Guinea pig?

[Garth Vader]

I'd like to get a pet for my daughter and wondering about a guinea pig. They are so cute and supposedly quite friendly. Are they easy to care for?

If not this, I might just get her an aquarium. I had one throughout childhood and iI enjoyed it. Plus it taught me a lot about death as many fish died for various reasons. One time my guppies had babies and then ate them. That was a rough day!

Anyway. Thanks for any info. My daughter is almost 4. I'd love to get a a cat but husband is very allergic.

 

[FrmDaLeftCoast]

Haha...i assumed this thread was about feeding a guinea pig to a T. My bad...

My daughter wanted a hamster, she ended up with a T.

 

[Garth Vader]

Haha...i assumed this thread was about feeding a guinea pig to a T. My bad...

My daughter wanted a hamster, she ended up with a T.

No let's not feed guinea pigs to the tarantulas!

 

[WildSpider]

Hi Garth, yeah they're really easy to care for. I believe I was about 4 when I got my first guinea pig and have cared for them ever since. They are perfect for little kids as they're just the right size for holding . There are a few requirements but they are fairly easy to cover.

They need a flat bottom cage (no wire bottom). The size of the cage depends on how many guinea pigs you're getting. I've seen online that many people keep one guinea pig in a very large cage but that is not necessary. In the guinea pig circle I'm around, very large cages are more for if you're keeping multiple guinea pigs together. Guinea pigs can socialize so I know many people who keep them together. However, males can fight and may need to be separated.

Food specifically made for guinea pigs is good as some of the other more generic foods don't have adequate vitamin C for them. They need enough C so they don't get scurvy. Orchard grass is very good to give your guinea pig as they're teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetime and need to be worn down. Timothy or alfalfa can also be used once in a while I believe but I remember hearing that they can give your guinea pigs some problems. Wood blocks are also good (I just cut a branch off our apple tree).

I like to use aspin shavings for my guinea pigs now as pine and cedar can cause respiratory trouble. They are a bit more expensive but well worth it in my opinion as the trouble with respiratory infections has gone down since using it. I believe the newspaper bedding at the store is also said to be good but it's more expensive as I remember. The general rule on cage cleaning is once or twice a week.

Glad to answer any more questions you may have if you have any .

 

[Garth Vader]

Hi Garth, yeah they're really easy to care for. I believe I was about 4 when I got my first guinea pig and have cared for them ever since. They are perfect for little kids as they're just the right size for holding . There are a few requirements but they are fairly easy to cover.

They need a flat bottom cage (no wire bottom). The size of the cage depends on how many guinea pigs you're getting. I've seen online that many people keep one guinea pig in a very large cage but that is not necessary. In the guinea pig circle I'm around, very large cages are more for if you're keeping multiple guinea pigs together. Guinea pigs can socialize so I know many people who keep them together. However, males can fight and may need to be separated.

Food specifically made for guinea pigs is good as some of the other more generic foods don't have adequate vitamin C for them. They need enough C so they don't get scurvy. Orchard grass is very good to give your guinea pig as they're teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetime and need to be worn down. Timothy or alfalfa can also be used once in a while I believe but I remember hearing that they can give your guinea pigs some problems. Wood blocks are also good (I just cut a branch off our apple tree).

I like to use aspin shavings for my guinea pigs now as pine and cedar can cause respiratory trouble. They are a bit more expensive but well worth it in my opinion as the trouble with respiratory infections has gone down since using it. I believe the newspaper bedding at the store is also said to be good but it's more expensive as I remember. The general rule on cage cleaning is once or twice a week.

Glad to answer any more questions you may have if you have any .

Thank you! This is quite helpful.

 

[WildSpider]

Thank you! This is quite helpful.

Anytime .

 

[Razzledazzy]

From what I remember, g pigs actually need a companion. I used to have two males when I was a kid. That once or twice a week cage cleaning is no joke! I swear, I never knew how much a rodent could pee.

My mom ended up cleaning the cage for me, so be prepared for your four year old to give up on it.

Also, if you're buying for a pet store with the purposes of giving it to your daughter. I don't know how you'd do this, but maybe keep it in quarantine before she gets it? Most petshop illnesses show themselves within about two weeks. You mentioned how pets taught you about death but I don't know if you want to get her attached to something that might be sick.

