Guinea pigs

[Socks Mum]

We are lucky to have some very knowledgeable guinea pig lovers on this forum. I am keen to adopt two guinea pigs who need a good home. I live in a studio and am a bit worried about how much noise they can make as I want to avoid upsetting my next door neighbour. The sound proofing is good, and things are quiet other than the odd door going now and then and a little bit of faint singing in the shower. I am wondering if guinea pigs are very audible in smallish flats.

 

[Maz]

I think @Emx93, @RainbowBrite or @Eriathwen might be able to help with that

 

[Socks Mum]

Thanks!

 

[Jain]

Many years ago I had guinea pigs they are very vocal but the only time they really turned up the decibels was when they knew food was coming to them otherwise they just sqeeked which I loved and it wouldn't have disturbed anyone they do chatter to each other and never just have one

 

[Emx93]

They are vocal little sweeties but I wouldn't say they'd hear them through walls guinea pigs make absolutely amazing pets!
You probably know all about them already but incase there's anything you need to know heres the basics-
-they need a friend, 2 sows, 2 boars or a neutered boar/sow group work well. Never put two boys with girls through as they will fight over the girls more than 2 boars together almost never works out.
-they need a big enclosure
-Hay makes up the majority of their diet
- 1 cup fresh veg per pig per day
- they love forage!
- be prepared for vet bills, they're prone to illness and hide it very well! Vet bills can be very high (I had a 2 year old previously healthy piggy cost almost £2000 and then have to be pts) I recently had a piggy xrayed which cost almost £600

Enjoy your new family members

 

[Maz]

They do need quite a bit of space - would you have the space as well as Socks large playpen?!

 

[Wren the robo]

They only really squeal loudly when there's the prospect of food. I wouldn't say they're that loud. Only thing I would say is that like hamsters most caging sold in petshops is inadequate. C&C caging is what I use, I build a base in mine and put the cage on a folding craft table. That way I can use the underneath for storage of their belongings. Oh also they poo a lot.

 

[Eriathwen]

Mine can be rather noisy, but there's 22 of them if there were only 2 then it certainly wouldn't be much of a problem, especially once they've got you properly trained to feed them quickly!

They make wonderful little pets, very rewarding. But do make sure you have a guinea pig savvy vet on standby, they seem to be allergic to life at times. I specifically rescue special needs or one's likely to have health issues, so I'm at the vet multiple times every week near enough, but even the "healthy" ones have a tendancy to develop problems at the most inconvenient time.

Coming to their new home can lower their immune system to leave them open to ringworm or respiratory infections for example. Then a lot of them like to pick up UTIs or cystitis, over 75% of female piggies will develop ovarian cysts by the time they reach old age (I've had to have about 13 spayed so far, and I currently have 1 booked in to be spayed on the 15th and another booked Tuesday for xrays and a cystotomy if they find bladder stones she also has ovarian cysts so may be spayed at the same time if she does well under the aneasthetic)

None of this is to scare you, they really are wonderful little animals, but there are so many health issues with them you've got to keep an eye out for, and being one of the longer lived rodents, it can rack up as the years go by so it's something that's important to factor in!

 

[Maz]

I believe it can be an issue for people who are allergic to hay as well (or get asthma or hayfever) - which is why I can't have them.

 

[Socks Mum]

Thank you for all the wonderful advice and support, I really appreciate it. I am a complete guinea pig novice! Socks is free roaming the whole room now, so the playpen is on storage at the moment, but I might need to use it in its small capacity if the guinea pigs are restless when Socks wants to come out. The C2C cage system sounds really good, I am definitely going to get this caging as well as a table. Then I can put Socks' cage on top and the guinea pigs underneath on the floor. I am setting up their interim cage tonight and collecting them tomorrow!

 

[Socks Mum]

Gotcha Day for Truffle and Jazzy Guinea pig! They started eating hay after about half an hour since being let into their cage and the kale and bell peppers are almost gone already. They both ate them. I put up pieces of cardboard ( Socks says he can see a pattern developing ) and they seem to like the privacy, but still being able to watch me with big eyes. I'm just sitting around very quietly. Now they have gone into their separate bendy bridge hides. I will buy a C2C cage for them as soon as possible. This one is 120cm by 60cm, so not too bad. They are boars but I might neuter one of them.

 

[Socks Mum]

Truffle and Jazzy

 

[Maz]

Gosh that was quick! He looks very cute under that bridge.

 

[Socks Mum]

Jazz and Truffle lounging. Earlier Truffle seemed to give Jazz a sort of guinea pig swat, so I opened their cage and put up some cardboard to give them more space. I also turned the hides so Truffle couldn't chase Jazz through the two part tunnel the hides made before. Snoozing, dreaming of Bell pepper

 

[Maz]

It must be so exciting having the guinea pigs Do you know how old they are?

 

[Socks Mum]

Yes, they are very sweet. They are about six months. They might test their bonding at this age, apparently, but the first difficult stage should be over. The next is at eight months and if they are still friends by about a year (I think, if I've got it right) then they start to mellow and stay friends forever.

 

[Maz]

Did they already have names or did you decide on the names?

 

[Socks Mum]

They were called Primo and Nimo , but Truffle and Jazzy make more sense.

 

[Maz]

Yes I much prefer Truffle and Jazzy Why do they make more sense?

 

[Wren the robo]

Gotcha Day for Truffle and Jazzy Guinea pig! They started eating hay after about half an hour since being let into their cage and the kale and bell peppers are almost gone already. They both ate them. I put up pieces of cardboard ( Socks says he can see a pattern developing ) and they seem to like the privacy, but still being able to watch me with big eyes. I'm just sitting around very quietly. Now they have gone into their separate bendy bridge hides. I will buy a C2C cage for them as soon as possible. This one is 120cm by 60cm, so not too bad. They are boars but I might neuter one of them.

Just to make you aware that neutering guinea pigs has nothing to do with their behaviour and how they get along with others it only stops the ability to breed. The only reason to neuter is to pair with females.