Calling All Piggie Owners!

[DaisyBunz]

I noticed that a lot of bunny owners have guinea pigs as well. So if you do, why don’t you tell us about him or her and maybe even show a pig-ture! Here’s a picture of my two pigs.

Iggy’s the first tan pig, and Jasper’s the black one.

[Diamond]

I’ve never had a guinea pig, though my mom wanted me to get one when I was little. I was begging for a cat, and she thought a piggie would be easier to take care of (My brother, incidentally, wanted a rabbit).  I won in the end and we ended up getting cats, and never looked back, but I am a little curious about guinea pigs.  they’re certainly lovely little animals.

[DaisyBunz]

Guinea pigs are fairly easier to care for. Mostly it’s the health and their delicate diets that’s hard to maintain. They don’t bite or scratch whatsoever, so they are better pets for kids but still should be researched on. They’re a commitment just like bunnies! 6 – 9 years! We got the two guinea pigs originally for our daughter, who’s 10, but as the parent you really are the main caretaker….lol. But they’re a joy. I love them to pieces.

[Megabunny]

6-9 years? Is that the new age expectancy for G.P.’s? I really like piggies, but had sworn off them until my daughter begged for one tearfully after failing her driver’s test. I stupidly agreed, and now she’s in college and so allergic she can’t hold Ellie or clean her or anything, even when she’s home. She’s got a huge cage and my Gus jumps in for a visit when I’m not looking (gotta fashion a top). Ellie chatters her teeth at him. Gus doesn’t make my daughter sneeze as badly, so she gives lots of hugs to him.

Then there’s the 3 1/2 year old hamster from school that the High Schoolers got tired of…

[Cochin]

I don’t have any photos, but I had a herd for about 2 years. 5 guineas, all male. They spent the summers free ranging eating our yard. Had to give them up ’cause we moved to Alaska. Last I heard they were doing the same thing we were – eating the yard.

Cute little things.

[DaisyBunz]

Yeah, it is. In older guinea pig books or websites they state that guinea pigs only live 4 – 5 years or less, but the new expectancy is 6 – 9 years. Guinea pig care is improving, and people are keeping the piggies indoors in C&C cages. Those are great. They also should be taken to the vet yearly just like bunnies. They can and have lived that long. I hope my pigs live as long as 9 years! I care for them as best I can. (:

[manic_muncher]

I haven’t had guinea pigs in… wow almost 25 yrs. I -thought- I took good, well okay… not the BEST care I could, but satisfactory care of them. But now, when I look at all the information available online, especially on YouTube… it brings tears to my eyes on how badly mine actually lived. It’s no wonder their life expectancies were so much lower then.

I’ve been thinking of getting a couple pigs, but will wait and see… I have a tendency to get in collection-mode at times and I want to be SURE I have the time and resources to TRULY give the best care possible to any new critters.

[Zombie-Sue]

Where are you guys getting all of this information on guinea pigs? I’d really appreciate a link to a reputable site. My sister wants to get a pig. This would be her second or third pig, she had one when she was little, but she was in the same boat as manic_muncher I think–she thought she took good care of it but didn’t. Before she gets another one I’d like to tell her more about them.

I did read on wikipedia the other day that pigs should not be put in an exercise ball. We didn’t know that at the time. It kind of hurts me to think about it.

[manic_muncher]

You know, there is a lot of trash out there, but sometimes.. you really can find amazing stuff on YouTube. There are quite a few serious vloggers that are really great.

If you go to this page (recommended to me by someone else), you can see the guinea pig channels that SHE subscribes to as well.

https://www.youtube.com/user/skinnypigs1

I haven’t watched very many of her videos, mainly because I don’t currently have pigs, but from what I have viewed, she seems very knowledgeable and you know.. real.

[rayray]

I babysat a guinea pig (Craig) for almost a week a little while ago. He was really sweet. He would follow me around making this weird honking noise, but wouldn’t let me touch him. lol! And when he slept he would bury his head in his shavings.
Ziggy wasn’t fixed yet so I couldn’t let them interact.

[Deleted User]

I had piggy’s almost 20 years ago – being divorced with 3 small kiddies I wanted a pet for the kids that they could handle (so not a bird) and then be left home alone while I was at work (so not a dog). I was a super sucker – every weekend I let them (2) out to roam free in the back yard/garden. I had a huge garden so lots of hidey places – and that was the problem, ha ha hah! Picture us every Sat & Sun – trying to catch them? Thank goodness video recorders were very expensive back then – so no footage to come back and haunt us!

[RabbitPam]

Last year I would get Facebook posts from the Texas Rustler Guinea Pig Rescue; website is http://theguineapigrescue.com.

I grew up having piggies and I love them! We always had Abyssinian not the smooth haired, but both are really cute. First my brothers had Piddy and Geadimo (that’s Latin for “Bill”, a rescue from a girl he knew in high school whose boyfriend was Bill, but who couldn’t keep her pig and her dog together.) Piddy was my other brother’s gift, and both were with us for about 5 years. The boys made this big wooden cage on the basement floor and covered it with a screen door. The pigs could nudge the door top aside, climb out, and escape. We found them munching a bag of lettuce shavings from the bottom up one day. They were in heaven.

Then I got my own piggie named Harvey, who turned out to be a girl. She was albino – white with pink eyes. She lived for 6 years. She would sit on my tummy on my bed and yawn in my face.
I do a great guinea pig squeal imitation.

[RabbitPam]

Here’s another rescue in FL: http://www.crazycavies.org
Both have info. pages on care of piggies.

[Hazel]

Hubby had a guinea pig for a short while, years ago. He didn’t keep it for very long because it made noise constantly. I personally have no experience with piggies so I don’t know how vocal they normally are but Hubby said it was driving him nuts. He had a snake back then too, so I wondered if the pig sensed the snake and made so much noise because it was scared.

I certainly find them adorable!

[Deleted User]

What a great hubby you have there Hazel! Passing the piggy onto a new home and not using it for snake food himself. Cheers.

[Megabunny]

OK Rabbit Pam. We all want to hear your imitation. Go ahead Don’t be shy!

[Zombie-Sue]

Tanks for the info, and yes, please post a vid of you being a guinea piggy LOL I’d die to see it

[LongEaredLions]

I have four piggies, Bean, Milo, Charlie, and Midnight! Will post some pics soon!

[LongEaredLions]

Also, two amazing guinea pig sites and forums are guinealynx.com and guineapigcages.com.

[DaisyBunz]

LOVE those websites!! GPC is where I ordered my C&C cage. I really like the websites

PiggiePigPigs (There’s ALSO a GREAT Youtube channel)

http://piggiepigpigs.com/

Guinea Pig Zone

http://www.guineapigzone.com/

[Sarita]

I used to help at the Texas Rustlers Guinea Pig Rescue and was on their board. I do love the piggies but they are alot of work in my opinion. I hated cleaning the cages at the rescue too. I did enjoy seeing the pigs – I enjoyed the hamsters more though.

It’s amazing how many guinea pigs are dumped at shelters too. They also got some guinea pigs from some scientific experiments – they were all red eyed white piggies – they call them lethal whites…I can’t remember why though. Just like REW rabbits they were harder to get adopted (except by children who usually love the REW’s).

[DaisyBunz]

Guinea pigs are a lot like bunnies in that aspect. People do get them for Easter too for their kids, and they really are nearly as much care as bunnies, a real commitment.

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