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PopperPenny

Junior Guinea Pig
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hi, i wanna be a guinea pig owner
but, i should wait for a while, i just gave my angora bunny to my friends (who have bunnies) the angora was very fluffy and i could not handle the fur,
so, i'm gonna wait till i ask my parents for another pet,
but i would like if you members could fill this out,

what is the friendliest breed of a guinea pig?:
do i 'have' to get 2 guinea pigs?:
male or female?:
how much floor space would a guinea pig need?:
Can guinea pig live in homemade homes such as plastic buckets?:
how much do you think the total cost of everything for your guinea pig(s)?:
how social are guinea pigs?:
do you regret anything about your guinea pig (be honest)?:
where do you keep your guinea pig?:
are guinea pigs worth having?:
tips on helping me convince my parents for a guinea pig:
how clean are guinea pigs (i have seen rabbit videos and other small animal videos and people's houses were a mess with treats,food, etc):
can i keep a guinea pig in my room?:



thanks! ♥
 
it really depends on the guinea pig itself
yes
those are options
as much as possible (
depends on the bucket. i made some little huts out of untreated wood.
lots, but i buy lots of toys for them
one is very social love coming out for cuddles and investigating times, the other will tolerate your presence
no, i got them too early so their cage is a little to small, which will be fixed hopefully in the next month, but they have helped with the anxiety and depression which is why i got them.
next to computer desk (I'm on the computer alot)
yes, most definitely
that depends on you and your parents.
moderately clean. i have a box for the food and treats, and a small stack of houses i switch when cleaning, just cage cleaning which shouldn't be a problem if you've had a rabbit
depends how much you are in your room, but technically yes
a big one. lol. most people go for cnc i think its called, not 100%, cause its secure and you can build your own shape and size of cage.

ill tag some people who might be able to give better information
@Wiebke @BossHogg
 
Wiebke is our resident piggy guru, that said, our members have many years of experience. If you update your profile to show which country you are in, we can tailor the advice accordingly. Welcome to the forum by the way. ;)
 
Hi and welcome!

Good that you are doing your research beforehand! Are you allergic to the bunny's fur or did you struggle with grooming?

As to guinea pigs:
Please be aware that guinea pigs are a 5-7 years commitment; that is quite a long time! For most of that time, they are adults, but they still require the same amount of care and commitment. Babies grow quickly and stay that only for a few weeks.
Guinea pigs are much more vocal than rabbits, and as their diet consists mainly of nutritionally poor fibre (hay), they need to eat a lot and make lots of poos, which means very regular cage cleaning. Like rabbits, guinea pigs are prey animals that need to be slowly tamed; they are not instant living cuddly toys. You will get only as much out of them as you put into them time- and care-wise throughout their whole life, like with any pet.

Breeds: If you get guinea pigs, make sure that they are short-haired, so you can cope with the grooming side of it.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/common-pet-breeds-picture-guide.121399/

Number of guinea pigs: At least two of the same gender. Guinea pigs are herd animals and not wired to live single.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/companionship.37654/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/boars-sows-or-mixed-pairs-babies-or-adults.108944/

Cage sizes and bedding: Guinea pigs are ground roamers and need space. Please do not keep guinea pigs in aquariums or deep plastic crates that don't allow air circulation and promote fungal complaints.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/cage-size-guide.120795/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/bedding-for-guinea-pigs-overview.114219/

Diet:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/

Cost and vet care:
Apart from getting a cage that is at least 2x4 ft large, you need to think about bedding and hideys as well as the regular food, pellet and hay bill.
Please be aware that the largest cost comes when you urgently need to see a vet. You and your family will need to build up a vet fund of several hundred dollars or pounds in order to be able to afford any necessary emergency vet care or operations. For you as a minor, this is the trickiest and most contentious aspect of pet ownership. We regularly see teenagers on here with a very ill/dying guinea pig whose parents refuse to pay for vet care or wait too long until they give in. It is an extremely distressing situation that causes major upsets and rifts for the whole family. Please do NOT get a pet of whatever species if you and your family cannot afford vet care, as illness is a fact of pet life. Vet fees in the US, Canada and Australia are a lot higher than in the UK and require to be paid upfront.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/veterinary-fees-some-important-information.91847/

Please be very honest with yourself whether you can provide adequate long term care or not. It is the feeling, but mute living beings in your care that are going to pay the price, not just with their happiness and health, but ultimately with their lives. If you can't, it would be much better if you waited until you are able to and get involved in supporting a local rescue instead; that way, you can learn a lot about pets and help make their lives better.

Could you please add your country to your details, so we can adapt any advice to what is possible/available in your country. We have got members from all over the world. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to lcoation.
 
Hi,
There is no breed that is the most friendly.
Yes it is best to get 2 guinea pigs.
Males generally need more space than females.
The minimum for two guinea pigs is 120cm x 60cm.
No, it is best to buy unless you are a good carpenter!
A guess proberably £100 a year?!
Guinea pig are very friendly.
I don't regret anything about them.
Ideally I would keep my piggies inside but my parents don't epwant that so they go in the garage.
Guinea pigs are definitely worth happening.
I don't really have any tips but keep bringing the subject up, prove yourself by looking after someone else's guinea pig|s.
Guinea pigs are quite clean but my year old guinea pigs do zoomies around the cage and kick bedding and poops around. They need spot cleaning daily or twice daily and the whole cage needs disinfecting and cleaning at least once a week. It's amazing as I find hay everywhere!
I wouldn't keep guinea pigs in a bedroom instead I would keep them in a room that you use a lot.
It is best to rescue guinea pigs and give them the biggest cage possible!
I hope this helps!
 
thanks
my parents i think would not like a guinea pig in the living room of any other rooms :td: if i had a guinea pig in my room i would be up there all the time:woot:, And yes i am trying to be honest to myself about guinea pigs and the responsibility:),i am not allergic (i have no allergies), my angora was just to big to handle, i thought of other pets such as hamster and cat but as i said guinea pigs came up to being a good pet, also my friends have guinea pigs so, i like to play with there guinea pigs, (pepper and ginger), i am gonna wait once i know that i can take care of a guinea pig for a 5-7 year commitment (rabbits live to about 15-20 so yeah, that was a bit to long:no:) i wanted to be a member in a forum so i could post and ask questions about guinea pigs and learn more about them, also i had no clue guinea pigs could make noise (which is fine).i need to wait for the right time, its gonna be summer soon and i don't have a lot of friends, so i'm gonna see how busy i am with summer so i can tell if i can handle a guinea pig, also i just saw a c and c cage, they look awesome! i defiantly would have enough room if i get a guinea pig :nod:
 
my dad says we're not getting another pet right now, so hopefully that right now means not this year (hopefully next year )
 
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