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Kaylee W

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Hi I'm Kaylee.
New to the forum.
We are looking for two baby girl guinea pigs for our daughter's for Christmas.
Any help and advice on what to look out would be really appreciated 😃
 
:wel:

First, do you want the piggies as well or are they purely for your children? I only ask as piggies, as exotic pets, are expensive in vet care and are not the cuddly creatures they are portrayed to be. Most don’t like being picked up and touched so as long as your children can understand that they may not get to sit and cuddle them and won’t get bored of just sitting and watching them.

I’d recommend you get your name on waiting lists for adopting from a rescue centre. It really is the best way as you can be sure that the piggies you get aren’t pregnant, are healthy and are character compatible and will therefore have a good bond. Buying from pet shops and breeders does come with risks of pregnancy, illness and the potential that they aren’t character compatible.

Are they to live indoors? It’s too late in the year for piggies to be put outside, particularly babies.

Quick Information Bundle For Wannabe Owners
 
Hi and welcome!

Firstly, it is great that you are doing your research beforehand and not just getting guinea pigs and then finding that they aren't what you expected.

Please be aware that guinea pigs are not easy 'starter pets'; they are actually quite high maintenance with twice weekly cleaning and daily poo patrol, eating lots of hay. They require saving up for expensive vet care or paying regular insurance and they are decidedly not animated cuddly toys; they are prey animals with prey animal instincts that will need supervision when being handled and interacted with by children. One of the most common problems with guinea pigs being handled by children are freak blind jumps with bad injuries or deep instinctive defence bites from animals not used to human interaction and very much on edge and feeling threatened.

Guinea pigs also have an average healthy life span of 5-7 years - that is a lot longer than children's interest will hol; especially smaller children's. It is going to be realistically you who will want to have them and look after them for the long term unless you have a very caring and conscientious child who would thrive on looking after pets that appreciate the care.

Please take the time to read up on our information and be honest with yourself. There are far too many piggies being produced and then discarded like outgrown toys. Rescues are currently reeling from the incessant onslaught from all the no longer wanted lockdown/post-spring lockdown piggies now that schools are back and the pets have lost their novelty value.

We have put together an information collection that will hopefully help you to make any informed decisions whether guinea pigs are really what you are after. Here is the link: Quick Information Bundle For Wannabe Owners

If you want to get a better idea what issues you may be up against as an owner, our practical and very comprehensive new owner's collection may give you a more realistic insight: New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

Please note that rescues will not rehome guinea pigs as Christmas presents for that reason - the next wave of unwanted pets is starting quite literally within a couple of days after Christmas...

Guinea pigs are wonderful animals but they are not quite what most people expect. Forget about all the cute videos on social media - they are what humans consider cute and amusing but don't reflect reality. Please take the time to do your research and to sleep on it; you are welcome to ask any questions you have and we will answer them as honestly as we can.
 
Piggies&buns said:
:wel:

First, do you want the piggies as well or are they purely for your children? I only ask as piggies, as exotic pets, are expensive in vet care and are not the cuddly creatures they are portrayed to be. Most don’t like being picked up and touched so as long as your children can understand that they may not get to sit and cuddle them and won’t get bored of just sitting and watching them.

I’d recommend you get your name on waiting lists for adopting from a rescue centre. It really is the best way as you can be sure that the piggies you get aren’t pregnant, are healthy and are character compatible and will therefore have a good bond. Buying from pet shops and breeders does come with risks of pregnancy, illness and the potential that they aren’t character compatible.

Are they to live indoors? It’s too late in the year for piggies to be put outside, particularly babies.

Quick Information Bundle For Wannabe Owners
Click to expand...
Thank you for you reply.

We have our names down at a number of rescue centres and are looking daily. New to guinea pigs and really appreciate any extra information before we extend our family.
They would be for all our family and for us all to enjoy.

They are going to be inside with us so the children can be more hands on with daily routines of feeding and care.

I've brought an indoor play pen for the children to sit in while holding them incase they jump, then their contained. But also the piggies have more space and room for daily excersise during the colder months with their toys.

We also have a how to care for guinea pig book for us all to keep at hand when we're unsure of what to do but also wanted to join a forum for extra help and advice.

From your experience what's the best way to set up their cages? As in straw, newspaper or sawdust?

Thank you
 
Wiebke said:
Hi and welcome!

Firstly, it is great that you are doing your research beforehand and not just getting guinea pigs and then finding that they aren't what you expected.

