To pig or not to pig?

[Esmerelda]

Hello!

I joined this forum a week or so ago and have been reading through your stories and care advice on piggies. You have some absolutely gorgeous piggies, and it's so nice to see how much you love them.

I had guinea pigs years ago as a child through to when I was 18 (I'm now 29), and me and hubby are thinking of getting some guinea pigs after looking after a neighbour's pets and remembering how lovely they are.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma because I really would like guinea pigs, but I want to make sure we don't just jump into it and that we can really give them the home and care they need.

Are any of you in or have you been in the same position? What questions did you ask yourself before you adopted your piggies?

 

[jm_1234]

I also am 29 years old as well and took a break from guinea pigs when my last one died when I was 19. I really missed having them and remembered that they are work. I had been wanting to get some more for the past few years but my son was still a baby so I didn't think a guinea pig was a good idea until last fall.

I showed my daughter who was 4 at the time some pictures of my past guinea pigs and she was really pushing for us to get some. We decided last Novemeber that it was time and now 9 months later we have 8 guinea pigs lol. I am enjoying them and once we got them all the love for them came flooding back. They are a really nice addition to the family

They are work though, so make sure you take that into consideration. As well as cost for food, vet, etc. Good luck in whatever you decide

 

[Esmerelda]

Thank you

How did you find caring for the guinea pigs on top of having a young child? We don't have any kids yet but may consider it.

I don't think money would be an issue, I just want to make sure we could give them the time they deserve, and the space. Just looking at indoor pens/cages at the moment!

 

[piggyfan]

Here are some things I asked myself:
Can I afford to care for them for at least five years?
Do I have enough space for a nice spacious home?
Have I done enough research into their needs and behaviour so I understand about them?
Will I mind not going on holiday?
Have I got time to handle them everyday?

I also got their home ready well before I got the piggies too.

 

[jm_1234]

Caring for the guinea pigs does take alot of time but I do have 8 as well I am looking after 2 more for a friend for the next couple months. I have 5 cages at the moment to tend to. I spend about 10 min/cage a day spot cleaning, feeding, watering, etc. I change out the fleece every 3-4 days to keep on top of the smell. If they were in smaller cages it would be much more often.

If I had a baby 10 would be way to many but I think 2 would be fine for me. You may be different though, something you would have to consider for sure if you are thinking about kids. There are some people on here expecting babies/have babies so maybe they could give an opinion as well.

My daughter is very helpful with looking after them. She helps me brush them and feed them. She is a bit young yet to be cleaning the cage but in a couple years she will help me do that and I am very much looking forward to the help!

 

[missybct]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

We considered many things - how much time we could give them (we both work full time, but I am changing to part time due to health), how much we could afford if one became sick, whether we had enough room in our flat (it's a big apartment really) and whether we could give them the love and attention they needed.

I had guinea pigs when I was a teenager, and my Mum has had them ever since (plus A's parents, so we've always been around them) and I realised I wanted something I could give my love to other than A It is a lot of work, and you have to be prepared to accept they will get sick and you can't just leave them. Unfortunately I think people think of them as animals that don't live long, or don't require a lot of attention, which of course is wrong.

A big pen/cage is very important, especially if you are bringing them up from babies

x

 

[Iceprincessx]

I think by coming on here and asking yourself if you should get a guinea pig shows you'd be an excellent owner. I'd say be prepared for vet bills like with all animals and that all small animals go down hill quickly so be prepared for emergency out of hours vet bills. Check out the amazing section on here for housing ideas (I'm currently planning a C&C cage) as it gives fantastic ideas. Barnum and Bolero (RIP) gave me wonderful years and I love spending time with Barnum and hopefully a new friend in the future - however he is currently surgically attached to his new snuggle sack! lol

 

[PAMELAKT]

I had pigs when I was a kid & I'm now 31 & loving being a pig mummy again. Now as indoor pets, makes a huge difference getting them now I'm older I've really learnt to appreciate what wonderful little pets they make.

I just wish I had a bigger home so I could build a pig mansion!

You won't regret it Xx

 

[Esmerelda]

Thanks guys, I had a dream last night that I was building a multi-storey hutch for lots of guinea pigs and rabbits! ( Don't think I'll be going that far!)

Thanks for all your advice and sharing your experiences, much appreciated.

 

[Lil-Ninnibig]

To be honest guineapigs dont take up much time at all depensing obviously on how many you have. If you juat have 2 then if you kept them on wood shavings depending on cage size they would need cleaning out every few days taking 20 minutes or so. They need fresh food and water, hay and veggys everyday and cuddles atleast once a day. If they need a run on the lawn to exercise in and eat grass so long as the weather is warm and dry and the lawn is dry. You need money aside for any future vet bills. If you think you can give a couple of piggys time for a cuddle each day, and can financialy afford the cost of a pet then go for it! :-) but remember guineapigs can live for up to 8 years if looked after appropriatly. So you need to look into your future, if you had kids will you have the time and money for your pigs? If you and yout partner split up where would the piggys go? When your on holiday who will have the piggys for you? Owning a pet is like having a child they rely on you just as much and like having a child buying a pet means you are responsible for there health safety and happiness :-)