[Sparky]

i have just got two guinea pigs. they are adult guinea pigs. i got a cage with them which is 3ft by1.5ft is this ok? we let them out onto the floor to run round each night but they really don't seem to interested in running around, they go for a bit of a walk but that's it. is that ok? The cage floor is wire but i put newspaper on top of the wire so there feet don't get sore. I know newspaper isn't the best. should i line it with newspaper then put straw on top? how often do you change the lining if you do that? what else should i be doing? i'm feeding them guinea pig mix and carrots, apples, capcuicum, lettuce. I read i should get them timothy hay.should i line the cage with this or just put it in the food bowl?what else should i feed them? they have a water sipper but should i also give them a bowl of water to swim/roll in.(i live in australia and i gets hot here) i have them on my veranda which gets good breeze but no sun. is it ok for them not to get any sun? need lots of advice

[Richard]

1. Your cage sounds OK -- a tad small, but OK. Make sure they have a little home to go inside. Guinea pigs need a den to hide in or they get anxious and depressed.2. Guinea pigs enjoy floor play time but they don't really run around much. Give them some interesting things to play with or chew on to make floor time even more fun.3. Newspaper is a good liner but definitely add straw or something (shredded paper, perhaps) on top. Guinea pigs enjoy burrowing, and it makes them feel safer, too. Change the lining daily if you can, every 2-3 days is OK. They need a clean home.4. Don't give them too much lettuce; too much gives them diarrhea.5. Timothy hay is a tasty treat, but don't line the cage with it. They'll eat too much of it. I give mine a cube of Timothy hay from time to time.6. Forget the water dish. They'll just tip it over. They enjoy doing that. 7. Toss in a small, clean cardboard box from time to time. They enjoy chewing that up. Better still, one of those cardboard tubes that they can fit into and use like a tunnel. They'll play with it and chew it up at the same time. Guinea pigs love racing through tunnels. A round Quaker Oats box is ideal. Store-bought tunnels are good, but expensive.8. Absolutely give them a block of wood or a piece of fruitwood to chew on. If they don't have something hard to chew on their teeth will grow and can lead to an inability to eat and death. This is vital!9. Avoid the sun in great doses. Take them out once in a while for a bit of play time (but only if your lawn is free from pesticides or fertilizer). That will be enough sun.

[danny]

hi,by the sound's of it your doing every thing allright,puting a water bowl in there, is a good idea if you have a lot of hot day's.down here in tasmaina we dont get many of those:Pit dosn't really matter what type of hay you use.laying the bottom with paper is the best way then put a light layer of hay on top, (with guinea pig's,it best to lay down a thick layer of paper because they do like to get up under it, and they do make a bit of a mess.best to clean them out every day, and change there water daily.email me if u have any more proublem's.i know a lot about over animal's to.

[JANE W]

this is the same size cage as what I have for my 2 piggies.Guinea pigs don't do the running in an exercise wheel like a hamster so they won't go mad on the floor. If you can I would get rid of the wire floor completly, but if you cover it with enough newspaper you should be fine. I would also put a layer of wood shavings on for extra absorbancy and protection. I clean out one side or other of the cage every day with a complete clean once a week. Don't feed too much lettuce - it contains minute traces of laudanum. They must have a constant source of hay - they use it to munch on to keep their teeth trimmed. No swimming pool required - if you feel they are getting hot, lay a ceramic tile/peice of marble in the cage and if they need to cool off they will stand on it. Good thing they have a breeze and no sun - but make sure they are complatly protected from any predators you may have outside, or bring them in overnight. You might also need to trim their nails if they get too long - see your local petstore amd they should do it the first time for you so you know how far to cut

[krazy_49_99]

You should just give them away. I had them throughout my entire childhood and thats the best advice id give you. They are noisy and you have to constantly clean they cages otherwise they get REALLY stinky pretty fast. They are cute at first, but the novelty will wear off in a hurry. sorry for the discuragement, im just being honest from my personal experience. hopefully you will have a better one. OH AVOID LETTUCE even if read its ok for any pet PERIOD. Lettuce is flaky and causes problems with choking and all kinda of other things. ITS NEVER A GOOD PET FOOD, however spinach can replacement if absolutely necessary. Ive had alot of pets my whole life...Best of luck to you

[ttbl]

guineau pigs need feeding with guineau pig food once a day mixed with plenty of greens, guineau pigs sleep in either straw or hay, can't remember which, you sound like you are treating them ok. guineau pigs are generally lazy creatures, they like to sit there wile you stroke them, they love that. guineau pigs will eat straw/hay what they sleep in, you don't need to woryy, someties you can use shredded paper, they do't always need straw/hay. you may need to bath your guineau pig quite regularly. when i had guineau pigs i used to clean them out every three days and give them a bath once a week where they could go for a swim. i hd a run out fixed out permanantly on the grass but they slept in seperate cages. i do the same with my rabbits at the moment.

