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Original poster

I went to the pet shop today to get a cat bed and came out with a guinea pig, any tips?

33 replies

clayre · 17/08/2009 19:06

Title says it all really, shes is about 6 weeks and i know nothing about guinea pigs, i had a hamster until recently and have 2 cats, any advice and tips on guinea care would be much appreciated,

thanks.

OP posts:

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 17/08/2009 19:07

My tip: don't let the cat sleep on the guinea pig.

TheIroningLady · 17/08/2009 19:09

Hurrah! I am getting guinea pigs this week too, (although am more prepared than you by the sounds of it). I am a bit excited as you can probably tell, (more excited than my DC's if I am being honest).

Guinea pigs are social animals and you shouldn't keep one on it's own. So you'll need to get another one as company for her.

Original poster

clayre · 17/08/2009 19:12

thanks LGP fortunatly the cats seem to be scared of her

TIL the man in the pet shop says they are better on their own, plus there was 3 of them so i couldnt have taken 2 and left one, i would have had to take all 3

OP posts:

TheProfiteroleThief · 17/08/2009 19:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheDMshouldbeRivened · 17/08/2009 19:15

clearly you have issues with your shopping
GP's are social creatures so get another one but make sure its the same sex or you'll be up to your armpits in them.

EccentricaUsesTheDMForBogRoll · 17/08/2009 19:17

I love guinieas. I love their little weee weee noises and how pleased they are to see you. Get some more. girl ones.

Original poster

clayre · 17/08/2009 19:17

oh no, i should have got another, maybe i'll wait a few months to make sure shes def a female and def not pregnant and go to the rescue centre and get another adult female

feel guilty now

OP posts:

Original poster

clayre · 17/08/2009 19:19

I do seem to have issues with shopping, i get easily confused, to make matters worse the cat isnt interested in his new bed just the bag it came in, grrrr

OP posts:

TheProfiteroleThief · 17/08/2009 19:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

maize · 17/08/2009 19:44

Please do get another one, they are fairly easy to sex (boys have gigantic balls) and girl pigs are very sociable and get on with other ones very well.

Feel very that the man in the shop is selling guinea pigs alone.

Original poster

clayre · 18/08/2009 13:39

Update - my mum is away down to the pet shop to get Gwens sister, i was feeling too guilty for her being alone.

OP posts:

HecatesTwopenceworth · 18/08/2009 13:42

Next time you go shopping, write a list.

Apart from that, get another one quicksharp! As others have said, they need a friend. DON'T have a rabbit as its companion because they can be real bullies! Handle it loads! remember that they are very easily scared. They need very gentle handling.

ChookKeeper · 18/08/2009 13:58

Please do make sure you get another girl cos....long story coming up......

Bought a rabbit for dd1's 4th birthday (she's 15 now) and someone suggested that rabbits and GPs live well together. So we bought a little girlie GP (Daisy) to keep rabbit company. Well the rabbit became ill and died (£80 vets bill) and so we felt sorry for Daisy and went back the place we'd bought her from and asked for another girl GP who we called Sally.

A few weeks went by and I noticed that Daisy was looking a little tubby so I said the DH "oh I think Daisy must be eating all the food and getting fat". Show's how much I know - the next weekend we'd just back from an evening out and DH looked into the GPs hutch and found 4 baby GPs .Turns out Sally was really a boy who we promptly renamed Toby.

I phoned the emergency vet to ask if we should separate them - thinking Sally/Toby might harm them - only to be told that we should separate them 'cos they mate within an hour of giving birth .

So we put Toby into a big box for the night and next day DH had to go out and spend £40 on another hutch.

We managed to offload the 4 babies once they were weaned but 10 weeks after their arrival another 4 appeared .

So.... we kept one little girl (had her properly sexed by a breeder)but felt sorry for Toby living on his own so spent another £80 having him 'done' so that they could all live together again.

After all that DD1 had no interest in them and I was the only one that looked after them so we ended up giving them away .

Oh we do laugh about it now NOT!!

FabBakerGirlIsBack · 18/08/2009 14:00

I went to get fish food and came home with a hamster

bargainhuntingbetty · 18/08/2009 14:03

My tip would be: Learn to speak Guinea Pig. We have 2 (well DD does) and they yell at us all the time, sometimes they yell at us so loudly that I convinced I am getting into trouble for something. If you put anything down on top of their cage they really yell (Like their food while you are pouring out etc). They frequently yell at DH if he has the cheek to move at night when the house is quite ( he he he gets quite paranoid). They are fascinating little creatures but should def be kept in pairs or groups.

Original poster

clayre · 18/08/2009 14:07

its her sister my mums away to get, she phoned the pet shop to see if they still had her sister and they do, im soo excited cos gwen looks sad

Hecate - i would probably lose a list on the way to the shops

ChookKeeper - eek at the mating one hour after giving birth!

FBG - i went to the petshop to get a fish and came back with a hamster, sadly he died a few months ago after making it to nearly 3!

OP posts:

bethoo · 18/08/2009 14:18

FleurDelacour · 18/08/2009 14:51

I went to the pet shop yesterday to get pet bedding and food. For guinea pigs and hamster.

I came home wth two adorable baby bunnies. Eek.

Cue major house and cable rearrangement.

They are now being house trained and are hopping around being gorgeous. Today one was found curled up asleep on DD1s bed.

I am in love.

jeminthepantry · 18/08/2009 14:55

You can't have a single guinea, they are really social creatures, need to be at least 2....I'm a bit that the worker at the shop didn't mention this....any pig owner knows you just DON'T buy single pigs.

It's bad, get another one.

Other than that, a hutch, a run, and indoor cage if you want for winter.

Food- they love things like carrot, apple, babana skins, other salads etc.

They need to be cleaned regularly- sitting in your own urine and faeces aint good.

Sorry- is that the sort of thing you were after?

jeminthepantry · 18/08/2009 14:56

Buy a book.....

Original poster

clayre · 18/08/2009 15:05

Jemi - i put an update on a wee while ago, my mum went and got her sister for me and they are now reunited.

Am gonna keep them indoors but think i will get a run for outside

Fleur -

Gwen and Gabby seem to pleased to see each other again

OP posts:

jeminthepantry · 18/08/2009 15:33

Sorry Clayre...missed it...(damn my lazy ways!)

Just remember if they are kept inside- who is gonna clean them out..I find my DH is partilarly suited to this role...!!!

silver73 · 18/08/2009 16:01

I'm very worried that the guy in the pet shop is selling piggies on their own. Could you phone the RSPCA or better still a GP resucue place and ask them to have a word with the shop owner/manager?.

The thought of them selling lots of pigs on their own and condemning them to a sad lonely life is making my stomach churn.

BertieBotts · 18/08/2009 16:05

If you are keeping them indoors definitely get some of the spray you can buy from places like pets at home etc which neutralises the ammonia and therefore the smell. They shouldn't smell anyway if you clean them out often enough but it does help.

They can't make their own vitamin C so need to have lots of fresh veg - but not lettuce, it makes them wee loads. When our run broke we used to make a "human run" in the garden by sitting with our legs open in a V shape and touching feet - so if 2 people, it makes a diamond, 3 or more you get a sort of star shape. If they try to run out you put your hand up blocking their path and they run back again (probably best to get them used to being handled first) - it was loads of fun too.

They will nibble at fingers but very gently - they don't bite (unless they mistake you for a carrot!) so are great with children.

BigGobMum · 18/08/2009 16:05

We had piggies for years and (apart from the first two) always bought one at a time. We always kept 2 but if one died we got another; so there are reasons for selling only one.

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