Getting A Guinea Pig Tommorow! (advice Needed)

[marahallie]

Any tips or advice for me? This will be my first time owning a Guinea Pig, but not a rodent.
I'm open to all! C:

 

[Freela]

Check out some of the stickies at the top of the varying pages, where you will find great info on feeding, housing and cage size minimums, need-to-know health info, and basic behavioral information. These sticky guides are really useful! How many pigs are you looking into getting? Guinea pigs are social and are much happier in same-sex pairs than they are alone. What are your options as far as acquiring them? Rescues? Pet stores? Rescues are great and give an animal in need a new home, plus you will not end up with a pregnant pet or a missexed pair that will end up producing babies. That said, I know firsthand that rescues are not available in all areas. If you are buying from a pet shop, take a good look for health issues- runny nose, eye discharge, lethargy, scratching, patchy fur, flaky skin, etc. Unfortunately some pet stores will sell sick animals. Also make sure that different genders are housed separately, as some pet stores don't separate males from females and, since guinea pigs can breed as young as 3 or 4 weeks of age, you will have a high probably of bringing home a pregnant female if this is the case. Hope this helps a bit! Best wishes!

 

[Pound Shilling & Pig]

This is great advise from @Freela

 

[Reenie]

You've already done one of the best things you can do. - joined this forum. I've only been a member for a few weeks and I thought I knew a lot about piggies, but the advice, support and ideas these guys give you is like having an expert sitting beside you. I've said it before and I'll say it again. - thanks so much x

 

[arcticfox34]

You've already done one of the best things you can do. - joined this forum. I've only been a member for a few weeks and I thought I knew a lot about piggies, but the advice, support and ideas these guys give you is like having an expert sitting beside you. I've said it before and I'll say it again. - thanks so much x

Yes this! Much friendlier than some other forums too.

 

[Lady Kelly]

My two biggest tips would be not to get just one and to give them time to settle before trying to handle and bond with. In regards to getting pairs, if you aren't getting them from a rescue make sure you are happy checking their sexes as unfortunately many pet shops and breeders sell mixed pairs and you'll end up overrun with mini pigs. A reputable rescue is the best route as you'll know they have been well matched/bonded so less chance of fall out

 

[sport_billy]

Hello, welcome to the forum

Have a flick through of these threads here:

Settling in and interacting with your guinea pigs:
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig
All Kinds Of Biting And What You Can Do

Family guinea pigs:
Children And Guinea Pigs - A Guide For Parents
Children And Guinea Pigs - Age Appropriate Interaction And Responsibilities.
Guinea Pig Toys

Diet:
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet
Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time
All About Drinking And Bottles

Housing and climate:
Cage Size Guide
Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview
Hot Weather Management And Heat Strokes
Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
Potentially Dangerous Cage Accessories

Guinea pig body and care:
Sexing Guinea Pigs: How to Sex a Guinea Pig
Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths
Guinea pig body quirks
Guide to Cutting Guinea Pig Nails

Behaviour and managing social needs:
Guinea Pig Facts - A Short Overview
Companionship
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
Sow Behaviour
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

Lee