Cherrry123

Well getting another pet again! This time I talked my mom into it as an Easter Gift. I will be housing it in an old, big, wire mesh, cage, with a pull out bottom which makes cleaning easier. I have a few questins. So with the type of cage I have, do I need to spread out bedding on top of the bottom? What else do I need? I have a water bottle, food bowl, so what else?

KittieKat

CHEW TOYS!!! oh gosh... they love to munch munch munch.. with the bedding the only suggestions i have are to 1. not use cedar shavings (very bad for the piggy) and 2. make sure that if ur cage is like a wire cage on top of a plastic bottom to fill the bottom enough that the bedding covers the bottom bars.. now if it is a 5-sided mesh with the plastic AS the bottom by sure to fill it to just underneath the top of the plastic. i suggest placing the cage where it is easy to vaccum the floor underneath.. i kid u not piggies throw parties when ure not looking.

mine used to LOVE to chew on the cardboard tubes from t-p rolls and paper towels. dedicate a towel or two just for ur guinea pig. when u take it out its safest on top of a towel (they tend to poop everywhere and anywhere). at night or every evening place a large towel over the cage to help to piggy feel safe to sleep.. be sure to leave a section in a corner or something to allow air to pass.

buy a book about guinea pigs!! please!.. always research research research BEFORE u get an animal!! have everything set up, test the water bottle to be sure it works, and then buy ur new buddy. let it be for about 48 hours so it can get used to its new home with the towel ON and then try to pet it in the cage everytime u come in and out of the room for the next week along with removing the towel in the morning and replacing it at nite (normal day/nite schedule).. u have to build up trust with it before u handle it.. their scratches are not fun!

ask as many questions as u can to the sales associates and test their knowledge to what u have researched to get the best answers and/or solutions. be sure to have a vet that treats guineas on speed dial because not every vet treats them and u might need to call at some point.

pigs do make plenty of noise to be prepared for that. and be sure that ur food dish is a ceramic one cuz pigs will dump it and throw it all over otherwise.

oh! last thing i promise lol.. be sure that u take ur piggy out of the cage everyday for exercise after the 1st week of new home conditioning. other than that have fun and give ur new little friend plenty of love and attention.. clean the cage once a week.. it can be pretty smelly and unhealthy if u dont

Lucy

I love piggies....they are so cute. I'll add one more thing to kat's list. Give him a little house so he can hide if he gets scared. Mine had a plastic igloo.
Do you still have a cat? I would be quite worried that she's stick her paws in the cage to get to the pig.
I had mine in a huge long aquarium with a screened top to keep the cat away from him.

Cherrry123

Ok, thanks. Ummm, it is a wire mesh cage all around, and beneth(sp) the bottom is a thing that slides out so it makes cleaning easier...... My cats, well 1 cat sleeps underneath my bed, and the other I dont let in my room because she likes to walk across the hamster cage to get to a shelf.

Cherrry123

I heard that they like to live in atleast groups of two, because they get lonley during the day

Alasse

Piggies are social critters, they really should be kept in at least pairs.

Cherrry123

Ok, going to get it tomorrow, 35 dollars each! Glad Im not paying, lol.

MagpieTear

Keep your new little friend in a constant supply of Timothy hay, not alfalfa or other hays. They need a very high fiber diet. Make sure the cage is big enough for him to do laps at full tilt, they will sit calmly for hours, then have an overwhelming urge to tear it up for no particular reason.

Further reading here:
http://www.guinealynx.com/
http://www.guineapigcages.com/toys.htm
The second one is a bit biased to cage design, as they're a C/C cage site, but still lots of great info.

Cherrry123

Ok, well since Petsmart guinea pigs are 35 dollars each, I got a rabbit. My cousin got one too, and I think it is staying with mine, they are both boys, so thats good. We havent found names though.

Lucy

Congratulations on your new fluffy friend. What kind is he?

Rabbits are cute....I love all animals. My family had one when I was little, too little to remember how to care for them.

I always thought I would want one again until I rabbit sat for a friend. They furry little pooping machines.

Cherrry123

Lol. I named mine Jellybean, but I have no clue what she named hers, mine is albino, and her rabbit is kind of albino, but it has a bit of brown on its feet, nose, and ears, with red eyes.