Guinea pig advice ?

[pucca]

Have ended up getting dd 2 guinea pigs, was hoping someone could give me some advice about them.

What do they like to eat (veg)?

How often to give them veg?

How often to clean the cage? do i pick dirty bits out through the week then do 1 major clean per week?

Are guinea pigs always so jumpy?

Anything other advice would be greatfully appreciated too, i had guinea pigs when i was a child but of course as it always happens my mum looked after them really, and cannot remember much at all!

Thanks very much

i would say most veg not lettuce as it can upset them

dried food and hay

i would have a tid up every day and major clean out once a week...

they will get less jumpy as they get used to you>>>> handle them lots

You must make sure they have hay everyday - they eat a fair bit of hay so buy a big bag. Do not give them straw for food or bedding.

Make sure you give them guinea pig food and not rabbit food - guinea pigs need vitamin C in their food Rabbit food is not Vit C enriched.

Greens to give them

Carrots (a favourite)
Cauliflower leaves (not too many or too often)
Brocolli
Runner beans (the whole bean but not the plant)
Cucumber, Celery,, Red and Green Peppers in small amounts as treats - not frequently.
Apples Pears, Melon and Grapes can also be given not too much or too often.
The occasional dandilion leaf will go down well - don't gve them too many or it can upset their stomachs.
Never give grass clippings/mowing but they love fresh grass - they make good lawnmowers in the summer.
Fresh water every day.

Cleaing routines depends on size of cage and number of guinea pigs. Once a week should do - remove any spoiled greens etc regularly (at least once a day - thats if you ever get any).

My guinea pigs have 'selective' (the brand name) guinea pig food. Gerty guinea pig is popular but some guinea pigs will be selective and only pick out their favourite bits. This leads to them having a more unbalanced diet and a lot of waste for you. They have a fresh bowl of food every day, a huge amount of hay, a fresh bottle of water and a carrot and/or half an apple a day. Hay and vitamin C are the most important things in their diet.

They aren't always jumpy, they need time to get used to you. Start by handling them every day and hand feed them a carrot each day and they will soon be hassling you every time you walk past their house!
Would recommend you get a good guinea pig book 'The Really Useful Guinea Pig Guide' by Myra Mahoney or any book by Peter Gurney on Guinea pigs.

Thanks guys!

Thats a huge help, they are very sweet and are fine once you hold them, its just catching them, and trying to get them used to the noises inside the house (indoor cage) atm they seem to jump even if you walk past.

They'll get over the unusual house noises pretty quickly but sometimes even the pretty tame ones are a PITA to catch. If once you get hold of them they are calm then you are doing the right thing.

As a guide if they will eat from your hand while you are holding them then they are pretty calm being held - don't worry if it takes a while to get to that stage though. I give their treats by hand, then they associate being handled with nice things.

hth

They need fresh food every day and cleaning out every couple of days. Then they are happy guinea pigs. I got two boys which turned out to be a boy and a girls then there were ten. I nearly had a breakdown!! Pet shop took them back and I'm still getting over it. 5 years on. Never had a pet since