Guinea pigs for beginners
Discussion
Hello,
Really we (myself and the children) want a dog but Mrs8 won t permit that and after several decades together I can t see that position changing. She comes from a family that never had dogs, or any pet, was brought up believing all animals are dirty and smelly etc and, as a bit of a hypochondriac, believes she is allergic to fur.
For reference I was brought up in a pet friendly environment with dogs, rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs. But that was quite a long time ago. We ve been together since our late teenage years so my wife is very familiar with what it was like living with household pets but clearly has hard wired thoughts about these things. Despite being fine with the dogs in the road, dogs we come across out and about and the dog the children walk as a favour for our neighbour.
In recent times she s shown signs of folding to the children s pressure and permitting guinea pigs on an outside-only basis.
Since it s several decades since I ve had pets in my life I was just after advice anyone might have.
We have a decent sized garden.
Potential problem might be that garden backs onto a large urban park. The Bushey Park/Richmond Park sort, if smaller. Foxes are daily visitors. It doesn t take a genius to think that element would need consideration.
I was imagining we d need a sturdy hutch and run.
Any general tips, warnings, recommendations and/or advice?
Many thanks.
Really we (myself and the children) want a dog but Mrs8 won t permit that and after several decades together I can t see that position changing. She comes from a family that never had dogs, or any pet, was brought up believing all animals are dirty and smelly etc and, as a bit of a hypochondriac, believes she is allergic to fur.
For reference I was brought up in a pet friendly environment with dogs, rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs. But that was quite a long time ago. We ve been together since our late teenage years so my wife is very familiar with what it was like living with household pets but clearly has hard wired thoughts about these things. Despite being fine with the dogs in the road, dogs we come across out and about and the dog the children walk as a favour for our neighbour.
In recent times she s shown signs of folding to the children s pressure and permitting guinea pigs on an outside-only basis.
Since it s several decades since I ve had pets in my life I was just after advice anyone might have.
We have a decent sized garden.
Potential problem might be that garden backs onto a large urban park. The Bushey Park/Richmond Park sort, if smaller. Foxes are daily visitors. It doesn t take a genius to think that element would need consideration.
I was imagining we d need a sturdy hutch and run.
Any general tips, warnings, recommendations and/or advice?
Many thanks.
scenario8 said:
Hello,
Really we (myself and the children) want a dog but Mrs8 won t permit that and after several decades together I can t see that position changing. She comes from a family that never had dogs, or any pet, was brought up believing all animals are dirty and smelly etc and, as a bit of a hypochondriac, believes she is allergic to fur.
For reference I was brought up in a pet friendly environment with dogs, rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs. But that was quite a long time ago. We ve been together since our late teenage years so my wife is very familiar with what it was like living with household pets but clearly has hard wired thoughts about these things. Despite being fine with the dogs in the road, dogs we come across out and about and the dog the children walk as a favour for our neighbour.
In recent times she s shown signs of folding to the children s pressure and permitting guinea pigs on an outside-only basis.
Since it s several decades since I ve had pets in my life I was just after advice anyone might have.
We have a decent sized garden.
Potential problem might be that garden backs onto a large urban park. The Bushey Park/Richmond Park sort, if smaller. Foxes are daily visitors. It doesn t take a genius to think that element would need consideration.
I was imagining we d need a sturdy hutch and run.
Any general tips, warnings, recommendations and/or advice?
Many thanks.
Yes, sturdy hutch and run - hutch should really be 5' minimum (we had 5' double hutches for our pairs of guinea pigs. Ideally with run attached, but if not regular time in a run. If you can, get a hutch which has a moisture-proof floor, or add lino/vinyl floor tiles. Places for them to shelter/hide. Hay, both to eat and to nest in. The hutch will need a waterproof cover. And if you have foxes around, the nearer the house the better. Really we (myself and the children) want a dog but Mrs8 won t permit that and after several decades together I can t see that position changing. She comes from a family that never had dogs, or any pet, was brought up believing all animals are dirty and smelly etc and, as a bit of a hypochondriac, believes she is allergic to fur.
