Help with guinia pigs

[toffeelolly]

Hopefully some of you can answer some questions. I am getting dd 7 two guinia pigs for Christmas which she does not know about. And have never had these lovely little pigs before so was told getting 2 is better as they like company. Was thinking of getting a large wooden hutch for the pigs, was wonder when cleaning it would it smell or would a plastic type hutch be better? Does it matter regarding sex, is two females or two males better or does it matter? How often do you clean their hutch out? And when first getting them about how much does it cost for hutch, food, hay, and little hideaway house's and anything else I may need? Hopefully they will be in dd 's bedroom and she loves animals and I know she will help with the cleaning up of the little piggies, was also thinking of giving them to her maybe boxing day as worried it maybe a bit noisey Christmas day .We will get them about a week before Christmas and keep them in the garage so she will not see them. Hopefully I do not sound stupid just want everything to be perfect, dd is going to be so excited when she see them.

Hello and welcome to the world of guinea pigs!

One of the best resources for all sorts of information about guinea pigs is here www.guinealynx.info/ and there are also a couple of really useful UK based guinea pig discussion boards here www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/ and here www.rodentswithattitude.co.uk/ .

Just to answer a few of your queries though:

• Guineas are social animals and rarely do well on their own. Two males or two or more females can be kept together. Ideally, get a pair already bonded (many rescues have lovely adult animals looking for forever homes and even older guinea pigs can get used to being handled with patience and frequent handling,) or perhaps two same sex siblings from a litter. Alternatively, you can get a male and one or more females, but the male must be neutered first.

• I've never got on with wooden cages or hutches as they are harder to clean and the urine stains and rots the wood. There are lots of plastic indoor cages you can buy (but the very largest you can afford and fit, but at least 120 long, preferably longer,) and if you do a search for "c and c cages," there are instructions and suppliers of materials for making your own cage.

• Cleaning will depend partly on the cage size, type of bedding and guinea habits as well as the season (i.e. I change more often in summer as they tend to get a bit whiffy.) There are many types of bedding - the only ones not recommended are wood shavings (both the animals and humans can be sensitive to chemicals in the wood and they tend to be dustier so not good for breathing.)

• Perhaps someone else can offer ideas on the cost as I've never worked it out, but the one cost it's vital to factor in is veterinary care. It is possible to insure guineas, but many folks just "put aside" money each month in case the animal needs vet care. I've had some guineas that haven't cost a penny at the vets and one that's cost over £1000 in vet bills over his lifetime (initially for investigations but now for a long term condition, but his quality of life is excellent, so I feel it's my responsibility to do what I have to do to continue that for the rest of his natural life.) Also, it's ESSENTIAL to find a vet near you who is knowledgeable and confident in treating guinea pigs. Most aren't and can cause unnecessary suffering by doing the wrong things/not doing anything. The websites above have lists of recommended vets.

• I agree it could be a bit noisy and busy if the animals are given to her on Christmas day, especially if they haven't had any time to settle into their new home. Perhaps you could give them to her as soon as you get them, making clear that this is in lieu of other Christmas presents (ha) whether that be before or after Christmas. It might even be an idea to talk with her about it before you get them. I know there won't be the "element of surprise," but that's only a momentary thing in any case. She will be helping you look after the animals for perhaps 7 or 8 years (longer if you get new companions for the remaining animal when another dies,) so there is an opportunity to get her involved from the outset in learning about them together, even choosing the animals herself (which may help her feel more of a commitment to looking after them.)

Best of luck with everything and keep us all posted! :)

Good advice there - and I second the bit about vets bills. I didn't know you could get insurance! I have also spent about £900 in the last year on two of my pigs, one of whom died anyway.

You're right that pigs love company - and there's a lot of fun to be had anyway from watching the interaction between them (for interaction, read fighting over the celery!).

My pigs are indoor pigs and when I had two, I used to clean to give them a full clean out once a week, with more minor bits during the week especially during the very hot weather. Now that I have 3 pigs, I do a full clean-out every 5 days or so.

