Guinea pigs what do I need to know?

[insanityscratching]

Dd is 10 (she has ASD) she has a hamster (her second one) who she loves and looks after in fact Sweetie is a very pampered hamster. She would love Guinea pigs and it's something I'm happy to think about (and would be ultimately responsible for their care and upkeep) but really know very little unlike dd who has read and read about having them as pets.
So can you tell me what I need to know, the good and the bad and what to think about before making that leap. We have no other pets except Sweetie and a small enclosed garden. What sort of cage would we need and any other equipment and where is best to buy GP's from?

I am v new to the world of GPs, and have had loads of brilliant advice from people on here - look back at some old threads for ideas. We got ours from a rescue, good idea as a way of getting a bonded pair (also more ethical, obviously). You first need to decide whether to keep inside or outside. We have an outdoor hutch and when the weather's nice they spend most of the day in a (collapsible) run on the lawn. We haven't quite decided what to do with them in winter - opinion a bit divided on whether they can be left outside/in a garden building or not. I think we will probably get a small indoor cage and aim to have them in their hutch or indoor run for the majority of the time.

I am enjoying ours and they are good for cuddles from my DDs, now they have got used to us and calmed down. However, I have to say that the start up costs were quite high. Not the GPs themselves, which we got for a donation, but hutch plus run plus bowls, water bottles etc was easily £150 - though you might be able to do it for less via ebay/freecycle etc.

To make sure you lock them up securely each night so that the b*stard foxes don't kill them, as they did with my two gorgeous GPs yesterday #sob#

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww Artesia that is so .
I'm gutted for you, really sad and I can imagine how horrified you were to find the awful carnage.

Yes foxes are b*tards, we have some really big, mange ridden blighters round here.

Poor guinea-pigs

So sorry to hear that Artesia. We live near the river so see foxes alot, so glad they live in the living room.

Good advice from Dotty and I've found zoo plus probably the best place to order supplies online. I don't like shopping at Pets at Home as I'm not that happy with the way they keep their livestock. Freecycle is also a good bet. Best of luck!

Guinea pigs need to be in pairs (ideally either female/female or male/female - two boys together may fight.) They are naturally group animals so get distressed if they're forced to live on their own.

They need lots of hay as bedding and to eat (must be hay, NOT straw - which makes them sick.) They also need some fresh veg every day as they can't generate their own vitamin c so need it from external sources. They also ADORE carrot tops and parsley - ours would actually squeak with delight when we offered them parsley. We ended up growing in in window boxes so we had a regular supply for them!

They make great pets and I'm sure your daughter will love them. Ours have passed on now but I do miss them, they were real little characters. The place is too quiet without them.