Some Questions I Have And Where I Can Come To Ask More?

[jayjayb_00]

New Guinea Pig Mama here!

I have some questions:

Is it good to use fleece for bedding and if so, do you have any good recommendations? (I've heard that its good for their feet, reusable, and easier to clean.)

Do they need the pet food kibble from stores or just nutritious vegetables? Which is better?

How long should I give floor time when I'm on a tight schedule? (college student part-time, part-time homeschool, and 12 hours of volunteer work weekly)

Last, I have a cat who enjoys staying in my room. How can I make it so Sophia and her future friend are safe?

 

[PerpLexxity]

First of all welcome to the forum!

Bedding:
I highly recommend a mix of fleece and some type of Paper bedding. I think the fleece and Paper mix reduce smell. If you plan on going with fleece, what I do is put down an absorbent layer (a reusable waterproof mattress protector is what I use), and a fleece throw blanket on top. It’s less work I think to use fleece, but it depends on the person really.

Food:
Your pig will need a constant supply of hay, you can never go wrong with Timothy hay. Guinea pigs also have guinea pig pellets but they need need to be given a controlled amount of pellets to prevent access calcium. Last, they need daily vegetables. Piggies can’t produce vitamin C alone, and need the help of veggies to get their vitamins and such.

Time:
Floor time is up to you and your pigs. One of my pigs love being held and exploring while the other prefers to be held and doesn’t like to have to much floor time. So your pigs don’t get bored get them chews or toys for their cage.

Safety:
So that your cat can’t get ahold of your pig, I think you need a cage with a top piece. I have the Midwest Guinea pig Habitat plus which comes with a securable top hatch. C&C cages are prefferd cages for pigs but I don’t think most come with a top cover.

You should explore the forum more, there’s so much information here!

 

[Betsy]

Welcome to our friendly forum. There are lots of useful guides at the top of the page with lots of questions answered. I refer to those whenever I have a question I want answered. Also you can always ask on here. This is a place where nobody will judge you and you can ask what you think are 'silly' or 'embarrassing' questions that you think you should know but don't. If you don't know you need to find out!

 

[Gia]

Here are some good links!
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diet
All About C & C Grid Cages Around The World
Guinea Pig Toys
Companionship

 

[sport_billy]

New Guinea Pig Mama here!

I have some questions:

Is it good to use fleece for bedding and if so, do you have any good recommendations? (I've heard that its good for their feet, reusable, and easier to clean.)

Do they need the pet food kibble from stores or just nutritious vegetables? Which is better?

How long should I give floor time when I'm on a tight schedule? (college student part-time, part-time homeschool, and 12 hours of volunteer work weekly)

Last, I have a cat who enjoys staying in my room. How can I make it so Sophia and her future friend are safe?

We have a bedding guide here full of pro's and cons
Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview

The recommended ratio of food groups:
- ca. 80% hay
- 10-15% veg and fresh herbs (ca. 1 cupful / 50g / nearly 2oz)
- 5-10% pellets (amount depending on the age)
- plenty of fresh water daily

How big is your piggies cage?

As regards to your cat, make sure that your cage has a lid ans is never allowed access to the guinea pig - remember cats are hunters and piggies are a prey animal. Piggies will be scared and as a previous cat owner I would never have trusted my cat around a piggy it only takes a second for damage to be done.

You have received great advice above, on the forum you have a wealth of info at your finger tips take time to look in our guides section, I and most others here know what we know because of knowledge shared here.

Lee

 

[Katiedid]

Hi and welcome. I use fleece with puppy pads under. It saves washing a second layer and keeps the smell in check.

Pellets, I always feel for me that a good quality pellet containing vit c, - fed in small quantities takes the pressure off my veg prep. I have 4 piggies and veg is probably the area I am least confident in. Mine aren't that keen on bell peppers and I'm not dedicated enoug to research all the quantities of vit c and balance it all out (I would add veg is already a juggling act due to 2 piggies with dietary restrictions, making sure they got all the vit c and other nutrients they get from pellets and still letting others in the family feed the piggies and restricting the veg which cause bloat, is too much for me).

Cats, my current one get very stressed when they see a cat, even with a lid in the cage bear in mind just the sight of the cat may be stressful.

 

[Freela]

I'll try to help out as best as I can!
1. Bedding is really up to you. A lot of people love fleece, personally with a really old washer and dryer I don't want to end up burning them out by constantly washing large loads of pig bedding, so I use a disposable paper bedding instead. There are pros and cons to each, but pigs will be happy and comfortable on either. I don't recommend wood shavings, although they are cheaper than paper, because they don't absorb as well and the aroma can irritate the respiratory tract of many animals (and people- after years of small animals on wood chips in my youth, I am completely allergic to cedar/pine/aspen now!)
2. Pigs can't live on just vegetables. They will not wear their teeth down adequately or get enough long fiber in their diet. Veggies are treats. The most important thing you can give them is an unlimited supply of timothy hay. This gives them the fiber they need, wears their teeth, and is the single most important food item. I also give a vitamin C fortified pellet daily. Guinea pigs, like humans, do not make their own vitamin C and can get scurvy if they don't get enough in their diet. I also give fresh foods with vitamin C, but the pellets are a good failsafe for when they do not get as much vitamin C from their daily treats.
3. Floor time. It's really up to you when you can work it in. If you can block off an area or buy a large pen, it's possible to give your pigs floor time without you being right next to them supervising at all times. Mine are in a hallways where I block off both ends and give them floor time with treats to forage for nightly. I can see them from where I am sitting on the couch.
4. I don't personally have larger pets, so will not be much help there. Some cats have more of a prey drive than others (my friend's cat used to kill rabbits in their yard- he would easily have killed something the size of a guinea pig. My other friend's cat sniffs at the pigs, but is actually freaked out when they move and runs away from them.) Some guinea pigs will learn to tolerate other animals and others will be terrified. For safety, personally I would not leave a cat in a room with a guinea pig that was not fully enclosed unless you are supervising them- so I wouldn't use a cage that wasn't covered on top and would keep the cat out or watch really closely during floor time.