# Guinea Pigs



## September (Jul 30, 2013)

Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone here had guineas, and if you could give me some ideas of their personalities and care  (This wouldn't be happening for a long while if it happens at all, but it never hurts to be knowledgeable to prevent yourself from doing something on a whim lol)

I really like interactive pets, like rats and dogs, more than ''watch-me'' pets like fish and mice. Which category would you say guinea pigs fall into?

Also, I would be able to make them a 3'x4' cage but probably couldn't go any bigger. Would that be big enough for two or three or would it have to be bigger? 

What are there cage essentials? Would two or three be better? What do they eat? Do they need hay? Do they need wheels or are wheels dangerous for them? (I've read both) I'm sure I'll think of more, so for my last question.. Does anyone know of a good guinea pig forum? lol


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

I think they would go in between an interactive pet and a watch me pet. I have two and didn't get them by choice their my brothers and he doesn't care for them so I do. 

A good cage I would say is the size a DCN cage layers out side by side not both halfs on top of each other that's the only way I could think of to explain lol

Umm they need lots of vitamin C enriched vegetables because they can't produce it their selves so they can get scurfy easily and die from it. Not lots of fruits maybe once or twice a week because their sugary for them.

They need quite a bit of free range time I would say at lest 2-3 hours and they tend to pee and poop a lot when their out of the cage so if you have them out on your lap you might want a towel so you don't get peed on. 

Once they know who feeds them they will make their little squeaky noises to be feed by you mine do it to me as soon as they see me come out of my room or get home from school until I feed them


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

They do need hay also their should always be a supply if it for them in their cage. Right now I can't remember what kind i think it Timothy hay maybe alpha hay. I haven't seen any guinea pigs have wheels I don't think they would be good for them because they don't make wheels that would be big enough for them. 

Oh and the love cuddle cups! I made mine cuddle sacks and they curl up in them.


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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

I've had guinea-pigs all my life & currently own one [belongs to my daughter, but I aid her in caring for him] I would say they are interactive pets...just more of a sit on your lap & cuddle pet than climb all over you & entertain you pet like ratties.

They do need a spacious 1 storey cage, like mentioned its more about floor space than having ramps & levels as they aren't good climbers...they are actually prone to injuries easily if allowed to try & climb.

Hay is a must, we use oat hay...but plain timothy is fine, then they need a good quality food like Oxbow [altho our current piggie we're having a hard time getting him to eat a good quality pellet, he was fed a mixed seed guinea-pig food before we got him so hes being stubborn!] & they need plenty of fresh veggies especially those rich in vitamin C...we give ours bell peppers for vitamin C & he loves them.

Chew toys are a must to keep their teeth healthy & also keep an eye on their nails, they grow really fast & need regular clipping.
Yes their cage can get stinky fast, more so than rats...just something to bare in mind.

They are pretty basic to care for once you have them & have done your research! & I think their squeaks are adorable, as soon as they hear you coming they squeak [mainly for food they are VERY food orientated!] they NEVER bite, even when scared they are more of a flight than fight animal & once you do catch them they'll squeal their heads off until they get used to being handled.
Once tamed they are super sweet  love to be cuddled like I mentioned before & when you let them out to exercise they love to explore & will wander around making their little noises.

I love piggies <3


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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Heres a pic of our guinea...pics pretty old, was the day we brought him home...he looks the same except his coat has been clipped short for easy maintenance [hes prone to matts!]



Just like ratties there are SOOOOO many cool varieties of guinea-pigs...ours is a Texel  but have had many others...one of my faves being a Crested, he was SOOOOOO cute! 

Should also add, they do best in pairs...& if you get males be sure to get an already bonded pair [litter mates etc.] Ours has been by himself all his life [pet store had him alone] so its going to be hard to introduce a new piggie to him, males are REALLY territorial. I've tried many times in the past to bond males that haven't been raised together & its never worked out good, so am hesitant to get him a companion.


