Pet Sitting

[ScatteredA]

Hi! So I don't actually own any guinea pigs, but my best friend does and I will be getting rats sometime in the future, so I understand some temperature and sound stuff. As this week is spring break, I will be watching her guinea pigs (I will refer to them by their names: Percy and Aaron from here on out). Of course, I will be following her instructions to the T and doing plenty of research on my own as well as reading on here, but there are some questions I have that I can't find answers for. I would also appreciate all tips you might have!
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1. I have one cat. She is blind. We don't know how she'll react to Percy and Aaron, but if they are too stressed they will be in a room she can't get to. Any insight into how they (Percy/Aaron and cat) will react to one another?

2. Basically, just any really, really important stuff. Stuff they cannot eat or they will die, stuff they shouldn't eat but it won't kill them, just stuff they should avoid, how to pig-proof a room, stuff they shouldn't chew on, handling tips.

3. Any other general tips!
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I don't have any other questions, but please post any info you think I should know!

 

[Freela]

How they respond to the cat is really going to depend on the cat and the pigs. Some pigs startle about unfamiliar animals, some of them barely seem to notice their presence. One of my pigs actually really liked my bestie's cat when she would piggie-sit, the cat liked to watch them and my bolder piggie would touch noses with her through the bars. I would definitely not let them mingle freely, since cats are natural predators and guinea pigs are natural prey and it only takes a minute for a pig to get bitten or scratched, but I wouldn't assume that the pigs will necessarily be frightened either.

I know there are some lists about safe/unsafe foods listed at the top of some pages here. I would just give what you friend suggests you give. New foods can provoke gas or other issues and you probably don't want to have to troubleshoot that! They are strictly herbivores, so anything meat or dairy is a no.

As for piggy-proofing, guinea pigs are chewers. So you'll want to make sure that there are no electrical cords or things that could hurt them within reach. Some of them will also try to chew doorframes, baseboards, or pull at your carpet, so you might want to watch for that. You don't want them ingesting paint or anything that might be harmful, and you don't want them leaving little teethmarks in your furniture and baseboards either!

 

[ScatteredA]

Thanks so much! As prep for my rats, I watched some rats for a few days so everything I already rat-proofed, and all my wood has claw/chew marks. Anyway, this advice is so helpful. I really appreciate it!

 

[Swissgreys]

I am assuming they will be coming in their own cage?
If so it is important to make sure that it has a secure roof so the cat can't get to them. Things can happen quickly, and it doesn't take much for a larger animal to seriously injure or even kill a guinea pig.

As for food, if they are only coming to you for a week, then you shouldn't really offer them any new food or treats - just stick to the list your friend provides. Changes in diet coupled with a new environment could cause problems.

But enjoy your guinea sitting. It sounds like you have already done a lot of research and I am sure your friend is happy to have such a good place to send her piggies while she is away.

 

[ScatteredA]

Ok, so they're here. We're having floor time and they're running around, sniffing everything, eating some carrots, being really frickin' cute. The shy one is kissing my feet. They keep popcorning. But, I have a few more questions.
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1. What do little bubbly squeaks mean? Nothing super dramatic, it kind of just seems like they're talking to each other.
2. I cut up one regular carrot. They've only had a few pieces.
3. Is that purring I'm hearing?
4. The dominant one (Percy) keeps waving his butt around in Aaron's face. Should I be worried?
5. Do they need water during floor time?
6. How dangerous is catnip to pigs?
7. I heard they're supposed to pee on lot's of stuff, but in the 45 minutes I've had them in here, they haven't peed at all.
8. Just a general question. They have no toys in their cage, one hideaway thing and just some basic chews. Should I make them some? If so, links?
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@Swissgreys I made sure to get the lid before they left town. It's on anytime I'm not in the room.

 

[ScatteredA]

Omg. I'm trying to learn what their sounds mean and I played a video of wheeking and Aaron started wheeking. Too cute.