New Guniea Pigs And A Budget?

[PetLova200]

Hey! So I decided to officially get Guinea Pigs(Already have a cat) and my mom agreed to let me have them. I know all about the C&C cages and sizes and etc but I have a few questions and would like to know a way to give my Piggies a nice life without putting the bank on life support.

1) Where can I purchase large sums of hay(Live in Apartment)? It's seem pricey to constantly get small bags of hay that I'm sure the Guinea pigs will eat up before the month ends. I live in San Diego so if anyone can suggest some good places

2) Is there any place that sells fleece for Guinea Pigs without patterns? Don't get me wrong I don't hate the people with my little pony or train themes in their cages but it's not my taste so I would prefer solid colors. Also besides online...where can I buy fleece?

3)How often do I feed them vegetables a day? Is there a requirement or is it what works for you and your piggies?

4)Do I spot clean all week then wash the fleece at the end of the weekend? What prevents them smelling? My mom doesn't want the house to stink or else I'll have to give them away so I'd like to know the best way to prevent smelling.

5) I have a cat who I am sure will try to stick her paws in the cage and what not. I don't want to have to lid my Guinea Piggies cage but does anyone have a problem with their cats jumping in the cage? Or trying to climb and knock it over? How do you prevent your cat from harming them?

I will get the Guinea Pigs next month but I've done my research however I want these questions answered for me specifically. I plan to get two girls and name them Bonnie and Bella to compliment my cat's name.

 

[member yz]

Hobby Lobby is great for fleece, I got two yards for $7 (with the coupon) and it was all green. There were optional choices though.

 

[Swissgreys]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

It is always great to come across someone who has done their research in advance, so well done for thinking everything through.
I will try and answer the questions that I can.

Joanne is a good source of cheap fleece, and you can usually get online coupons too, which makes it even cheaper. They have a huge range of both plain and patterned fleece.

An excellent guide to diet is here;
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet

Depending on the size of the cage, spot cleaning all week and washing the fleece liners once a week should work.
One way to keep the smell down is to put trays with hay in them in a corner that they like to use as a toilet. Then they will sit in the hay tray and this will 'catch' a lot of the pee and poop.
I also use smaller fleece pads in areas that I know they like to pee and can easily replace these daily to keep the cage clean.
In my experience, guinea pigs on fleece don't smell much at all.

And I am sorry, but if you have cats you need a lid. A curious cat getting into a cage can seriously injure or even kill a guinea pig very quickly. There have been several cases on here when a member's cat got into their cage and their guinea pig subsequently died of it's injuries and/or shock.

I hope this helps, and don't forget to let us know when you piggies arrive - we love photos too.

 

[Mother Hubbard]

Some good advice there so I will just say

 

[PetLova200]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

It is always great to come across someone who has done their research in advance, so well done for thinking everything through.
I will try and answer the questions that I can.

Joanne is a good source of cheap fleece, and you can usually get online coupons too, which makes it even cheaper. They have a huge range of both plain and patterned fleece.

An excellent guide to diet is here;
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet

Depending on the size of the cage, spot cleaning all week and washing the fleece liners once a week should work.
One way to keep the smell down is to put trays with hay in them in a corner that they like to use as a toilet. Then they will sit in the hay tray and this will 'catch' a lot of the pee and poop.
I also use smaller fleece pads in areas that I know they like to pee and can easily replace these daily to keep the cage clean.
In my experience, guinea pigs on fleece don't smell much at all.

And I am sorry, but if you have cats you need a lid. A curious cat getting into a cage can seriously injure or even kill a guinea pig very quickly. There have been several cases on here when a member's cat got into their cage and their guinea pig subsequently died of it's injuries and/or shock.

I hope this helps, and don't forget to let us know when you piggies arrive - we love photos too.

Thank you this was really helpful! So I can use any fleece for the cage? It doesn't have to be specifically made for them?

 

[Guinea Slave]

It's great that you are doing your research before getting them and I echo all the advice above, particularly around the cat, that would be a big concern for me.

One area you need to think about (and make your parents aware of) is vet costs. I was amazed when I started keeping Guineas how quickly these can stack up,when things go wrong. They are surprisingly complex creatures. In some cases many of us on here have been faced with vet fees which run into hundreds, on occasion several thousand dollars. My first Guinea over her lifetime of 5 years cost me £4,000 in fees. It was exceptional but it can happen.

I don't want to be a. Damp squib but people so often overlook this vital element and it can make the difference between life and death.

 

[flowerfairy]

Yep good old polar fleece can be used for guinea pigs with an absorbent layer underneath.

 

[PetLova200]

It's great that you are doing your research before getting them and I echo all the advice above, particularly around the cat, that would be a big concern for me.

One area you need to think about (and make your parents aware of) is vet costs. I was amazed when I started keeping Guineas how quickly these can stack up,when things go wrong. They are surprisingly complex creatures. In some cases many of us on here have been faced with vet fees which run into hundreds, on occasion several thousand dollars. My first Guinea over her lifetime of 5 years cost me £4,000 in fees. It was exceptional but it can happen.

I don't want to be a. Damp squib but people so often overlook this vital element and it can make the difference between life and death.

Thank you I will be getting my own job soon and my father will also be sending me money. I'll be able to put money down for vet fees

 

[Guinea Slave]

You are clearly very well organised and self sufficient! You Will make a wonderful Guinea slave

Sorry to make it such a point but so many people get caught out. I was stunned when it happened to me and all mine are insured now as a result but I am not sure if you can get small pet insurance in California?

Good luck with everything and ensure you post lots of pictures when they arrive!

 

[happy_piggy]

Hello! (I live in an apartment too) I have 2 boars named Umi and Kyper in a 2x4 c and c cage.

I usually get their hay at Walmart (the timothy hay is about 5$) but we also have gotten it online for a good price.

I got my fleece for a good price at Walmart as well. They had solid colors. Mine was grey

But i did not enjoy the fleece as bedding. I ended up spot cleaning it 2-3 times a day and I didn't have the time. (I washed it every wknd) I went back to regular bedding and that is what I currently use.

I give my piggies about 1 cup of veggies a day. This includes Bell Pepper(no seeds!), carrots(2 baby carrots), some celery, and some kale.

I don't have a cat, sorry

Hope this helps!

 

[PoptartShop]

Hi & welcome. I've only had piggies for a month, so I can't really say I'm an expert. But I live in an apartment too.
I do buy bigger bags of hay from PetCo. I only pay about 6-8 bucks for it & it lasts.

I have a Midwest Guinea Pig Habitat. It's perfect size for my 2 girls.
I use fleece bedding. I just get the fleece at Walmart, it's like 5 bucks. They even have solid fleece blankets (I'm more of a solid fan myself) for like 2.50 & I just cut them to what I need them to be. I put a towel under the fleece for extra absorption.
I spot clean 2x a day, the poop (they poop a LOT! LOL). Also any old hay. I clean the entire thing once a week, I shake out the fleece & vacuum up the droppings, then throw it in the wash along with the towel, & I have about 3-4 extra things of fleece I can use so I don't have to 'wait' for the dirty fleece to be done in the wash in order to setup the clean cage. Put a fresh towel down, then fleece & wa-la!

My girls get 1 cup of veggies a day, I keep it varied for them so they don't get tired of the same thing. But daily they get bell peppers for sure (mostly red, sometimes green but red has the most vit C), & I also feed them romaine, carrots, cucumbers, too. Have to change it up a bit.

No cat here either, sorry I can't help you with that but I hope the cat wouldn't get into the cage.