Also don't keep them directly under an air vent, they can get pneumonia. Learned that the hard way with my third one in highschool.

 

[WildSpider]

Also, if you're buying for a pet store with the purposes of giving it to your daughter. I don't know how you'd do this, but maybe keep it in quarantine before she gets it? Most petshop illnesses show themselves within about two weeks. You mentioned how pets taught you about death but I don't know if you want to get her attached to something that might be sick.

This is a good point. We actually have a similar rule with guinea pigs as with Ts. We don't buy from pet shops. They are usually overpriced and I hear they are often sick. I sometimes buy mine from a local feed store I trust who gets their guinea pigs from local breeders I know. Most often though, I attend ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) shows and get one there from a trusted breeder. Guinea pigs at shows are often only about $10 and you get to see a whole bunch of rabbits and guinea pigs for free. It is even better though honestly if you can buy the guinea pig from a trusted breeder and not have to go to a show to pick it up so that it isn't exposed to anything while there.

 

[Razzledazzy]

This is a good point. We actually have a similar rule with guinea pigs as with Ts. We don't buy from pet shops. They are usually overpriced and I hear they are often sick. I sometimes buy mine from a local feed store I trust who gets their guinea pigs from local breeders I know. Most often though, I attend ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) shows and get one there from a trusted breeder. Guinea pigs at shows are often only about $10 and you get to see a whole bunch of rabbits and guinea pigs for free. It is even better though honestly if you can buy the guinea pig from a trusted breeder and not have to go to a show to pick it up so that it isn't exposed to anything while there.

I didn't even know they had shows for those animals! That's fantastic.

 

[WildSpider]

I didn't even know they had shows for those animals! That's fantastic.

Lol, it's pretty awesome .

 

[Garth Vader]

Thanks for the info @WildSpider @Razzledazzy

Once I'm ready to do this I will reach out and see if there are local breeders. There are a lot of farms and animal lovers out where I live so I bet I could find one!

 

[boina]

Dear @Garth Vader I'm absolutely against keeping one single Guinea Pig. I think it's animal cruelty and I'm not the only one thinking so. In Switzerland, the country with the strictest animal protection laws, it's forbidden by law to keep them single and you pay really hefty fines if you are caught and can even go to jail if you can't pay the fines. In Germany rescue organizations will not hand you just one animal if you can't prove you already have another one to keep it company.

Guinea pigs are highly social animals. They are also much more intelligent than they look. Keeping one pig in a small cage is like putting a dog in a cage and never allowing it any social contacts. They may survive but they will certainly have a very sad life. Self harming is actually not uncommon in those situations.

As I said, they are highly intelligent. They communicate by whistling and can actually be quite loud. They are easily trainable. In my (and not only my, see above) opinion they need large cages with lots of structures that get changed on an irregular schedule to keep them entertained and they absolutely need other Guinea pigs for company. Not providing that constitutes abuse, pure and simple.

 

[Garth Vader]

Dear @Garth Vader I'm absolutely against keeping one single Guinea Pig. I think it's animal cruelty and I'm not the only one thinking so. In Switzerland, the country with the strictest animal protection laws, it's forbidden by law to keep them single and you pay really hefty fines if you are caught and can even go to jail if you can't pay the fines. In Germany rescue organizations will not hand you just one animal if you can't prove you already have another one to keep it company.

Guinea pigs are highly social animals. They are also much more intelligent than they look. Keeping one pig in a small cage is like putting a dog in a cage and never allowing it any social contacts. They may survive but they will certainly have a very sad life. Self harming is actually not uncommon in those situations.

As I said, they are highly intelligent. They communicate by whistling and can actually be quite loud. They are easily trainable. In my (and not only my, see above) opinion they need large cages with lots of structures that get changed on an irregular schedule to keep them entertained and they absolutely need other Guinea pigs for company. Not providing that constitutes abuse, pure and simple.

Thanks for this info! I was reading more about them, including one article that said if you only have one then you should plan to play with it for at least 2 hours per day. So that made me think that getting two would be better, it would be terrible to have an animal that felt lonely and bored. Your info confirms that!