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Original poster

Considering buying two guinea pigs ... some questions

12 replies

jofeb04 · 07/04/2010 14:38

Hi all,

We are seriously considering buying two guinea pigs to be indoors (with a large run outside).

I have a couple of questions which I would love to know:

Plenty of people has told me that they are great with children - they don't (generally) bite and are awake in the day time. Is this true? My dd (4) loves the idea of sitting on the sofa with the guinea pig on her knee. Is this doable?

Roughly, how much do you feel you spend a week on their food, hay etc?

Also, does anyone know of any good online sites where we can buy decent size cages?

Thanks :-)

OP posts:

lolapoppins · 07/04/2010 14:58

We have two guinea pigs.

We seem to have bought the two most timid ones in the world though. We have had them for two and a half years and even with a lot of patience and general handling each day they are still terrified us. They have lived indoors in a large cage, but recently we have moved them to a large hutch outside. It didn't seem fair watching them cower and shake (when they weren't hiding all the time) whenever one of is walked into the room. We figured they would be happier in the garden and far less stressed. Looking out the window today thay have been merrily running around and jumping about looking happy - something thay never did indoors. We were always so gentil, tried never to stress them. Inthink they just don't like us.

Have you thoought aboout a rabbit for your dd? We have had indoor rabbits for years and years, they are wonderful.

Oh and hay, sawdust food didn't cost much. I cleaned out the indoor hutch one a week ( I scooped out the corner the poos and weed in daily). A small bag of swa dust one a week and a large bag of hay once per month.

lolapoppins · 07/04/2010 14:59

Sorry, that should have read 'gentle handling', bloody I phone.

fruitshootsandheaves · 07/04/2010 15:09

We also have two guinea pigs. They are great. They have been indoors this winter and DS looks after them, he does it all himself. They are cuddly, they will sit on your lap or in your arms and happily eat a piece of apple or carrot.

They do run and hide when someone approaches but I think that is because they are prey animals and it is a natural reaction. They don't take any notice of the dogs however (bit stupid!)

They are MUCH easier to keep than our rabbits have been. We have one male rabbit left and he regularly needs his rear end washing, I don't know why he gets in such a mess, none of our previous rabbits ever did.

However, although he is a lovely cuddly bunny (when he doesn't stink) he always looks slightly petrified when being handled. He is the only really cuddly bunny we have had, his sister was not at all cuddly.

We have had several rabbits and several of them were in the habit of kicking out when they were about to be placed back in their hutch which made the DC's not want to handle them.
Guinea pigs are much better pets IMO.

DS gets through about a bag of food (£6.99) and hay (£4.99) every fortnight. (he's a bit OTT with his cleaning sometimes!) They get through much less when they are out on the grass in the summer.

We always feed ours on the complete pellets as we were told if they have the mixed food they will just pick out the bits they like and then don't get the benefits of the complete diet.

HTH

fruitshootsandheaves · 07/04/2010 15:10

*obviously DS doesn't get through a bag of guinea pig food himself a week, I'm not that bad a mother that I feed my DS on pet food!

lolapoppins · 07/04/2010 15:13

Fruits - isn't it funny how our experiences of gunea pigs and rabbits have been the exact opposite!

fruitshootsandheaves · 07/04/2010 15:17

lola - I think if a rabbit could be an indoor pet they would make better pets, but some of our female rabbits have been downright nasty, the buck rabbits have always been more friendly, however indoor rabbits with a bouncy Springer and a Collie are not a great mix

lolapoppins · 07/04/2010 15:25

Ah, didn't realise that you were talking about outdoor rabbits. There is a massive difference when you keep them inside, ours have always been lovely and friendly and hooped around the house with the cats.

Just got a new baby one after our very old male rabbit died last year. We have two huge golden retrievers as well, but it will be a while before I let him hop around when they are in the room!

Am so gutted about our gunea pigs, but if they are not happy to be handled after two and a half years, I don't think they ever will be. They really do seem to be happier living outside.

Original poster

jofeb04 · 07/04/2010 16:00

Thanks both,

We had a rabbit before who used to kick everytime we tried to put her back into the cage, so would prefer not to go down that route again.

Looks like it should be OK.

OP posts:

RacingSnake · 07/04/2010 20:45

We have four gp's, some friendlier than others. All hate being picked up and try and run away, then sit happily on your knee munching apples, carrots and celery. Do put an old towel on your lap if you are going to sit there for long, though; they wee frequently!

Maize · 07/04/2010 21:08

We have three guineas that we keep indoors (in two cages).

We buy our hay from Pound Stretcher which is pretty cheap at 99p a bag, we probably go through two bags a month? We go through one bag of Pets at Home GP nuggets a month - £4.99.

We give them left over veggies and peelings so that side of it is pretty cheap!

Our boys are very very snuggely and cuddely. They get very wriggely and squeaky if they need a wee and so we rarely get wee-ed on because we pop them back in their cage for a bit a that stage!

They are prey and so like other people have said they do tend do hide and cower. We just remove their little house/pigloo that they hide under and scoop them up and they are fine. They are not skittish or jumpy like rabbits and fairly easy to hold.

I can recommend a breeder if you are near York?

Original poster

jofeb04 · 08/04/2010 16:27

Thanks for the responses.

Looking more likely that we will be getting two (probably July, got a few weekends away and holiday booked before then).

OP posts:

BlauerEngel · 08/04/2010 16:53

We bought our rabbit hutch from zooplus and I was really impressed. It arrived by courier the day after I ordered and I saw the same hutch later in a store for 100 euros more. We bought from the German zooplus site but the British one is identical. We bought this hutch. We have two dwarf rabbits, so guinea pigs would be a similar size.They also have an outside run for summer to give them even more space. Going up and down the ladder keeps them really fit.

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