Nestof3 Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 I know this has been visited before, but the search function here is such a bear when wanting more than one word. Nathan has been wanting one, and now that we have a little more space since our eldest moved out, I am considering it. We have a cat, though. Any opinions? We would have to use a glass aquarium, right? (because of the cat). His birthday is this month, and I need to make some decisions. He wants: Wizard's Chess an art easel and carrying case a guinea pig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandymom Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We have a guinea pig and a cat (and a bird and a lizard too). The cat doesn't bother the guinea pig in her wire cage (but she is very interested in the bird). The guinea pig is LOUD though, and I never realized before we got her that they could be so noisy! She's also a bit messy...she gets pine shavings all over the floor around her cage. They are easy enough to sweep up, but it does happen. I'm not sure that a glass aquarium would work....I guess if it was big enough, but they do require quite a bit of room in their cage. My daughter loves her guinea pig though! She is very gentle, and when she gets over her initial skittishness when being picked up, she is very calm and easy to handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizaG Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 A glass aquarium would likely be too small, or else very heavy and hard to clean. 2' x 4' is a standard recommended cage size for one or two guinea pigs. (I've heard that two guinea pigs are better than one, as they're much happier with company. We just have one at the moment, but are planning on getting another.) We have this cage and like it. Our cat has never tried to get in AFAIK, but if she did, I think the clips would stop her. You could add a few binder clips if you'd feel safer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernm Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Does your cat have claws? I don't think gp's do well in glass aquariums. If you had a regular gp cage I don't think a cat could get to it. Plus, naturally they hide when anyone comes near so I think you would be ok. They are really easy to take care of. My kids adore ours. This is from a quick google search: Large Aquariums can be used as cages, but be aware that they are more difficult to clean thoroughly and provide little to no air circulation through the cage. In order to keep a glass aquarium sanitary, you will need to clean it more very thoroughly, and allow it to air out after disinfecting (or the fumes will overwhelm your cavies). Also, tremendous heat pressure can build up inside a glass aquarium: make sure the sun never shines directly on it. And finally, aquariums can isolate your guinea pig from its environment, which can lead to a less active animal. In general, glass aquariums are okay as long as you are aware of the risks, but most owners will recommend a traditional, wire cage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Great! Thanks. Yes, our cat has claws. We were thinking of setting the cage up in the boys' room, but we could fit it in the toy room instead. This may be better for noise purposes. There will be laminate flooring in there this winter, so sweeping will not be a huge issue (I vacuum every night anyway). We had hamsters once (in a glass aquarium), and they always hid from the cats (we had two then). Our cats would pounce on the top of the cage. Is there something I should look for in buying one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We adore them. You need more room than you think, the pet store ones are too small! This is a great site for info... One of our cats has never approached them and the other, well, one of these things is not like the other.... (the cage is being cleaned, this is their house upside down) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beimao Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I personally adore guinea pigs, they are so sweet. Growing up, our cat was always afraid of them!:lol: Have you had much time around one? They can be much more, um, pungent then a hamster or gerbil so frequent cleaning is a necessity. And yes, they do need a lot more space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 I personally adore guinea pigs, they are so sweet. Growing up, our cat was always afraid of them!:lol: Have you had much time around one? They can be much more, um, pungent then a hamster or gerbil so frequent cleaning is a necessity. And yes, they do need a lot more space. So, more than this? http://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Interactive-Guinea-Habitat-Plus/dp/B001NJ0DQ8/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1317950729&sr=1-2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 My dd volunteers with a guinea pig rescue. We don't have pigs due to her brothers allergies. The pigs are right next door at the neighbors. 1. Neighbor has a cat, who pays no attention to the pigs, even when the pigs are out running around. One of the cages is open top and on the floor so cat could certainly get in if she wanted. She's an indoor/outdoor cat so she has claws. 2. The rescue only adopts out in pairs. They believe the pigs do better when they have a friend. It's good to see the two together before you get them--sometimes a pair is put together and they don't like each other. If you go through a rescue, they will probably have the pairs matched. 3. Others might disagree with me, but I think cleaning guinea pig cages is a really yucky job. I think a glass aquarium might be difficult to clean, because it doesn't come apart like other animal cages. 4. They are cuddly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly on the prairie Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Proud past guinea pig owner here:) I agree with the no aquarium thing. The main reason (besides room to play) is that a wire cage allows plenty of air circulation while the aquarium keeps ammonia vapors from their urine close to them causing respiratory porblems. Also, cats vary in how they handle guinea pigs. Unfortunately, one of our little baby pigs got snagged right through the wire cage by one of our cats who patiently waited for the opportunity. I think a lot has to do with the size of the cat vs. the pig and the general assertion of the cat itself. I have seen dogs who adore guinea pigs, however, I wouldn't chance it here. Yeah, we have fuzzy memories of making sugar cookies for Christmas and seeing a cat fly by with a baby pig in its mouth:( Oh, memories... