Help a potential new piggy owner!

[laurenamium]

Hi everyone! I was wondering if you could help, I'm very interested in getting 2 piggies. I have done a little bit of research and know that pigs need lots of room and should be inside in winter etc and half a list of foods they shouldn't eat. Is there anything I should know before I get some? I have owned rabbits in the past if this makes any difference?

Awww! I love guinea pigs. One tip which I picked up on here is to use megazorb for bedding. I've tried lots of things. Woodshavings - not keen. One of ours has a wheezy chest and I felt these made it worse. Newspaper - too smelly. Hay - too smelly. Care fresh and another similar one from the pet shop was very good but really expensive as we have a double decker cage. Megazorb is fab and provided the cage is spot cleaned daily it only needs a full clean once a week. Sadly, we only have one piggie left now, but they do make lovely pets. I had no idea they would be so noisy. Ours wheek when the fridge door opens or a packet is rustled.

If you cuddle one at a time they will know the other one is there (they can still smell and hear the other)
When they are in the paddling pool you can put one on your lap for a cuddle and the other will probably totter round searching.

We sometimes split ours -DD takes her boar for a cuddle in the front room, and I have GP2 (who is my DS pig in name only) in the back room. They are fine for a while but after 40-60 minutes they need a pee and start looking for each other.

My DD had the hogs in her room Fri & Sat night (fireworks noises)
They were a bit hmm , but she did get up a cuddle them (at least 4 times ) and told me at 5am (thanks DD) that they were being arsey. Probably because there was no food. (So we put carrot and celery in and they settled)

They will be out tonight (with ear-plugs if need be)

at your DD 70! I've used bio catelet on top of newspaper for their bedding, with hay to burrow and naice hay to eat

I read on here that they can eat ready grass? I have a horse who eats this so I can being some home, how much do you think I should offer? Would a hand full every few days be too much?

bio catlet is good (it's a soft paper based litter) I'm using the wooden pellets because they are are huge bags of it (I keep it in a clean dustbin that has locking lids). It's soft underfoot (not as soft as BioCatlet but I've seen it used in rabbit pens)

Readi-Grass smells lovely I Got a bag of the equine Readi Grass (IIRC from Farmways) and it lasts ages for furries.

I give a couple of double handfuls for mine if they've not had fresh grass (I can still cut from the lawn ).In winter maybe twice a week, to complement their hay.
My little boar sneezes a bit after it, but GP1 scoffs it down.

Ahhh lovely thank you!!

Hi - so glad you have the babies - very envious, hope the settle and you have lots of fun with them! As 70 says, give them time to settle, talk to them, introduce them to new foods, smells, your routine and dont rush them, they have each other for company, and that is enough for a few weeks, - love the idea of holding them in a towel, they will need reassurance and getting used to being cuddled and spoken to. Keep the dog well away for a while as they may get very stressed and scared so all the progress you made will have disappeared - he can be introduced to them once they are happy and settled. Really hope they settle - good luck!

You've made me so excited OP!

We've decided to get piggies for me ds2's birthday and pick our girls up next Monday. I've got a Midwest Habitat cage and got it out the box today to check it's ok.

The best thing it's a surprise for ds so I'm going to pick them up next Monday and hide them in the spare room until Wednesday (his birthday) - I'm at work all day Tuesday and want them to be there when he wakes up on Wednesday. This means by Wednesday they'll have had a couple of days to chill and settle in and on Monday and Tuesday night they'll be mine all mine to play with!!!

When do you pick your's up OP?