decision has been made ....

[Nikki1]

we will be getting (re homing) two Guinea Pigs

After lots of research and visits to friend with pigs I have decided that 2 Guinea pigs will be joining our family.

Just have a couple of questions -
2 boys, 2 girls or one of each? The re homing center have lots available and we plan to take our sons there in the October holidays to choose which ones they want but I want to decide the sex before we go.

Large run in the garden all year with an outdoor hutch (the largest we can afford) for summer, move to shed as it gets colder then into the house for the winter. Is this ok? Will they be ok with the seasonal moves?

Pet Insurance. Is it necessary to get pet insurance and can anyone recommend a provider?

 

[jmacka93]

Only get one of each if the male is neutered. Otherwise, I'd suggest just going and seeing which ones catch your eye.
They should be fine outdoors for summer and indoors for winter. A lot of people do this.
And insurance...in my opinion there's no point. For what the insurance costs, I put the money into a instant access savings account and keep it there to cover all vet costs I might have.

 

[Shellza]

I have a group of one boy (neutered) and 2 sows. I have found with my one boy that he is much more confident than my 2 girls and is more cuddly, however a lot of people are put off because boys may fight. This is more often the case if you were to buy babies from a pet store, but a rescue will properly bond their boars and will make sure they are character compatible, thus the likelihood of them falling out is very slim. The problem with having 2 boys is if you want to expand your herd. you won't be able to put more than 2 boys in one cage and you can't put a sow in with 2 boys, so it all depends on whether you will want to add to them in the future. The rescue will be able to advise you on what will suit you