Re: Tomorrow 7/16 is Guinea Pig appreciation day, ... - Page 2

Linda0215 · ‎10-23-2015

@RedTop wrote:
3 years ago my teacher daughter thought Guinea pigs would be a great addition to her Special Ed classroom. Of course the students loved them and willingly participated in their care.

However, teacher daughter didn't think about where these precious little rodents would live on weekends and holidays! Of course they came here, and NEVER returned to the classroom!

In the last few years, we lost our 3 chinchillas and a dog. We have one senior dog left outside. At 66 and 71, my husband and I are past the pet stage and not looking to add more responsibility to our lives. We tolerate the Guinea pigs; change their pads and feed them when daughter is away, but would prefer our house be pet free.

@Linda0215
If you are looking for a calm pet, I can see guinea pigs being a good pet for you. They like to be held often and particularly like to be on your chest or near your neck where they hear your heartbeats. Ours do shed a lot.

The ones here nice and quiet until they hear the rustle of a grocery bag, or smell vegetables being peeled or chopped, and then the whistling starts. They are messy! Piddle pads get changed 2x a day here, but you can never stay ahead of the pee and poop.

One thing to remember with guinea pigs is they have no depth perception; they will walk right off open shelves in tiered cages, or off couches, etc., so they need a one level cage or space set up on the floor for their living quarters. The guinea pigs here have always been part of a group, but we have at times isolated each of them and they have been completely satisfied on their own.

Choosing between hamsters and guinea pigs, I would choose a guinea pig, but to choose between a chinchilla and a guinea pig, I would choose chinchilla!

@RedTop Thank you for the nice, informative post. I know literally nothing about these little creatures so your information really shed a lot of light into what I'd be getting into. I need to do my research before I commit because once I get a pet, they're a part of my forever family. Lots to think about here!

MildredM · ‎08-02-2019

Guinea pigs make very good pets. They are not nocturnal so they won't keep you awake at night. They will eat all types of veggies and some fruits. Cold watermelon rind from the fridge is a special treat. Very little of veggie kitchen scraps will go to waste.

It is important to add Vit C to the drinking water everyday to keep them healthy.

The spine is different from a hamster, they will not run on a wheel.

They need things to chew on to keep the teeth from getting overgrown. Toe nails need to be cut so they don't curl under.

Interesting fact: They give birth to live young that are born with their eyes and ears open with a full coat of fur. They are prey animals that travel in herds across the meadows of Peru. The young need to run from birth to help them survive.

Yes, they poop a lot. Their gastrointestinal systems are not efficient. While eating the vegitation in the meadows they also serve to fertilize them. They are walking fertilizer factories. The poop is just oval pellets, nothing mushy. They will urinate in one corner of the enclosure.

Enjoy, they are very friendly and entertaining. Kids love them because they will eat right out their hands.

J Town Girl · ‎06-13-2011

One thing that guinea pigs need is lots of fresh hay. Timothy hay or Orchard Grass hay is fine. Alfalfa is given only to young pigs under 6 months of age and also to pregnant pigs.

As another has mentioned they cannot make their own vitamin C so you must supplement it. Green peppers are a great choice for vitamin C. The vitamin C should not be put into their drinking water because it might cause the water taste different and that will put your pigs off drinking it. If your pig has a varied diet of good vegetables it is not always necessary to give them extra vitamin C. Elderly pigs or sick pigs will often need a vitamin C supplement.

The very best thing you can do for a guinea pig is to provide lots of hay for them to run through, play in, and just plain munch it all day long.

If anyone is interested in getting a guinea pig the best thing I can recommend is to go to YouTube and watch Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue and Scotty's Animals. Saskia and Scott are extremely knowledgeable about everything guinea pig. They both have the kindest hearts that you will ever find.