Cost Of Two Guinea Pigs - Uk 2017

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BlueBird

BlueBird

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Hi there!

Not a question - more of an information share...

So considering I’ve acquired everything I need for guineas pigs recently. I thought it would be a good thing to share my rough expenses with the new/Wannabe piggy owners. Below is a breakdown of prices of items in the UK accurate as of Jan 2017.

Note: Since we were getting a pig that had been neglected most of her life, most of the items on this list are not ‘budget’ lines. There are likely items out there that you can buy cheaper but also more expensive versions too. We also got her very suddenly; as a result, most of the items on this list were bought for convenience rather than price hence why most of the items are from the same places. For example, the C&C Cage was bought pre-made; it's possible you could get a better price if you bought all the materials separately and built it yourself.


GuineaCost2.webp​

The items I have coloured red are what I consider non- essential; i.e. your pig is not going to be harmed if you don’t buy them but they are nice to have and you’ll probably buy them somewhere down the line.

Hope it's helpful (and in the right place)...

Much love
~Scribbled
 
I don't want to know how much they cost me, or I'll start thinking of the holidays I could've had. The clothes I could buy. Lol
I wouldn't change them for the world. I love them lots & lots. Just don't tell them. Lol
 
I think this is a great idea, as sadly, many people think guinea pigs are cheap to maintain and this proves just the opposite. Which can be helpful to not only show people an initial idea of what they need to get, but also to try to avoid people who don't really care for the animals to adopt them!
 
I would add on the cost of insurance to that - or vets bills - my 4 pigs £600 a year - vets bills paid out by Exotic direct over the past 3 years over £7000 :yikes:
still- I don't drink don't smoke or drive and don't go on holiday - and to me they are worth it.:D
 
This is a great thread. When some people adopt guinea pigs they don't think about tunnels, travel carriers, brushes, nail clippers, emergency pig safe antiseptic, stuff to chew, stuff to clean the cage with etc.
x
 
What a great thread. Having been hit hard by some unexpected vets bills this year I have a very good idea of the annual cost of keeping my piggies, and it's far more than most folk would ever envisage. This is such a good idea to set out the cost of set up etc.
 
Fleece is addictive...but for that mater so are the piggies themselves. I had just two once...last year, in a 120cm cage. Then one day I thought the cage was too small...

Sigh. I do not smoke or drink. I have a stressful job and I suffer from Anxiety issues. I am doing out the house. And my six piggies come first. And the hamster! I think that I have spent over £250 on the C&C cage alone simply because I bought it in parts.
 
Thanks guys!

Having had pigs years ago price didn't really come as a shock. But I did notice it was missing from the new owners bundle. Since I've seen the odd parent on here getting them for their kids I thought it would be good to have somewhere, particularly since this is initial setup costs which is hard to calculate once you've been going a while (I did go through my back log a bit when it came to getting some of the costs and filling some of the gaps).

Haha @Flamestriker! I totally feel you there. Guineas are addictive. My pigs are happy enough together though being total opposites in personality they aren't snuggle muffins. I can't help window shopping on the off chance I'd find them a boyfriend. I'd have to extend their cage and that would be starting their set up all over again. :O Gah the costs! They are all worth every penny though. ^.^
 
Good idea! They definitely are not inexpensive pets... I know I pay more for my two guinea pigs than a friend did for her two cats. Of course, if I went to reusable bedding like fleece, that would cut the expenses a lot. I would be scared to see my itemized piggie costs for the past eight years! :O
 
I suppose now that I have the cage, piggies and their stuff, including cage liners, the cost is minimal...ish. Veggies, nuggets and incontinence pads and puppy pads for under the liners. Oh, and the money for the vet fund.
 
I'm sure my electricty bill has gone up from all of the hoovering! That wasn't a cost I took into consideration when adopting my girls. I did a lot of reseach first but they have still worked out more expensive that I bargained for. Totally worth it though :luv:
 
Fleece is addictive, I've had my piggies for 4 days and so far they have a fleece tunnel, cosy, bed and today I bought fleece to make my own liners. Then however I went into another material shop, found some cute patterned fleece and bought that too!
 
It is useful to see how the yearly cost is so much higher than the initial setup cost - something for those new to guinea pigs to consider. Agree with others on factoring in the vet cost - so far mine has been roughly 150 per year in Euros for 2 middle-aged guinea pigs, but I think I have been lucky compared to some. Additionally, I have sometimes paid for someone to care for them whilst I was on holiday at approx 10 EUR per day. At other times, a kind friend has helped.
 
schnicksy said:
Where do you get your veggies from? I think I'm over spending!
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Usually the bargain bin in Tesco. Usually the veggies are good for a few days after this date and by that time they are all eaten. However Aldi is also a good place to find a bargain. I do have a petite pig that doesn't eat that much who much prefers hay to veggies so maybe they don't eat a lot of veg but they do get 2 bowls a day.
 
Scribbled28 said:
Usually the bargain bin in Tesco. Usually the veggies are good for a few days after this date and by that time they are all eaten. However Aldi is also a good place to find a bargain. I do have a petite pig that doesn't eat that much who much prefers hay to veggies so maybe they don't eat a lot of veg but they do get 2 bowls a day.
Click to expand...

I've never managed to find anything decent in Aldi - I must go at the wrong time! I'll have to go an adventure I think.

Thanks for the info.
 
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