nirad3
Footballguy
See now I heard just the opposite - that guinea pigs ARE people friendly, unlike hamsters (which wife and I had before).
Gah, after reading all this I am on the fence.
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Guinea Pigs - thoughts? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter nirad3
- Start date
Gah, after reading all this I am on the fence.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
Depends on the gp individual. Like people all are different. I had 1 that started out ok then hid more. I have one that is friendly but it's on their terms or you will get a bite. They are not like cats and dogs.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
Bogart
Footballguy
9 months of giving my two pigs a carrot twice a day, they still hate being picked up and run anytime I try. Those YouTube videos showing guinea pigs being friendly with your pets and part of the family are CGI.
Scoresman
Footballguy
Pretty sure mine was deep fried, well seasoned with salt garlic and I think cumin. It was served with corn and aji (hot sauce). You eat it with your hands. It falls somewhere between rabbit and chicken on the flavor scale, but a bit stronger I suppose gamey flavor.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
Too much carrot/vit A. 1 baby carrot per pig max a day. At least do bell peppers and non iceberg lettuce daily.
Bogart
Footballguy
Agreed. These are little carrot pieces that I hand feed them. Think of a baby carrot shaved into forths. In their bowl I put lettuce, some kale and when I don't have those bell peppers (the little Fers are picky about which peppers). This is on top of the constant grass (special grass because I'm allergic to Timothy Hay) and the kibble that I keep out. They eat better than my kids do.CurlyNight said:
CurlyNight
Footballguy
Watch with the kale though. That should be an occasional treat if they are 6 mo and up. Way too much calcium for them, and possible stones as a result.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
For those of you that say gps stink. They don't. But if you don't spot clean the cage (vacuum or scoop) up their excrements then it will smell. I have 1 gp right now literally inches from me at eye level. Her kitchen/litter area is right next to me. 0 odor. Also look at the litter you're using. Carefresh small pet litter is the best for absorption and odor control. Well worth the price.
Daily maintenance and weekly total cleaning will do wonders for them and your nose and eyes.
Daily maintenance and weekly total cleaning will do wonders for them and your nose and eyes.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
E-Z Glider said:
dipping sauces.. it was cooked in a really nice, stew like thin gravy. as posted above, a lot of work for the return.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
The ones for meat are cuys, not pet gps.
it was cooked in a really nice, stew like thin gravy. as posted above, a lot of work for the return.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
correct. still looks like a giant gp. not trying to ruffle any feathers. it was a when in rome, moment.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
Doesn't bother me. I'm an animal lover and big on advocacy but I'm surprisingly not a vegan. I eat meat. As long as I don't see the slaughter and processeing I'm good.
Captain Cranks
Footballguy
Well, we had four but one died and I'm not reupping to keep it even.CurlyNight said:
Actually, the odd man out is a tyrant and has been since day one when it was just him and another. He's the smallest of the bunch but likes to rule the roost.
BTW, if you get males, be prepared to clean spooge off the other's backs. These guys know how to finish.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
You need to clean the anal sac. One minus with males. I couldn't do it.Well, we had four but one died and I'm not reupping to keep it even.
Actually, the odd man out is a tyrant and has been since day one when it was just him and another. He's the smallest of the bunch but likes to rule the roost.
BTW, if you get males, be prepared to clean spooge off the other's backs. These guys know how to finish.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
the last two posts should tip the scales for the OP
Captain Cranks
Footballguy
CurlyNight
Footballguy
OP needs to think long and hard. They are not disposable pets. No pets are. You either take the committment or you don't. Personalities can change too. Know everything you're signing up for on any pet before getting it.
Captain Cranks
Footballguy
I'll bet a lot of money that if Nirad decides to get them he'll update us in 6 months (or less) to say it was a bad decision.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
From what he's written, I don't doubt it. Wife and kids are pressuring him without doing any real research. I've provided a lot of info here. It should create a pause. It's work and stress with their health tendencies. But I'm passionate about them and birds the most. If I wasn't I'd have a dog or cat. Much easier and less stressful.
Mrs. Rannous
Footballguy
Wow. That chart is in eye-cramping color. Why do people do that?CurlyNight said:
CurlyNight
Footballguy
For me it's easier. I just look at the yellows. The red means no. Color coding by frequency of feeding is easier for some.
Mrs. Rannous
Footballguy
It's not that the chart is colored. It's the vibrancy of the colors. That chart is unusable for me. Some reasonable pastels would fix that.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
I didn't create the chart. The info is valuable though as is the other forums on that site.
nirad3
Footballguy
I appreciate all the info you've given here, but you're jumping to conclusions. You have no idea how much "real research" me and my wife have done. Just because I post here doesn't mean I haven't done "real research". This place is great for "real world" type of answers (along with schtick/fun), so that's why I posted.
