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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:
whispywhisp · 01/01/2009 20:30

Congratulations Furball!!!!! Am I going to be a new Mummy? Oooooh I hope so!!!!

NDP...gorgeous photos!

thumbwitch · 01/01/2009 21:46

lovely photos of piggies on here!
Congratulaaations to Furball - so envious of you, sphil, I always wanted my g'pigs to have babies but was on to a bit of a loser, them all being girls!! (I did think the first one was male though)

Yurtgirl · 01/01/2009 22:04

I have only just found this fab long chat about guineas

We have had ours since mid nov - so only about 6 weeks. We love them etc but tbh I wish I had given the concept of a pet more thought!

We have got ours in a 4 by 2 grid cavycage as shown here
Easily my favourite gp website and method of keeping them

The grids were only £24 from b&q. The correx £12
After an annoying week of daily cleaning out of woodshavings, they now live on fleece blankets, towels underneath.d

This involves a daily tidy up and twice weekly complete strip, wash everything, replace with the spare set - which takes less than an hour (Im getting quicker!)

As I said above I love them, they are funny - but they pour scorn on the idea of me picking them up!!!!!!!!!!! which is really frustrating! I definitely put more effort into keeping them clean and comfy than they do in loving me! Oh well dd is enchanted by them (and the long term commitment is much less than a cat or a dog!)

I console myself that they are happier here than they were in any of their previous 5 homes!

sphil · 01/01/2009 22:58

Ours are still nervous about the actual picking up part, but once they've been picked up they're OK. I find it best to put the fleece lap mat I mentioned above into the cage and then sort of scoop them onto it (it helps to have a bit of their favourite food on there too). Then pick up the mat with one hand on top of the pig's body, keeping the whole thing close to your chest.

whispywhisp · 02/01/2009 11:24

That's an amazing set of cages on that website you linked us to yurtgirl. I wish I had stacks more room cos I'd love to get cages with different levels. I use the cages that have the platforms for their food so they atleast have to jump up and down to eat which is great exercise for them. I also have to use cages which are enclosed because I have a cat who likes to sit and watch them...and eye them up for prey knowing her! All my cages are plenty big enough though - much bigger than a lot of hutches you can buy these days. They have log cabins to run in and out of, climb onto, metal food balls which I stuff with hay that they pull on and willow sticks to gnaw on.

Guinea pigs are by far the nicest, funniest and friendliest of little animals to have as pets...but, yes, they are messy and so many times I have cleaned them out, turned my back and its a tip in there again!

sphil...how are those babies this morning? Any sign of the others?

smurfgirl · 02/01/2009 13:00

I fancy a home made cage actually, we leave the door on ours open all the time anyway and it would be easier to clean if the top was totally open. Cleaned mine out today and I love carefresh, so easy!

Those who have had problems with boys how did you make the decision to separate them? Ours seem very happy together but I am worried they are not now?

Currently one is porking himself on hay, one is in the pigloo and one is wandering around wiggling his bum showing them he is the boss. Is that ok? Mild squeaking!!

whispywhisp · 02/01/2009 13:12

smurfgirl...I've had boys together before now and have only ever split them when they physically fight. There's a bit of a fine line between playing and fighting but once I saw one have hold of the other's ear I knew it was time to split them. As it was they had separate food bowls, bottles and sleeping areas but they simply got fed up with each other. The danger with pigs that squabble is they very easily get abscesses if they are injured and having had a pig with an abscess before, having it lanced, treated, developing a second abscess and finally, after a lot of money and worry we had to have him pts I have always been wary of boys sharing. If they are fine together and you think they'd miss each other too much then stick with it but watch them when you can.

sphil · 02/01/2009 14:23

Babies are fine - am nagging DH to download photos (still don't know how to do it). Three are big and healthy but one is on the scrawny side - but I think I read somewhere that there's always a runt. Will keep an eye on him/her - seems just as lively as the others. Furball doesn't mind us picking them up at all - she's eating a HUGE amount, so I wait until she's out of the nest scoffing before I pick them up. No sign of the others yet - Sarah is also spending time in the nest compartment with Furball and the babies, which is interesting, as they were keeping completely separate before the babies were born - she has another nest box downstairs in the hutch.

smurfgirl · 02/01/2009 15:57

whispywhisp they live in our living room so we are always around to keep an eye! They are snuggling right now at the moment.