I've only had females so can't really talk about the male vs female comparison.

Enjoy!

Thanks all for the good advice. Cannot wait to get our little piggies!

I've had mainly females as a child but at the moment we have 2 boars (one is 3yo , one is about 5 months)

TBH , females are less trouble (read all the boar threads ) but boars are lovely, huggy , people pleasers. (GP3 told me to write that)

They don't smell IRL, the hay does.
We clean every day in summer when they have less bedding. Deep litter can go 3 days but mine pee alot.

one handed typing now - i've got the boarlette.

they need lots of space and activities - not toys or wheels like little rodents, but tunnels, boxes, paper bags.
they are chatty and noisy little creatures, eat pretty much all the time. you can get loads of lists of guinea safe fruit/veg. there's a few things they can't have.

vets= definately find a pig friendly/pig savvy one. ask at rescues , they'll have a vet that they use.

dd and i were in pets at home today. they had a few cages/ hutches that were '2 guinea-pig' size.
my boars get very judgey in their winter night cage . they spent one night indoors when we had the storms . cage is 4'x2' which should be big enough but not according to them.
at the moment they're slumming it in the garage in their rabbit run.
neighbours tree is perilously near to their pighouse, we're waiting till they get the hanging branch lopped

overnight for this year they've got a pen for the small bedroom .

would your dd be happier with the pigs as a surprise or her choosing them.
my dd didn't get the chance to choose hers. she wanted two rescue boars, we got them.
when gp2 died we got gp3 from rescue. her guinea chose the new one.

dd 'saw' herself with a little tri-colour or black and white.

she has 2 agouti with no white and she loves them.

Really want to surprise dd ,just cannot wait to see her face, and if I get the gp's about 2 weeks before Christmas it will give me a chance to get to know them. we do not have any animal's since our little westie died three years ago, so know she will just love them. Does anyone put down a blanket in their hutch? Or is plastic Hutch's better than wooden? It's good to know everything before I get our little piggies. oh they are so cute.

Some people use fleece or 'Vetbed' (have a look online) but TBH, the easiest thing I've found is hay and newspaper.
Fleeces and material bedding gets covered in hay, it's a nightmare to get off before it goes in the wash.

Last year I got a large box , put a soft old pillow in it, a zip-up waterproof pillowcase cover and a hotwater bottle inside for them to snuggle.

I filled a 50litre trug with hay, cut a 'door' in the side and a cardboard lid.
Every morning when I went to see them, they weren't in the box. No they were cuddled up in the haytrug.

So I give mine cardboard + newspaper, very soft straw (but not for babies) and hay.

Plastic is definately easier to clean.
Ours (usually) live in the Pighouse which is a wooden playhouse. It's been treated. I put rubber carmats and cardboard down (so they can't eat the carmats).
It's easiest to steam clean it, but needs time to dry.

Have you had a look about for somewhere to get your pigs?
Are you looking for babies or adults?
A rescue will have a Returns Policy if for any reason you can't keep the pig. We got our baby boar from a Rescue. I specifically needed a very little boy to boarmatch with GP1 after our GP2 died.

Have you made sure your DD isn't allergic to guinea fur or hay? (One of the commonest reasons for GPs to be rehomed)

You need to make sure if you get a same sex pair that they definately are same sex (you can get neutered boars but they'd be older)

I've had mis-sexed GPs before and ended up with piglets. And a ready pg when I bought her pig.

Baby guineas are phenomenally gorgeous. I'm really glad my DD had the Baby Piglet Experience. Our little boy is now huge and solid, much bigger and heavier than our older boy

If you have 2 males, then you need to make sure they have plenty of space , they need each others company but not to be in each others faces.
My GP1 and GP2 were brothers and liked their seperate corners.
Females will tend to cuddle up more (which is nicer in colder weather because it keeps them warm).
Females pairs or male pairs can get a bit fighty but it's usually over sorting out territory and dominance.
(If you get an older pair they're usually over this (6 months +) but there's still potential for the odd narky moment.

