Getting Ready - Help Needed!

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NewPigMum

Junior Guinea Pig
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Apr 3, 2018
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Location
Sidcup, Kent UK
Hi everyone,
We are hoping to be new piggie parents soon and have been working on their home. My husband has made a 2x4 cage with a 1x4 loft. Can you please give me your opinions on the layout - it's for 2 piggies. At the moment it is unfinished, the ramp needs to be properly fixed (I've only used a bulldog clip for the moment to test the angle, etc). Plus I was going to line it with rubber drawer liner to make it grippy. I'm planning on making fleece liners and some hammocks. My kids have made 2 little houses out of cardboard boxes ... would that be ok? I will be making them fleece cosies at some point too.

BUT ... my biggest question is regarding the access hole to the ramp. Does it need a guard around it? I want to make sure my piggies are safe and as I'm new to pig ownership I wasn't sure if a gaping hole in the floor of the cage would be a hazard or would just be navigated easily by them. Thoughts? My husband has bent a grid square that we could attach to the side - although I think this would have to be by bulldog clips otherwise I would struggle to change the fleece.

Thank you
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My piggies have a hole in the top floor of their hutch and negotiate it fine. They go down the ramp from the side and are OK. You shouldn't need the guard around it - your new piggies will be fine with it once they have got used to it. I wouldn't worry. Cage is looking good. Piggies like hideys made from boxes as they can chew them and make alterations such as making the front door larger or putting in a back door. It's a good idea to have more than one door to begin with while they settle in.

Exciting times! When are your piggies arriving? Are they boys or girls?

:oops:I I almost forgot :wel: to our friendly Forum!
 
Hi and welcome!

It looks good to me. The guard is a great idea!

Make sure that you have something with good grip lining the ramp; it makes the risk of slips and sprains in lively youngsters less likely. I find free carpet offcuts destined for the skip from a carpet useful that can be taped in with double-sided tape and be removed when the carpet is getting very grotty.
Have one hidey each for every guinea pig and ideally one extra; they should have at least two exits. Chucking the underpiggy out of a hidey is part of the inevitable dominance behaviour.

If possible, please consider adopting guinea pigs from one of our recommended rescues where you are in totally safe hands. You are guaranteed that your guinea pigs are carefully and stably bonded, healthy/fully quarantined, used to handling. You won't have to worry about fall-outs in teenage boars that are not personality matched or buying already pregnant sows or mis-sexed babies, or having to see a vet for highly infectious and ringworm (affects humans, too) first thing as pets@home seems to really struggle to get on top of it. We see so many cases of this!
A good rescue (sadly not all are, as there is no licensing or control system for either rescues or breeders in place), it by far the safest place to get guinea pigs without problems from and is always worth the extra effort! We have listed the ones we can guarantee for that you are in safe hands in our rescue locator.
Your set-up definitely passes and surpasses any requirements.
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator

Here are our wannabe owners and new owners guide collections that address the most often asked questions and give you advice on potential problem areas.
Are Guinea Pigs For Me? - A Guide
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
Hello and welcome to the forum.
Great that you are preparing so well for the piggies.
Looking forward to seeing pictures when they arrive
 
Thanks guys. We were hoping to get a pair at the weekend but I am trying to convince hubby to get them from a rescue. He's a bit against it as he is worried they will be quite mature and therefore not have a long life expectancy therefore leaving 2 bereft kids (although that would probably upset me the most!) I will keep nagging him and maybe message a local rescue and see if they have any piggies looking for a home.
 
Piggies can live longer than people realise.
I have one who is nearly 6 and compared to some forum piggies she’s still a young OAP piggy
 
Hello and welcome to the forum :wel:

NewPigMum said:
Thanks guys. We were hoping to get a pair at the weekend but I am trying to convince hubby to get them from a rescue. He's a bit against it as he is worried they will be quite mature and therefore not have a long life expectancy therefore leaving 2 bereft kids (although that would probably upset me the most!) I will keep nagging him and maybe message a local rescue and see if they have any piggies looking for a home.
Click to expand...

Piggies are sometimes born in rescues, so you may still be able to get babies from a rescue once they are ready to be rehomed. Worth asking your local rescues :)
 
NewPigMum said:
Thanks guys. We were hoping to get a pair at the weekend but I am trying to convince hubby to get them from a rescue. He's a bit against it as he is worried they will be quite mature and therefore not have a long life expectancy therefore leaving 2 bereft kids (although that would probably upset me the most!) I will keep nagging him and maybe message a local rescue and see if they have any piggies looking for a home.
Click to expand...

Rescues have guinea pigs of all ages. For new owners, rehoming young adults (i.e. 1-2 year olds) that are used to being pets and human handling is often of advantage. Guinea pigs have an average life expectancy of 5-7 years, so even young adults can easily spend quite a few years with you! My currently oldest piggy will be celebrating her 9th birthday in May, by the way.

Rescue born babies are often paired up with a parent or a slightly older piggy for added stability of the bond. Whether you have two same aged girls or boys hitting the teenage hormones together, I can promise that you will feel it! Nothing like squabbly teenagers, whatever the species! :mal:

Keep in mind that babies are cute babies only for a few weeks before they turn into hormonal teenagers for about 10 months and the rest of their lives they are adults.

Personally, I like middle aged and mature piggies; they are much more relaxed and they are generally survivors with a zest for life, which means that they very often have a long life surpassing the average life expectancy. Getting babies is not necessarily all that it is cracked up. Some of my 3-5 year old adoptees have been longer with me than some of my youngsters that have died very young from a heart attack or stroke after just a few months or a couple of years. ;)
Boars, sows or mixed pairs; babies or adults?
 
Oh lovely! I will send out a few messages now to the local rescues and see what they say. Thank you for your help.
My kids think these will be their piggies, and they will be in name but I know they will actually be my responsibility. So it's a good thing I'm just as excited (if not more excited) than they are.
Btw - thank you for all the information that is already on this forum. I've been reading loads and it's all really clear and helpful. :)
 
Welcome to the forum. Great set up. And I can certainly recommend adopting from a local rescue. A rescue can offer you a pair of properly sexed, well bonded piggies who are used to human contact and in my experience that is such a bonus for first time owners. Rescues also offer lifelong support which can be vital. Rescues have piggies of all ages available. Our own rescue recently had pups born here who were adopted at 6 weeks.
 
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