Guinea Pig Question...

[Joe]

   Well, my brother's decided he wants a guinea pig. Anybody got some good site about them, and/or know of a forum for them?

[amymckee]

Have him play with your rats enough that he wants to get rats instead.  

[Audrey]

Hey there, just wondering if your brother knows how much work a piggy can be?  But if he knows what he's up for, just an idea, try petfinder.com.  There are sooo many rescues and shelters out there with guinea pigs in need of homes!  I know it is easier to go to a pet store, and I have nothing against that really.  I've done it myself.  Just had to mention it.  I don't know a specific site on care, but I'm sure if you search there's a lot out there.  Sorry if this was absolutely no help, but anyway...  Good luck

[Joe]

Have him play with your rats enough that he wants to get rats instead.  

  That's the thing...I convinced him not to get rats. He'd not treat them like they'd need to be treated. I know he wouldn't clean the cage enough, or let them out enough, and he thinks the 2 cubic feet thing is rediculous.
  Basically, I told him everything I could think of from Myco to tumors to convince him out of it after he said, "Joe, they're just cute little vermin. They don't need a cage that big, they don't need to be fed such fancy stuff, etc." The thing is, he's been on here reading posts, and he still thinks some of the stuff is stupid...
  That's why I'm looking for guinea pig info, to find out how much work they are.
  How about gerbils? I'm sure someone's got a gerbil forum they know of!

[~Lilly's mama~]

Hi!  I had a cavy aka guinea pig.  They are very noisy.  They whistle everytime you walk by, or around them.  And are kinda stinky.  I don't know if I would recomend them as a pet.  

Rats are better!!

[Chic 2000]

Just wondering, is your brother older or younger than you?  Don't have to answer that if you don't want to.  It's just that he might be wanting a furry critter because you have some.  Just make sure he really understands the responsibilities you take on as a ratty owner and that they are not to be taken lightly.  You're certainly knowlagdeable about your critters and take excellent care of them.  But kids , especaily the younger ones sometimes look at furry critter like rats and Guinea Pigs and want them on an impulse feeling and then fail to take proper care of them due to lack of knowladge and responsibility.

Maybe you could get him mice?  Has he considered mice?  Mice are a little easier than rats and guinea pigs to care for and are good starter animals.  We had two little mice before we got the rats.  Me and my husband loved them very much.  They passed on after 2 years of good life of natural causes.  And you can buy tubes and a "mouse place" and create your own little house for them and mazes with the tubes.   But mice tend to be stinkier than rats.  And can be a hassel to clean if you get carried away with buying tubes and using hundreds of them to play with the mice.

But I don't really know much of anything about guinea pigs myself.  Don't really care for them.  Kinda like rabbits, they make me sneeze and they just don't seem to do as much as rats do.  Rabbit and guinea pig owners would argue with me about that.  But it's just me preference.  Wierd that I am allergic to rabbits and guinea pigs and not rats.  They are all rodents after all.

I do know one thing, guinea pigs do need space.  Just about as much or more than rats do.

[Joe]

Just wondering, is your brother older or younger than you?  Don't have to answer that if you don't want to.  It's just that he might be wanting a furry critter because you have some.  Just make sure he really understands the responsibilities you take on as a ratty owner and that they are not to be taken lightly.

Maybe you could get him mice?  

Kinda like rabbits, they make me sneeze and they just don't seem to do as much as rats do.

   My brother's 14 (I'm 18), and yes, I'm guessing he just wants something because I have something. That's why I'm trying to figure out what's good and what's not. Mice may be a good idea. O.K. Mice forums, anyone? I've got a lot of info on them, but there's nothing like forums.

   I won't argue with you about the fact that rabbits do less. Since I have both, I can say so. When he's out hopping, he's not extreemly active, but he does some cute stuff while in his cage. There's almost nothing quite as cute as a rabbit "flopping" to take a nap. All the rabbit people will know what I mean. Mine, though, is addicted to TV. If he's in his cage and the TV's on, he's watching. If it's not, he's lathargic.

[amymckee]

Just wondering, is your brother older or younger than you?  

Good point.
<---This little guy used to belong to my 12 year old brother, who NEVER gave him what he needed. I dont know much about guinea pigs, but I would think that if he couldnt handle rats, he shouldnt have pigs either. There are a lot of mature kids that age, but there are so many more who arent ready to take sole responsibility of a pet.  Is he interested in fish?

[Yresim]

I had guinea pigs.  They make great pets if you are attentive enough to learn their "language".  They squeal/whistle/squeak/etc all the time, but slightly different noises can mean very different things.  

The most important thing about them is to make sure they always have vitamin C.

Also, they are social animals like rats.  Therefore, you should try to get two.  If you must get one, you will need to spend a lot of time with him/her.  

P.S.  They can be potty trained, but they breed like rabbits.

