Preparing for guinea pigs

Piggy_novice

Piggy_novice

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Hi everyone,
As the title suggests we are trying to prepare for getting guinea pigs. We have a guinea pig rescue close by and would be looking to adopt a pair from them (no real preference whether board or sows we will chooses on personality and pigs that will be a good fit for our family). I have been reading the new owner guides and we have a good local vet.

I have a 6 year old and 1 yet old. Obviously the 1 year old would not really be involved with them in any way but the 6 year old is keen for pets and would be involved with feeding and eventually handling them. Because of the small children I have discounted a c&c cage and have been looking at the ferplast 160 (have also seen a new house extension for this which would take cage to 200cm x 60cm). I am slightly worried about cage placement as currently the only space we have big enough is in a well used dining room. This is also the access to kitchen so frequently used through the day although cage would be away from kitchen door. Will this be too stressful for guinea pigs or are they likely to become accustomed to life in a busy family home?

We have a garden and would get a run for nice days so they can access the grass. During winter and rainy days they could have floortime in the house when baby in bed.

I just want to make sure we do everything we can to make sure they’re happy and suitable pets for our family. My daughter is patient and realised she will not be able to cuddle them immediately, we are going to visit the rescue centre this week to introduce ourselves and find out if they will recommend a pair suitable for us.

Thanks.
 
Honestly I preferred having guinea pigs in a place with a bit of through traffic/footfall. That way they got used to people being around and were happy enough to come out and say hello no matter who was talking to them. The biggest trouble I think you'd have is when they work out rustling bags and the fridge door opening and closing means food...because there's no going back from there!
 
Haha they’d definitely hear the fridge opening from there. We’re having an extension build next year but they would remain in the same room although it would become through room to get to new kitchen diner so out of fridge range.

I was hoping people would keep guinea pigs in reasonably busy areas as I thought it would get them used to family life. I’ve only had hamsters as small pets though so no personal experience of guinea pigs. I’m in my late 30s so experience of friends with guinea pigs when I was little was fairly small hutches in garden an poor things forgotten about a bit so I definitely want hem in the house and part of the family.
 
Honestly my last pair had centre stage in my living room, two Midwest cages making a 4x4 square in the middle of the floor and the rest of the room arranged round it, lol. At first they weren't crazy about it, but they're prey animals and it's instinct to be wary.

Then they started their antics in the cage one morning when I had a couple of social workers in. The workers were a bit paranoid because they'd never seen that behaviour from them before, and I had to point out I saw it all the time...but that was the first when people were about. They're amazingly adaptable in that sense.
 
Also, what your daughter might find helpful rather than handling them immediately, have her talk to them. I know, it probably sounds ridiculous, but just to sit near where they are, if they pop a head out then to say hi, how're you, that kind of thing. It gives her a chance to interact and say hello without handling, and it gives them a chance to hear her, know what she sounds like, who she is etc.
 
I’ve explained to her that they will be nervous to start with and won’t want cuddled. I think she’ll enjoy chatting to them and feeding them. She only had experience of very tame guinea pigs who are used to being cuddled so I’m sure it will be frustrating for her but she’s sensible and can be involved in other ways.
I think I’m as excited as she is to be honest, we lost our dog 5 years ago and it’s odd not having pets around.
 
Welcome to the forum and well done doing the research first.
It’s important for children to have pets.
It teaches responsibility, commitment as well as some of the harder life lessons like illness & loss.

I’m sure that your children will love the guinea pigs, particularly your older one and they will quickly become an important part of your family.

As well as all the information on the forum threads please ask questions- there’s always someone who can help

We will need pictures when your piggies arrive
 
Hi there, we have our three ladies in the dining/kitchen area and they seem to enjoy if we are sat about, with zoomies and popcorning when they are out and are always able to have out time (when no one is cooking of course!) as there are no wires or places they can squeeze into in those areas..we do have a big set of grids as a barrier over the door in case they decide to venture into the living room..that needs piggy proofed first! Being in the dining area is handy as the patio doors are there so easier to get them all out into the garden pen, than parading through the house :D And I do my work in the kitchen sometimes, and it is nice for my youngest daughter 11, and myself to sit down to breakfast with them. They are right next to the fridge...always wheeking..:D

It seems you are well prepared, good on you!
 
