I’m new here

[Cavybara]

Hello everyone. I might be getting a Guinea pig(s) for my birthday. I have one question. Are Guinea pigs hard to take care of? To most of you, that is probably the most stupid question you’ve ever heard. All I need is a response. Thank you!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Like any animal, they do take a lot of daily time and work to care for them properly.
They need a lot of space and you need plenty of finances to keep up with their needs - vet care being the big one. If they become unwell, it can be costly.

Importantly, please make sure you get two guinea pigs. They are highly social animals and must never be kept alone. A single piggy will become a depressed piggy.

This guide can help you with information for potential new owners.
Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

It is really great that you are doing your research beforehand!

Guinea pigs are ground roaming group animals, so they need a lot of space. Their main food is highly nutritious but tough hay/grass fibre (it should make over three quarters of the daily food intake), which they break down in two runs through the gut. You'll get plenty of poos from both runs, so poo patrolling daily and cage cleaning twice weekly is a must. Because of that they are more labour intensive than many new owners expect.

In good care and on the correct diet many healthy guinea pigs will also live around 5-6 years on average but they can live beyond that.

If you can adopt and can get to a good rescue with a mandatory quarantine and vet care, please consider it rather than buying pet shop guinea pigs.

Please be aware that the by far highest life time budget for any pet species are vet cost; they can quickly run into the hundreds of dollars with a serious illness. You want to at least have enough money to pay for easily treatable infections or things like eye injuries and always have enough money available for euthanasia to spare your guinea pigs any unnecessary suffering. Illness and emergencies never happen at a good time and usually at the most inconvenient moment. Unlike larger pets, guinea pigs can also not necessarily wait for ages to see a vet. If you are still living in somebody else's household and rely on them financially, then please ensure that that question is sorted out beforehand.

Please take the time to read up on guinea pigs. They do make great pets (we all love them on here of course!) but they are also a commitment. As with any pet species, please be honest with yourself whether you are able to give them what they need and also consider where you are going to be in your life some 5-7 years down the line.

We also have a wannabe owners information collection; this is the access link: Are Guinea Pigs For Me? - Wannabe Owners' Helpful Information

 

[Bill & Ted]

Hello and welcome
Like all pets they do need some time spent looking after them. Cleaning out, feeding and general health checks, like nail cutting and weighing. Please get too compatable piggies as they are social animals and no amount of human contact can compensate for that

 

[weepweeps]

Hello everyone. I might be getting a Guinea pig(s) for my birthday. I have one question. Are Guinea pigs hard to take care of? To most of you, that is probably the most stupid question you’ve ever heard. All I need is a response. Thank you!

It’s brilliant that you are doing your research first before getting piggies. They do need a lot of care and attention. If you decide to get them make sure you have a vet fund. Good luck.

 

[Cheekypigs]

It depends what you mean. I find them easy to look after, but I'm very used to them. People vary in terms of what they find to be a lot of work.

Guinea pigs poop a lot and can't be potty trained, so you do need to do a lot of sweeping up and changing bedding, but their poops are dry little pellets that don't generally make a mess, and they usually pee where they eat, so with a bit of creativity you can reduce the effort needed.

They need a very specific diet to be healthy, but in most parts of the world that diet isn't difficult to get, nor is it very expensive, compared to the specialist diets some pets need.

They need a lot of space, but once they have that space, they are contented creatures and will keep themselves (and you) entertained without you having to do a lot to keep them happy. All they really need for entertainment is hay, somewhere to hide, space to run, and each other.

Vet care is a big consideration with guinea pigs. I'm very lucky in that I have access to a vet that is very good with guinea pigs, and not terribly expensive. In some places, vet care for guinea pigs can be hard to find and very costly.

I hope that helps. Every pet needs a commitment to do what's needed to keep them happy and healthy. I don't think guinea pigs are too challenging, but another person might feel differently.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
Good for you doing research first.
I can only echo the advice you’ve been given already.
Guinea pigs are wonderful pets but are not cuddly animals.
Many will never like being held or cuddled, but with time and patience they learn to trust you.
They are furry food processors with lots of character .

 

[gonebanhannahs]

Here is my perspective as a new piggy parent and my experience so far.

I know there are probably cheaper ways to do it, but I ordered my cage set up from guineapigcagesstore.com because my research led me to c&c cages being the best option, and I don't have direct access to the materials to make it myself. I've got over $1,000 invested in my 4 guinea pigs that I've had for less than 1 month. Between their cage setup, fleece bedding, hay, treats, food, hides, water bottles, food dishes, the pigs themselves, and all of their cage accessories. That doesn't include what I spend on their daily 4 cups of fresh veggies and an unexpected trip to the vet where my piggy needed pain medication. I've also had to hand syringe one for several days as she wasn't eating on her own.

I spot clean their cage daily with a dust buster and do a full clean out once a week and wash all the soft hideys and fleece. I feed them 4 cups of fresh veggies split up into 2 cups in the morning and 2 cups at night. I refill their pellets every morning as well as their water bottles.

The piggies are also slow to trust as they're prey animals, so mine still run from me and hide. I spend a lot of time sitting and talking to them to get them used to my voice and associate me with food, so they know my scary presence brings a treat with it. But they still aren't comfortable with me and aren't excited when I bring their food. Yet.

They also need weekly weight checks to make sure they're healthy, and need their nails trimmed which I haven't done yet but know is going to be difficult for me.

They aren't hard to take care of, but they require a lot of care. They require more of me than my 2 dogs, and need quite a bit more maintenance in their daily care.

Again, I'm not an expert and I've only been a piggy parent for a short time and this my own personal experience, not a universal one.

 

[RosieLily]

Welcome! Excellent advice above by fellow piggy slaves, how good of you to do research beforehand! You came to the right place for sure c: