Post by Bean on Dec 15, 2009 19:52:26 GMT
New to guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs are excellent pets, but they may not be right for everyone. It's wise to do some serious research before bringing a guinea pig home; there are some links at the bottom of the page to help.
Guinea pigs don't need very complicated care, but you must look after them daily, preferably twice daily, every day, come rain or shine. They need a safe, clean, dry home such as an indoor cage or hutch - this must be large, to allow proper exercise, so check you have the space and money to provide this for them.
On a daily basis you must provide fresh water, hay, a good quality guinea pig pellet and fresh vegetables. They'll need you to clean up any messy parts of their living quarters, handle them to check for health, and give them time to run around a safe area for exercise.
A guinea pig can easily live for 5-7 years, so please think carefully if you can commit to caring for them for on this timescale. They may need the care of a vet, suddenly, and this could cost you at least £30 (GBP) or $40 (US) just for the consultation. Any medication would be more, as would surgery.
It's also important to have someone reliable to care for your guinea pigs when you go away for holidays. This is a big commitment for someone, and may require you paying for this care.
There are many different breeds of guinea pig. Many people will be drawn to the look of longhair guinea pigs but they are not an ideal first guinea pig; they require daily grooming to keep knots and matts out of their very fast growing coats, and many of them will not enjoy being groomed. To prevent them getting soaked in their own urine they will require regular hair trims and may often need a bath. The different long hair breeds have various grooming requirements and it takes a confident owner to care for them, so please do your research before taking them on.
Rabbits do not make suitable companions for a guinea pig. Their dietary requirements are very different, and despite what the pet shop may say, there is every chance that there will be injuries to the guinea pig.
Guinea pigs are often abandoned by owners who get can’t or won’t look after them anymore, so there are lots of rescues around with guinea pigs that need caring, long term homes (rescue open and close all the time, so use google to look for up to date information in your country/ area, and the list at Guinea Pig Rescue Organisations may help you find one in the US). Please consider getting your guinea pig from a rescue rather than the pet shop. As well as helping an animals in need, rescues will usually provide a much higher quality of care information and long term support for you and your pet, whereas pet shops are most commonly motivated by making money from you.
It's very common for people to buy guinea pigs for their children, who often lose interest in pets quite quickly resulting in the guinea pig being unwanted. Only take on a pet where there is a genuine adult interest in its care and welfare.
Guinea pigs enjoy company, so get two (or more) wherever possible; there are considerations about keeping same sex guinea pigs together so check you have enough room for them before they come home. Rescues often have plenty of lovely guinea pigs waiting for homes, so for that reason, don’t get a male/female pair unless one or both have been neutered.
All of us have different circumstances and limits as to how many animals we can provide good quality care for, and we can all experience unforeseen changes. But to minimise the chances of you becoming one of the many people who feel there is sadly no alternative to surrendering their pets to a rescue, please consider the following carefully when taking on any pet:
Money: Can you afford to look after your pets for many years to come, not just in terms of housing, bedding and dietary requirements, but if illness strikes and several/ all of them need veterinary attention?
Space: Do you have the space so that all your pets can have a good sized living area and access to a place they can run freely? If you introduce a new member to the herd and they don't get on, do you have the space and facilities so they can live separately?
Housing: If you rent or live at home and have to move, will you be able to find another landlord who accepts pets? This is especially problematic if you have several pets.
Health: If you suffer ill health, do you have someone who could support you looking after your pets during difficult periods?
Time: Can you make a potential commitment of up to 8 years to your pig, or do you think your circumstances will change before then?
If you can offer guinea pigs the care they need they will reward you with lots of fun and affection, but as with any pet you will only get out of the relationship what you put in.
www.guinealynx.info/healthycavy.html
jackiesguineapiggies.com/piggycare.html
www.cavyspirit.com/
www.guineapigcages.com/
Guinea pigs are excellent pets, but they may not be right for everyone. It's wise to do some serious research before bringing a guinea pig home; there are some links at the bottom of the page to help.
Guinea pigs don't need very complicated care, but you must look after them daily, preferably twice daily, every day, come rain or shine. They need a safe, clean, dry home such as an indoor cage or hutch - this must be large, to allow proper exercise, so check you have the space and money to provide this for them.
On a daily basis you must provide fresh water, hay, a good quality guinea pig pellet and fresh vegetables. They'll need you to clean up any messy parts of their living quarters, handle them to check for health, and give them time to run around a safe area for exercise.
A guinea pig can easily live for 5-7 years, so please think carefully if you can commit to caring for them for on this timescale. They may need the care of a vet, suddenly, and this could cost you at least £30 (GBP) or $40 (US) just for the consultation. Any medication would be more, as would surgery.
It's also important to have someone reliable to care for your guinea pigs when you go away for holidays. This is a big commitment for someone, and may require you paying for this care.
There are many different breeds of guinea pig. Many people will be drawn to the look of longhair guinea pigs but they are not an ideal first guinea pig; they require daily grooming to keep knots and matts out of their very fast growing coats, and many of them will not enjoy being groomed. To prevent them getting soaked in their own urine they will require regular hair trims and may often need a bath. The different long hair breeds have various grooming requirements and it takes a confident owner to care for them, so please do your research before taking them on.
Rabbits do not make suitable companions for a guinea pig. Their dietary requirements are very different, and despite what the pet shop may say, there is every chance that there will be injuries to the guinea pig.
Guinea pigs are often abandoned by owners who get can’t or won’t look after them anymore, so there are lots of rescues around with guinea pigs that need caring, long term homes (rescue open and close all the time, so use google to look for up to date information in your country/ area, and the list at Guinea Pig Rescue Organisations may help you find one in the US). Please consider getting your guinea pig from a rescue rather than the pet shop. As well as helping an animals in need, rescues will usually provide a much higher quality of care information and long term support for you and your pet, whereas pet shops are most commonly motivated by making money from you.
It's very common for people to buy guinea pigs for their children, who often lose interest in pets quite quickly resulting in the guinea pig being unwanted. Only take on a pet where there is a genuine adult interest in its care and welfare.
Guinea pigs enjoy company, so get two (or more) wherever possible; there are considerations about keeping same sex guinea pigs together so check you have enough room for them before they come home. Rescues often have plenty of lovely guinea pigs waiting for homes, so for that reason, don’t get a male/female pair unless one or both have been neutered.
All of us have different circumstances and limits as to how many animals we can provide good quality care for, and we can all experience unforeseen changes. But to minimise the chances of you becoming one of the many people who feel there is sadly no alternative to surrendering their pets to a rescue, please consider the following carefully when taking on any pet:
Money: Can you afford to look after your pets for many years to come, not just in terms of housing, bedding and dietary requirements, but if illness strikes and several/ all of them need veterinary attention?
Space: Do you have the space so that all your pets can have a good sized living area and access to a place they can run freely? If you introduce a new member to the herd and they don't get on, do you have the space and facilities so they can live separately?
Housing: If you rent or live at home and have to move, will you be able to find another landlord who accepts pets? This is especially problematic if you have several pets.
Health: If you suffer ill health, do you have someone who could support you looking after your pets during difficult periods?
Time: Can you make a potential commitment of up to 8 years to your pig, or do you think your circumstances will change before then?
If you can offer guinea pigs the care they need they will reward you with lots of fun and affection, but as with any pet you will only get out of the relationship what you put in.
www.guinealynx.info/healthycavy.html
jackiesguineapiggies.com/piggycare.html
www.cavyspirit.com/
www.guineapigcages.com/