Hi Eudora.

Congrats on being able to get a piggie! That's very exciting.

My daughter has a guinea pig she named Herbert. Look here to see his Pet of the Day page: http://petoftheday.com/archive/2001/April/18.html

Although I don't take care of him much, I can tell you a few things you need to know. You'd be better off talking to her, but she's at school now.

Piggies like to have a place to hide, such as a box, or in Herbert's case, an igloo. It goes in his cage with him, and when he's out roaming the house, she takes it out of his cage so he has a place to go in case he gets scared, or tired.

For bedding, we use "Carefresh" instead of pine or cedar. We were using pine for awhile, but Herbert ended up getting mites from it, and his vet recommended this other stuff instead. It's more expensive, but we've been happy with it so far.

As far as food goes, any guinea pig food is ok, but you need to supplement their diet with fruits and veggies. Herbert likes carrots and apples.

Keep your piggie's nails trimmed. They seem to grow quickly, and you don't want him tearing one off in his cage.

You'll also want to buy some little chew sticks (they're sold specifically for piggies) to help him keep his teeth trimmed. If not, they get too long, and he won't be able to eat.

Herbert also has a salt wheel that he likes to chew on sometimes.

One thing we were told before buying Herbert and his accessories...if you buy a piggie starter kit (cage, food, toys, water bottle, etc.) it won't be enough to last you very long. Make sure you buy a bigger water bottle, and lots of bedding too. We didn't believe the guy at the pet store who told us this, but we soon figured out he was right.

And last, but certainly not least, is water. Always keep fresh water available to your new friend. They go through a lot of water, so it's important to check it often.

I'm sure I left out a lot, but I hope this helps a little. Good luck!