potential newbie seeks advice

[crocodileshavenoears]

Looking for some very basic advice please. I am considering getting a guinea pig, or possibly a hamster, but really don't know anything like enough about it.

I grew up with no pets, and as a result am really nervous around animals, which is something I don't want for my two DSs. We have had two goldfish for over six years, and I'm surprised to find I now really like them, which is why I'm now prepared to consider something else.

Both DSs are very interested in animals, and although I know the novelty would wear off and I'd end up doing most of the cleaning, etc, DS1 (9) in particular is really very responsible for his age and I think would understand he had to stay involved.

DS2 particularly wants something he can hold (the one thing he doesn't like about the fish ). Are guinea pigs generally keen to be held? (I've read different opinions about that).

If I do go ahead I'll certainly get a rescue pair - I've had a look and there is an SSPCA (I'm in Scotland) centre fairly nearby.

So what do I need to consider?

Thank you!

How old is DS2?

Guineas are cuddly but like all animals, some are shy or less friendly. GPs are by nature prey animals and our lardy boars still think we plan to skin them

GPs take up aload of room, most of the cages you'll see just aren't pig enough (I'd say the 4'x2' minimum really is a minimum. Our original boars weren't happy in a 4x2 for winter nights. My older boy and our new pig were very non-plussed, we got an adjustable pen - seperate panels joined together- for last winter nights)

They live 4-5 years + maybe up to 8yo so they are a long term commitment (one MNetter had a 12 yo pair of girls )

There's lots of threads about piggies to give you ideas. I reckon work out where you'll keep them and if the hutch or cage is going to be ok there (remember indoors you'llhay the hay, GPs don't smell if they're kept clean but when we had the cage in the dining room we kept tripping over it. And you can't let them get too hot/cold)

Outside they need protected from damp, draughts and predators as well as extremes heat/cold.

Anything else you want to ask, we're here

Well done on being prepared to conquer your nerves about animals.

Don't know much about hamsters, but we have 2 piggies and as 70 says they do take up a lot of room. Ours are indoor pigs and have a large cage in the utility and spend most of each day either out in a run or in their indoor run.

They are generally happy to be held especially if bribed with parsley/cucumber. They do need a lot of cleaning out - I've never known any animal poop so much

We got GPs last summer - coming up to a year ago. I got them for the same reason as you - never had pets as a child, nervous around animals, wanting DDs not to have the same limitations, especially as I got to know more people who did keep animals and obviously got so much pleasure out of them.

On the plus side, the DDs (6 and 8) are still very taken with them and help a bit although naturally most of the work falls to me. On the negative side, never having kept animals before I have found I really worry about them. We have two boars and they had some 'issues' and are now kept side by side and I literally had sleepless nights about them - that might just be me overthinking it all.

As to whether GPs are the right choice, ours are happy to be cuddled and do have identifiable personalities. But they do take up a lot more room than I'd anticipated (esp since we had to separate them), are not that rewarding, relatively hard to leave in a neighbour's care (because of the cleaning out - seems a bigger ask than feeding a cat) and I sometimes wonder whether we might have been better off with a different pet (but probably shouldn't say that here!).

Thank you very much - lots to think about.

70 - DS2 is 6, so not old enough to be responsible for a pet, but I think old enough to help and to understand the commitment.

The size of the cage might be a problem - we have a fairly small house! I'll think about that though and see if I could fit 4' by 2' anywhere.

Dotty2 - thanks for the honesty. What do you think might have suited you better?

I'm now wondering if a hamster might be more suitable for my size of house. It puts me off a bit that they look quite a lot like mice though! Maybe that's something else to try and overcome!

Thanks again.

Crocodiles are you me?

I'm a bit nervous of animals despite having hammies as a kid. I wants a pet for me.

Big soppy old dog would be my perfect pet but a job and cluttered house so that's no go.

Have holiday fostered a nice GP but cage very big (actually he's in a small cage and it's all wrong :( ) smell too inside..

