Well done for doing your research before getting your pet!
1) Get at least two pigs. Guinea pigs are a social species and need the company of their own kind. Living alone is totally unnatural for them and causes a variety of health and welfre problems. You can have two girls, two boys, or a girl with a neutered boy.
2) Guinea pigs need a lot of room to be happy and healthy. The minimum cage size is 7.5 - 8 sq feet of loor space, although bigger is always better.
The best cages are homemade C+C cages. These are really cheap and easy to make, can be made any size or shape you like, are easy to clean out etc.
3) Safe bedding. Cedar and pine contain high levels of phenols which cause respiratory and liver disease. Use either hardwood bedding (eg aspen) or a paper bedding (Carefresh or Megazorb).
4) Hay, hay and more hay! Hay is vital for proper digestion, wearing down teeth and preventing boredom - it must be available at all times. Timothy hay is the usual but any grass hay is fine.
5) Pigs need a variety of fresh veggies daily. Lettuce (NOT iceburg) is good, and bell pepper and cilantro are great for vitamin C. (I will give you a link to find a detailed veggies list).
6) Feed a good quality guinea pig pellet - either Oxbow or Kleenmama's. Most other brands are dangerous, unhealthy junk.
Do NOT feed any mineral wheels, store bought treats etc as these are very unhealthy.
7) Toys - you need at least one hidey per pig plus a few toys. Other good toys include cardboard boxes and tubes, tunnels to run through, paper bags stuffed with hay or veggies, cuddle cups, cozies, safe jungly cat balls, etc.
Do NOT use a wheel or ball for guinea pigs - their backs are not flexible enough to use them properly and they can be seriously injured!
8) Handle your pigs every day so they get used to you. Bribery also works really well, so try handfeeding them their favourite veggies!
9) Get some decent pet nail clippers, as you will need to cut their nails so they don't overgrow. Make sure not to cut the ';quick';, the blood vessel that runs into the nail.
10) Get a sturdy food bowl they can't tip over and a water bottle.
Do NOT put vit C drops in the water - it doesn't work and can harm your pigs! Guinea pigs need to get their vitamin C from their diet - quality pellets and daily veggies.
11) Last, but not least, please adopt - don't buy. There are thousands of lovely guinea pigs looking for homes - check out local rescues and shelters, or try sites like Craigslist and Petfinder.
Here are some great links to help you:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/
This site explains about c+c cages, but also check out the forum for the best care info. Read the ';sticky'; threads in each section of the forum - they will tell you everything you need to know. The diet section is excellent!
http://www.cavyspirit.com/
Good info on guinea pig care and social life, as well as explaining why to adopt and never buy from pet stores.
http://www.guinealynx.info/
The BEST site for anything health related, including illness, their symptoms and treatment etc. Also great care info.
For food:
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/
http://www.kmshayloft.com/
Hope this helps - enjoy your pigs!Any ( All) advise you can give to a ( soon to be) Guinea Pig owner?
Cost
When you first get your pet, you’ll need to spend about $35 for a cage. Food runs about $75 a year, plus $25 annually for toys and treats, $50 for an annual veterinary check-up and $400 per year for litter and bedding material. We recommend getting your guinea pig from a responsible breeder or, even better, adopting one from a shelter or small-animal rescue group.
Housing
Guinea pigs are social animals who prefer to live in small groups. If you keep two or more females together, they will become great friends. If you want two males, it’s smart to choose two babies from the same litter. Since guinea pigs, like all rodents, multiply rapidly, keeping males and females together is not recommended.
As a rule of thumb, you’ll need to provide a minimum of four square feet of cage space per guinea pig—but please try to get as large a cage as possible. You’ll need a solid-bottom cage—no wire floors, please, as they can irritate your pets’ feet. Plastic-bottom “tub cages” with wire tops also make great guinea pig homes. Never use a glass aquarium, due to the poor ventilation that it provides.
Always keep the cage indoors away from drafts and extreme temperatures, as guinea pigs are very susceptible to heatstroke. They’ll prefer an environment kept at 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line the bottom of the cage with aspen or hardwood shavings or some other form of safe bedding, such as grass hay. Do not use cedar or pine chips—the oils they contain can be dangerous to your pets. (P.S. Yes, you can train a guinea pig to use a litter box—but please note that this will require lots of time and patience!)
Guinea pigs love to hide when they play, so be sure to place cardboard tubes and/or empty coffee cans with smoothed edges in the enclosure for this purpose. Plastic pipes and flower pots are good, too, and bricks and rocks for climbing will be much appreciated. All guinea pigs need a cave for sleeping and resting, so please provide a medium-sized flower pot or covered sleeping box, readily available at pet supply stores.
Diet
Commercial guinea pig pellets should make up the bulk of your pet’s diet. Nutritionally complete, they’re available at pet supply stores, and are made from plants, seeds and veggies. Feed your guinea pigs twice daily, in the morning and in the evening.
The ASPCA recommends offering small amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables to your guinea pigs every day. Try grapes, cucumbers, corn, peas, carrots and pears. Half a handful of veggies and a slice of fresh fruit per pig is plenty. Always make sure to clean up any leftover fresh food before it spoils. You’ll also need to make grass hay available to your pets at all times. It’s great for the digestive system, and will also satisfy your pet’s need to gnaw.
Unlike other animals, guinea pigs cannot manufacture Vitamin C, so you’ll need to ensure that your pets get enough of this essential nutrient every day. A quarter of an orange will do, but you can also include some fruits and veggies that are high in C to their daily ration of fresh foods, such as kale, dandelion greens and strawberries.
Fresh, clean water should be available at all times. Use an inverted bottle with a drinking tube, and change the water daily.
General Care
Remove soiled bedding, droppings and stale food from the cage daily. Clean the cage completely once a week by replacing dirty bedding and scrubbing the bottom of the cage with warm water. Be sure everything’s dry before adding fresh bedding.
Did you know that guinea pigs’ teeth grow continuously, just like those of other rodents? That’s why it is important that you provide yours with something to gnaw on at all times. Branches and twigs from untreated trees will work, as will any small piece of wood that hasn’t been treated with chemicals.
It’s crucial that you get your pets used to you—and used to being handled. Start by feeding them small treats. When they’re comfortable with that, you can carefully pick up one pig at a time, one hand supporting the bottom, the other over the back.
Once you have hand-tamed your piggies, you should let them run around in a small room or enclosed area to get some additional exercise every day. You will need to carefully check the room for any openings from which the guinea pigs can escape, get lost and possibly end up hurt. These animals must be supervised when they are loose because they will chew on anything in their paths—including electrical wires.
Guinea pigs are very conscientious about grooming themselves, but brushing them on a regular basis will help keep their coat clean and remove any loose hairs. Long-haired guinea pigs should be brushed daily in order to prevent tangles and knots from forming.
Veterinary Care
If you think one of your guinea pigs is sick, don’t delay—seek medical attention immediately. Common signs that something isn’t right include sneezing, coughing, diarrhea and lethargy. Guinea pigs are also susceptible to external parasites such as mites
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