Raifta Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 As you could probably guess by the title, we currently live with one medium sized, medium activity level dog and 3 cats (2 on the younger side and one extremely elderly almost 20 year old cat). We are considering getting DS a guinea pig for his upcoming birthday. I'm wondering if that is a crazy idea particularly with all the cats. We had a hamster for a few years and the cats were fascinated by it to the point that we had to keep it's cage in a room with the door shut all the time although we took it out of the cage and let it run around and played with it on a daily basis. I really didn't like having the door shut for that room all day and would like to avoid that if possible. Also, if you have any words of wisdom on leaving the house for 24-36 hours and what you have done with your guinea pig, I am all ears. We take the dog with us, but leave enough food/water for the cats when we do this and that works fine but I am thinking it might be more complicated with a guinea pig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 I had dogs and guinea pigs...until I only had dogs because they killed the guinea pigs. Broke into the cage. No marks or anything on the guinea pigs, I think they died of fright. I won't have small mammals and predators in the same house again. It's too traumatic for everyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raifta Posted November 2, 2017 Author Share Posted November 2, 2017 Hmm, hadn't really considered that. We are pretty new to dogs (we've had her for just over a year and neither of us had previously had a dog). She is definitely interesting in the squirrels and rabbits in the neighbourhood and will chase them in the yard but someone mama rabbit managed to raise two litters of baby rabbits in our yard this summer without either of them coming to harm from the dog (she was super interested in the babies but never actually chased them). I have no idea how she will react to a rodent in the house. Will have to consider this further and discuss more with DH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 I would be sure to keep the guinea pig cage behind a closed door at all times so the cats and dog can't even get near the cage. That's what we did when we had small animals (guinea pigs and a hedgehog). One thing to consider is that guinea pigs are very social herd animals and usually do best when they have a buddy, so I would get two rather than just one. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 My brain filled in the thread title with: "walked into a bar". :) 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 I wouldn't have them in the same room as the guina pig. ever. (especially the cats) My friend had one in a cage in her family room. the neighbors cat walking past the window would give it a major fright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 Guinea pigs need to be kept in groups, not solitary, so either same sex groupings or you'll have to spay/neuter. you'd need a large area - best practices are 7 sq feet per first piggie + 2-4 extra for each additionalone of the sites the rescue I volunteer with recommends this webpage's guidelines: http://www.guinealynx.com/housing.htmlI had 3 dogs (+ foster dogs), a cat, and fancy rats for many years. We're down to one dog and the rats now ..... Interspecies households have to be well controlled. Some of our fosters were not safe with the rats and we had many security precautions, numerous doors with locks etc between some animals. You do not want to have a disaster happen. Guinea pigs are less likely to die from fright than bunnies (those can just keel over from heart attack from barking or growling of a predator) but yes, they still can die. Bottom line is, even if they don't die, how SAFE do they feel. Nobody should live in terror all the time, worried that something is going to get at them and they can't run away or hide.... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 (edited) We had a GP, two dogs and two cats. The cats and dogs pretty much ignored the pig, except that one of the dogs did want to play when the pig was out of the cage. He was very gentle with it. Ditto Hornblower's recommendation that GPs really should have at least one friend, and they need much bigger cages than most people keep them in. I admit that ours didn't have a friend, but we did keep him in a super large cage, rotated toys to help keep him mentally stimulated and gave him lots of interaction. In hindsight I sure wish I'd given him a buddy. Edited November 2, 2017 by Pawz4me 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 Some cats get along great with piggies. Some don't. Our elderly and obese cat has enough of a glint in her eye (she was an energetic mouser in her salad days) that even though she just likes to watch them, we keep the cage lidded when she's nearby. I'd definitely be more concerned about the dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raifta Posted November 2, 2017 Author Share Posted November 2, 2017 Alright, thinking that the very large office that has tons of extra space could be a good location for the piggie (or piggies - we have read lots about how two are ideal and are seriously considering that). I don't mind keeping that door closed all the time so much and we'd have lots of room for a larger than usual cage. The cats and dog wouldn't be able to see in at all nor is it somewhere they are used to being, so they won't miss it. We have one cat in particular that I can see being a problem. He's pretty fierce. I will be irritated if this encourages the dog to bark! Right now one of my favourite things about our dog is that she never barks - she howls twice a day in excitement in preparation for her walks. Aside from that, she is silent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 Also I hope you can find a local rescue or shelter and choose to adopt. Guinea pigs get abandoned with alarming regularity. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 We have dogs, bunnies and guinea pigs. The dogs are watched but get along with the pigs and rabbits. Even when the pigs squeal to let me know I am late with the lettuce delivery, the dogs will run to let me know. When the dogs bark, one of the pigs "joins" in and the others do not care. While it is ideal for piggies to have a friend, not all pigs want a friend. We had one who had no desire for a friend as he was a loner. Our piggies love our sleep sacks we make and their hammocks. We have large water bottles, large feeders and I usually leave a large salad when we leave them for a day and half. They are fine. Try seeing if your local shelter has any or a local guinea pig rescue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raifta Posted November 2, 2017 Author Share Posted November 2, 2017 Also I hope you can find a local rescue or shelter and choose to adopt. Guinea pigs get abandoned with alarming regularity. I have found a local rescue for rabbits/guinea pigs/hamsters and we will probably get some from them. They seem to be quite serious about vetting people and matching animals with the right family. