i am getting a guinea pig and i was wondering, what do i need, the size of the cage, andhow i should pick a guinea pig.
to make it short, i need 2 know alot!
please help!
thanks
Answers:
You will need:
1. A suitable cage. See www.cavycages.com or www.guineapigcages.com for information %26 instructions on how to build one of these great cages.
2. Bedding. Use aspen, Carefresh, or KILN-dried pine shavings. Do not use regular pine or cedar bedding, as they cause respiratory problems.
3. A water bottle with a metal sipper tube (I like Critter Canteen) and a heavy dish that can't be tipped.
4. Quality Timothy hay is a must. You can order it online through www.oxbowhay.com or www.kmshayloft.com Hay is a must for guinea pigs. It keeps their digestive systems moving and also helps keep the teeth in check.
5. High quality guinea pig (not rabbitt!!) pellets with stabilized Vitamin C. You can order these online at both of the above hay websites. Sometimes you can find the Oxbow Cavy Cuisine pellets a local distributor. Check their website with your zip code %26 see if there's one near you.
6. Each piggie needs about a cup per day of fresh vegetables. These would include Romaine lettuce, parsley, spinach (use sparingly--high calcium level), endive, cilantro, escarole, bell peppers (any color), tomatos, squash, carrots (their favorite) or cucumber. Do NOT feed them potatos or onions. They can also have fruits as an occasional treat such as apple slices, orange slices, or bites of banana. Do not feed them iceburg lettuce--it will give them diarrhea.
Things not to do:
1. Do not get your piggie an exercise wheel or ball. They can harm the piggie's back.
2. An aquarium is not a suitable cage no matter what the petstore says. The build up of ammonia fumes can make your piggie sick.
3. Vitamin C drops that the petstore tries to sell you are worthless. Do not buy them %26 do not add ANYTHING to your piggie's water. If your piggie gets high quality pellets %26 Vit. C through vegetables, he/she will be fine. You can also supplement with Vit.C tablets sold through www.oxbowhay.com if you want to make sure of Vit.C intake.
4. Never put a guinea pig in a rabbit cage with a wire bottom.
5. Never put a guinea pig in a cage with a rabbit.
Cavies are herd animals and do best with one of their own kind. Please consider getting a pair and please also consider adopting a couple of the many homeless guinea pigs out there. Check with your local animal shelter or a guinea pig rescue in your area for some really great pigs to adopt. You can find a rescue by visiting www.petfinder.com
A couple of great websites that have information regarding the care of guinea pigs are:
www.guinealynx.com
www.cavyspirit.com
Good luck to you %26 I hope you get a couple of great piggies. They're such cool pets!
Ps. The post that said the teeth need to be trimmed every six months is INCORRECT. They do not need to be trimmed unless medically necessary--broken tooth, misalignment, etc. and it needs to be done by a VET.
All your answers can be found exploring the pages of the following site:
http://guineapigcages.com/
General principles to know right away:
1 - Guinea pigs are social animals. They need at least 1 other guinea pig.
2 - A cage that can fit in your car is not going to be a good, long-term environment for a guinea pig. For one pig, 7.5 sq. feet is a minimum. The bigger you can get, the better.
3 - Guinea pigs have their best health and most activity when fed a diet of veggies every day.
4 - Hay is necessary for guinea pig health. It's not just a treat.
5 - Exercise is important. Time to run around the floor is best. An exercise wheel is not a good idea, as their spine doesn't curve the same way as most rodents, leading to back problems down the line.
howdy.first of all,a guinea pig is called a cavy,to get you started ,you will need a cage that is 2 and a half feet longand about 2 and a half feet deep,you ll need bedding there are many types of bedding pine shavings,cedar chips and theres the kind that I used,its called "carefresh".for a 50 liter bale it will run you close to 26 dollars,its not cheap,but its the healthiest bedding on the market.pine shavings and cedar chips are no good for the respiratory system of a guinea pig,it can case them to have breathing problems.also as far as the cage that ive described tom you,dont get a cage with a wire bottom,the nails of a guinea pig can and will get caught between the slats and when they turn to play or move the nail will get pulled out of the nailbed and your pet will get hurt enough for a vets visit.a water bottle with a metal tubing should be hung in a spot where it can reach it easily.guinea pigs are very sociable creatures,they will squeal whenever you come in to say hello and you ll find that when you wrinkle paper the squealing they do is so funny. get a book or two on guinea pigs they are a neseccity to someone who has or ist thinking of getting a guinea pig as a pet..I know,I ,through the 10 years that Ive had guinea pigs I have learned a lot about them,they are great pets and cool companions.
If u only buy 1 you need to give it alot of attention other wiz it will hurt its self so i sugest buying 2 also get the food 4 it and give it 1 surving of fruits and veggies a day they will need a about 1 1/2 foot wide and high and about 2 1/2 feet long use pine bedding they need there teeth cut about every 6 mounths or will grow into brain and kill it you can go to the vet and pay $300 to get it done or do it urself with very sharp new toe nail clippers also cut there nails if you hit blood use flower to clog the bleeding
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