Please be aware that guinea pigs are not easy 'starter pets'; they are actually quite high maintenance with twice weekly cleaning and daily poo patrol, eating lots of hay. They require saving up for expensive vet care or paying regular insurance and they are decidedly not animated cuddly toys; they are prey animals with prey animal instincts that will need supervision when being handled and interacted with by children. One of the most common problems with guinea pigs being handled by children are freak blind jumps with bad injuries or deep instinctive defence bites from animals not used to human interaction and very much on edge and feeling threatened.

Guinea pigs also have an average healthy life span of 5-7 years - that is a lot longer than children's interest will hol; especially smaller children's. It is going to be realistically you who will want to have them and look after them for the long term unless you have a very caring and conscientious child who would thrive on looking after pets that appreciate the care.

Please take the time to read up on our information and be honest with yourself. There are far too many piggies being produced and then discarded like outgrown toys. Rescues are currently reeling them incessant onslaught from all the no longer wanted piggies from the summer now that schools are back and the pets have lost their novelty value.
We have put together an information collection that will hopefully help you to make any informed decisions whether guinea pigs are really what you are after.
Here is the link: Quick Information Bundle For Wannabe Owners

If you want to get a better idea what issues you may be up against as an owner, our practical and very comprehensive new owner's collection may give you a more realistic insight: New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

Please note that rescues will not rehome guinea pigs as Christmas presents for that reason - the next wave of unwanted pets will start quite literally within a couple of days after Christmas...

Guinea pigs are wonderful animals but they are not quite what most people expect. Forget about all the cute videos on social media - they are what humans consider cute and amusing but don't reflect reality. Please take the time to do your research and to sleep on it; you are welcome to ask any questions you have and we will answer them as honestly as we can.
Click to expand...
Thank you for all this information
 
Kaylee W said:
Thank you for you reply.

We have our names down at a number of rescue centres and are looking daily. New to guinea pigs and really appreciate any extra information before we extend our family.
They would be for all our family and for us all to enjoy.

They are going to be inside with us so the children can be more hands on with daily routines of feeding and care.

I've brought an indoor play pen for the children to sit in while holding them incase they jump, then their contained. But also the piggies have more space and room for daily excersise during the colder months with their toys.

We also have a how to care for guinea pig book for us all to keep at hand when we're unsure of what to do but also wanted to join a forum for extra help and advice.

From your experience what's the best way to set up their cages? As in straw, newspaper or sawdust?

Thank you
Click to expand...

I'm glad you’ve done your research.

as long as you are aware that your children may not be able to sit and hold them. Most piggies don’t like being held. Mine absolutely hate it they are much happier to be left to wander around. I sit in my shed with them and they will potter around me but dont like being touched at all. My own children (9 and 13) prefer our rabbits to the piggies simply because the piggies don’t like physical interaction but our rabbits love it!

What kind of cage are they to live in? Two sows need a minimum of 120cm x 60cm or a 4x2 c&c cage (which measures 150cm x 77cm).

guinea pigs should never have straw as it’s too sharp and not a food source. They can be bedded on hay (with something absorbent underneath) as it’s softer and is their main food source.
a lot of people with indoor piggies bed them on fleece - either a single blanket with an absorbent layer (such as puppy pads) underneath or properly made liners with the absorbent layer stitched in the middle of two fleece blankets. The choice if bedding is very personal.
my own piggies live in a hutch in a shed (having daily access to the shed floor to play) and so are bedded on an absorbent layer of aubiose and then a thicker layer of hay everywhere In winter; in summer they have hay in their hutch with fleece in the shed.

these are our guides on bedding in general but also details on how to use fleece If you decide to do this.

Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview
A Detailed Guide For Fleece Bedding

An important thing is to set up a vet fund. Hopefully you won’t need it, but piggy medical issues can be expensive so having a good sized fund saved up in advance can take at least the financial stress of a poorly piggy away.
 
Last edited:
Mine live indoors and it's quite possible that you will try out a few bedding options before deciding what is best for you. We use different things in different bits of the cage. If you have a garden waste collection this might affect your choices too as some beddings are compostable - check with the bin company what is allowed (for instance, we got permission to include wood shavings and Back-2-Nature bedding and used bedding hay, but are not allowed to put in old newspapers )
We personally don't use shavings any more because I found the smell - although not unpleasant - was pretty overpowering and filled the whole house!
A lot of the beddings tend to 'travel'... especially across laminate floors! If your new piggies get excited and run around they'll kick out bedding and then when someone opens a door and creates a draught - whoooosh! It happens to us all 😄
Welcome to Guinea-Pig World!
 