For reference I was brought up in a pet friendly environment with dogs, rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs. But that was quite a long time ago. We ve been together since our late teenage years so my wife is very familiar with what it was like living with household pets but clearly has hard wired thoughts about these things. Despite being fine with the dogs in the road, dogs we come across out and about and the dog the children walk as a favour for our neighbour.
In recent times she s shown signs of folding to the children s pressure and permitting guinea pigs on an outside-only basis.
Since it s several decades since I ve had pets in my life I was just after advice anyone might have.
We have a decent sized garden.
Potential problem might be that garden backs onto a large urban park. The Bushey Park/Richmond Park sort, if smaller. Foxes are daily visitors. It doesn t take a genius to think that element would need consideration.
I was imagining we d need a sturdy hutch and run.
Any general tips, warnings, recommendations and/or advice?
Many thanks.
They can be litter trained. Dried food must be for guinea pigs specifically, and should be nuggets rather than the muesli style (as that encourages/allows selective feeding). They can also have small amounts of leafy green veg. Lettuce, etc, is not good for guinea pigs or rabbits as it's 'empty calories' and can upset their stomach.
The best combination is two females (we had a mother and daughter and I've had other groups of females). Two males can sometimes work but they can fight, which won't end well.
I've also owned rabbits (we currently have 8). Whilst I don't have children myself, I believe that guinea pigs make better pets for children than rabbits, as rabbits can kick, bite and scratch. They aren't generally as long-lived as rabbits. They are very cute, I miss ours and the lovely noises they used to make.
That's all I can think of for now. Happy to answer any other questions.
Oh - and if you can get them from rescue, all the better. There are lots of small animals in rescue sadly.
Edited by moorx on Sunday 20th July 22:03
Edited by moorx on Sunday 20th July 22:05
scenario8 said:
Hello,
Really we (myself and the children) want a dog but Mrs8 won t permit that and after several decades together I can t see that position changing. She comes from a family that never had dogs, or any pet, was brought up believing all animals are dirty and smelly etc and, as a bit of a hypochondriac, believes she is allergic to fur.
For reference I was brought up in a pet friendly environment with dogs, rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs. But that was quite a long time ago. We ve been together since our late teenage years so my wife is very familiar with what it was like living with household pets but clearly has hard wired thoughts about these things. Despite being fine with the dogs in the road, dogs we come across out and about and the dog the children walk as a favour for our neighbour.
In recent times she s shown signs of folding to the children s pressure and permitting guinea pigs on an outside-only basis.
Since it s several decades since I ve had pets in my life I was just after advice anyone might have.
We have a decent sized garden.
Potential problem might be that garden backs onto a large urban park. The Bushey Park/Richmond Park sort, if smaller. Foxes are daily visitors. It doesn t take a genius to think that element would need consideration.
I was imagining we d need a sturdy hutch and run.
Any general tips, warnings, recommendations and/or advice?
Many thanks.
A new wife who likes dogs? Really we (myself and the children) want a dog but Mrs8 won t permit that and after several decades together I can t see that position changing. She comes from a family that never had dogs, or any pet, was brought up believing all animals are dirty and smelly etc and, as a bit of a hypochondriac, believes she is allergic to fur.
For reference I was brought up in a pet friendly environment with dogs, rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs. But that was quite a long time ago. We ve been together since our late teenage years so my wife is very familiar with what it was like living with household pets but clearly has hard wired thoughts about these things. Despite being fine with the dogs in the road, dogs we come across out and about and the dog the children walk as a favour for our neighbour.
In recent times she s shown signs of folding to the children s pressure and permitting guinea pigs on an outside-only basis.
Since it s several decades since I ve had pets in my life I was just after advice anyone might have.
We have a decent sized garden.
Potential problem might be that garden backs onto a large urban park. The Bushey Park/Richmond Park sort, if smaller. Foxes are daily visitors. It doesn t take a genius to think that element would need consideration.
I was imagining we d need a sturdy hutch and run.
