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Guinea Pig Routines?

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VeganIzzy

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This was also posted in another category but I received no replies so am searching for hope in this one!

I am getting two Guinea Pigs tomorrow, they're boys and both are two and a half. They're from a friend who couldn't look after them any longer. I was reading upon routines and schedules, and I have read that piggies like their routines. I have a loose one planned, but I am fifteen so I attend school on week days, so won't be home between 8:20 and 4:10. I wake up around six thirty each morning, so I was thinking about giving them fresh veggies, water and hay when I get up and petting them. When I get home I will have floor time with them and give them fresh hay, water, etc. Is there anything else I could be doing daily for them, or a better schedule? I go to bed between nine and ten each night.

Also, they've been on sawdust for their whole lives, however I wanted to put them on fleece as it seems better for them and also for me as I suffer from asthma, I was thinking about lining the cage as following:
Newspaper, then towels, then fleece.
Is this okay?

Also, if I have put this in an incorrect category, please tell me and I will re ask this in a more suitable category. Thank you to all!
 
Hi, under my fleece I bought mattress protectors from Tesco, must be 100% cotton or they won't work properly, if Tesco are out of stock you can order from them. It makes it easier for you. Do you know how to wick your fleece?
Your schedule is great, only thing is by the time you've washed etc, breakfast I wonder if you'll have time. I always feed mine at the same time, mine like routine so it's 8 to 8. Leave them nuggets & lots of Timothy hay. I don't know what you've read but I spot clean my twice a day, but with 2 piggies probably once will be fine. Oh by the way you mustn't tumble dry the mattress protector, otherwise it will shrink.
 
Forgot, it may be an idea to get them checked at the vet, just in case they have an underlying health problem that you need to know about & the vet can check for mites. Have you read on impaction & how to clean their bits. Lol
If you go onto the main forums you can find out everything you need to know.
It's a lot to do, but when you put them & they cuddle & chatter away it's all worth it.

Hi & welcome to the mad house.
 
Hi, under my fleece I bought mattress protectors from Tesco, must be 100% cotton or they won't work properly, if Tesco are out of stock you can order from them. It makes it easier for you. Do you know how to wick your fleece?
Your schedule is great, only thing is by the time you've washed etc, breakfast I wonder if you'll have time. I always feed mine at the same time, mine like routine so it's 8 to 8. Leave them nuggets & lots of Timothy hay. I don't know what you've read but I spot clean my twice a day, but with 2 piggies probably once will be fine. Oh by the way you mustn't tumble dry the mattress protector, otherwise it will shrink.
Do you know how much the mattress protectors are? And are they absorbent, or is it as well as the towel? And I wash before bed and everything, my routine is something like: get home, put tea on (I meal prep on a sunday so it's a case of heating something up), eat and then I will go to my room and study or chill out. I will shower around eight and I am very fast at it, it will take me no longer then around twelve minutes when I am doing my hair and five when it's just a quick wash. I was thinking about fitting in floor time in the middle of studying as I take frequent breaks to refresh my mind, etc. In the morning, I will get up and then get changed and do my makeup, then pack a lunch and have breakfast. I will have breakfast around 7:40 and use the remaining time to scroll on Instagram or something (typical teen, I know). But instead of social media, I would see the piggies and play with them, which seems so much better than drowning into tech anyway. Also, the piggies will be in my room and I usually have an alarm, can I just have a quiet alarm (like rain or birds or something) to wake up to, or will even that startle the pigs? If it will scare them, I could wear headphones to bed or something?

Thank you so much for replying!
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. Your routine sounds fine, you will tweek things as you get used to having piggies and everyone settles down. If you can manage it I would keep them on woodshavings (sawdust is bad for them) if that's what they are used to for a few weeks until they get used to you and settle into their new life. I use vet bed/fleece, newspaper then puppy pads as this cuts down on washing. The puppy pads don't often get wet as I change the wet paper every day so it's not too expensive. I hope you enjoy your piggies.
 
Forgot, it may be an idea to get them checked at the vet, just in case they have an underlying health problem that you need to know about & the vet can check for mites. Have you read on impaction & how to clean their bits. Lol
If you go onto the main forums you can find out everything you need to know.
It's a lot to do, but when you put them & they cuddle & chatter away it's all worth it.