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 Also I hope you can find a local rescue or shelter and choose to adopt. Guinea pigs get abandoned with alarming regularity. Yes, and if the piggies are in a foster home, their caregivers can often tell you a lot about their personality, such as whether they are okay with being held or very shy. I think it's helpful for a new guinea pig owner to start with piggies who are already used to handling. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okra Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 Sigh. Guinea pigs are cute. My kids have wanted one, but....... I feel like it would be a disaster waiting to happen. Cats are natural predators. And, I wouldn't want to deal with a child whose guinea pig was killed (with possible munching). So, for us....no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 (edited) We have cats and guinea pigs. Haven't had a problem with cats attacking them but the pigs have always had enclosures with tops so they were protected. Our remaining cat is slightly scared of them. Our piggies hate each other so they're in separate enclosures now. We've found that over time we've all become mildly allergic to them. They make me congested and wheezy and my son very itchy. They live with an air purifier in front of them now. From looking online it's pretty common if that's an issue for you. I've never had any reaction to animals before the pigs. Edited November 2, 2017 by lailasmum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 Poor piggies are everyone's prey. We were having a nice outdoors lawn-time with our pigs, when I heard the bluejays go berserk and looked up; there was a big old redtailed hawk circling, checking out those chubby little morsels below. I'm sure nothing would have happened with us right there, but he was definitely interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 (edited) We have 3 dogs, 5 cats, and 2 female guinea pigs and a mouse. The piggies and mouse live in the living room in their cage (tank for the mouse). Our dogs will just sniff at the cage and walk away. The cats aren't interested in the piggies at all, but they often sit on top of the mouse's fish tank and watch him. He bit one of them on the foot one time, but other than that, he just ignores them. When we clean the piggies' cage, we put them on the floor with some toys and treats. Sometimes one of the cats will walk by and sniff them. One time, one of the guinea pigs was following the cat trying to sniff it and it (the cat) ran away, lol. They are not easily frightened at all, but that may be from being in the main part of the house with us all the time. They have little "pigloos" to hide under if they want. We never have any problems, but I guess it just depends. Edited to add, the guinea pig cage does have a top. Edited November 2, 2017 by VaKim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 We have two dogs and two guinea pigs. The dogs pretty much ignore the piggies. The cage has a top on it. I'm not sure I would have piggies if I had a cat. I would leave the piggies in a separate bedroom with the door closed if we did have a cat. I suppose each animal is different with different personalities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 We've found that over time we've all become mildly allergic to them. They make me congested and wheezy and my son very itchy. They live with an air purifier in front of them now. From looking online it's pretty common if that's an issue for you. I've never had any reaction to animals before the pigs. This is an aside, but have you considered that you may be allergic to the bedding? I've heard lots of stories where allergy issues subsided after the humans switched the piggies to fleece bedding instead of hay etc. If yours aren't already on fleece, maybe that would help? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 This is an aside, but have you considered that you may be allergic to the bedding? I've heard lots of stories where allergy issues subsided after the humans switched the piggies to fleece bedding instead of hay etc. If yours aren't already on fleece, maybe that would help?We've always used vet bed. They've never been on anything else. From what I understand their urine causes allergies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 We've always used vet bed. They've never been on anything else. From what I understand their urine causes allergies. Yes. Mine were on fleece but I still became VERY VERY VERY allergic. As in, months of constant sinus infections. I hate that my dogs killed them, but I didn't miss being sick all the darned time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 (edited) We've always used vet bed. They've never been on anything else. From what I understand their urine causes allergies. Yes. Mine were on fleece but I still became VERY VERY VERY allergic. As in, months of constant sinus infections. I hate that my dogs killed them, but I didn't miss being sick all the darned time. Well, that makes me glad that we never tried to adopt any and stuck to pocket pets. DH is allergic to just about everything furry, but I've often wondered if we could maybe try guinea pigs or rabbits if we were careful with the bedding. I guess not! Edited November 3, 2017 by ILiveInFlipFlops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Yes. Mine were on fleece but I still became VERY VERY VERY allergic. As in, months of constant sinus infections. I hate that my dogs killed them, but I didn't miss being sick all the darned time. I'm starting to have sinus issues that linger and did wonder if it was progression of allergies from being around the piggies. The only reason I've not rehomed them is that they are on the older side and I think nature will take it's course over the next year anyway. I mostly seem be coping with symptoms with the air purifier and anti histamines. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 We have had many combinations of cat/dog/guinea pig/rabbit/ferret in the house at any given time. It really depends on the cats. Our old cats got along or ignored every living thing. The newer kitten terrorizes the rabbit while the older two still ignore it. Old dog loved the cats and ignored everything else. New puppy would also happily terrorize the rabbit but it buddies with the cats. I suppose that doesn't really help much, but I think what I am getting at is you won't know it til you try. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Dog ate my Guinea pigs when I was a kid ... Not our dog a neighbour dog that broke in. We do have a cat and budgies. This only works because we have a large house and are very very strict about keeping the doors shut to the room with the budgies. To be honest it's stressful and I probably won't have another cat after this one. I definitely wouldn't do it with three cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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