We have ours in the dining room and there is always someone passing by. The cage is opposite the entrance to the sitting room, and the other end is near the kitchen entrance. And, more importantly for them, the fridge 🙄🤦🏾‍♀️ As said above, good luck with opening the fridge and (ANY) rustling bags 😂
 
Siikibam said:
We have ours in the dining room and there is always someone passing by. The cage is opposite the entrance to the sitting room, and the other end is near the kitchen entrance. And, more importantly for them, the fridge 🙄🤦🏾‍♀️ As said above, good luck with opening the fridge and (ANY) rustling bags 😂
Click to expand...
Yes and chopping anything on the board..! 😅
 
It’s great to hear of so many happy piggies in busy houses. I’ve foolishly fallen for a couple of piggies that are on the rescues website so might be ordering cage and supplies tonight. This pair are boars who are approx 4 years and 3 years old. Will a 160cm cage be ok for boars? We would make sure there were a couple of hideys, food bowls etc to avoid disagreements.
Also wondering if anyone uses fleece liners? I have zorb and towelling from making cloth nappy boosters that I was thinking I could buy fleece and make liners with. I know sawdust/ wood shavings not recommended and I seem to remember paper beddings holding smells when I had hamsters. I already wash cloth nappies at home so have no issue with washing liners. The ferplast cage has slightly separate 40cm area at one side that I was thinking could be hay box with paper bedding and get changed more frequently with fleece in main area.
 
Quite a lot of us use fleece liners. And zorb is a good absorbent material to use. You could do two separate correx sections - the main area and the hay area. I think it’s Tallulah’s slave who has that kind of setup. I can’t for the life of me remember the members name though 🤦🏾‍♀️
 
I’ve just had a look and that’s pretty much exactly what I had in mind. Good to know the two different areas will work well.
 
Bill & Ted said:
I have a Ferplast plaza 160 for my two boars Bill and Ted and they love their cage. I use the separate 40 cm end as a hay loft, I fill it quite deep, they love to burrow into it, sometimes you can’t see them!
View attachment 121252
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This looks great, it’s hard to imagine the true size in relation to the actual guinea pigs without seeing it set up like this. Think this cage is a definite now, looks baby proof too (with a little padlock too) which is good as she’s on the move and liable to want to say hi to them I’m sure.
 
Hi and welcome

It is great that you are doing your research beforehand!

You might want to have a look at our members' gallery: Member Gallery: C&C cages/homemade cages
Here is our illustrated cage size guide which gives you a comparison of the various sizes in one single picture. I have stuck two adult piggies in the smallest of the retailed cages (which is basically a small hamster cage sold as 'starter cage' for guinea pigs. :( Cage Size Guide

Doing your research, you may also find our Wannabe and New Owners guide collections helpful. They will hopefully answer many of your questions:
Are Guinea Pigs For Me? - A Guide
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

The best way of getting piggies that are fully quarantined, healthy, guaranteed not pregnant and carefully bonded is from a good standard rescue if you can get to one. It is well worth the extra effort as they are by far the best and safest place to neatly avoid the pitfalls that can await the unwary new owner. If you can and want to go rescue, it generally pays to talk to the rescue before you buy stuff and take on board their input. They generally have a good reason for their requests (usually some bad experiences); their interest lies as much in their piggies' safety and wellbeing as in you having an enjoyable ownership. ;)
Recommended UK rescues: Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
 
Piggy_novice said:
I’ve explained to her that they will be nervous to start with and won’t want cuddled. I think she’ll enjoy chatting to them and feeding them. She only had experience of very tame guinea pigs who are used to being cuddled so I’m sure it will be frustrating for her but she’s sensible and can be involved in other ways.
I think I’m as excited as she is to be honest, we lost our dog 5 years ago and it’s odd not having pets around.
Click to expand...
When we first had our girls and my daughter wasn't allowed to handle them she would sit next to their cage and read to them, they got used to hearing her voice and would come right up to look out her. First time ever I didn't have to nag her to practise her reading every night 😬
 
Wiebke said:
Hi and welcome

It is great that you are doing your research beforehand!