[kellyherts]

you seem to be doing all the rite things...exept the mini swimming pool hehe...dont line the cage with saw dust or wood chippings as guineas eat at floor level and its dangerous for them to injest the saw dust and powder so newpaper is fine just remember to change it daily xx

[Justified]

Welcome to the world of piggies! They are sweet, docile pets.Your cage: A good rule is 7.5 square feet for one pig and another two feet for each pig thereafter. You currently have 4.5 square feet. You need to double that at least. PLEASE do away with the wire floor. I'm glad you at least covered it with newspaper, but there really shouldn't be any wire under a pig's feet. These floors are for rabbits and it doesn't hurt them. Piggies have very tender feet and the wire floor can cause all sorts of awful foot ailments, not to mention broken feet, ripped off toes, etc. from getting caught in the wire. You can make a very inexpensive cage yourself! See these two websites for information & instructions on building one:www.guineapigcages.comwww.cavycages.comBedding can be pine shavings, but only KILN dried shavings, because the drying process removes the aromatic oils. Never use cedar or pine (un-kiln dried) shavings, as the fumes they put off can give your piggies serious respiratory sickness. You can buy shredded bedding such as Carefresh at a pet supply, but it can be expensive. If you choose to use hay as bedding, understand that this is also food for them and you don't want them to eat soiled hay, so it must be removed daily & fresh put back in. They love to burrow & play in the hay!Food: Your pigs will benefit from a high quality guinea pig (not rabbit!) pellet that contains stabilized Vitamin C. Pigs, like humans, cannot produce their own Vit. C & must get it from food. If they do not get enough, they will get scurvy & die. Do not put Vit. C drops in the water--even if the pet supply tries to tell you to--pigs hate it & the drops, once they hit the water, degrade and are useless. Feeding fresh veggies that are high in Vit. C, along with quality pellets, will usually supply all of your piggies' requirements. Good veggies include Romaine lettuce, red or curly lettuce, endive, escarole, parsley, bell pepper, etc. Do not feed iceburg lettuce, as it causes loose stools & has no nutritional value. Treats such as carrots (their favorite), slice of apple, cantaloupe, tomato, & watermelon are very high in sugar & should only be given sparingly. One baby size carrot per pig daily is enough. Never feed them potato, onion, or any bulb type produce--they are toxic to pigs. Timothy hay is a MUST for pigs. They should have unlimited access to hay at all times! This keeps their digestive system moving. You can obtain wonderful high quality hay & pellets from a pet supply or order from these online sources:www.kmshayloft.comwww.oxbowhay.comWater: The sippie bottle is just fine. They do not need a bowl of water as it will just get their cage & bedding wet. Remove this before they get a fungal skin infection from being wet. Please change their water daily, even if they haven't finished the bottle because little particles of food can "backwash" up the tube & contaminate the water.Housing: The optimum temperature for a pig is between 65 and 75 degrees. Pigs can die of heat stroke very easily in 85 degree weather. Never leave your pig in the sun! Playing with them outside is fine, but make sure they don't get too hot. Really, they should be kept indoors in a temperature controlled environment. A good source for information about piggies is:www.guinealynx.infoGood luck & enjoy your sweet piggies!

[tata51193]

well ok first you should get a cage without a wire bottom kus even with something on top of it its bad for them. yes you should get timothy hay for them but just put it in the cage somewhere...i have 2 guinea pigs and they love to run around in the hay. make sure its not too hot for them wherever you have them because they could die...i dont know about the water i did that for mine and they drank it sometimes but then they also played in it and spilled it so thats realy up to you. oh and make sure they get plenty of vitimin c but it seems like your doing a good job of that. you should try giving thema bath if you can findthe shampoo for them...they might like that if its kinda hot where you are but you cant let them get too cold. well thats realy all i can tell you but dont keep putting newspaper down kus they will just eat it.

[beanietara]

Wow there are so many guinea pig lovers here.We just got two a few days ago and I like these web sites.Have fun!!































www.guinealynx.info