How Not To Feed Your Guinea Pig (thank You Tgpf)

[Claire W]

I had my first guinea pigs Connie and Eliza in November 2007. Back then, I new very little about guinea pigs as I very spontaneously and on a whim adopted Connie from a family who know longer wanted her and adopted Eliza as a friend after finding this forum which suggested that guinea pigs prefer to live in pairs / groups.

I have just been looking through some old photos and am rather quite horrified that this is what I fed my pigs back then. Muesli food and a pitiful amount of veg

Eliza lived until she was 6.5 and passed in March 2013 in which case I had already learned a lot about guinea pig care but I like to think that Connie and Eliza had a lovely life with me but I am so grateful for everything this forum has taught me.

 

[sport_billy]

I am grateful for all the advice you give out on this forum. That is what I love about TGPF people can ask questions and learn about piggy keeping, they in turn then pass on this knowledge.

When I came here I knew nothing.... some things never change lol

Connie and Eliza indeed had a wonderful life with you Claire, you are one of the most dedicated caring people I have met on here. Bless the little sweethearts

 

[7squeakers.]

That doesn't look too bad! At least you were on the right lines! I am sure that we all made mistakes when first keeping piggies. I used to break up shop-bought treats and mix them with their food! (Silly moo!) Of course, they were eating the treats and leaving the proper food. No wonder a lot of my pigs died young! But I have learnt a lot from reading lots of piggie care books and on-line, and I am still learning, from this forum.

 

[sport_billy]

used to break up shop-bought treats and mix them with their food! (Silly moo!) Of course, they were eating the treats and leaving the proper food. No wonder a lot of my pigs died young!

I doubt this was the cause of any early passings, piggies are very very hardy creatures. Your a great owner

 

[eileen]

this forum is very good to learn,swap ideas and ask questions.unfortunatly some of my cavies have pssed young,but not due to my care.but that is what i leraned from her that we are not always to blame for piggies passing to the rainbow bridge.here is to another 10 years to TGPF.

 

[Claire W]

this forum is very good to learn,swap ideas and ask questions.unfortunatly some of my cavies have pssed young,but not due to my care.but that is what i leraned from her that we are not always to blame for piggies passing to the rainbow bridge.here is to another 10 years to TGPF.

Out of 9 guinea pigs (two of those are still alive) I have sadly lost 6 of them between the ages of 2 and 5 due to various health issues so I fully agree with you that it isn't just down to individual care x

 

[piggieminder]

My original piggys (50 years ago!) had muesli I don't think nuggets were available then. As a child my Saturdays were spent picking dandelions on the nearby allotments, they got veg peelings from the kitchen and straw/hay bedding which of course they ate, we didn't know it should have been the biggest part of their diet. No one ever took a guinea pig to the vet, it was just a guinea pig, it's no wonder they didn't live the long lives they do now.
I found the forum around 2008 I think when I became slave to 2 boars very unexpectedly (less than 24 hrs notice). The forum is invaluable, I returned to piggys 18 months ago after a 6 year break and the helpful friendly members make piggy slaving even more fun.

 

[Freela]

My childhood guinea pig (about 30 years ago now!) lived alone and got pellets, no hay, and the occasional carrot/lettuce as a treat. Her cage wasn't all that large either. I had minimal input into this anyhow (she actually was the classroom guinea pig during the school year and lived with me in the summer and over holidays, as the teacher was a family friend and her husband had a severe allergy.) At the time, we were doing what was the standard care for guinea pigs and didn't know any better. She never seemed unhappy and got a lot of love/affection, but my girls now have a much more varied life, a bigger space to live, a better diet, and always a guinea pig companion. When you know better, you do better... I think that's why sharing info and learning is important.

Actually, my youngest daughter (9 years old) is always telling kids at school that guinea pigs should be kept in same-sex pairs because they are social animals and like the company of other guinea pigs. She is a guinea pig rights activist, that one! She scolded me for having a solo guinea pig as a child!