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What you need before you adopt
You will need a cage! Please view our cage section to see exactly what you need. Cages rang from $60 to $300! You will also need a water bottle, a food dish, a hidey house (or something for them to hide in and sleep in), and some toys! Check out our toys section for more info. All of those are one time purchases. However you will need to buy other supplies before you adopt that are not one time purchases. These are;

Bedding; Bedding can rang from $6 to $25 all depending on the quantity and type of bedding you purchase. (I will write more on bedding later and I will update this with the link when I do) Bedding will need to be changed on average once a week, however the bigger the cage the less it needs to be cleaned but the more bedding is needed. Types of bedding include: Soft wood shavings[IMPORTANT: DO NOT USE CEDAR! CEDAR IS TOXIC TO GUINEA PIGS!!!] , Hay, News paper, and Cell-Sorb (or others like it) are the most common.

Food! You need Guinea Pig food! Your Guinea Pig is mainly going to eat Pellets. Rabbit, hamster, mouse, rat, or another type of pellets OTHER then Guinea Pig pellets will NOT work! All small animals need different types of vitamins and proteins to survive, for example Guinea Pigs do not produce vitamin C on their own so it need to be supplemented in their food! Food ranges from $5.99 to $25.00. Your Guinea Pig will also need a constant supply of Hay! Guinea pigs should always have hay accessible at all time! There are all kinds of hay that you can purchase for your Guinea Pig. (we will go more into detail at a later time) Hay can range from $6 to $25 again depending on the amount and the type. Also your Guinea Pig will need fresh vegetables and fruit! Prices for fruits and vegetables vary greatly so check your local market or grow your own! Lastly you should get some treats for your piggie. Everyone likes a treat now and then, so why not a Guinea Pig too?

Finally you will need a scale. This is to weigh your Guinea Pig regularly so you can tell if he/she is getting sick. If there are drastic changes in weight then you should visit your vet ASAP.
A quick overview:

• A Cage


• Food Dish


• Water Bottle


• Hidey House


• Toys


• Bedding


• Guinea Pig Pellets (food)


• Hay


• Fresh Vegetables and Fruit


• Treats


• A scale

Lastly do not forget about a Guinea Pig first aid kit. I decided not to include this as materials need because you can substitute this with a quick visit to the vet, however you should still purchase some simple Guinea Pig first aid supplies, because you never know when your piggie might get sick! This will be covered in a later article.]]> New Guinea Pig xml-rss2.php?itemid=12 Mon, 1 Mar 2010 06:30:25 -0600 xml-rss2.php?itemid=9
So you are keeping your Guinea Pig(s) inside! Great! Now you need a cage. You can buy a pet store cage or build your own, it doesn't sound like many choices but it really is. Before we get into the pros and cons of pet store cages and self built cages, you need to know what every cage needs. First off, the most important thing, ROOM! Your cages need enough room for your Guinea Pigs! Guinea Pigs require a lot of room, as they actually get kind of large. Here is a simple guide to what size cage you should have:

1 Guinea Pig	7.5 Square Ft.
2 Guinea Pigs	7.5 Square Ft.
3 Guinea Pigs	10.5 Square Ft.
4 Guinea Pigs	13 Square Ft.

Remember with Guinea Pigs MORE IS ALWAYS BETTER! The table above is only a general rule. If you do not have the room the accommodate a large cage then you need to make sure your Guinea Pigs get more floor time. They need the exercise and mental stimulation. Our cage is 9.4 square feet, and this is plenty of room for our 4 Guinea Pigs that we keep in it. We do let them out of the cage a lot but they have plenty of room inside the cage to run around and play.
Okay now you know your cage needs to be large, the second thing your cage needs is to breath. Your cage needs to allow air in. Another words; glass and Plexiglas cages are generally a bad idea. Guinea Pigs like and need fresh air. However you can have a glass and Plexiglas cage so long as the opening on the top is large enough to allow air in. Lastly the bottom of your cage needs to be water proof. Guinea Pigs pee, not only that but water sometimes spills from the water bottle. You don't want pee to get on your floor or what ever you have your cage on. Also if you use materials such as wood, the wood will absorb the urine and water and become saturated in it and it WILL smell, not only that but it will attract mold that can be harmful to your Guinea Pigs and yourself.
Keeping all that in mind now what cage should you get?
Pet Store Cages
Pet store cages are easy already made all you have to do is put them together which is extremely simple. This is convenient to some people. However Pet store cages can be expensive and are generally the same shape. Also most pet store cages are to small for more then two Guinea Pigs, because of there size you will need to clean them a minimum of once a week. Not only that but your Guinea Pigs will not have much room to play inside them.
Custom Built Cages

Custom Built Cages are GREAT. They are custom made and because of this they can be build to your exact needs. You can maximize space and make it so it matches the room. Custom cages can be made from a variety of material so long as you keep in mind everything I talked about above. Most people build what are called C&C cages. These are made from 2X4 cube grids that can be found at your local shopping store. The grids are generally sold as extra storage bins for shoes and other materials. The bottom of the cage is made from corrugated coroplast/correx, which can be found at plastic stores or custom sign makers. The grids are connected together to make any size and shape cage you want, then the coroplast is cut so it goes about 4in. up the side of the cage (to hold in your bedding and stop some of it from being kicked out).