Piggies&buns said:
I'm glad you’ve done your research.

as long as you are aware that your children may not be able to sit and hold them. Most piggies don’t like being held. Mine absolutely hate it they are much happier to be left to wander around. I sit in my shed with them and they will potter around me but dont like being touched at all. My own children (9 and 13) prefer our rabbits to the piggies simply because the piggies don’t like physical interaction but our rabbits love it!

What kind of cage are they to live in? Two sows need a minimum of 120cm x 60cm or a 4x2 c&c cage (which measures 150cm x 77cm).

guinea pigs should never have straw as it’s too sharp and not a food source. They can be bedded on hay (with something absorbent underneath) as it’s softer and is their main food source.
a lot of people with indoor piggies bed them on fleece - either a single blanket with an absorbent layer (such as puppy pads) underneath or properly made liners with the absorbent layer stitched in the middle of two fleece blankets. The choice if bedding is very personal.
my own piggies live in a hutch in a shed (having daily access to the shed floor to play) and so are bedded on an absorbent layer of aubiose and then a thicker layer of hay everywhere In winter; in summer they have hay in their hutch with fleece in the shed.

these are our guides on bedding in general but also details on how to use fleece If you decide to do this.

Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview
A Detailed Guide For Fleece Bedding

An important thing is to set up a vet fund. Hopefully you won’t need it, but piggy medical issues can be expensive so having a good sized fund saved up in advance can take at least the financial stress of a poorly piggy away.
Click to expand...

Thank you 😊
 
Free Ranger said:
Mine live indoors and it's quite possible that you will try out a few bedding options before deciding what is best for you. We use different things in different bits of the cage. If you have a garden waste collection this might affect your choices too as some beddings are compostable - check with the bin company what is allowed (for instance, we got permission to include wood shavings and Back-2-Nature bedding and used bedding hay, but are not allowed to put in old newspapers )
We personally don't use shavings any more because I found the smell - although not unpleasant - was pretty overpowering and filled the whole house!
A lot of the beddings tend to 'travel'... especially across laminate floors! If your new piggies get excited and run around they'll kick out bedding and then when someone opens a door and creates a draught - whoooosh! It happens to us all 😄
Welcome to Guinea-Pig World!
Click to expand...

Thank you.

We used to have an indoor rabbit and found the same when we used shavings in his cage.
He also liked to kick the bedding everywhere, I remember this well 😅

Thank you all for all your help and advice.

I'll keep you all posted.
 
Welcome to the forum.
some piggies are going to have a wonderful home soon.
You are obviously very caring in doing so much research first.
We will look forward to pictures when you get your piggies and they are settled.

You’ve been asking about bedding - I use wood shavings which only smell if I don’t get a cage clean done soon enough.
I tried fleece but found the required poop scooping and laundry too much to cope with.
Use what works best for you
 
Merab's Slave said:
Welcome to the forum.
some piggies are going to have a wonderful home soon.
You are obviously very caring in doing so much research first.
We will look forward to pictures when you get your piggies and they are settled.

You’ve been asking about bedding - I use wood shavings which only smell if I don’t get a cage clean done soon enough.
I tried fleece but found the required poop scooping and laundry too much to cope with.
Use what works best for you
Click to expand...
Thank you, really appreciate it🙂
 
:wel:
I agree with all above.
Well done for doing so much research, I’m sure your two guinea pigs will be very happy! ✨💖👏☺️
 
Welcome to the forum.
I’d like to add that you should use the forum as your own handbook. Most physical books written about guinea pigs are years out of date, knowledge about guinea pigs has advanced so much in the last few years and continues to advance. The forum stays up to date with all new knowledge. If you ever have a question about anything, start a thread in the appropriate place and you will receive the best information and advice that’s out there. Definitely use it before a guidebook!

Also, I know it’s perhaps a 1-2 hour drive away from you but Cavy Corner in Doncaster would be a good rescue for you to visit once lockdown is over. Cavy Corner offer a guinea pig care class for you and your family so that you can begin to understand guinea pigs. From their needs to their behaviour. It’s also a nice afternoon out for the kids too but it means both you and they are prepared to own Guinea pigs. As other people have said, most guinea pigs aren’t fans of being handled at all. Humans can be seen as nothing more than the food deliverer. This is down to them being prey animals. Again, I’d definitely recommend Cavy Corner purely for their care class. You can ring them to speak to them whenever and discuss adoption and the care class if it’d be something you’re interested in. The owners, especially Sue, are lovely and really friendly
 
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