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Forum THE LOUNGE Guinea Pig Questions

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    • Mocha
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      509 posts Send Private Message

        Hi everyone!! 

        So, at my feed bin, they sell lots of animals. They have chickens, little birds, hamsters, chinchillas, rabbits, and guinea pigs.

        The guinea pigs are adorable! Some of them are longhaired and they have beatiful colorings. I am sort of interested in getting one (not to house with the rabbits. Probably in the same room, but in seperate pens.) but I have a few questions. 

        – Are guinea pigs like dirty animals? Do they poop a lot? Can you litter train them? (My parents went to an animal shelter once when I was little. They were thinking about getting me a guinea pig, but they told me that it pooped everywhere and in there hands when they held him). It’s not really an issue for me, but it is for my parents.

        – What is the daily care for them? How much of your time do they take up? Do they need like 4 hour floor time like rabbits (the guinea pig would probably live in a 3 story c and c cage.

        – Are there any disieses that guinea pigs carry that can be transferred to rabbits or the other way around?

        -Anything else you have to say about guinea pigs!

        Thanks!


      • MoxieMeadows
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        5375 posts Send Private Message

          hmmm, LEL would know more about these things, she has some guinea pigs.
          I can say though, that guinea pigs are adorable! Does that count? lol


        • Stickerbunny
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          4128 posts Send Private Message

            I have heard you can’t litter train them for poop, but you can for pee, but I am not sure… might just have been unlucky owners I knew. lol I think the only thing transmittable is through body fluids? So if housed separately, wouldn’t be an issue. But, hopefully the piggy owners around here will know more.


          • MoveDiagonally
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            2361 posts Send Private Message

              Most rabbits carry bacteria that can make a piggie pretty sick. It’s not recommended that they be housed together or allowed much if any interaction.

              Other than that, as Moxie said, I know LEL (one of our forum leaders) has some piggie experience. I’ll send an alert so she sure to see this and can offer any advice she might have. 


            • RabbitPam
              Moderator
              11002 posts Send Private Message

                I had guinea pigs growing up. Only as an adult did I get my first rabbit. I love piggies!

                They are not litter box trainable, so you just put the bedding down in the whole cage and they go in it, then you clean it frequently. They will only poop in your hand if they haven’t gone in a while, and if you piggie is sitting on you and starts to squirm and whimper quietly, just put them back in the cage because they are trying to tell you they have to go.
                They don’t need the out time like bunnies do if they have a nice sized cage to run around in. My pigs did come out to play and run daily, and one of them eventually learned to follow my voice and ran from one room to another to find me! They will head straight under a couch or table, so don’t have carpet with tassles on the edges, or you will find them a bit shorter under the furniture.
                Keep them separate in housing from the rabbits. Things like cedar chips, which are good bedding for piggies, are really dangerous for bunnies, so don’t mix food and housing info.
                There are some good guinea pig websites and organizations that can give you more detailed care info. They are also called Cavies, so they may help you search. A guinea pig rescue will have info. as well.
                Piggies make great pets for pre-teens and teenagers. They live about 6 years, can be held, and are actually a lot less work to care for than bunnies.


              • LongEaredLions
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                4482 posts Send Private Message

                  I typed a whole giant reply for this but then accidentally hit back. Will reply later.


                • LongEaredLions
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                    Because I know I will just start blubbering on if I answer your questions, I am just going to write out the basics.

                    DIET: Piggies diet consists of four elements-water, hay, veggies, and pellets. They should have unlimited grass hay and water offered in a bottle, and 1/8 cup or less of high-quality pellets per day, without seeds or any colored bits. Oxbow and KMS hayloft are great brands. They need 1 cup per pig per day of low-calcium mixed greens. Pigs cannot efficiently process calcium, so it is important that their calcium intake is minimum. They cannot create their own vitamin c, so you need to supply c rich foods such as bell peppers. You can give vitamin c in supplement form, but do not use the drops that you put in their water. Treats should be healthy and minimal.

                    HOUSING: Pigs should be housed in a cage no smaller that eight square feet for a single pig or pair. For each additional pig, add an additional 5 square feet. This is only counting floorspace, while levels are great they do not add to the “running space.” The best type of cage is probably the C and C cage, made from storage grids and corrugated plastic. The only pet store cage that is suitable is the Midwest expandable guinea pig habitat. Whatever cage you choose, be sure the bars are no more that 1 1/2 inches apart. Guinea pigs should not be kept outside or on wire flooring. The floor of the cage should be covered in a safe bedding:
                    Safe:
                    -Paper based
                    -Wood pellets
                    -Newspaper pellets
                    -Aspen shavings
                    -Towels and fleece
                    Unsafe:
                    -Pine/cedar/softwood bedding
                    -Corn cob
                    -Cat litter
                    -Straw
                    Guinea pigs can’t really be litter trained and they do poop a lot, but the pellets are dry and easy to sweep up.
                    The cage should be placed in an area free of drafts in a well lit area but out of direct sunlight. Piggies like to be in an are where they will get plenty of attention, such as a living room. The cage should be spot cleaned daily and completely changed and washed weekly with a vinegar-water solution.

                    TOYS, CHEWS, AND ACCESSORIES: In your cage, you will need a hideout for each pig plus an extra, a hay rack, food dish and two water bottles. You will need toys too. Some of the best toys include willow and baby toys. Piggies love to be cozy, so small pet beds and tunnels are great for them.

                    BONDING: Guinea pigs are very social and need a partner to live with. Boys can be very picky with their partners so it is often best to find a young boy, and let them pick their own friend. Boys should not be kept in numbers greater than two. Females generally work together and you can have a large herd usually with no trouble. You can keep female/male herds too, provided that the male is neutered. It is a very bad idea to keep more than one male with a group of females. The guinea pig bonding process is not of that of rabbits in the way that introductions should be made in one day. (They either will get along or they won’t) Introductions should be made in a neutral area.

                    HEALTH: It is important to find a guinea pig knowledgeable vet. Piggies are prone to issues such as bloat and eye issues. They do not need to be spayed/neutered unless they have to for medical reasons, as it does not make them less aggressive. You should perform a health check often on the eyes, ears, etc. They will need their nails trimmed once a month and ears should be cleaned occasionally. You can bathe your guinea pig but it is not recommended to do this more that twice a year. Both males and females have grease glands on their bums which should be wiped down once a month. Boy pigs will need their boy bits cleaned occasionally. Weigh your piggy every week as weight loss is often the first sign of health problems.

                    THINGS TO AVOID: Hamster balls or wheels, dairy or store-bought treats, leashes, onions

                    BEHAVIOUR AND TERMS: Boy pigs are called boars, girls are sows. Piggies will “popcorn” or jump in the air and twist when they are happy. They “cashew” and “pancake” or lay out with their legs sprawled out. They coo when they are pleased and will rumblestrutt and mount to show dominance. They will wheek (squeak) to beg for something. If they are really scared, they will chirp like a bird.

                    So that’s all I have right now, let me know if you need any more help!


                  • LongEaredLions
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                    4482 posts Send Private Message

                      Here are some great pig resources:
                      Guinealynx forum and info-
                      http://www.guinealynx.info
                      http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/

                      YouTube channels-
                      Skinnypigs1
                      Piggiepigpigs

                      Guinea pig stores!
                      http://shop.gorgeousguineas.com
                      http://www.cozycavy.com

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                  Forum THE LOUNGE Guinea Pig Questions