What else do my Guinea Pigs need?

[Dontletthemgetyoudown]

We got 6 month old rescue pigs at the weekend (2 boys) and have them in an indoor cage with plenty of out of age exercise and free time (have to lock the terrier in the garden as she wont leave them alone, the Labrador is not interested in them at all). They will be caged when I am at work (10-3) and any times that they cant be supervised with the dogs about.) we have plenty of hay and fresh fruit and veg for them as well as pellet food and water.

We also brought cardboard hidey tubes, a large daisy chain chew/naw toy, a dried corn treat/naw thing. Do they need anything else?

Also a query re bedding, we brought some recycled paper pellets as advised but when I had guniea pigs as a child they had hay in the bed part I assume for warmth and cover, but these pellets would be far too dense if stacked high enough to create cover, do they need hay for bedding as well as food? They are currently living in the hallway, I cover the cage with a fleece blanket at night time as it can get draughty, but as the cage I next to the radiator I will have to turn the radiator off otherwise they will get too hot? (it has no temp control just on or off)

I have ordered an outdoor cage and need to get a cover for it, the outdoor area is mainly under cover (think conservatory with no frontage so covered on three sides and the roof), with a run for day to day usage and have a larger run on order for the warmer weather and when we are home. In the warmer weather/summer would you leave them outside whilst at work? or would they be better in the hutch which has a small run attached and then let out when we're home?

I don't worry about different hay for bedding and feeding. They don't understand the difference and experience has shown me that my boys prefer to eat the cheap supermarket hay. They have expensive tastes in veg though .

Re feeding - try them with herbs - mine love to prune my lavender in the garden - it has never looked so tidy (or grazed to the ground). I haven't noticed it making them smell nicer though.

You can use straw for bedding if you don't want them to eat it :)

Just be careful with garden plants because some are poisonous to them.

there are no plants in my garden! grass and paving only. Totally not greenfingered, I can kill any plant just by buying it

My friends dad is making us a run, one that is big enough and has cover and also ground pegs so that the dog cant move it! Hopefully she will get fed up of standing guard over the cage/run once she is used to them.

Dont - love your piggies photos. Mr Bubbles looks like a big boy - I bet he can hold his own against Squeaker. Gorgeous colouring on Squeaker.

Thanks Fernie. I think its his fur that makes him look bigger than he is. He has a really cute face they are both very placid and used to being handled. So they appear to have been a good choice.

So its been a month. Piggies have settled in well. We have a routine, unfortunately its all down to me. Dd is not interested now . My boys help out more ds1 whos 16 has just been having a cuddle.

I clean them out 2-3 times a week as they are indoors so paranoid about smells especially as they are the first thing you are greeted with as you come in the door.

I've stopped putting them in the outdoor run as its turned very cold and wet.

Very sweet and im enjoying having them I'm just a bit sad that dd who made all the fuss to get them has lost interest. She wanted them for years. Now the rabbit has made an appearance on the Christmas list but that's a huge no.

Dontlet when we got our original boars 3 years ago, it was meant to be my DD and I sharing but DS decided he wanted one.
I said "OK" because I didn't want to have to get a 3rd piggy later.

DS had no flipping interest in his piggie. Didn't hold him, help with feeding.
He didn't suffer at all because we fed, cleaned and cuddled the two hogs together. So he was never ever left out.
(But he did get saddled with the name "Ninja" courtesy of DS - he did karate)

When GP2 was ill and I took him to the vet, DS asked "Oh I thought you took him on Friday"
"Well why didn't you ASK on Friday"?

When we got GP3, we decided that he'd be a Family Pig (though IRL he belongs to DD as does GP1 )

DS was "why does she get 2 pigs. I want him"

Erm......no way Sunshine.

When we got them, I said to DD that I'd clean the cages (but she has to catch them). I buy the food and hay.
I guess as a parent you accept the responsibility.

But you're right about not getting the rabbit.
I could trust my DD with our piglet . But not DS.