[amymckee]

The most important thing about them is to make sure they always have vitamin C.

Why vitamin C?

[fusche]

Joe, sounds like your brother is a fish person.  Tell him to get a bowl and a goldfish.......LOL  

[Samantha]

Hello i raise guniea pigs and they can be some work guniea pigs need alot of floor space much more than a rat if you think he wouldnt take care of a rat than maybe you should talk him out of getting a guniea pig he would need at least 2 because they like to live in groups they are happier that way but if nothing changes his mind than here is a site i visit it often its beanmakers.com it has info and a message board i hope he does a lot of learning on them before he makes his final desision i hoped i helped

[SonyaFancifulRats]

Hey, well, do your parents know? I mean, you had to research and beg and get a job and etc, why would they just let him get a pet??  Just let him play with your rats and tell your parents they aren't being afir if they let him get anything without having a job first.

BTW, I had a GP and he was lovely and so sweet and I thought he was pretty easy to take care of, certainly easier to let him run around the house and all.His cage was easier to clean too then my messy rats. Any pet is a big commitment though...

[Joe]

Hey, well, do your parents know? I mean, you had to research and beg and get a job and etc, why would they just let him get a pet?

  Well, he's got a summer job. My Dad and I use to mow lawns (for six summer straight...ugh), and he took over my spot for that, so he's about to start making money. Problem is, though he knows he needs to save money, it still seems to disappear very quickly when he has some. And the, of course, what's he gonna do when his summer money runs out long about October?
  But you're right. I begged and pleadeded for about eight months before my parents finally gave in. And I can tell them anything they want to know about rats at this point. I've pointed it out, and basically got told to "grow up." I think it's stupid.

[Yresim]

Why vitamin C?

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for all animals, but most make their own.  Like humans (and unlike most other animals), Guinea Pigs do not manufacture their own vitamin C.  This means that they need to get it in their food.

For this reason, it is essential to give your guinea pigs *guinea pig* food.  Rabbit food is similar, but not good enough.  Adding some extra vitamin C to their diet (Tang, orange slices, etc) is also a good idea.

My guinea pig died (indirectly) from a vitamin C deficiency while I was out of town, so I can attest to the importance of keeping it in their diet.  

[amymckee]

Wow, that is really interesting about the vitamin C. Im sorry your GP passed on.

[JulesDoug]

Caviesgalore is a good site for piggies sorry I cant do the link thing!! I have kept pigs for years and personally find them much more work than rats and although I think they are wonderful rats are much more interactive...my pigs are kept indoors and go out to play every day in spring/summer...they need fresh hay everyday and I personally think if they have a good diet of fresh fruit n veg then a vit C supplement is not needed...BUT if the novelty wears off and they are not fed as they should be then vit C will be needed.  They to need cagemates..a lone pig is a sad one
Girls are less smelly and boys are much bigger, temprement wise its just luck, but I have never had a biting pig.
Longer haired varieties need to be groomed, and they need their nails clipped sometimes, they are very prone to heat stroke and always need shade.
They need a LARGE cage with alot of floor space, I would never keep piggies in an aquarium as there is not enuff ventilation.  Again they must not be kept on pine bedding..but whatever you keep your rats on would be fine.....oh dear I am rambling please forgive me I could go on all day!!

[Vouivre]

i dont know what he's like but i have a feeling he will get sick of a guinea pig and not look after it. I had guinea pigs for quite a long time and they dont really do anything! they can get pretty boring when they just sit there, eat, and poop. lol. my little cousin got so bored with his one day that he tried to make it swim. *sigh* anyway, it drowned but my aunty managed to revive it, thank gawd

[Ladyveg]

If he can't be bothered to take care of a rat correctly--"wouldn't clean the cage enough, wouldn't let them out enough"--why punish a guinea pig, or any other creature that needs attention from its owner?  Think he could handle feeding a goldfish every day?  That might be a better option.  If he doesn't want to give a rat enough space, a guinea pig is not a good idea for him because they need a lot of floor space--they can't make use of vertical space the way rats can.

Just because he wants a pet doesn't mean he should have one--even if he has a source of income.  I have several guinea pigs up for adoption here that came from kids around his age who tired of them or didn't take proper care of them.

Whenever someone tells me that their guinea pigs stink, I tell them "The guinea pigs themselves don't stink.  They are forced to live in the same bedding  that they urinate and defecate in.  If that is not changed enough, that's YOUR hygiene problem, not theirs."  I generally have 17-20 rescue guinea pigs in my house, plus my (now 8) rats, cockatiel, two rabbits, and two cats.  And the first thing that people usually say when coming to look at the animals is "WOW, it doesn't stink at ALL in here."  Which makes me wonder what they thought of me before!

Good guinea pig sites:  http://www.guinealynx.info
My rescue page:  http://webpages.charter.net/ladyveg