months. If you handle them regularly so they are used to it, it makes things like claw clipping alot easier.

I have heard reports ofpeople toilet training them but it's rare and generally gp's can't be toilet trained,although sometimes they do have a favourite corner where they will do most of their business.

Average lifespan is around 5-7 years, although we've just lost one that was nearly 8.

DontlookatmeImshy · 02/03/2007 21:21

Oops I meant "They only smell"

Milliways · 02/03/2007 21:21

My Guinea Pig is just perfect.

peggotty · 02/03/2007 21:23

It's best to get more than one, as they are naturally group animals, and can get lonely. Also, I have no idea where the notion of keeping them with rabbits came from - rabbits will quite often bully guinea pigs, they are not meant to live together!!

littlemissbossy · 02/03/2007 21:25

With regards to keeping them with rabbits, really depends on the rabbits TBH, or so our vet explained. Ours were always fine with him.

divastropwantstodrop · 02/03/2007 21:26

clipping the toenails of a g.pig is easier than cutting the fingernails of a baby,thats all i know!
i had 36 guinea pigs at one point,they only smell if you dont change the bedding often enough(i think i did it once a week in winter,2 or 3 times in summer).i never left mine outside cos of the local foxes,and cos they can get respiritory infections very easily if its too cold.

i found the g.pigs and rabbits got on fine.

never tried toilet training them,i didnt realise you could?

finally,the reason i had 36 of them at one point was i bought what i thought was a female one from a pet shop but the 2 females i had already started getting a bit fat about 6 weeks after i got 'her'...and the female babies got pregnant before i could tell what sex they were to separate them!

Original poster
SSShakeTheChi · 02/03/2007 21:42

hope I don't end up with 36! Good grief.

Well I'm considering it but read on a website that clipping the claws is a major problem. Glad to hear it isn't. On the same website they were discussing that toilet trained gp go back into their cage to wee or wee on newspaper you leave around for them.

I'm not sure about this bit TBH. We have wooden floorboards but we have some big rugs too and I'm sure dh would have a total fit if they were to leave droppings and wee puddles about. Wouldn't fancy it myself either but they can't stay in a cage all the time either, surely they need to run about a bit?

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Original poster
SSShakeTheChi · 02/03/2007 21:45

actually I'm beginning to wonder whether that website is a wind-up. They also say rabbits and guinea pigs shouldn't be kept together because the rabbits will try to mate with the guinea pigs, presuming you have a male-female mix. Think perhaps that website has to be taken with a pinch of salt now..

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littlemissbossy · 02/03/2007 21:49

You can train both guineas and rabbits. Our rabbits are very good and only "go" in one part of the hutch, this was simply by leaving a little soiled paper (yuck sorry) in the same area. You can even buy a kind of rabbit litter tray although I never bothered with one of these. I think the guinea was just lazy but then he was a boy

Blossomhill · 02/03/2007 21:50

I have 2. Got one last August who is now 8 months and felt so bad that he didn't have a friend. So rang the local rescue centre and have become the proud owner of a gorgeous 5 week old albino gp. The reason you have to get them so young is that any older than 5 weeks and the other gp would have rejected him.
They are adorable and seeing my first one and how happy he is now he has a mate makes me realise how sociable gps are.
I clean mine out twice a week. You then need to make sure they have fresh water, hay, dry food and I also chop up vegetables twice a day. They also need handling and I give mine a run around in the conservatory for exercise. We also try and give them a cuddle at least once a day.
They really are so cute and when they squeak in a chatty way to each other it is so lovely

Original poster
SSShakeTheChi · 02/03/2007 21:52

How sweet bh

I think I'll go and have a look at some and see if I feel an instant attraction. Is there anything in particular I should be looking out for do you think?

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Original poster
SSShakeTheChi · 02/03/2007 21:53

Also just wondering do your dc actually have much to do with the guinea pigs?

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tortoise · 02/03/2007 22:44

ooops got sidetracked by ds's!

Ours gets on great with the rabbit. It cleans the guinea and cuddles up with it!

Nails have been done twice in 2 yrs! Never been a problem.

It doesn't come in the house.

DC don't really do much with her.DD's like feeding with fresh foods.

Ive put a pic on my profile of them both(if it works!)

Original poster
SSShakeTheChi · 03/03/2007 10:16

cute pictures Tortoise. What a nice family you have too.

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divastropwantstodrop · 03/03/2007 14:47

IME un-neutered male rabbits do try and mate with gp's of any gender.i did have to get all my bunnies 'done'.

Original poster
SSShakeTheChi · 03/03/2007 14:50

Oh then I take back what I said about the website. Maybe I can even find the link...

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Original poster
SSShakeTheChi · 03/03/2007 14:52

LittleGuineaPigSite

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Tamum · 03/03/2007 15:51

Oh Blossomhill, I'm so glad you got your other guinea pig, that's great

Blossomhill · 03/03/2007 20:19

Tamum ~ I know it has made such a difference. Pickle (the older one) is like Squeak's body guard (the baby). To see them squeaking and out in the run today snuggled up is so sweet

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