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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Found a cuter pic lol ;D


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## Grawrisher (Sep 10, 2013)

My brother and I used to have guineas, they liked to cuddle, so they're like a teddy bear, but alive, the fancier breeds are more prone to infections for whatever reason, I had a teddy bear and he had a respiratory infection twice before we had to rehome him due to my moms allergies and twice after before it finally took his life

They're really a bit silly, ours would run around the house an when they wanted to go back in their cage they would run (well waddle) back and try to **** the door with their mouths, just make sure you take care of them please, the most heartbreaking thing I ever saw was a guinea pig who was overweight, mean, and had grossly overgrown toenails, she belonged to people I used to babysit for an I used to get er out and play with her while I was there, because it was like the only attention she got, I don't doubt that you'll be a good owner though if you're already taking good care of your ratties 


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## Grawrisher (Sep 10, 2013)

Btw, not sure if antone mentioned, but Timothy hay and vitamin c, at one point our vet actually told us to give them watered down tang every once in a hole for its vitamin c content, although I'm not actually sure that's a good idea, if you get really bored it's actually pretty easy to make they're little noises, but use your throat more so than your mouth 


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## Soosler (Jul 25, 2013)

I have two guinea pigs and I personally don't like them they are VERY messy EXPENSIVE and SHED MORE THAN A DOG! they also don't like human interaction......and will allways rather be in a cage than out they are like a hamster that's huge and doesent like people. hope I helped they also can live 10 years and are very hard to care for


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## Grawrisher (Sep 10, 2013)

Soosler said:


> I have two guinea pigs and I personally don't like them they are VERY messy EXPENSIVE and SHED MORE THAN A DOG! they also don't like human interaction......and will allways rather be in a cage than out they are like a hamster that's huge and doesent like people. hope I helped they also can live 10 years and are very hard to care for


I think different ones must have differen personalities :/ rexy and Quincy loved to cuddle, the used to curl up with my mom and take a nap, I already mentioned Minnie, she hated people but she didn't get much attention


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## mcbride4227 (Aug 13, 2013)

My step mom had bought my little sister a guinea pig because she wouldn't stop pestering her about getting one. So we went to the pet store and got her one. I am not to fond of Lucas, he is difficult to get out of this cage, and loves to scream when certain people touch him. They have to have a good amount of Timothy Hay in their cage, lots of fresh veggies and occasonially they can have fruit. Like it was mentioned before they can't have a ton of fruit because all of the sugar will make their teeth decay. We just got done taking ours to the vet for fifth time because he had an ear infection but we thought it was a tooth abcyss which caused him to go into surgery that was not needed. They are very prone to illness too, and I do not think they are a very interactive pet. They like to just sit and bet pet and cover your pants and shirts with hair. When we get him out their is always a towel handy because guineas do pee and poop a lot and it's all in one spot. Their turds will find some way to make it into your couch cushions, and they eat their own poop too; but that is totally normal. But they do like to chew the walls, wires or anything else they feel the need to touch with their teeth. They don't need wheels because they are very lazy, they kind of just sit and eat all day long. You have to be careful with their teeth too because they grow really fast so they need things that they can chew on. They stink as well, their cage needs to be changed more than a rats cage. They can be very intelligente though; ours loves to squeak like crazy when he hears the fridge open or when Cathy or I walks into the room to check on him.


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## morgang23 (Jun 25, 2010)

I used to have 4 females in a very large homemade cage, with fleece for bedding, they do tend to get smelly pretty fast, mine always screamed when I had to cut their nails..
They can't have wheels or balls because their backs aren't supposed to bend like that and it could possibly snap their spines..
as for friendliness, The oldest one was super cuddly, she'd sit under your chin and give you kisses(whilst pooping all over!) I tried litter training them and well they didn't really care...
The youngest of the 4 was skittish and liked to nibble fingers(and my dogs nose) and the other 2 had their good and bad days..
I'd say they are more of a watching type pet, but of course you will get the exception.


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## schuksudoon (Aug 28, 2013)

I LOVE guinea pigs. Started out with two, now I have eight. In my opinion, they're fantastic pets.

They have varied personalities. One of mine, Ginger, is super friendly and would much rather get neck scratches than food, unlike the rest of them. Another, Pippin is super friendly and excitable like a dog when it comes to the other guinea girls, but wants nothing to do with people. It all depends on how much time you spend letting them get used to you, and how willing you are to regularly interact with them. Most I've seem start out super skittish but once they're familiar with you, they're cuddly little furballs.

