Help! Guinea Pigs..

[cocker_luva]

I am considering getting a guinea pig or 2. now what i need to know is everything you know about them; food, healthcare, homeing, etc. please help me, i really would like to rescue some. but i need to know everything (at least the basics) before i get them. i only want the best for them! :D

[wolfie]

I sent you a PM. if you need to know anything else then just ask. ^_^

[chrissycat21]

Guinea pigs are better in pairs if you can not be with your guinea pig a lot and let them bond to you the way they would with a friend. (I didn't know that when I got Taffy) Their diet should consist of pellets and fresh fruits and veggies every day, but not too much! They love to munch on fresh grass outside, but make sure there are no chemicals.

The cage should be atleast 24" by 20" for one guinea pig. The bigger the better! For litter, try pine shavings, not cedar. I remember hearing that it is bad for guinea pigs.....

Guinea pigs are naturally shy. So make sure you get your guinea pigs a 'Pigloo' or even a little cardboard box they can hide in!

-Chrissy

[cocker_luva]

k thanks

[molucass]

Both pine and cedar are bad for all small animals... Don't use pine!!!

Use aspen, or carefresh, or something else... Just no pine or cedar, it causes respiratory problems.

[tikeyas_mom]

they need a lot of vitamin "C", and they should have timothy hay available at all times to trim teeth. they do best in pairs. and umm.. they pee a lot. lol

[Desert Arabian]

I'm not sure about the "they pee a lot" comment, my little guy didn't, but he did poo a lot, heh. Guinea Pigs eat their poo for nutritional reasons- :o . To keep Klein Hans teeth trimmed down we placed a small brick in the cage and he chewed on it to file them down.

Maybe you could look in your library to see if they have books on G.Pigs!

[chrissycat21]

I just checked to see what litter I use. Its not pine or cedar. I heard somewhere that pine was really good for them. I guess that person didn't know what they were talking about...

-Chrissy

[cocker_luva]

thanks guys, its really helping.

*EDIT* idk if i can even get a guinea pig. my mom "doesnt want any rodents in the house"!!! :eek: omg! how can i convince her that they are awesome pets, i am a responsible pet owner and that its not a rat!!! (her biggest fear) **no offense rat people, i love them too.**

[cali]

they are not rodents lol they used to be classified as rodents but new research shows that piggies are much closer to lagomorphs(rabbits and hares) then rodents ;)

[cocker_luva]

thank you! see im not the only one who knows this!:D

*take that mom!*

[chrissycat21]

Maybe tell her that they have no tail. I think its the tail on rats and mice that freaks out my mom. :)

-Chrissy

[cocker_luva]

yea its is, ill try that.