Advice on how to hold on to a guinea pig ?
Hello,
I would like to get a guinea pig for my children (and myself and my husband lol), but asides from having a particularly good sized cage, and food (of which i would like guidance on to please) and always making sure fresh water is available, i do not know to much more or less them.
Are they good pets, while having young children, my eldest is 3 1/2 yrs hoary.
Are they best kept outdoors? if this is the case i would prefer not to get one, as within are a lot of cats where we live.
Thanks for any sensible advice anyone can afford.
xx
Oh, no they cannot be kept outside, as you suggested, the guinea pig would probably be hunted by the cats, they would bring, cold, and they would prefer living indoors, where the rest of the family is! You should actually acquire 2 guinea pigs, because unless you are able to spend about at least 16 hours of pure part time with your piggy, then you should just take 2. You COULD get a piggy for your young children, but you should not let them hold them within their hands. You should place the piggy(ies) on their lap and let them stroke them. I reason you should be fine though, so go ahead and choose your piggy friend(s)!
I had a guinea pig for 6 years, and she be the sweetest thing. They are indoor pets, but you can put them in a small outdoor cage during the summer for a short time while. They need a lot of attention and they are quite loving. 3 1/2 is an okay age beside a guinea pig, because the animal is not too small.
The cage is a lot of upkeep, and very annoying to verbs sometimes - they aren't like hamsters. They go to the washroom a lot more. I propose putting newspaper down under your bedding in the shut within, it's a lot easier to clean it. And use a deodorizer under the broadsheet to keep the smell down, and this makes it better for the animal.
I always grew up w/guinea pigs, and the only problems we ever had be the kids dropping them. I think we got the first one when I was two, and neither me nor any of my sisters were ever bitten. We kept them in a basic ten gallon (I suggest it's ten gallon) aquarium w/cedar chip bedding, which is very cheap. They can get pretty hefty, but we never had to upgrade their housing, and roughly, they were great for us! I'm not sure if other ethnic group have problems with them biting, but if they did, I would propose taking it out often, even if just to hold, which kids love to do :D
hey lol i had always have a guine pig when i was younger so once my triplet daughters turned 2 i used it as an excuse to get one:) Guinea Pigs aregarzing animals meaning they requirement food at all times (toddlers love to make sure they own MORE then enough lol) they need sea 24/7. any cage that is labled okay for a guinea pig should be fine. When we got ours I didnt want it within the hosue because of our crazy kittens so I kept it in a hutch outside and its extremley happy :) worthy luck!!
Not good Pets they smell sorry!!
They certainly need to be kept indoors because they get cold. Guinea pigs make great pets. I used to angle them when I was younger and I really miss my little piggies. You might want to do some more research on them over the internet though. They do require some special care, like making certain they have vitamin C in their diets because their little bodies don't produce it on their own. Good luck.
Okay the first thing you need to knkow is that you enjoy to get 2 or else your one guinea pig will be socially deprived. Guinea pigs are like humans they obligation to be around other people so guinea pigs need to be around other guinea pigs. Next you should know that Guinea pigs are very honourable pets for children as long as they don't squeeze them to death! And I'm not so sure that the younger 2 should play with them until they are a bit bit older. Oh and don't leave them alone with the guinea pigs because kids can sometimes do something they don't tight-fisted to. Actually I think most people keep their guinea pigs inside so it is fine to save them inside, especially if they would be in vulnerability if you kept them outside. The food, well you impart a guinea pig pellet food. But not rabbit or hamster food it HAS to be guinea pig food. Don't feed guinea pigs food with seeds and other arbitrary foods in it. Also you must feed your guinea pigs timothy hay because it is vital for their diet. Also your guinea pigs will have need of any kinds of veggies that have vitamin c in them, resembling bell peppers, carrots, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, and celery. Make sure to dispense your guinea pigs plenty of floor time. guinea pig safe one room in your house and let your guinea pigs run around surrounded by it. I hope I helped
Actually they have need of to be kept indoors most of the time.
And yeah its fine to have your children around them just watch them at adjectives times. Because even my eight year old brother is still rough with them.
And you should get the biggest hold you can afford. The more room the better. And if you want to, get two of them because they like hold friends but keep them both male or female not any or. You should change the water every other day. and they involve Hay. you can get this special hay at the pet store. And any good brand guinea pig pellets are fine.
DO NOT preserve them in an aquarium, its actually quite desperate for them because they can feel trapped in.
And bedding...I really recommend asking the pet store people on that one.
If you enjoy any questions just email me or ask your local pet store.
They can help you catch everything you need.
Answers: Guinea pigs should actually never be housed out doors. So that works out well for you! lol.
*Whatever you do- do not put the poor pig in a ten gallon cistern, especially with cedar bedding such as dropkickbrat mentioned. Cedar is toxic to guinea pigs, and can cause them to enjoy URIs (Leading cause of death in guinea pigs). A ten gallon cistern is not only way too small of a space, but they do not allow the appropriate ventelation.*
Children of course should never be the crucial care taker of the animal, but from the vibe I get reading your question specifically not the case (Since they are only 3 1/2 lol!). I will send you this relationship that you can read over, it goes more in depth about kids and guinea pigs. But I will let somebody know you I have a 2 year old nephew that comes over alot and my pigs are fine. I just never evacuate him alone with the pig of course.
http://cavyspirit.com/kidsandguineapigs.
Guinea pigs are social animals. Meaning they need at lowest one or more buddies to live a happy, active life. Yes, when pigs are alone they DO find depressed, and lots of human attention isn't going to cut it. They need someone of their own species to share their time with while you are away.
Guinea pigs are truly costly animals. They need veggies daily, quality pellet, and unlimited hay. For hay and pellets, kleenmama is strongly recommend. Oxbow is another strongly recommend brand, for both pellets and hay as well. You can buy their stuff online here:
http://kmshayloft.com/
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/product...
Besides the hay and pellet, a pig needs a cup of fresh veggies everyday. Fruits should be given only as treats. Use this chart, it has a detail of all kinds of fruits and vegetables, and how much you should feed them per week. It also have a list of foods that are poisonous, and that you should avoid:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet...
Now, if you are going to capture a guinea pig, adopt. There are THOUSANDS of guinea pigs in need of homes. I can and will help you find one whether you don't seem to have any in your local shelter. Many times within will already even be an adoptable pair for you, rather than going through the stress of introductions and whatnot. Not to mention, adopting is much cheaper than any pet store! When you buy from a pet store, you are supporting subsidise yard breeding and breeding mills. Big chain pet stores get their animals from Rainbow Exoctics, which is a breeding mill that have the same conditions as terrible puppy mills. Or sometimes they will have one of their workers breed their stock for them. You can also try looking for pigs at these sites:
http://petfinder.com/
http://craigslist.org/
Lastly, the most important thing is, do you have ample space? A guinea pig needs a C&C cage. A single pig is required to have at lowest possible 7.5 sq ft, 10.5 for two. It really isn't as big as it sounds. They need the space for excersize. For more information, please check out this site and join the forum. There are tons of helpful, knowledgable relatives there who would love to answer any other questions you may hold!
http://guineapigcages.com/
For the bedding, fleece is actually a common, money saving entry to use. I love it, and so do my pigs! I am sure you are probably a little shocked about it and whatnot, but for more information almost that, read this link, it explains everything and has pictures:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/bedd...
If you do decide to carry a guinea pig, keep these links handy as well! They will teach you several important things about owning a guinea pig. I swear by them.
http://www.guinealynx.info/
http://cavyspirit.com/