Remember BIGGER is better! A bigger cage is easy to clean, allows for more exercise, more mental simulation, and more happy Guinea Pigs.]]> Cages xml-rss2.php?itemid=9 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:18:18 -0600 xml-rss2.php?itemid=8


1.) Guinea Pigs; as pets.

Guinea Pigs make great pets! They are intelligent, curious, and funny animals. Guinea pigs rarely bite, they may nibble on you every now and then but that is just instinct, they love to chew on things! However some Guinea Pigs that are not used to being handle or are handled improperly can bite, and bite hard. Each Guinea Pig has his/her own personality. Some Guinea Pigs are very comical, some love to cuddle, some love to run, and others are very shy. Your Guinea Pig will develop its own personality that is unique to him/her. Guinea Pigs can also live from 5-7 years (or even longer if kept very healthy), so your Guinea Pig will have many happy years with you.


2.)Housing.

Guinea Pigs, as pets, are indoor animals. Why? Well simply because Guinea Pigs are animals of prey. If they are kept outside you are exposing them to possible threats from animals such as birds, snakes, cats, and even dogs. That's not the only reason though, you are also exposing them to the weather such as cold and rain. Guinea Pigs need to be kept inside, they will enjoy it more plus if one gets sick you will notice faster, or if they want something they can sequel to get your attention. Not only that but they will get more attention from you over all. Okay so now that's settled what do you keep the Guinea Pig in? Well obviously it needs to be a cage. Please be sure the cage is big enough for your guinea pig, remember the bigger the cage the happier the Guinea Pig(s)... Also big cages are A LOT easier to clean. More on cages in a later posting.




3.) How many Guinea Pigs should you have?

The number of Guinea Pigs you have is strictly up to you, so long as you have a room for them. The minimum number of Guinea Pigs you should have is 2, of the same sex of course. Why? Well Guinea Pigs are herd animals, they enjoy the company of other Guinea Pigs. Your Guinea Pigs will grow a close bond with each other, play together, and talk to each other.


4.)Guinea Pigs and other Pets.

Guinea Pigs can live in the same house with other pets. However Guinea Pigs should only be kept with other Guinea Pigs. Rabbits and other animals should not live with Guinea Pigs, nor should they even play together. If you have animals such as cats or dogs you NEED to make sure that they can not get to the Guinea Pigs and they are never left alone with them. Cats and dogs have natural instincts and a Guinea can cause theses instincts to resurface.


5.)Money

Guinea Pigs can be very costly. First of all you have start-up costs; Buying the Guinea Pig, a cage, bedding, food, food dish, water bowl,and toys. Items such as food, bedding, hay, chew toys, vegetables, and fruits will need to be purchased on a regular basis. Don't forget the most expensive thing of all, vet visits. If you don't have the money to pay for a veterinary bill when your Guinea Pig gets sick, then please do not adopt a Guinea Pig.


6.)Knowing how to take care of a Guinea Pig

If your reading this article then chances are you do not know how to fully take care of a Guinea Pig. This is fine! Our website includes a whole guide on how to take care of a Guinea Pig, so be sure to read all of our articles in our Guide Page


7.)Guinea Pigs and Children

Guinea Pigs can make great pets for children. However a Guinea Pig can be very shy and timid, they are also very fragile. Children should be taught that a Guinea Pig is not a toy and how to properly handle your Guinea Pig. Please also remember that a Guinea Pig can get very boring to some children and they may get bored or forget to take care of it. So be aware that the care of the Guinea Pig may rely on you.


8.)Time

Guinea Pigs require a lot of time and attention. A daily chore for keeping a Guinea Pig would be; Making sure he/she has food and water, give them treats and 1 cup of vegetables,and you will also need to let your piggies run around outside of the cage to get exercise (the more time the better!). Depending on how many Guinea Pigs you have and how big your cage is, you will need to clean the cage every one to two weeks.



I bet you didn't think there was that much to think about BEFORE you even got a Guinea Pig. If you still want a Guinea Pig please be sure to check out our other articles!]]> Care xml-rss2.php?itemid=8 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:23:37 -0600