For the most part, they do better in pairs, so I'd suggest getting two rather than just a solitary pig. And it's much cheaper (and better for the pig) to make your own cage. Pet store cages are pretty small, and they love to do zoomies all around their cages. C&C cages are the best, in my opinion. (http://www.guineapigcages.com/cubes_metric.htm) I'll also post a picture of my cage.

I'm absolutely obsessed with my girls. They've got their own bedroom, haha. If you do end up getting pigs, best of luck to you! They're such sweet animals.


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## September (Jul 30, 2013)

Thanks everyone! I see we have widely varying opinions on whether they're good pets or not, lol. I guess I'll have to decide that part for myself You have such a wonderful guinea room, schuksudoon! Although I wouldn't call those cages cheap lol. They only place I could find the grids, it'd be $800+ just for the grids, not including the coroplast. I'll probably build my own, 3' x 4'. Would that be big enough for two?Are boys or girls better about being petted and handled? Or is their not a difference with this species?


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## Divit (Aug 5, 2013)

September said:


> Thanks everyone! I see we have widely varying opinions on whether they're good pets or not, lol. I guess I'll have to decide that part for myself You have such a wonderful guinea room, schuksudoon! Although I wouldn't call those cages cheap lol. They only place I could find the grids, it'd be $800+ just for the grids, not including the coroplast. I'll probably build my own, 3' x 4'. Would that be big enough for two?Are boys or girls better about being petted and handled? Or is their not a difference with this species?


Your pricing is waaay off on the grids. Not sure what or where you were looking. A pack of grids has anywhere from 17 -30 grids per box. Each box costs about $20. One pack would make a huge guinea pig cage. The following site gives you options on where to find them:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/cubes.htm


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## chas25 (Sep 30, 2013)

you should really check out guineapigcages.com the forum section is amazing for info on all guinea pig care


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## Daniel (Jun 24, 2013)

I had GPs briefly but I found them overall to be unpleasant. They are expensive to take care for, take up a ton of space (this is why I got rid of mine), and are sadly incredibly dumb. Litter training for them seems to be impossible though I understand some got it to work out.

Things in their favor might be how vocal they are, and their fairly good lifespan compared to rats.


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## Cordane (Oct 7, 2013)

You already know I LOVE my guineas


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## rubytuesday (Jul 23, 2013)

My best friend had guinea pigs before she decided it was best not to have them anymore after the second one passed away due to her hay allergies. She loved them and interacted with them every day so her pigs were very friendly. They definitely had different personalities though. Mr. Guppy was a cuddler and would even let strangers hold him. The first time she handed him to me he crawled up into my hair (which was long and curly) cooed contentedly and did not want to be removed. Tuna on the other hand seemed to be ambivalent to human interaction.


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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

We ended up getting a 2nd piggie & so far intros have gone amazing & both piggies are living together happily. The new piggie is a Teddy breed & he is ADORABLE! My daughter was over the moon (we surprised her) & they are a lot of fun. I guess when it comes to guinea pigs you either love em or hate em


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## Divit (Aug 5, 2013)

Eden10 said:


> We ended up getting a 2nd piggie & so far intros have gone amazing & both piggies are living together happily. The new piggie is a Teddy breed & he is ADORABLE! My daughter was over the moon (we surprised her) & they are a lot of fun. I guess when it comes to guinea pigs you either love em or hate em


Do you have a photo of your piggies and their cage? I've been looking at getting a pair of piggies and have been planning their C&C cage.


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## September (Jul 30, 2013)

How would you put a lid on a C&C cage? I emailed a rescue about a pair of one year old girls but they haven't gotten back to me  lol.


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## Soosler (Jul 25, 2013)

they don't need a "lid" they cant jump high xD


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## September (Jul 30, 2013)

Yeah, mine would need a lid. I do have rats too, and I don't even wanna see what would happen when three rats climb in the cage with two guineas


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

September said:


> Yeah, mine would need a lid. I do have rats too, and I don't even wanna see what would happen when three rats climb in the cage with two guineas


You can just get more of the grids and make to halfs for the top so you can lift one half up to get to the piggies I hope that makes sense. If you search guinea pig c&c lids pictures there will probably be lots of ideas


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