On the fence about getting Guinea Pigs

[LuvsRuben]

Hi there
I'm a brand new member with zero Guinea Pig experience. So I apologize if I seem completely clueless about them.... but I am trying to learn a few things! A little bit of background: I volunteer at one of the local county Animal Shelters, and it is not unusual for me to bring home some of the "guests" there that have overstayed their visit.. 99% of these guys I find good homes for, while there have been a few I ended up keeping. This includes mostly dogs, but I have also rehomed rats, hamsters, snakes, turtles, and even a tarantula.
Recently I brought home a down-on-his-luck bunny and fell in love with him. I really wanted to keep this guy. I grew up with bunnies and our bunnies were box trained and never in a cage. So I know they appreciate a good amount of space, digging, running, hopping, and company. Unfortunately one of my dogs makes this bunny lifestyle impossible at my house. I tried my hand at making large pens indoors and safe places to play outdoors. But I came to realize that none of these were 100% safe with regard to being safe from my dog (he is a Dachshund mix). So I reluctantly found a great home for him (the bunny) with a woman at work.
Now, there are a pair of Guinea Pig boys at the shelter who have been there a while. I have been thinking of bringing them home, but I'm worried I will try and try to make a good space for them and it still will not work (like with the bunny). But I'm also concerned about the few people who have shown interest, but they only want one of them. I do not want them separated, but the shelter does not have any rules with regard to adopting a bonded pair together only.
Which brings me here. With questions! My concern with the bunny was coming up with a huge enclosure that was also 100% covered/closed to keep him safe. For the Guinea Pigs I have a cage that might work, but would like to hear opinions. A few years back I kept several pet rats, and while my ratties have since passed away I still have their 2 level Midwest Ferret Nation cage. Each levels floor space is 6.25 sq feet plus a loft/shelf that is approximately 4 sq feet. So 2X 6.25 floor space and 2X 4 sq feet loft/shelf space. There is a small ramp on each level going to the shelf top, and a small ramp between levels. Would this be appropriate for the piggies? I know they are not climbers like the ratties, but could they learn to use the whole space? the ramps are not steep. This cage would keep them completely safe from my dog, my main concern. And I have foldable pens for dogs that I can use in the house for them to run around in as long as my dog is in the bedroom. Would this be sufficient? Or do they need any outdoor time like the bunny would have? ( I strongly believe bunnies thrive with supervised outdoor time to run and dig...I don't know how Guinea Pigs feel about it though? Are they happy with inside-run-around time?)
I see the pictures of the beautiful home made Guinea Pig habitats made with flooring squares, borders, small fences etc. I love these! But I could not safely use one. If the safely closed off Ferret Nation cage is not appropriate I'll probably have to give up on my idea of bringing the piggie boys home ( to keep anyway..I guess rehoming them would still be an option)
Some of the other Guinea Pig things I think I have covered...I have a good Exotics vet that neutered all of my ratties, I'm pretty patient about getting them socialized (they are a bit skittish), I have no problem with daily/weekly cleaning and I have been reading up on what a good diet would be..
Thank you! And I apologize this turned out to be such a long post!

 

[Shelley anne]

I am not sure about the cage size so someone else can answer that.
My guinea pigs like to run around inside and explore their room. I leave their door open and they come and go as they please in their bedroom, that's with the door closed so my cats and dogs cant come in. I wouldn't let them run around outside without a secure enclosure though as they get scared easily and would run and hide. Mine tend to stay indoors a lot as I am over protective and paranoid about something happening to them. So I cant see a problem with them not getting outdoor time as long as they are getting some time to explore some extra area and run around and stretch their wee legs a bit.

 

[Shelley anne]

One thing to consider if they aren't getting outdoor time is that they will need a bit of sunlight from time to time for Vitamin D so may need an open window nearby perhaps, unless you are giving pellets that have Vit D in them.

 

[Black piggies]

Not sure about cage size but well done you trying to protect a bonded pair of social animals from being separated. Hope you can make it work. C and c cage lids I've used in the past and they feel secure.

 

[Robin_]

I would not suggest using a ferret nation as a cage. By the very minimum of 8sq ft we mean of undivided floorspace, meaning not separated into levels. Piggies need room for zoomies and running around, which can’t be done in a basically 6.25sq ft cage. Male piggies in particular need even more space, especially as teenagers, as they have some rough hormonal years and need the space to get away from each other. I personally don’t recommend anything under 14sq ft (a 5x2 C&C cage) for boars for this reason alone.

As for what cage, as I said, you could do a C&C cage and create a lid for it out of more grids. You could also (more expensively) buy a few connecting pet shop cages and link them to get that 14sq ft.

As for playtime, guinea pigs aren’t as huge of burrowers but can enjoy outdoor grazing time in an enclosed play area (the top should be covered to discourage predators). Indoor playtime in a guinea-proof room is also a great option for free-roaming.