Any general tips, warnings, recommendations and/or advice?
Many thanks.
Sorry.
Remember, easier to ask forgiveness than permission.
Ok, serious answer now.
Get a decent hutch and a covered run. They’re fun little beasties and have real personality. Sociable so get a few, at least two or three. Very easy to look after. They like hay, you can get specific feed (pellets) for them and plenty of fresh veg like cabbage, cucumber and celery leaves. Ours liked berries but they’re not meant to have too much - just a few a day.
I believe they probably taste like chicken. (Joking)
We had them when our kids were little. Despite ⁹
assurances that the children would look after them, it came to pass that Dad looked after them. Our house is small. When it was cold we bought their hutches into tge hallway. They eventually got old and died. What can I say. We didn't have a burial service. I put them in the food waste bin as technically raw meat.
We had them when our kids were little. Despite ⁹
assurances that the children would look after them, it came to pass that Dad looked after them. Our house is small. When it was cold we bought their hutches into tge hallway. They eventually got old and died. What can I say. We didn't have a burial service. I put them in the food waste bin as technically raw meat.
Happy to help as well. We had two since January 2021 when my wife casually suggested we should get some, upon my agreeing to discuss I suddenly learned that there were two looking to be rescued nearby, they came with all the stuff and the things they didn’t have were available in PAH.
Now, I can’t lie, we killed one of them (we think due to different puppy pads that Snowy Pig decided to nibble on and Scampy Pig didn't). However, we then rescued Bart Pig and him and Scampy have been friends since 2023.
Get a big hutch, get a garden run, you have to clean them every day but to be fair, they’re amusing little things.
Now, I can’t lie, we killed one of them (we think due to different puppy pads that Snowy Pig decided to nibble on and Scampy Pig didn't). However, we then rescued Bart Pig and him and Scampy have been friends since 2023.
Get a big hutch, get a garden run, you have to clean them every day but to be fair, they’re amusing little things.
scenario8 said:
Hello,
Really we (myself and the children) want a dog but Mrs8 won t permit that and after several decades together I can t see that position changing. She comes from a family that never had dogs, or any pet, was brought up believing all animals are dirty and smelly etc and, as a bit of a hypochondriac, believes she is allergic to fur.
For reference I was brought up in a pet friendly environment with dogs, rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs. But that was quite a long time ago. We ve been together since our late teenage years so my wife is very familiar with what it was like living with household pets but clearly has hard wired thoughts about these things. Despite being fine with the dogs in the road, dogs we come across out and about and the dog the children walk as a favour for our neighbour.
In recent times she s shown signs of folding to the children s pressure and permitting guinea pigs on an outside-only basis.
Since it s several decades since I ve had pets in my life I was just after advice anyone might have.
We have a decent sized garden.
Potential problem might be that garden backs onto a large urban park. The Bushey Park/Richmond Park sort, if smaller. Foxes are daily visitors. It doesn t take a genius to think that element would need consideration.
I was imagining we d need a sturdy hutch and run.
Any general tips, warnings, recommendations and/or advice?
Many thanks.
If you need any help or advice on guinea pigs, I highly recommend the guinea pig forum, it's a gold mine for everything piggy related. Really we (myself and the children) want a dog but Mrs8 won t permit that and after several decades together I can t see that position changing. She comes from a family that never had dogs, or any pet, was brought up believing all animals are dirty and smelly etc and, as a bit of a hypochondriac, believes she is allergic to fur.
For reference I was brought up in a pet friendly environment with dogs, rabbits, chinchillas and guinea pigs. But that was quite a long time ago. We ve been together since our late teenage years so my wife is very familiar with what it was like living with household pets but clearly has hard wired thoughts about these things. Despite being fine with the dogs in the road, dogs we come across out and about and the dog the children walk as a favour for our neighbour.
In recent times she s shown signs of folding to the children s pressure and permitting guinea pigs on an outside-only basis.
Since it s several decades since I ve had pets in my life I was just after advice anyone might have.
We have a decent sized garden.
