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Expect to be owned... This little vid sums it up nicely: The Guinea Pig Way
When raised and handled properly they are cuddly, sweet, intelligent little friends. They have relatively short life spans, and if they get ill they go downhill VERY quickly.
Most GP's are quite vocal and they have very distinct sounds to indicate Hunger, Happiness, or Anger/Irritation. If your wife has had them before she is probably familiar with their dietary needs already... is there something specific you were curious about?
We adopted 4 from a rescue involving a *herd* of 200+ that were found running wild on someone's property... we CAREFULLY chose 4 females to be sure there would be no hanky-panky going on.
What we (and the humane society) didn't know was that 2 of them were already pregnant! We went from 4 to 7 in a few short weeks.
The Guinea Pig birth process is simply amazing! One minute you have a morbidly obese Pig who cannot even lift herself to the food dish, and short time later there are miniature replicas in the cage... no mess, no fuss.
When the babies (usually only 1 or 2) are born they are about 1/2 the size of the Mother, their eyes are open and they will start eating solid food immediately.
Our Gray one had two that looked so much like her, we didn't realize she had given birth right away. They were cuddled up to her sides so she just looked like she was still pregnant... until one of them lifted his head and looked at us!!
Ours have all gone on to GP heaven, but I might still have a pic or two somewhere...
Also, they cannot handle any kind of dampness, so do not put the cage in a basement or anything. They are prone to wet-tail when you do this. They are so cute, I am thinking of getting one for my kids. Had rabbits and a "pig" growing up.
they are the sweetest boys ever. make sure to feed them a high quality pellet- like oxbow brand.
alfalfa is for pigs six months and under, and pregnant sows.
timothy hay should be fed to pigs over six months of age. hay cakes are healthy treats- not the sugary items sold in pet stores. fresh fruit and veggies in small amounts- size of finger nail -because they only weigh a few pounds. my boys are 3lbs.
make sure to locate a reputable exotic vet. sometimes skin lumps appear, usually benign, although can grow quite large. gps are allergic to antibiotic ointments, and regular meds for humans and cats/dogs. they are totally different little beings.
temperature is huge- colds and heatstroke are indeed very serious. i maintain between 69-74 degrees F. no dampness or drafts, as someone else kindly posted. be mindful that they do not bounce - keep them really close to ground level when handling if possible.
mine are freewheeling, but i do not have children or other pets, and i block off a room with lots of cables and books, et c. guinea pigs like their own space, being prey animals. they feel secure when their belongings are returned to their spots after cleaning- and will let you know, as they are quite vocal!! i have cubes [organize it! from target] than i fashioned together with connectors, and put around the walls with a vinyl shower curtain underneath. the cages in pet stores are not adequate for the amount of exercise a gp requires, and they are no fun to clean. a larger environment is easier to clean, responsible as a gp hooman [that would be you!], and enjoyable for the pig. make sure to have hiding spots- for their prey needs. a plain cardboard box- no tape or stickers or lots of coloured ink. plain cardboard- like egg boxes from the supermarket, with holes cut for entering and exiting make GREAT play spaces. oh! and they can chew the cardboard too, which helps to wear down the ever growing incisors. i'm going to post some terrific links for you [anyone interested].
i have tons of information if you are interested. please write any time, and give them lots of love, space, good vitamin c tablet-oxbow, quiet time, and appropriate chew items/treats. pigs can live for ten years. mine are over three years of age.
i think the above site listed some medication dosages which were not correct. my vet looked them over and so i am not advocating the medication page be used without vet consultation, please.
enjoy your sweet guinea pigs. they are lovely, and a lot of fun.
best,
CM
Last edited by CrowsMatter; 02-11-2009 at 04:35 PM..
In Peru the guinea pigs just run around on the floor of the house. Not just a couple either. (on that note- looked like someone spilled raisins all over the floor too)
They place some young ones into a guinea pig ladder- as they grow they get moved up the ladder.
Once they reach the top:
Or you can just out for supper:
THe guinea pig was chewy and not much meat- but the llama and alpaca was very good.
Oh my gosh congratulations you will love them!! I used to think guinea pigs were weird, and then I adopted one, and another, and I am a 'cavy slave' for life.
I've put some effort in developing educational guinea pig resources online for folks just like you who are new to guinea pig ownership (or rather...guinea pig ownership of you...hehe). I hope some of these pages will help you learn how to take care of your new friends!
The guinea pig guide I wrote with links to all of its parts can be found here (there is no cost to read it. I put it on Squidoo which is sort of like about.com full of useful articles) Are you Ready to Adopt a Guinea Pig?
Another website which is immensely helpful as far as advice from other guinea pig owners is: Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home they have a great messageboard (there's a forum link at the top)
Also, please please please make sure to find a local vet that handles exotic pets right away. The worst thing you can do is not find a specialized vet and then wait until the guinea pig has a problem, then have a hard time finding one when it's too late. Despite their small size, guinea pigs do require a lot of maintenance in terms of keeping their health in check. But the rewards are so worth it. If you read these resources I think you'll be very well equipped to be a fantastic piggie parent.
Go get your cloroplast, build a cavy cage, get some old towels and fleece blankets to put inside, stock up on timothy hay and fresh, vitamin-C packed veggies, and get ready to fall in love. : ) Please feel free to message me if you have any specific questions!
Totally forgot about this post :S
Weve had em a long time now.
My wife is on the cavy cages site I believe and she did build her own. Tis huge. Their house is bigger than the dogs :S
So Brian - as a a newcomer to cavies - what do you think? Your opinion might help others in the future.
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This little vid sums it up nicely: 
They have relatively short life spans, and if they get ill they go downhill VERY quickly. 
We went from 4 to 7 in a few short weeks. 