Hi & welcome to the mad house.
Thank you! I am new to the complete responsibility as I had pets in primary school, but usually my dad had helped me! I wanted to take them to the vet, however if it costs money I will have to find a way to pay for a check up first :( And I will check it out, I have read on a LOT of things, like food, nails, etc. but I will deffo check out more on here as I am new to the site. Thanks again :) x
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. Your routine sounds fine, you will tweek things as you get used to having piggies and everyone settles down. If you can manage it I would keep them on woodshavings (sawdust is bad for them) if that's what they are used to for a few weeks until they get used to you and settle into their new life. I use vet bed/fleece, newspaper then puppy pads as this cuts down on washing. The puppy pads don't often get wet as I change the wet paper every day so it's not too expensive. I hope you enjoy your piggies.
Thank you! I was thinking about the puppy pads instead of towels, but I had read that they're not too absorbent? I wouldn't have time to replace the paper daily I don't think, I was planning on spot cleaning and then cleaning thoroughly on a Friday or Saturday. And I had thought sawdust was bad, but I hadn't wanted to question the owner as I knew she was already upset to let them go. What's vet bed? Is that just fleece? And I might follow up on waiting, I don't want to scare them. Thanks again :)
 
hi They not expensive, about £9.99 for a Kingsize you want to have 2 or 3 sets, so your not washing all the time. With these you only need a protector & fleece on the top. Yes they are absorbent. Vet bed is expensive.
 
Vet bed is fleece bedding originally used by vets, it has a special backing that stops the wet coming back through once it's soaked away. It's quite expensive at first but lasts for years. Once the piggies have settled you will probably find they use one or two favourite corners to wee, I just change the paper in those corners. It takes a minute or two to turn back the fleece whip out the paper and replace with fresh. I use the puppy pads from B & M £12.99 for 100.
 
the quieter alarm will be fine, it's loud sudden noises that freak them. You need a horse bag off to wash the things in, or your washing machine won't like you. Horse bags are from £10 to £15.
 
hi They not expensive, about £9.99 for a Kingsize you want to have 2 or 3 sets, so your not washing all the time. With these you only need a protector & fleece on the top. Yes they are absorbent. Vet bed is expensive.
I will go up to my local Tesco when I am next free to look, do you know if they sell suitable fleeces too? Asda is my nearest 'superstore' so I go there weekly, if there is anything you've seen in there it would help too. Thank you so much!
 
I just wanted to say a big Welcome to the Forum.
:wel:

It sounds like you have really thought this whole thing through, and will be able to offer a great home to your new piggies. :nod:
 
Hi... glad to see you are so responsible in planning the routine out etc.... Mine get fed the same kind of time each day, breakfast ( which is veggies and pellets ) about 8am and a clean fresh tray of hay.. dinner time between 6 & 6.30pm veggies and a clean tray of hay.. Mine are on fleece, Asda sells them online and in store so have a look.. i used puppy pads under their fleece cage liners but these are proper sewn ones..
Good luck and let us know how you get on x
 
Hi... glad to see you are so responsible in planning the routine out etc.... Mine get fed the same kind of time each day, breakfast ( which is veggies and pellets ) about 8am and a clean fresh tray of hay.. dinner time between 6 & 6.30pm veggies and a clean tray of hay.. Mine are on fleece, Asda sells them online and in store so have a look.. i used puppy pads under their fleece cage liners but these are proper sewn ones..
Good luck and let us know how you get on x
Thank you! I am a person that does everything by planning and routine haha, I will look in Asda for fleece as I should be going tomorrow (before I get the piggies) :)
 
Thank you! I am a person that does everything by planning and routine haha, I will look in Asda for fleece as I should be going tomorrow (before I get the piggies) :)
Planning is good ! If you do buy any fleeces tomorrow, to make them 'wick the wee away'.. you will need to wash them a few times in non bio wash powder - no fabric softner - if you do that and place a towel underneath and pour some water on top..if it soaks through you r good to go.. if not, wash again .. wilko do fleeces online, The Range, B&M.. you will be spoilt for choice x
 
What a lovely thing to take on someone else's piggies, well done you :) Are they going to be kept in your room? If so be careful they don't trigger your asthma & also you mustn't use deodorants/air fresheners/sprays in the same room as them. You could get them both checked by a vet just in case they have any ailments before taking them on & maybe have them for a trial week before you fully decide if you are ok with them. I layer my cage with puppy pads then a mattress protector as mentioned previously then the fleece on top. I keep the hay in a tray so it doesn't get on the fleece too much. Good luck & we want to see pigtures when they move in :)
 
How lovely having guinea pigs in your bedroom. Mine are in the dining room which is also good as I get to see them a lot during the day.

Your routine sounds good. I have a couple of cage liners (fleece with mattress protector in the middle) which I am hoping will be nice and absorbent (only got the piggies yesterday) I also have vet bed for those extra wet areas (under their hidys for instance). Best of luck. Hope to see pics when you have time.
 
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