Potential problem might be that garden backs onto a large urban park. The Bushey Park/Richmond Park sort, if smaller. Foxes are daily visitors. It doesn t take a genius to think that element would need consideration.
I was imagining we d need a sturdy hutch and run.
Any general tips, warnings, recommendations and/or advice?
Many thanks.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/
Please consider carefully and if you decide to get guinea pigs consider rescues.
Bunnies and guinea pigs are the most frequently abandoned pets out there and aren't ideal for children as they're prey animals. They're massive amounts of work and need exotic vet care.
If you put the work in to they over a long period of time they become brilliant company, very playful and funny but if you get bored you get almost nothing back from them.
Our Bunnies live indoors free roam and this way you become part of there herd. In hutches you are an entity that just feeds them. Please consider carefully both of our 2 came from a rescue centre that is frequently collecting abandoned and removed Bunnies and guinea pigs.
Bunnies and guinea pigs are the most frequently abandoned pets out there and aren't ideal for children as they're prey animals. They're massive amounts of work and need exotic vet care.
If you put the work in to they over a long period of time they become brilliant company, very playful and funny but if you get bored you get almost nothing back from them.
Our Bunnies live indoors free roam and this way you become part of there herd. In hutches you are an entity that just feeds them. Please consider carefully both of our 2 came from a rescue centre that is frequently collecting abandoned and removed Bunnies and guinea pigs.
We have just got two guinea pigs recently, about 4 weeks ago for our two daughters, they were only 8 weeks old when we got them and they are settling in nicely, feed guinea nuggets and fresh veggies twice per day amd fresh hay and bedding daily.
They have a huge covered garden run and we get them out every day and already they are starting to become more tame, although they need time.
They're amusing little characters and fun to watch, however Dad here has got the job of feeding and cleaning out.
They have a huge covered garden run and we get them out every day and already they are starting to become more tame, although they need time.
They're amusing little characters and fun to watch, however Dad here has got the job of feeding and cleaning out.
Get 3. They're social animals and if one is unwell or passes it can really stress the one left behind, that was otherwise healthy.
We had a large run that we moved around the garden. They'll eat grass and dandelions very happily, it only takes an afternoon to make something robust with wood and chicken wire.
Think about where they'd be in winter. We'd always.move our hutch into a shed, and after last frost we'd move it back out again.
They need regular source of vitamin C, because like humans they can't make it.
We had a large run that we moved around the garden. They'll eat grass and dandelions very happily, it only takes an afternoon to make something robust with wood and chicken wire.
Think about where they'd be in winter. We'd always.move our hutch into a shed, and after last frost we'd move it back out again.
They need regular source of vitamin C, because like humans they can't make it.
Ste-EVo said:
We have just got two guinea pigs recently, about 4 weeks ago for our two daughters, they were only 8 weeks old when we got them and they are settling in nicely, feed guinea nuggets and fresh veggies twice per day amd fresh hay and bedding daily.
They have a huge covered garden run and we get them out every day and already they are starting to become more tame, although they need time.
They're amusing little characters and fun to watch, however Dad here has got the job of feeding and cleaning out.
If you need any advice on piggies, this is an excellent source of information. They have a huge covered garden run and we get them out every day and already they are starting to become more tame, although they need time.
They're amusing little characters and fun to watch, however Dad here has got the job of feeding and cleaning out.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/
Ibwould strongly suggest to have them in the house with you. They are animals that do better the more interaction they have with anything. You will literally become their family and one of them.
They don’t create much mess or smell if kept on top of once a day and are the most loving creatures ever!
Only caution i would saybis that they are that placid, it has been known for children to knowingly injure them as the guinea pig can just sit there.
Of course some wheek and popcorn constantly but that just means thy are happy.
They don’t create much mess or smell if kept on top of once a day and are the most loving creatures ever!
Only caution i would saybis that they are that placid, it has been known for children to knowingly injure them as the guinea pig can just sit there.
Of course some wheek and popcorn constantly but that just means thy are happy.
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