Thinking of getting guinea pigs.....

[Mrsmaymerryweather]

How much do they cost to keep?

How much time does looking after them take?
Can they live outside (in a hutch) in winter?
Do they often get ill / need the vet?
Anything I need to know?!

Thanks in advance!!!

We have had our two piggies for about three years now but they can last up to ten apparently! So they're not a pet for a short time only if that makes sense.
We spend around £10 a week altogether if I add up the cost of their pellets, fresh supply of hay every day, clean wood shavings for their hutch and an endless supply of parsley and celery (well for my two anyway). They have to have fresh food daily but its worth experimenting because they all like different things.
We have a run in the garden and they quite happily eat lots of little bits of clover and grassy bits too.
They love being held and gently stroked but are also equally happy left to their own devices.
They can live outside in a hutch but you will need to make sure its well insulated and protected from the rain and cold weather in the winter. You can buy hutch huggers and warm pads to put inside their sleeping area.
We have had to take our two to the vets on a couple of occasions but its never been too serious or expensive!
Basically if you want a pet that is easy to handle I think guinea pigs are ideal

Hello! They are great pets. My advice would be to do your research online. Piggiepigpigs is a great channel on youtube, there are loads of others and great web sites. My other bit of advice would be to find an animal rescue near you. There are 100s and 100s of adorable guinea pigs waiting for loving homes in rescues.

To answer your questions more directly, I don't think that they are too expensive as pets go. A bag of hay might cost from £4 - £8 and would probably last 2 guinea pigs a few weeks. A bag of dry food might cost around £5 and last a few weeks as well. They need a little bit of fresh fruit and veg, a carrot or a bit of cucumber a day. And then just water. You can use newspaper to line their cage, and then put hay on top of that. You can find cages on ebay, or if you buy one new they cost between £30 - £80. You want it to be atleast 4 foot wide. It's nice for them to have a run, and little tubes and hidey houses can be nice to add. They need a small amount of time every day just like any family member, to check that they are healthy and clean. They can live outside in the winter if you want them to, just make sure that they have plenty of floor to ceiling hay and that their water bottle doesn't freeze. Vets bills can always be expensive, but they're rarely ill. :)