New and need advice please!

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sammat

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Hi, I am new on here and when I want to do something I want to do it properly, so I have been reading around and researching about guinea pigs etc and I just seem to get more confused so thought I would post on here and hope that all you experts will help! I have always loved pets and grew up with lots but hubby is very different! Anyway our little boy (we have 3) has convinced him to allow him to have guinea pigs. Now hubby is a bit of a pushover and he has now accepted that we will have 2 and they will live indoors! Yay! I really wanted them indoors as I defo want my children to be involved (though I think they are more for me as I am so excited) and I am hoping that by having them indoors we will all interact more with them. I have gone for a C+C cage (just ordered grids off Wayfair) but still need to source correx, anyway that is about as sure of things as I get, I need more advice on...

Bedding....I am thinking that fleece will be easiest but do I put anything under it? In a C+C system where should I put hay for bedding or do they not need it? Do I just give hay for them to eat, and what do I put that in on a C+C cage - can you buy a hay trough?

What other things do I definitely need..toys, tunnels, etc etc

I am thinking that I am best getting rescued guinea pigs but is that ok with children too - I just dont want 3 noisy boys to stress out timid piggies?! Have looked at a local rescue centre and they have a pair that seem suitable (sow and neutered boar) about 6 months, but one had long hair - would I be taking on too much with that?

Outdoor run - what do most people use? Am I right in thinking that it is good for the piggies to have time outdoors everyday?

Sorry for long post, and please don't think my questions silly, just want to know all the right things to do before we start. Thanks in advance for any advice x
 
Hi Sammat, Welcome to the forum.
Corex can usually be found from your local sign makers, you can try your local yellow pages/business directory, also some DIY stores sell it, also known as corrugated plastic.
Bedding is a personal choice, alot of c&c users use fleece, if you wash it at least 3 times before using, without fabric conditioner, now some people use different things under flece, some use puppy pads and newspaper, some use towels, some use vet-bed....i have never used vet-bed myself but hear it is very good, i personally when i use fleece use puppy pads and newspaper. Hay wise, i use a hay rack and loo roll tubes filled with hay... but also lay down a sheet of newspaper or something to the size i want...and just make a pile of hay...some piggies love to lie in hay...some are not so bothered....although some people get put off....because the fleece dose get rather allot of hay on it...but if you spot clean its not to bad. When it comes to a full clean out i simply scoop the flece up...shake it in the garden and when you wash it use a wash bag or a old duvet cover as left over hay can clog up the machine (something i have done all too often...oops hehe).

Long haired piggies- Its personal choice....the first 3 guinea pigs i have ever had (i still have 1 of the 3) were all long haired...but you must be prepared to brush them often, i also advise not letting their hair get long as it mats very quickly (especially round the bottom area and can get very comfy and make them quite poorly)...so i suggest keeping the hair cut shortish especially round the backside. So as long as your comfy to do this it shouldn't be a problem :D

Toy wise you dont need loads...mostly tunnels, a couple of snuggly beds (one for each piggie i sugest) and some home made toys will do...loo rolls stuffed with veg and hay...boxes with holes cut out make good hidey holes...also things like willow balls...mine love chewing these. :)

Outdoor run ...i ahve a wooden pets at home run...make sure its a strong secure run that predators cant get to them in...strong wood and most importantly a roof....i personally only let my piggies in an outdoor run supervised as i know we have foxes in the area... :( So keep that in mind also...personally mine have free time to run about indoors...on my bed or in the puppy pen that folds up. Outdoor time is fine as long as its dry and not cold...when it gets cooler they are best to have it indoors as piggies don't cope well with temp changes in the weather.

Feel free to ask anything else...some other people may have different opinions but this is just mine from my experience :D
 
may be a silly question but if i use puppy pads how often do I change them, and where is best place to buy them?
 
I buy them in bulk from T.K Max in the pet section...but loads of places sell them...i have also bought them from Argos and Pets at home.
Me personally...i change 1-2 times a week... i use 3 puppy pads to line the bottom of the cage...followed by news paper and then fleece. Also forgot to mention some people use incontinence sheets under their fleece. I personally have not done this...but am looking on amazon for some currently at the moment to try.
But some piggies wee in certain areas so that may need changing more often. Mine like to wee in certain areas so i tend to change that area more often. :) hope this helps.
 