If they fight we will make a home made cage and keep them next to each other but separate.

chopchopbusybusy · 02/01/2009 16:34

Thank you all. I've been out and bought a fleecy blanket to line their cage. They were a bit suspicious of it at first but they've settled down now.

whispywhisp · 02/01/2009 16:36

chopchop...that sounds cosy!

NomDePlume · 02/01/2009 16:51

I went out and bought a piggie playpen/run thing and a few toys from pets at home today. The girls have been in the living room in it whilst I cleaned their cage. After a bit of a slow, nervous start they were both out and about squeaking and chuntering with the odd popcorn in for good measure.

These things are costing me an arm and a leg ! At least the pen can be used outdoors too in the fine weather.

Hopefully, a few more sessions in the playpen and they'll be fine.

sphil · 02/01/2009 20:14

OK - here you go. www.flickr.com/photos/sphilphotos/

smurfgirl · 02/01/2009 20:38

Ahhhhhh I love them! Cute cute cute. I am so broody for more pigs! But no.

electra · 02/01/2009 20:54

They are gorgeous sphil - so are your ds's by the way!

Countingtheflocksbynight · 02/01/2009 21:51

Ahhh, Sphil, they are gorgeous (and your boys too of course!!)

Love the Christmas hat and the one in profile ...

Gone all broody now ...

thumbwitch · 02/01/2009 21:52

awwwwwwwww!!! aren't they lovely!!

whispywhisp · 03/01/2009 12:13

sphil..aren't they amazing? How on earth did Furball manage to fit all four in her tum? They're huge! All furred, eyes open and even those claws..ow! So cute, so absolutely gorgeous. How are they doing? How is Sarah? Come on girl!

sphil · 03/01/2009 13:05

They're now running around the hutch and one was nibbling a bit of dry food this morning. They're not at all nervous of Sarah and she tolerates them well too - pretty good when she's so hugely pregnant herself. They're also extremely noisy at night - I'm sleeping downstairs with DS2 atm because he's broken his leg. Not only does he wake at 3am regularly every night, now I have scufflings and squeakings to contend with too - had forgotten how much more lively gps are at night.

Countingtheflocksbynight · 03/01/2009 13:17

sounds like you have your hands full Sphil! Hope your ds's leg recovers soon ...

I'm interested that yours are so active at night (or is it just lactating mothers - of the human or gp variety?) because I was surprised to discover that mine have a definite "set" bedtime usually around 11.15pm...!

On the rare occasions when I am up late watching telly after that time, I suddenly notice that there is no noise and they have put themselves to bed ... sure enough when I creep over to check they are snoring away on their sides with one back leg stretched out ...a picture of contentment ...

sphil · 03/01/2009 15:51

Hmm - could be that ours have had their time clocks disrupted by being moved indoors? Maybe eventually they'll adapt to a more human timetable - lights and heating off, time to sleep!

sphil · 03/01/2009 18:58

Sarah has four! Born very quickly this afternoon. Two white with grey smudges, two brown and white. All big and healthy looking, though not quite as attractive as Furball's lot imo. Will get photos up soon so you can vote!

Sarah seems a much more natural mother than Furball - 7 out of the 8 babies seem to be spending all their time with her. But she's bigger and calmer, so perhaps not surprising.

whispywhisp · 03/01/2009 19:15

Sphil...how lovely! 8 new pigs....wow! Piccies! We want piccies!!!!

thumbwitch · 03/01/2009 19:26

sooooooo envious...
Congratulations!
c'mon, piccies

whispywhisp · 03/01/2009 19:36

WE WANT PICTURES!!

WE WANT PICTURES!!

WE WANT PICTURES!!