You might want to have a look at our members' gallery: Member Gallery: C&C cages/homemade cages
Here is our illustrated cage size guide which gives you a comparison of the various sizes in one single picture. I have stuck two adult piggies in the smallest of the retailed cages (which is basically a small hamster cage sold as 'starter cage' for guinea pigs. :( Cage Size Guide

Doing your research, you may also find our Wannabe and New Owners guide collections helpful. They will hopefully answer many of your questions:
Are Guinea Pigs For Me? - A Guide
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

The best way of getting piggies that are fully quarantined, healthy, guaranteed not pregnant and carefully bonded is from a good standard rescue if you can get to one. It is well worth the extra effort as they are by far the best and safest place to neatly avoid the pitfalls that can await the unwary new owner. If you can and want to go rescue, it generally pays to talk to the rescue before you buy stuff and take on board their input. They generally have a good reason for their requests (usually some bad experiences); their interest lies as much in their piggies' safety and wellbeing as in you having an enjoyable ownership. ;)
Recommended UK rescues: Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
Click to expand...

The rescue we are visiting on Saturday is on the list of recommended rescues so that puts my mind at ease. I’m shocked by the size of the starter cage on that link, how anyone can think that’s suitable is beyond me. We’ll definitely get as big a cage as we can fit / make secure around the children. The plaza 160 looks to be in between a 2x4 and 2x5 c&c cage so fairly big and extension would mean it was slightly bigger than the 2x5 so hopefully a good size for boars. I’ll definitely speak with the rescue centre before ordering anything though.
 
Piggy_novice said:
The rescue we are visiting on Saturday is on the list of recommended rescues so that puts my mind at ease. I’m shocked by the size of the starter cage on that link, how anyone can think that’s suitable is beyond me. We’ll definitely get as big a cage as we can fit / make secure around the children. The plaza 160 looks to be in between a 2x4 and 2x5 c&c cage so fairly big and extension would mean it was slightly bigger than the 2x5 so hopefully a good size for boars. I’ll definitely speak with the rescue centre before ordering anything though.
Click to expand...

Boars get a reputation as difficult to care for, always fighting, unfriendly and bad tempered, hard to handle, biters...and it's because of those "starter cages". Forced to always be in each others faces, who can blame the boars?
 
Piggy_novice said:
The rescue we are visiting on Saturday is on the list of recommended rescues so that puts my mind at ease. I’m shocked by the size of the starter cage on that link, how anyone can think that’s suitable is beyond me. We’ll definitely get as big a cage as we can fit / make secure around the children. The plaza 160 looks to be in between a 2x4 and 2x5 c&c cage so fairly big and extension would mean it was slightly bigger than the 2x5 so hopefully a good size for boars. I’ll definitely speak with the rescue centre before ordering anything though.
Click to expand...

You shouldn't have any problems with the 160 cm cage, but it is always better to run it past the rescue and ask for their input first. They are usually very willing to help you if you signal that you are open for their input! (Sadly too often they see the other end of the spectrum...)

All the best! Don't look so much for looks or age but for suitable personalities that allow you interaction pretty straight away as soon as your piggies have got their bearings in your home.
 
We have been to the rescue today and they recommended this sweet pair of boars to us. We managed a little cuddle with them and have both fallen for them.
They’re 2 years old and love cuddles so should cope well with family life hopefully. Just ordering their cage and supplies now and hopefully we will pick them up next weekend 😊
 

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Welcome to the forum... our 2 girls live in the living room - always something / someone in there and they get lots of attention etc... they are fine and used to all our sounds - apart from sneezing - i try not to do that as they run a mile !

Lovely to hear you are rescuing a pair and doing your research x
 
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