Adopt A Rescued Guinea Pig Month on March, 2024: Adopting a guinea pig?

March, 2024 is Adopt A Rescued Guinea Pig Month 2024. Adopt a Pet in Philly Pets are waiting at Operation Ava, a no-kill rescue in N. Liberties.

Adopting a guinea pig?

Unless you already have some, you need to get 2 guinea pigs. They're very social animals that need to live in pairs

Otherwise get whichever you like. Intact males are not more likely to get diseases and neutering isn't something you should have done to him unless you want him to live with a female.

I have adopted a rescue guinea pig who is blind in one eye...?

I have adopted a rescue guinea pig who is blind in one eye...?

Hope this site helps also there are lots of books on caring from guinea pigs try your library.

Guinea pig?

Guinea pig?

1. Guinea pigs are social animals so you should get more than one. Make sure they are the same sex. If you want to get a male and a female make sure that one of them is spayed or neutered. Breeding is NOT fun! 20% of the mothers die.

2. I have a C&C cage that is 7 ft by 2.5 ft for my three boars. It only cost me $50 to make. It is super easy to clean and you only need to completely clean it every 2 weeks (spot cleaning every 3-4 days). I found the idea at this website:

www.guineapigcages.com

3. They do NOT need a wheel or an exercise ball. They are bad for there back.

4. They need timothy hay everyday.

5. Veggies every day and some fruits (romaine lettuce, green lettuce, red lettuce, butterhead lettuce, cilantro, spinach, 1 baby carrot per day, parsely, peelings of zucchinis/cucumber, strawberry, pieces of apple/plum.)

6. They need a good guinea pig pellet with NO seeds. The seeds can get stuck on there teeth and they can choke on them.

7. NO salt lick, NO vitamin C drops in the water (it makes the water taste bad to the pigs and makes them less likely to drink water.

8. Bedding: Carefresh (best), Aspen (best), Pine (ok if kiln dried, NEVER CEDAR!

9. Please adopt from a rescue or shelter, NOT a petstore or a breeder.

Here are the best guinea pig websites:

Here is a nutritional chart for guinea pigs:

...

Not including vet bills, my guinea pigs have cost me between $300-$400 each year.

$10- $20 food every month

$10-$25 bedding every month

$? other mystery prices

(each vet visit can cost anywhere between $50-$200)

If you need anything else or help, feel free to email me.

EDIT:

Salt lick

"Do not use mineral wheels." (from the guinealynx website)

"The answer to this question is absolutely NOT. Too much salt or minerals in a pigs diet only cause problems later on down the road. So if you've purchased a salt lick or mineral wheel the best thing you can do is throw them in the trash."

(from a nutritional forum on guinea pigs from a professional)

"NO, they do NOT need mineral or salt wheels! You are increasing the likelihood of bladder or kidney stones by giving these to them." (from a nutritional forum on guinea pigs from a professional)

"The excess minerals in a salt/mineral wheel is just as bad for a cavy as excess salt is for a human, if not worse. If your pig licks and nibbles the wheel, it's because he likes the taste of the salt, NOT because he needs it." (from a nutritional forum on guinea pigs from a professional)

"No they don't need Salt wheels or Mineral licks. Commercial brands of pellets contain all the salt and minerals they will ever need. By giving them extra salt/mineral stuff, you can do more harm than good." (from a nutritional forum on guinea pigs from a professional)

Just to prove my point to the person below.

Holidays also on this date Friday, March 1, 2024...