So that being said, we have two little piggies as part of the family now. Wife and kids went to go get them after school today.
I'm sure things will be fine. Looking forward to having them part of the family
CurlyNight
Footballguy
To be fair, I think I helped others too. Like I said, I have a passion for exotics so I will talk proper care, schtick or not. I see too many cases that don't once the novelty wears off. They can live 10 years. I know one that's 13. Good luck. I hope it works out well for all.I appreciate all the info you've given here, but you're jumping to conclusions. You have no idea how much "real research" me and my wife have done. Just because I post here doesn't mean I haven't done "real research". This place is great for "real world" type of answers (along with schtick/fun), so that's why I posted.
So that being said, we have two little piggies as part of the family now. Wife and kids went to go get them after school today.
I'm sure things will be fine. Looking forward to having them part of the family
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CurlyNight
Footballguy
Iceberg has 0 nutrients is why. A total waste. When my girl isn't drinking enough water I give her cucumbers. It's mostly water too but has a little nutrition to it.
Also iceberg lettuce is way too watery and very fibrous, causes them diarrhea.
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NutterButter
Footballguy
I used to buy the 5 back of romaine and give each of them half each day. It was kind of funny watching them eat.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
Did they ever get loose stools? I've given too much before and had to stop veggies for a week. It was a scare because it gave her a stomach ache. Wasn't eating or drinking. I wound up making critical care and syringe feeding every 3 hours or so for 24 hours before she recovered and felt better.
They are not like us to tolerate a lot of what we eat. That was the last time I did that. I thought I'd be taking her to her exotic vet that's 45 min away but thankfully I keep critical care powder in the fridge with syringes just in case she goes into stasis.
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NutterButter
Footballguy
Geez that stinks. Never had a loose stool problem. In addition to the romaine, they always had grass to munch on so maybe that helped bind them up. Other than the occasional pepper and more regularly strawberries, that's all they ate.
Don Hutson
Footballguy
I think buying a guinea pig as a pet can be included in the list of things only white people do................
Mrs. Rannous
Footballguy
CurlyNight
Footballguy
Just for reference, my 1 female's c & c cage is 2 x 4. That's 28" x 58". For 2 females, 2 x 5 c & c cage which is 28" x 70" or of course, larger. With the hideys they need, these measurements give lots of room to do zoomies for exercise.These lil ladies are cute. They are still adjusting. They ran around their little cage a lot last night, and they were squeaking at us this morning.
The cage we got is really best for one, so we are getting a bigger cage so they are comfortable.
Fun.
Guineapigcages.com has a cage store and a fleece store which is everything else if you're interested. I got all my set up items from here since store size cages are way too small for even 1.
Etsy has lots of stuff great for gp cages. I've shopped there too.
If anyone is housing males, cages should be larger.
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CurlyNight
Footballguy
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D-Day
Footballguy
Ooops. Hold up for a moment. It seems that I have dropped all the respect that I had for you. Give me a minute, I'm sure it is around here somewhere.So that being said, we have two little piggies as part of the family now. Wife and kids went to go get them after school today.
I'm sure things will be fine. Looking forward to having them part of the family
Nope, can't find it. Its all gone.
Captain Cranks
Footballguy
Bump for @nirad3 to see how this is going.
We just put one down for potential bladder stones. He was peeing blood and losing weight in case anyone comes across similar symptoms.
These things are horrible pets. I'd strongly advise anyone not to get them. Hamsters and rats are much better rodent options.
We just put one down for potential bladder stones. He was peeing blood and losing weight in case anyone comes across similar symptoms.
These things are horrible pets. I'd strongly advise anyone not to get them. Hamsters and rats are much better rodent options.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
They are wonderful pets. Every gp owner should bookmark guineapigcages.com forum and study it. Every topic is there. Stones are usually caused or exacerbated by a diet too high in calcium. After 6 mo you need to use high quality pellets like KMS Hayloft or Oxbow and cut out high calcium veggies. All proper care info is on the forums on guineapigcages.com. Just because yours had a problem doesn't mean they all do. A lot of cases is user error or old age. For any animal, always educate on proper care and pros and cons before getting it.
Captain Cranks
Footballguy
I understand not all gps are going to have the same issue I did and my "horrible pets" comment was not about their health issues. Rather, they're not friendly, they're messy, and more expensive than a small dog or cat. I had a much easier time bonding with my son's $3 feeder rat than I have four of these pigs.
I also like to think I've taken a lot better care of them than the average gp owner. I built them an oversized cage, gave them access to run around in a 12x12 patio during the non-summer months, had one on one handling/treat time with them, and made sure they were eating a nice variety of vegetables after checking online with what they should eat and how frequently. Yet after 2.5 years,they're still terrified of me other than when I have lettuce in my hand. As soon as they realize I don't have food they run for the hills.