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) What I use for our piggys is a giant clear plastic rubbermaid tote. We drilled holes in the top and the sides. We use a thick layer of newspaper on the bottom and then the pine shavings. We clean it once a week and all we have to do is flip it upside down and it all comes out at once. We them wash it out with vinegar and rinse. Its very easy and sanitary and the cage does not stink if we do it weekly. We rescued our pigs and one is make and one female so they are in separate cages. We have a wire cage, but man do they make a mess with it! Shavings are everywhere. My totes cost $8 and it has the lid where the sides lock shut. This way cats and dogs cannot harm the pigs. We absolutely love out little guys. They do shed a heck of a lot though, more than our dog! ETA: Our pigs are let into little wire pens for exercise a few times a day, so they don't spend all day in their cages. I think this is why my cages dont stink. Edited October 7, 2011 by kwickimom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becca211 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We have one and we use a bedding that is made of recycled newspaper. The cage never stinks! It is the best stuff. The guinnea pig is a good pet, but I agree that I had no idea they made as much noise as they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Guinea pigs are wonderful pets, simply wonderful. We had them for years while my girls were growing up and never did we have a problem with cats and them. I wouldn't get just one though. I think they do much better in pairs. We used a product called "woody pet" it's a pellet bedding and it never stunk and it took about 2 weeks, with two pigs, to get to the point where it needed to be changed. I totally think you should get your son 2 guinea pigs! really two are no more bother than one and they will be so much happier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedmom4 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We started out with just one guinea pig (a gift for my daughter on her 11th birthday). Then we decided to get her a friend. The pet store assured me that it was a "she". You know where this story is going. About 4 months later we had gone from 2 guinea pigs to 6. It was a neat experience for us all. Guinea pig babies are born fully formed. They have fur, teeth, and can run around. They are so cute! But, no one here has mentioned yet that guinea pigs aren't cheap to keep. We now only have one guinea pig. She is in a rather large enclosure. We bought a toddler gate that could be sectioned together. It is about 4 1/2 feet by 2 or 3 feet. We needed something that big when we had all 6. They need to have places to hide also. Guinea pigs need Timothy hay, pellets, and fresh food daily. We were not aware of all of that when we bought our first one. They are prone to getting scurvy since their bodies do not make Vitamin C. Make sure you are prepared to provide fresh veggies and fruit often. Guinea pigs are really sweet and cuddly! Blessings, Elise in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We adore them.You need more room than you think, the pet store ones are too small! This is a great site for info... One of our cats has never approached them and the other, well, one of these things is not like the other.... (the cage is being cleaned, this is their house upside down) Adorable!! Your kitty looks just like one of ours. I love Tuxedos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 So, more than this?http://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Interactive-Guinea-Habitat-Plus/dp/B001NJ0DQ8/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1317950729&sr=1-2 that looks great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Shavings are expensive and anything with pine oil is not good to have in the house for them. We buy a bale of nice timothy hay for $9 once a month. (the same stuff they bag and sell for $5!!) and it is both fodder and cage liner. We use newspaper on the bottom and layer hay. During the week, a little fresh hay each day. Once a week, we simply roll up the paper with the hay and put it in a trashbag. Once a month we clean the bottom and let it dry in the sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaffodilDreams Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 What I use for our piggys is a giant clear plastic rubbermaid tote. We drilled holes in the top and the sides. We use a thick layer of newspaper on the bottom and then the pine shavings. We clean it once a week and all we have to do is flip it upside down and it all comes out at once. We them wash it out with vinegar and rinse. Its very easy and sanitary and the cage does not stink if we do it weekly. We rescued our pigs and one is make and one female so they are in separate cages. We have a wire cage, but man do they make a mess with it! Shavings are everywhere. My totes cost $8 and it has the lid where the sides lock shut. This way cats and dogs cannot harm the pigs. This is exactly what we did for a cage - even down to the newspapers and shavings. We got the idea from a hedgie breeder. It makes for a wonderful cage. I agree with you on the cons of the wire cage. I am a much happier guinea owner now, and our guineas love this cage. We even leave the top off almost all the time (you couldn't do this if you have a cat that might get to them), so they're easier to watch, pick up and play with. I also second the point that guineas are happier in groups, so be prepared to at least get two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Proud past guinea pig owner here:) I agree with the no aquarium thing. The main reason (besides room to play) is that a wire cage allows plenty of air circulation while the aquarium keeps ammonia vapors from their urine close to them causing respiratory porblems. You just want to be sure that you get a wire cage that does NOT have a wire bottom. Unlike bunnies, piggies have soft little feet that are hurt by wire. Also, their toenails can get caught on the wire. Ouch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Guinea pigs are very sweet but very messy. I had them growing up and ours would kick the shavings out of their cage all the time. There would be scattered shavings a few feet out from the cage. And their cages need to be cleaned often. Their cages begin to smell quickly. And you do have to watch that their toe nails and teeth do not grow too long. We had to have our guinea pigs teeth cut. It wouldn't chew on the things we had in its cage to keep its teeth from growing too long, so they grew so long it was having trouble eating. The vet had to cut them. Yes, they are very sweet animals but we found them to be a lot of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We have a Guinea Pig and a cat, and two dogs. Honestly, one of the dogs is most interested in the GP. The cat seems she couldn't care less. We have a wire cage btw. The GP is super sweet, very chatty and LOVES meal time. The sounds she makes are so cute. Technically she is my 7 yo ds's pet, but my 15 yo is the one that takes care of her. It's a lot of work keeping the cage clean and the food and pine shavings can add up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Those are so cute! I am finding myself wanting a piggy now. We adore them.You need more room than you think, the pet store ones are too small! This is a great site for info... One of our cats has never approached them and the other, well, one of these things is not like the other.... (the cage is being cleaned, this is their house upside down) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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