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Small pets

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Original poster

Am I insane to have a guinea pig and a cat at once?

14 replies

SneakyGremlins · 06/02/2019 18:48

Am considering possibly getting a guinea pig soon, but I have a cat! I'd put the guinea pig in it's own room except my flat has no doors as it's all open plan. Would a really secure cage be good enough? Does anyone have experience with cats + pigs? Blush

I don't want to be irresponsible and get one if it won't work!

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 06/02/2019 19:14

Before you plan about the cat, you really need guinea-pigs in pairs or more .

Some of us on here have elderly singletons that are the last of a line of piggies but you really need to start your piggie collection with a bonded pair.
Your cage would need to be a minimum of 4x2 but bigger is better (and if you have boars , you definately need more space)

Cpnventional cages tend to be small. (You can get a covered rabbit cage that is bigger)

We've used C&C (grids) and when my DBro cat visited , we made a 'roof' of overlapped grids . Had to be secured with cable ties (which he had to cut a replace each time) and something to support it (box inside)

Your cat might really stalk the piggies . And guinea pigs are quite shy , frail prey animals so I wouldn't choose to house them together , but people manage them.

FernieB · 06/02/2019 19:16

Don't get one - they need company of their own kind so you're getting 2 or none really!! Shutting a pig in a room on its own wouldn't be very nice for it.

In a small flat with a cat already I'd say you probably have enough to deal with. Piggies are quite labour intensive - daily cleaning out as they're so messy, regular claw clipping etc. Do you have storage for their hay? They need lots daily and they live to eat.

There's lots of advice and websites which will give more info on their care.

Original poster
SneakyGremlins · 06/02/2019 19:21

Okay, thankyou - I would get two! Piggy plans will be postponed until I've read up a bit more Smile I do have the space! Just the cat is a concern!

OP posts:
Scienceforthewin · 06/02/2019 19:25

My cat and 2 piggies share a room mostly. The pigs are in a large indoor rabbit cage (wooden with a roof). The cat ignores them, possibly in part because the cage is quite secure (also she is lazy!)

MakeItAmazing · 06/02/2019 19:28

We have a dog, three cats, two guinea pigs and some fish. So all the animals who are prey to others. It works fine as fish are in their tank and the guinea pigs are in their secure cage in the cold months and in their hutch in the summer. When they are in the play pen in the kitchen I stay in the room with them and watch as the kitten and the piggie rubs noses Smile.

BrownOwlknowsbest · 06/02/2019 20:05

One of my piggies bit our cat on the nose when she got too inquisitive about the cage. The cat now keeps its distance.

maxelly · 07/02/2019 16:01

Not insane at all. We have a cat and two piggies, and used to live in a flat. You need a good secure, large cage set up (bigger than what pets at home or similar recommend) and ideally you'd keep the pigs in a room the cat doesn't use at least at first- although our pigs are now downstairs and the cat is not at all interested in them. The only issue with guineas in a flat is making sure they have a chance to spend time outside the cage if you don't have a garden? They don't necessarily need to go outside but they will need lots of hay (which they will kick all over the place, messy little critters!) and a chance to run around occasionally (ha - they are lazy beggars!) which might be hard to manage with the cat, you'd need a good covered playpen or run?

BertrandRussell · 07/02/2019 16:07

Our cats used to sit and watch our guineas for hours. We used to say they were watching The Food Programme....

whyameyehere · 07/02/2019 16:10

We have a hamster, rabbit and a cat(not planned-a feral kitten we found!). Have to watch dcat with hamster(who.is asecure cage), sometimes he ignores him, so!etimes stalks him. Cat is fascinate d by rabbit but wary, rabbit is nearly as big as him, feisty and actually had the cat cornered when they ended up in the same room together

Aprilshowersarecomingsoon · 07/02/2019 16:11

We had to rehome our gp. Dcat was deranged sat outside the hutch hearing it squeak!!
I 'swopped' it and its bff with the vet nurse for 4 orphan kittens and ended up fostering many many teenny tiny delicious babies!!
Was very restrained and didn't keep any!

weegiemum · 07/02/2019 16:47

We have a dog, cat and 2 Guineas. They live in our bedroom (dh loves hearing them squiffle about at night and the cat totally ignores them. The dog is desperate to get into the cage so he's kept separate! Our girls aren't afraid of him in the slightest though, they just look at him and squeak!

StoatofDisarray · 07/02/2019 16:48

Our cat was fine with our herd of piggies.

TaimaandRanyasBestFriend · 07/02/2019 16:50

You need more than one guinea! Some cats don't care about them, they're just that bit larger than a hamster. I'm rather partial to guineas so I'd say get a pair. They're lovely pets and their squiffling is adorable.

Animum2 · 02/03/2019 08:58

I had a cat and then we got 2 male piggies and they all got on fine, sadly the cat died in October at the age of 19, we got a new cat in January and he doesn't like the piggies so they don't interact with each other, cat tried to bite 1 of them which resulted in lots of noise hissing and squealing, he doesn't mind watching them in the cage but outside of it, not so much

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