Could you educate me on GP please?

[AnotheBloodyChinHair]

Excuse my ignorance. Only just beginning this journey.

We have 2 cats and in 3 months time we will be getting 2 guinea pigs. I would like them to live outside. What is the safest way for them to live comfortably outside? Hutch plus run?

Should we get 2 of the same sex? Which one makes a better pet?

What breed of GB makes a better pet (i.e. likes to be petted, looks the cutest and has personality).

I have seen some pictures of gp with long hair. Do they need grooming?

Finally, where does one get a gp from? We adopted our kittens from a rescue centre.

Thanks!!

Yes, get 2 of the same sex unless you can adopt a neutered male with a female.

Males are generally more confident, but there are often exceptions.

They don't deal well with cold weather, so you need to find a suitable place for them to live in winter - ideally indoors, but a garage (with no cars) or shed can work as long as they still get enough attention.

Damp is their enemy so an outside hutch will need to be very snug and secure from foxes. They are sociable little creatures so will need lots of love and cuddles if they are going to get tame. Ours always lived indoors as they arent smelly if cleaned out regularly.

We got our guineas from rescue centres. They're such lovely little pets. We've got a neutered boy and two girls. Ours are indoors but have a big run. There are a lot of foxes here and I'd just be worried all the time if they were out.

Long haired ones need a fair amount of grooming or trimming. Ours are all smooth short haired. The Himalayan boy is really cheeky and I'd definitely recommend one. The tricolour girls are also lovely too. The key thing is to give them loads of attention and they'll blossom.

They need company, both with other GP and people. We've always had girls and they are the sweetest little things but you have to spoil them. Ours were spot cleaned twice a day and lived outside from about April to October. Give them lots of hidey holes stuffed with hay and a regular supply of grass and dandelion leaves if you can get any.
We've had smooth and an abysinnian. The abysinnian was the the most affectionate but did sometimes annoy the others.

Thank you everyone. So I don't need to worry about the cats and the guinea pigs coexisting?

Attention won't be an issue, but I would prefer them to live outside throughout the year so would like to have the hutch appropriately conditioned for that.

I don't entirely trust my cat with them, she's too good a hunter, but, saying that, she has been in the same room as them when they're running free (under supervision) and she's never hurt them. She does find inquisitive rodents who come running over to her rather disconcerting ("Why are they not running away from me in fear???").

My 2 guinea pigs live outdoors all year round, they have a 6ft hutch which has a waterproof cover and in the winter I put snugglesafe heat pads and cardboard boxes inside the hutch then a thick duvet on top to
Insulate the hutch, they also get LOADS of hay to snuggle up in, they have always been fine and I've had guineas for 10 years with the oldest getting to the ripe old age of 10! There are loads in rescue centres so I would recommend your local rescue centres, that way they will also have been bonded.
Guinea pigs should also have run around time out of their hutch each day, in the winter or in bad weather mine come indoors for the afternoon and I have a paddling pool filled up with hay and veggies (no water!) they can run around in and in the summer they have a large run out on the grass they go in each au - just remember guinea pigs need lots of hiding places as the my are prey animals! Guinea pigs are such lovely pets, I would recommend them, my cats are fine with them, they showed interest to begin with but they haven't ever managed to get in with them and I have a very good hunter cat!

Have a good old read of theguineapigforum.co.uk, it's a mine of info.

There are little loads of guinea pig rescues out there. Avoid pet shops. The only reason to go to pets at home is to buy Guinea Pig Magazine!

They are more work than you can imagine, they eat more than you can imagine and they poo more than you can imagine. Over exaggerate it in your mind and then triple it and you might be a bit nearer!

They are the cutest, funniest things with the best personalities of you do it right tho.

In my experience Teddies are the nicest and most confident but they are all adorable.

Our neutered boy is a Teddy ( previous neutered boy was a Rex)

Lovely big springey coated boars - our Rex was massive. Got him as a 6 week tiny piglet, he was near 3lb when he was neutered at a year /

Only downside for us is the allergenic quality of their fur. DD is fine with smooth/Abby/long haired .

For first pigs, I'd get a good solid smooth. Each breed type seems to have issues eg Abbys have shorter noses so more prone to respiration problems.

Our smooth 3yo sow is now developing the odd lump *they are common, she's into GP middle age )

All my piggies are Rescues. They are all gorgeous, all very different characters.
The only one that was a bitey type was GP5 , and even then it was an enthusiastic gnaw that proper bite .

And yes, they are quite hard work. They need more space than you'd imagine.
They need protected.
They are untidy

Mine are in their garden runs at the moment sending me vibes so I'd best clean their bedding and get DD to catch them.