WRT insurance -
I did a Google Search and found an Insurance company that covers GPs (most are cat/Dog occasionally rabbits)

It asked for the age/type/cost price

(No questions about health but I'm guessing any pre-existing conditions wouldn't be covered)
Gave £2000 per Guinea per year.
Not covering Death. Theft. Weather.

For my 3yo GP1 and my 5 month old GP3

£210 or £250 depending on policy.

So you could work it out as £10 / month per pig.

We are going for baby pigs, and going by all the good advice think we will go for two little girls. It's good to know about the wooden Hutch's was thinking the plastic would be more practical.Getting them from pet shop. Cannot wait

Have you contacted any rescues toffee?

When I got my baby boar, I phoned a Rescue. They were getting a consignment of over 24 male guineas - all under a year.
They had some piglets still with mum.

Imagine how difficult it was to walk away with one. I know (realistically) I could only rehome one. My DD did not want her boy neutered.
But though we were delighted with our piglet, there were still dozens in Rescue.

Think about options other than Pet Shop if you can.

(Even a private breeder - at least you'll see the parent and get some idea of their history. I was told by a member of staff in P@H that the baby pigs came from Spain. Imagine that journey for a load of guineas)

We have just got two male guinea pigs, cost wise our local pet shop we got a full indoor set with upstairs bedroom for £85 including our adorable pigs! We had our dog put to sleep earlier this year which devasted us all as he was big part of our family, and have avoiding the whole pet debate, but it didn't feel like home without pets!

We've had them a week and all is well they are full of character the dc are really taken with them and handle them often, they are indoors at the moment but we will move them outside when it warms up that's what we told dh however dc and I have different idea because they are fantastic little fellas.

Today because the weather has been so wet, we watched films this afternoon, both kids sat with their pigs just on their knees falling asleep making their little sounds!

I have a huge wooden hutch in the lounge on laminate floor. Poo and hay drop out every time the door is opened and the piggies take themselves for a walkabout. The reason we have an 'outdoor' hutch indoors is I once went to the garage and saw a mouse in the hutch them and that was it never again. I would not recommend my arrangement in a bedroom.

I think an indoor hutch will far too cold in a garage for a week in December. In your shoes I would contact a rescue and ask to reserve pups that will be big enough to leave their mother at Christmas. Quite often sows come into rescue pregnant. And I would ask the rescue to keep the babies for you until Boxing Day. That way you know they will be protected from the cold and you won't have the stress to keeping the surprise secret.

Good luck

So so much good advice to think about. Had not really thought of rescue piggies, but something to think about. Myself and dh had been to pet shop back about a month ago to see the animals and just thought the gp were so adoreable so lovely . So thanks for all the good advice. Nonames is your hutch a plastic one? Glad your little ones are settling in. Have you had guinea pigs before. Thanks everyone

Oooh just an add on to what I wrote above-

the P@H hutches that were " 2 guinea-pig sized" were not .
No way on this green earth.

I would add the advice to get from a rescue if possible, you can get babies from them. I didn't know about rescues at first and the first two we got from Pets at home came with mites and were never healthy. The rescue ones get checked over before you get them usually.
The indoor cage with the plastic base is better for indoor pigs, but you won't then be able to keep them in the garage for two weeks till Christmas as it will be too cold, particularly for babies. Guinea pigs can die of cold which is why it's best to keep them inside in winter or in well insulated accomodation.
They poo a lot and need a lot of cleaning out or they can get pongy. You need to be prepared for the sheer mount of poo and pee, ours need cleaning out fully twice a week, we get through a lot of bedding material.
Ours are great fun but not lap sitters, they like to run around and don't really tolerate being held. It all depends on the pigs personality, they are very cute and mischievous. Read up as much as possible first as the better they are cared for, the more they give back as pets iykwim. You won't regret it!