New Guinea Pig Owner Questions
Okay, I have a few questions. :)
1. I'm going to get two guinea pigs, but only if I can figure out a sure-fire safe way to keep them if I get a cat. Would I just have to keep the cat out of the room that they're in? Maybe get a top for my cage?
2. Is just fleece over towels sufficient bedding? If so, how often do you clean it? Anything else I should know?
3. I've never had two guinea pigs at a time. I know they're very sociable animals and I've seen many people house their pigs together, but I can't help but worry when putting two pigs together. Will they be okay?
4. I've researched the proper size for a cage, but I wanna know what you guys think. Is 70x105cm enough for two pigs or should I try for something more like 70x140cm or 70x175cm?
1. I'm going to get two guinea pigs, but only if I can figure out a sure-fire safe way to keep them if I get a cat. Would I just have to keep the cat out of the room that they're in? Maybe get a top for my cage?
2. Is just fleece over towels sufficient bedding? If so, how often do you clean it? Anything else I should know?
3. I've never had two guinea pigs at a time. I know they're very sociable animals and I've seen many people house their pigs together, but I can't help but worry when putting two pigs together. Will they be okay?
4. I've researched the proper size for a cage, but I wanna know what you guys think. Is 70x105cm enough for two pigs or should I try for something more like 70x140cm or 70x175cm?
- Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
You need a really big cage.
Look over bedding.html and housing.html
Do put a top on the cage. A great place for lots of ideas is www.guineapigcages.com
Read all the links on this page for help on introductions, etc.
companionship.html
Look over bedding.html and housing.html
Do put a top on the cage. A great place for lots of ideas is www.guineapigcages.com
Read all the links on this page for help on introductions, etc.
companionship.html
Cats don't usually bother guinea pigs unless they are babies. Our cat is scared of our pigs. When we first got the piggies, she would sit next to the cage and stare at them, but as soon as we got one out and put it on the floor with her, she freaked out and ran from the room. She totally ignores the piggies now, and if she hops up to get in our lap and a piggy is there, she immediately hops back down in a disgust and pouts. We have a lid for our cage, though, just in case.
It's dogs you have to worry about.
I think two females might do better for you than two males, but you had better make triple sure that whatever pair you get are really the same sex. We got three females, but one was actually a male and now we have 7 guinea pigs, lol. Two males need a much larger cage than two females. A C&C cage made with grids and a coroplast base work very well. No cage you buy at a pet store will be big enough. Look at the links Lynx gave you.
It's dogs you have to worry about.
I think two females might do better for you than two males, but you had better make triple sure that whatever pair you get are really the same sex. We got three females, but one was actually a male and now we have 7 guinea pigs, lol. Two males need a much larger cage than two females. A C&C cage made with grids and a coroplast base work very well. No cage you buy at a pet store will be big enough. Look at the links Lynx gave you.
If they are very young, it is hard to tell the sexes apart just by looking, even for those who are experienced. I would not just trust the shelter, though, unless that shelter is VERY familiar with guinea pigs. I think there's some info pages here that can help. If the pigs are older than 4 months it should be fairly easy to tell. Males will have testicle sacs that drag the ground. I know that even when they are very young you can extrude the penis on males, but I've never been very good at it. There is a way to feel the penal bone (I think that is what it's called) even in really young pigs. Someone else or a link here in the info pages can explain it better. The testicles don't descend for several months, though, at least they didn't in our male we mistook for a female and in the two male babies we had (which we re-homed). Look through the photos here for sexing guinea pigs and if you need to carry them with you to the shelter to compare.
I'm probably going to get two female guinea pigs soon.
I've decided to make a 105x70cm C&C cage (DIY). I'm also getting two hideys and I'm making a kitchen area in the cage with a liter box. For bedding I'm gonna put three towels underneath one polar fleece throw which I will clip to the sides of the cage.
Does this sound like a good plan or have I messed something up? Am I missing something? Do you have any tips for me?
I've decided to make a 105x70cm C&C cage (DIY). I'm also getting two hideys and I'm making a kitchen area in the cage with a liter box. For bedding I'm gonna put three towels underneath one polar fleece throw which I will clip to the sides of the cage.
Does this sound like a good plan or have I messed something up? Am I missing something? Do you have any tips for me?
We use Care-Fresh paper bedding, not fleece, so it may be different, but we clean out the cage twice a week. Three days is good, the fourth day is getting a little dirtier than I'd like, but every three days makes an awkward schedule.
The Care-Fresh is expensive, but we don't have a washer & dryer, so fleece is difficult in our situation.
The Care-Fresh is expensive, but we don't have a washer & dryer, so fleece is difficult in our situation.