Help me with my piggie shopping list!

[SallyG]

Hi all,

I've been hanging around here for a while gathering info for when I get my piggies next month (my son's birthday present only 6 weeks to go!). I wondered if you'd read my to buy list of piggie stuff and add anything you think I need. So far I've bought:
A midwest habitat cage
Extra large playpen
Log bridge thingy
Corner litter tray
Some fleece and bedliners

I need to buy:
Hay
Guinea pig food, was planning to go for plain pellets rather than the mixed food.
Water bottles and food bowl (do I need 1 for each piggie?)
More toys
Some sort of hideaway house

So anything else?

I was planning on using a bedliner with a fleece on top on the base of the cage.

The piggies need a house, somewhere they can hide away/sleep? Should I get 1 for each piggie so they have their own space?

Hay. I really don't want loose hay all over (though realise it will get spread around). I was thinking some sort of box that the piggies can climb into to get to the hay. Do they need a seperate hay rack or is the hay that they'll climb about in ok for them to eat as well (I'm thinking if they wee'd in it?).

The cage will be kept upstairs but I've bought a run which I plan to use inside and outside. It's 140cm diameter, I work part time so plan on having the piggies downstairs with me when I'm in, and even on work days they'll get a few hours downstairs with us on the evenings. The run has a cover which I'll use outside in fine weather, though they'll be supervised outside of course.

I've visited a rescue and plan on getting 2 so they aren't lonely.

Is there anything else I've missed out? I'd love your ideas for toys and things to keep them amused.

I want everything to be perfect for them when I get the little fluffs home!

Thank you,
Sally
x

 

[Mother Hubbard]

You've got a lot covered in terms of housing and food.

You will want to consider medical supplies and nail clippers unless your going to have them done at the vets. Oh and shampoo. Check out gorgeous guineas for shampoos they are really nice.

There's a thread with a list of items you might need, I once thought it was over the top...then I soon learnt!

 

[Mother Hubbard]

Forgot to say wormed but you will get that from the vets anyway. Scales to weigh them, ice pods for summer, heat pads for winter depending where you keep them...there's probably more but you just keep adding stuff over the years, like bottle cleaners, cage cleaners etc.

 

[SallyG]

Thanks guys, I hadn't thought of medical stuff.

How often do they need a bath, is it just if they get a bit whiffy?

x

 

[sport_billy]

I never bath our 2 girls, just occassionally give them a quick sponge if they get dirty.
Megan gets foot baths often (for poo feet) and the occassional bath as she is a particulary dirty piggie

 

[sport_billy]

The piggies need a house, somewhere they can hide away/sleep? Should I get 1 for each piggie so they have their own space?

It's always a good idea to have 2 houses/hideys then they can sleep together if they want but also have their own space... We have two lots of the 'fold over sticks' we use as houses in our ferplast cage and Cookie and Treacle sleep seperately often in them.

It sounds like they are going to be very pampered piggies