 

[Sweet Potato]

is there any way you can keep them in a separate room that you don't let the dog into, I know people also keep their piggies cages on tables and build lids to protect their precious pets. I would also encourage you to do some clicker training with the dog around your smaller pets once they've settled in. keeping him on a lead and the piggies in the cage introduce them at a safe distance every time he looks away/ relaxes click and treat so that even if he does get into their room he knows not to bother them. keeping dogs and any small animal will never be 100% safe especially if it is a dog with a particularly high prey drive. I have made the decision that I will never get a dog so that I can have the pray animals that I love. That said plenty of people do have both but you just have to always be vigilant and never feel that because your dog doesn't usually react they're fine to be together because his instinct will always be to catch them.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there
I'm a brand new member with zero Guinea Pig experience. So I apologize if I seem completely clueless about them.... but I am trying to learn a few things! A little bit of background: I volunteer at one of the local county Animal Shelters, and it is not unusual for me to bring home some of the "guests" there that have overstayed their visit.. 99% of these guys I find good homes for, while there have been a few I ended up keeping. This includes mostly dogs, but I have also rehomed rats, hamsters, snakes, turtles, and even a tarantula.
Recently I brought home a down-on-his-luck bunny and fell in love with him. I really wanted to keep this guy. I grew up with bunnies and our bunnies were box trained and never in a cage. So I know they appreciate a good amount of space, digging, running, hopping, and company. Unfortunately one of my dogs makes this bunny lifestyle impossible at my house. I tried my hand at making large pens indoors and safe places to play outdoors. But I came to realize that none of these were 100% safe with regard to being safe from my dog (he is a Dachshund mix). So I reluctantly found a great home for him (the bunny) with a woman at work.
Now, there are a pair of Guinea Pig boys at the shelter who have been there a while. I have been thinking of bringing them home, but I'm worried I will try and try to make a good space for them and it still will not work (like with the bunny). But I'm also concerned about the few people who have shown interest, but they only want one of them. I do not want them separated, but the shelter does not have any rules with regard to adopting a bonded pair together only.
Which brings me here. With questions! My concern with the bunny was coming up with a huge enclosure that was also 100% covered/closed to keep him safe. For the Guinea Pigs I have a cage that might work, but would like to hear opinions. A few years back I kept several pet rats, and while my ratties have since passed away I still have their 2 level Midwest Ferret Nation cage. Each levels floor space is 6.25 sq feet plus a loft/shelf that is approximately 4 sq feet. So 2X 6.25 floor space and 2X 4 sq feet loft/shelf space. There is a small ramp on each level going to the shelf top, and a small ramp between levels. Would this be appropriate for the piggies? I know they are not climbers like the ratties, but could they learn to use the whole space? the ramps are not steep. This cage would keep them completely safe from my dog, my main concern. And I have foldable pens for dogs that I can use in the house for them to run around in as long as my dog is in the bedroom. Would this be sufficient? Or do they need any outdoor time like the bunny would have? ( I strongly believe bunnies thrive with supervised outdoor time to run and dig...I don't know how Guinea Pigs feel about it though? Are they happy with inside-run-around time?)
I see the pictures of the beautiful home made Guinea Pig habitats made with flooring squares, borders, small fences etc. I love these! But I could not safely use one. If the safely closed off Ferret Nation cage is not appropriate I'll probably have to give up on my idea of bringing the piggie boys home ( to keep anyway..I guess rehoming them would still be an option)
Some of the other Guinea Pig things I think I have covered...I have a good Exotics vet that neutered all of my ratties, I'm pretty patient about getting them socialized (they are a bit skittish), I have no problem with daily/weekly cleaning and I have been reading up on what a good diet would be..
Thank you! And I apologize this turned out to be such a long post!

Hi and welcome

Good that you are thinking things through before you are committing!
Here are the links to our Wannabe and New Owners collections, which you may find very helpful and interesting:
Are Guinea Pigs For Me? - Wannabe Owners' Helpful Information
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

Guinea pigs are ground roaming group animals that will actually move quite a distance as a herd to their feeding grounds. This means that they will need as much ground space as possible. Please keep in mind that while they will use a second floor if the ramp is not too steep and has good grip, you can only count the main floor as their living quarters. The absolute welfare minimum is 8 sq ft, ideally more. For two boars we strongly recommend around 12 sq ft.
Cage Size Guide

Piggies enjoy lawn time in moderate weather when your lawn is warm and dry to your bare feet for 5 minutes, but they should not be allowed to free roam even under supervision unless your garden is fully enclosed and you have checked every nook any cranny for holes under the fence; and ideally not until they are trained to come back to when you call. Hot weather is as much a killer for piggies as for rabbits, only more so. You can find information in the guide collection, too.

Like rabbits, guinea pigs are prey animals. If you have a dog or a cat with a strong hunting instinct or a constant bark, I would not recommend to have have prey animals in the same household and in close proximity. It is a constant source of stress for the piggies. We sadly regularly see threads on here about the upsetting aftermath; and very often with a deadly outcome. It take literally just seconds and a shake...

It is often tough when you have to decide between your head and your heart.

 

[LuvsRuben]

Thank all of you so much for the help. It sounds as though the Ferret Nation would not be appropriate. Which I suspected....it was great for my ratties, who got a lot of their exercise from climbing. But for a non-climber, maybe not so much.
I thought about making a cover for a ‘C&C’ cage (I had no idea that is what they are called until now!) but it would have to be elevated on a table and I’m not sure I have a place indoors to set up something that large (the house is large, but somewhat old and made in the days that rooms were just smaller..). The elevation of the Ferret Nation on its stand seems to keep my short little crazy dog from becoming too interested in what is in there (at least it always worked fine with my ratties).
Thank you also for the tip on training my little guy (the dog, Ruben). I have hired dog trainers but he has some pretty ingrained ‘hunting’ instincts. He even attacks a specific storm drain we see on our walk every single walk, all because he saw a raccoon rummaging in the storm drain about 6 years ago.
For now I will try to persuade interested parties at the shelter to consider getting both boys. Sometimes we also get rescues that pull animals that of course would take both.
If somehow I find a space in the house that I could build the appropriate cage, I’m sure I will be back with more questions!
Thank you all very much!

 

[sundaepig]

a midwest cage with a cover works perfectly! I use a sheer material around the outside so light gets in but they cant see my cat intimidating them.
you're an angel for making sure they have a good home!

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
I can’t add to the advice you’ve been given. It’s very good that you are researching first.