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Original poster

Dd2 wants some guinea pigs - good idea / any advice?

413 replies

ElectraInExcelsis · 23/12/2008 23:10

The only thing I know about them is that you should get two because they otherwise get very lonely...

Anyone have them? I had hamsters as a child but don't know about humane ways to keep guinea pigs, etc which is important to me. Dd2 is 5. I don't mind cleaning them out for her etc.

Any advice? TIA...

OP posts:
SpongeBrainedHalfWit · 13/01/2009 10:27

JESUS

I've just phoned the vet to see how much it would be to neuter a male (still thinking about the boys in the shop) and they quoted me £65 or more, depending how many/what sort of drugs they need to use.

Holy frick.

Mate is vet nurse and she said they've made it deliberately, obstructively expensive because it is high risk and they want to put owners off having it done, as the mortality rate is high

smurfgirl · 13/01/2009 10:35

You could do next to but not with NDP?

Put two cages next to each other, so they get the company but no babies.

SpongeBrainedHalfWit · 13/01/2009 10:57

It's more the exercise & play time thing that I'm concerned about. I wouldn't house them all together anyway as I don't think my cage is big enough for 3 pigs.

I haven't got the time to get them out for play/exercise seperately and I'm not buying another playpen thing

smurfgirl · 13/01/2009 11:02

Stick one in the bath!

I think we may be neglecting our boys you know? They all come out every day and have a wander but they do so little in the pen that we usually just keep them in the cage, or stick them in the bath for some free roaming time.

Can you ring other vets? Or the PDSA?

SpongeBrainedHalfWit · 13/01/2009 11:05

I like to be able to bring the girls out for a good couple of hours a day, for play and snuggles . I don't have another 2 hrs spare for another !

LOL @ bath.

smurfgirl · 13/01/2009 11:08

Just for the record our bath is downstairs and we keep the boys downstairs so I don't cart them up and downstairs all day. If I am cooking I stcik them in the bath and chat to them

tootiredtothink · 13/01/2009 11:56

OMG - I have just come home with two little piggies.

Thanks for the tip smurfgirl .

Mine are white with red eyes (bit worried what the dcs will think about her tbh) and brown with a little ginger and white on neck (I think so anyway, she's hiding!). 8 weeks old.

I have bought a cage (37" x 22"), but unfortunatly it didn't have a stand so in search of one of those. The cage was only £35 in my local pet shop so too much of a bargain to leave, and so pretty too.

Now, it's only now they are in it that I am worried. Cage has a raised area for food and water and underneath is their hideout. Just measured it at 7" high. Too high for my little babies kids guineau pigs to get up?

tootiredtothink · 13/01/2009 11:57

guinea - I'll have them taken off me if I can't even spell that.

electra · 13/01/2009 13:12

We have our guinea pig too - but the guy in the shop would only sell him by himself because he insisted he has to live alone as he's an alpha male type and fights with everyone (I had wanted to get girls but nowhere has any - was told they are quite hard to come by because people keep them for breeding...). He's only 13 weeks though, and to be honest I'm not convinced that he will thrive alone for years so maybe I'll wait until he's a bit older and then get another baby male, but one who has a 'happy to be subordinate' type - think I will have to get advice on that. I read that if the roles are clearly defined by age and personality type, fighting is less likely.

We are keeping him indoors until the weather gets warmer. He is becoming tamer. Tbh at first I wasn't bothered about having a guinea pig and agreed to get some only because dd so wanted them, but he is a lovely animal and actually quite interesting to watch. I agree that you have to put the time in to nurture them....actually someone I know said 'oh yes I had a guinea pig. We kept him in the garage, didn't take him out much and he soon died'

Anyway, he really eats a lot!

sphil · 13/01/2009 13:41

Glad you've got your guinea pig Electra . I think males on their own are fine if they're handled a lot - the human becomes their companion iyswim.
Spongebrain (don't like calling you that - why have you namechanged?) - I've been told you shouldn't breed siblings (or mothers/sons and fathers/daughters???).
Am at the price of neutering - let's hope Horris accepts his son...

smurfgirl · 13/01/2009 14:01

Yay for new piglets!

i have a white pink eye and a ginger and white one too. Where did you get them from in the end?

My guinea pigs can climb on top of their pigloo and into the hay rack so it should be fine, but if you are worried can you take it out?

tootiredtothink · 13/01/2009 14:16

A lady in Shirley so only 20 mins away from me.

They just seem so small at the moment so have put the food and water down on the floor. As they are still hiding I will have to wait and see how active they can be.

Ds(3.11) has decided to call his Bob(???) and dd to call hers Millie. Goodness knows how they will decide I just don't know.

I can't stop going out to see them (they are in the hall - goodness knows where I will put Christmas tree next year!!).

tootiredtothink · 13/01/2009 14:17

Sorry, another question. Their hayrack is a solid one (to match the plastic base of cage). Is that ok?

wohmum · 14/01/2009 00:12

a solid hay rack probably fits on the outside - so they pull the hay through the bars of eth cage iyswim ..

SpongeBrainedHalfWit · 14/01/2009 09:16

Mine is solid too. It's supposed to reduce mess on the floor under the cage.

whispywhisp · 14/01/2009 09:36

I had hay racks come with all my cages...I don't use them cos I get fed up with picking up hay off the carpet/kitchen floor! What I use instead is a hay ball - its a metal ball which you fill with hay and hang down from inside their cage on a chain..its a great way to keep the hay contained, up off their bedding and also gives them something to play with!

smurfgirl · 14/01/2009 11:28

I use a wire hay rack inside the cage, they heart it and pull the hay through the bars of it. Cute cute.

whispywhisp · 14/01/2009 11:31

Just cleaned all mine out. I put them in a cat basket whilst I do their cages. I put Hugo in the basket next to Peggy and Olive's cage...he and Peggy were kissing thru the cages!.....

...now do I want babies or not?

sphil · 14/01/2009 11:38

Yes!

whispywhisp · 14/01/2009 11:44

I'm just scared something will go wrong!

whispywhisp · 14/01/2009 11:45

Hugo is only just a year old and Peggy has already had babies before...she had a girl and boy when she was only a few months old...do I put her thru another pregnancy? She's not even a year herself yet. That's how I ended up with her because no-one wanted her and her daughter.

smurfgirl · 14/01/2009 12:44

whispy from what I have read guinea pigs are better having babies when they are younger. the rodentswithattiude forum has breeders on it who can give advice.

The only thing I have been told (by the breeder I got my pigs off) is that you have to be willing to keep all the babies because sometimes people say they want them but they don't.

tootiredtothink · 14/01/2009 13:44

I want your babies whispy.

Sure my cage could fit another one....or two.

whispywhisp · 14/01/2009 13:53

I'd never part with the babies tho...that's the problem!

I'm tempted...very tempted.........

sphil · 14/01/2009 14:37

It is very, very difficult to give them up - and I haven't even done it yet, I'm just anticipating. Had another look at Runty/Bunty today and am now veering towards him being a male. This messes up all my plans. But I've just bid for a huge double decker cage on ebay - the levels interconnect but can also be shut off. My new idea is to have Horris + male baby 1 in one half and two other male brothers in the other. If Horris fights, we've got a spare cage for him. Then Sarah and Furball can stay together with one female baby in the other. The other two females are spoken for, which leaves two males to rehome.

But which ones...????