I'm glad you've had a positive experience, but imo there are much better, more loving, and cheaper options.
nirad3
Footballguy
Somehow missed this gem. Great?BTW it's spelled "advice".
Except for the smell, which I think is more the hay and wood chips, they're great. The kids love them.
The smell's not too bad if you change out everything in the cage on a regular basis.
GroveDiesel
Footballguy
Sucks for those of you that had unfriendly GPs. My wife and I had a total of 3 years ago and all of them were very friendly. We only had 1 that ever bit us and it was extremely rare. Our first one would climb up on my shoulder or couch too and watch tv with us or fall asleep up against my neck. Their squeaks and little hops are hilarious. Can definitely be a bit of a pain in the butt to care for, but we also never had anywhere close to the issues it seems like a lot of folks have had.
CurlyNight
Footballguy
People have to understand that they are preyed upon animals. It means they are timid and bite if you mess with them. The bite isn't bad, more like a nip, but if you are scaring them like chasing them to grab them then it could be one that hurts. And yelling at them makes it worse. It's their instict and that won't change. Gps sleep with their eyes open because they need to be ready to flee if a predator shows up. Mine sleeps eyes closed because she has full trust in me and her environment as being safe. I get nipped every now and then. Normal. Just like when we get pissed at someone only they nip or bite.
Exotics are not for people who want easy to do pets. Birds get the same complaints. They are harder imo of 25 years of bird keeping. Really research, ask questions. Behaviour, tamability, diet, common health issues, etc. Unfortunately birds and gps are impulse purchases. Your young kid who swears he'll help will tire at some point and it'll be on the adults. Yeah they're cute and all but if you can't fully commit to the daily grind, a dog or cat is a much better option for you.
Gps and birds do best in calm friendly environments. They feed off our emotions. Never use negative reinforcement for behaviour issues. Ignore those. Reinforce positive ones by offering them a leaf of lettuce for example. I've got mine trained pretty well. It'll never be 100% but a good 70 for mine. This is mainly if not only because I got her freshly weaned at 3 weeks and knew to handle her daily to develop trust and bonding.
Exotics are not for people who want easy to do pets. Birds get the same complaints. They are harder imo of 25 years of bird keeping. Really research, ask questions. Behaviour, tamability, diet, common health issues, etc. Unfortunately birds and gps are impulse purchases. Your young kid who swears he'll help will tire at some point and it'll be on the adults. Yeah they're cute and all but if you can't fully commit to the daily grind, a dog or cat is a much better option for you.
Gps and birds do best in calm friendly environments. They feed off our emotions. Never use negative reinforcement for behaviour issues. Ignore those. Reinforce positive ones by offering them a leaf of lettuce for example. I've got mine trained pretty well. It'll never be 100% but a good 70 for mine. This is mainly if not only because I got her freshly weaned at 3 weeks and knew to handle her daily to develop trust and bonding.
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Tick
Footballguy
We've had 4 female swine vermin for about 4 years.
Some stuff:
Some stuff:
- They're way more interactive than I expected. They hear you chopping vegetables and run to the edge of their cage, put their arms up high with their bellies on the cage wall and squeal.
- They aren't escape artists like hamsters, so they've never tried to get out.
- We put them up on top of a bookshelf at about 4' high with no lid in a well-used living area. Having them at that height and without a lid means we interact with them way more than I would have expected.
- My wife made some fleece liners like these that we use instead of wood chips or anything - it makes it very easy to see when they've made enough poops that we need to swap out the liners and wash the dirty ones. We have two of these cages connected.
- The kids have no problem taking the fleece liners out, dumping them in the woods, and relining the cages. It gets chosen pretty quickly in job drafts since it's so quick to do. I end up changing them about once per year, it's no big deal.
- One loves to be held, one doesn't mind, two hate it.
- We grow hay that we sell to a neighbor with horses, so we hold a couple of bales aside for the vermin.
- Lixit brand waterers are all that have worked for us - everything else leaks or sucks to refill/rehang.
- They love a fabric tube. This would be awesome.
- They're little socialists - if we give them 4 snacks, each takes one and leaves to munch it somewhere else in the cage.
Buffaloes
Footballguy
Binky The Doormat
Footballguy
CurlyNight
Footballguy
I use fleece flippers, a cool alternative to fleece liners. Thankfully mine pees mostly in her "kitchen" and I also use potty pads in areas she sits the most. I vacuum the fleece flippers daily and flip them over average once a month since I'm on the daily cleaning.
I could never figure out how to attach the bottle to the cage with the new wiring so I tossed it and use the simple hanger one I kept from old bottles. I use glass. I feel it's better than plastic. I use the Living World brand and it never leaks if you put the nozzle on tight and leave room off the top to create a vacuum. The little orange carrot is awesome to see how much water is in the bottle.
