New to Guinea Pigs

[hayleyh]

Hi.
My name is Hayley. I have just recently adopted my first ever guinea pig. He is adorable and I am having so much fun being a guinea pig owner. As he is my first I am sure I will have loads of questions to ask.
I got him about 3 weeks ago and he was in the adoption section at Pets At Home. He wasn't with the other guinea pigs as he was seperated as a baby due to an ear infection which left him with a lop sided head. So Pets at Home were not selling him but just trying to find him a nice home.
I named him Isiah, because one "eye's higher" than the other due to his lop sided head.
I never realised how much they pee and poop, I'm used to having hamsters who are very clean. I clean Isiah out twice a week so he is costing me a fortune in sawdust :-)
He eats like a horse. He is very inquisitive and has just started squeaking when I stoke him. I think that is a good sign.
I did wonder when I got him if he would be ok living on his own, and the shop assistant told me that because he had been seperated from the other guinea pigs for so long it probably wouldn't be fair to home him with another pig. So I bought him a mirror to go in his cage. He likes to look at himself and at night he doesn't sleep in his bedroom, he sleeps next to the mirror. I wonder if he is lonely?
Anyway, I look forward to meeting you all and hopefully you can help me with any questions.
Thanks,
Hayley and Isiah

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

It's great that you have taken on Isaiah. Sadly, p@hs advice about keeping boars single is wrong; but it works for them as they don't have the time, care and knowledge to bond boars carefully the way a good rescue does.

The best way to find Isaiah a friend is by ringing round all rescues within your reach to find the ones that offer "boar dating" (not all do) and have some suitable candidates in, so Isaiah can make his own choice who he clicks with. That way, you have a far better chance for a stable bond.

Here is a list of reputable rescues: http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/centres.asp

Most rescues require you to provide at least 2x4 ft space for two guinea pigs, ideally more when having boars.

Best of luck!

 

[hayleyh]

Hi Wiebke.
Yes I agree that Isaiah needs a friend. I think I will look into finding one for him. He has a big cage which I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing with another pig.
Thanks for your advice.