Can't really add anything to the great advice received from above.

You can also buy fleece cage liners that are doubled sided and washable from some members on here Kimlou5288 makes them to fit c&c cages. Best thing to do would be to pick a bedding try it then if you don't get on try another. We use fleece for our single pig Megan in a 120 cage and our trio have wood shavings in a 5x2 c&c.

The one thing I would advise for a c&c is to get some picnic tablecloth which is waterproof from dunhelm mill cut it to size to put in bottom of cage, this will help keep the corex clean then put newspaper, towels or puppy pads on top of that before your bedding.

Also get yourself signed up with a good piggie vet, it saves a lot of hassle in the future. Here is a link to the recommended vets map http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?105769-Guinea-Pig-Recomend-Vets-Map

Looking forward to hearing lots about your piggies when you get them.
 
Hi and welcome!

Good that you are doing your research beforehand. Are you in the UK?

If you can, get your guinea pigs from a good rescue; they will be healthy, properly sexed and bonded, and guaranteed not pregnant. Don't go for looks; go for piggies that have great personalities and are ideally used to being handled.

Please make sure that your boys handle the piggies only under your supervision. Some rescues may be wary to rehome to families with small kids after bad experiences.
Here is the Piggy Bank map of recommended good standard rescues that we can vouch for: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=209994852075231951564.0004b8fd9391b4257d8eb&msa=0
 
Hi,

I am in UK, near Liverpool so no rescues near me that are on the piggy bank map. However, our local rescue does have 2 so may speak to them, just dont want to rush in to it! Not bothered about looks at all, in fact a little concerned that the pair that are in local rescue centre, one has long hair and I wonder if they need a lot more care/attention than others? I am stay at home mum so feel I will have the time to give attention and the boys would not handle them without supervision.

Am still just so stuck on choosing bedding ideas! do I shell out for fleece beforehand or try the alternatives first. Sounds silly but just want to give piggies the best I can and only worry that they naturally like burrowing into things so am I denying them something by using fleece? Also was worried about washing machine (as read on a website that it is best to run an empty hot wash after washing animal bedding) and costs but nobody else seems to say this - what do you all do?
 
Have just found puppy pads at costco for £17.89 for 100 (size 54cm x 56cm) - is that a good buy?
 
Piggies don't burrow as such so you are not denying them that at all.

We wash our fleece in a horsebag http://www.amazon.co.uk/Petwear-Was...531295&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=horsebag+washing this keeps the hay and stuff from clogging your washer... We always wash our fleece at 60 degrees and never have to rinse out after because the horsebag keeps all the hair and hay in.

One of our first piggies in my avatar had long hair and it really isnt a problem. Just keep the bum fur trimmed and brush regularly and they are fine.
 
Thanks for that - I like the look of the bag!
 
Please don't use Cavy Haven Rescue in Winsford even though it is nearer to you. I have heard several eyewitness accounts from unconnected people over the years that are raising serious concerns.

Unfortunately, there is no regulation as to who can call themselves a rescue and as to what standard it has to be run; there are rescues that need rescuing from themselves. There are also quite a few breeders who run a rescue on the side; at the worst, the "rescue" side can be simply an outlet for no longer wanted breeding stock. Please keep that in mind if you want to use a rescue that is not on the Piggy Bank list; it is a pity that there is currently none close to you, but those are the only rescues that we can recommend as fully safe to use.

Make sure that any piggies you adopt have undergone a full quarantine and have had any necessary medical treatment when in rescue, and that they don't have bald patches (mites or fungal) or crusty eyes (URI); that any boars are well bonded and that no sow over 4 weeks old you rehome has been with a boar over 3 weeks old for the last 10 weeks. No good rescue will rehome piggies into single situations. The rescue cages should also be reasonably clean and have clean, filled water bottles and hay at all times.
 
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