Moving towards gerbils as low maintenance non bitey yet lively pets .cute soft, handlable but equally happy to just have. Handful of food and fresh water on busy days too.

Hammys are lovely but they do bite and, as a kid they were awake all night and asleep all day ..however the teeny miniature ones are just cuteness personified.

What else? A cat, maybe (I like them, but I worry about the massive decline in our wild bird population, and how much of that is down to cats). Or something which took up less room and maybe didn't live that long! (Not that I wish short lives on our GPs, but it is quite a long term commitment)

Hmmm, it's a difficult one. Cats and dogs are ruled out because my best friend and my nephew are both allergic to them. You make gerbils sound ideal Theas18 - might go and see some and see if I can get over how much like mice they look to me!

Thanks for the great advice everyone.

Just joining in. I want to get 2 GPs but wondering where to keep them.

We have a shed and a garage. We are out all day and ideally I would like for them to be able to have space during the day. Can I get a hutch and a run and just keep it in the garage. There is a window so it's not dark. We would take them out when we got home, give them a run on the lawn if weather suitable.

Just wondering about cleaning it though. If we have a run, it will be full of poo and stuff, so does this go direct on to garage floor? Or is there a bottom to the run?

There seem to be so many products. Don't know where to start!

Hi Lagoon welcome to the Wonderful World of Guinea-Pigs

My DD has two boars (originally two brothers , now the 3.6 yo and one nearly a year)

We have a wooden Pighouse (my DC old Playhouse) and a concrete garage building (the car doesn't live there it's home to all the junk)

Disadvantages of each though:
garage is blardy freezing in winter and has two small windows so a bit dark. The GPs have 'glamped' in there when their Pighouse was out of action (leaks, NDN tree hanging dangerously, roof felt from the Pighouse damaged). We don't want them in here full time - and it's right at the end of the garden.
We put the rabbit run (it's got sides and roof but no base, though you'd think a rabbit run would ) on cardboard and a tarpaulin with loads of newspaper and hay.

The Pighouse is treated wood, so it's nicer temperature but it does get warmer. We can take a window out (inside is reinforced wooden and metal screens with flymesh). I put their fan on for them (spoiled) GPs do suffer heatstroke .
Hay is vital and though it's snuggly for colder weather but mine like to bury themselves in it if they need cover, and cook themselves (they aren't very savvy animals )

You could put a flat lino base under the run, providing the edges aren't inside the run where they can chew it. Then put newspaper on top? I would be careful of bases in runs, pigs don't walk on mesh, it can damage their paws (Bumblefoot),

Do you have room indoors for winter cages? I bring mine in for Guy Fawkes times then usually mid Nov (depending on the weather, they spend the night indoors until it's milder)

Thanks.

So can I keep them outdoors in a suitable hutch unless freezing?

Will they not be cooped up all day? I thought a run in the garage might be better for them even if a bit dingy.

I could bring them in at night in winter but don't really have room for them permanently inside. Is this a problem?

Am still a bit confused but thanks for your help!

You can put a hutch in a garage (or a shed if it's big enough) . (Depends on what is better, one might be nearer the house , better light etc. )

Where my guineas go on holiday boarding, they have long hutches in big wooden sheds ( I think about 7' long for my two boys) and they go out by day.

I dont have an attatched run because I need to move it about for good grass, and my boys have enough room in their Pighouse (no hutch, they have the floor with lots of hidey boxes).

Guinea-pigs can't cope with extremes of weather like rabbits can and they don't cope with damp, they need protected against the elements and foxes/cats/dogs/birds of prey . Rabbits need permenant access to their run, GPs need to be locked up at night .

So yes, you could put a big hutch and run in the garage (provided you don't have the car there) , raise the hutch off the floor but make sure if they have a ramp it's wide and shallow.

I'll try and find the temperatures that are recommended (though I go by 'feel' ) IIRC if it's less than 15c your pigs need to be inside, which can be in the house, a shed, a garage.
You need to make sure they don't go from hot-cold or cold-hot.

Thanks for the help. So much to think about!