Pet Factory Vernon- New Guinea Pig

We heard from the local rabbit rescue that there was a guinea pig at the Pet Factory in Vernon, NY. We had just been there that day and saw her but didn't think much of it, because they always sell them, and pretty cheap too.

But the rabbit rescue said they sell them as snake food because they are so cheap. They wanted 16.99 (to be exact) and while I thought people wouldn't pay that much, I was wrong. Against the idea of not supporting pet stores that sell animals (common to loving guinea pigs) I was unsure if I should go get her. I would be supporting them selling her, but I had already seen her, and I just felt awful that she would be fed to snakes, having such a sucky life so far, I wanted to give her better.

We called, they still had her, and I went to get her. I walked up to the counter said I want the female adult guinea pig. They went and got her and boxed her and I began my questioning:

Where did you get her? (I'd like to contact the breeder I would take any pigs they didn't want)
-oh someone just couldnt handle her and the babies

Why is she so cheap?
- we just want to get rid of her (hence why take her in the first place?) and we get them locally so don't pay a lot for them so we sell them cheap (previous conversation said they pay $5 per baby and nothing for adults) equaling $16.99 margin for each pig (babies are $21.99)

Don't they go as snake food then?
-not as much anymore because of the laws of bermese pythons, except for the people grandfathered in they can't own them anymore. so a few do go for snake food but not many anymore (notice it wasn't because they give a hoot what happens to the animals they sell- apparently at all, as long as they get the money)

By this point she seemed a little annoyed, not that I cared but I wanted to go. I dont particularly like the idea of feeding guinea pigs to snakes, when they are such great pets, so intuitive, etc. Regardless of the circle of life- I hate snakes anyway, can't they eat old guinea pigs who die of natural causes instead?

I probably won't go back, I didn't like the food they offered and it was pretty pricey $38.99 for 22.5lbs? Geesh, and it was supposedly premium but those extra pieces aren't healthy for them anyway.

And on the way home from the pet store, I was holding her and got kicked twice- that's right! We are expecting baby guinea pigs AGAIN! 3rd time this year- thank you ridiculously irresponsible owners out there!

Hope that didn't sound too sarcastic. Just love piggies :)

Guinea Pig Chirping

I have read about this and hoped that I would one day hear it myself. I have seen videos, etc, and it seems no one really knows why this happens.

This afternoon while in the living room I hear chirping- real live chirping at first I thought a bird had somehow gotten into the house, but then I ran to the bedroom where our own guinea pigs live, and my little Ayla (formerly known as Gus) was chirping. I grabbed the camera so I could upload it. Isn't it perfect, she's so awesome :)

She does a great job towards the end of the middle and you can hear the dog whine because he can't figure out what her problem is. Sorry the digital camera didn't do a great job but it still got what I wanted, which was to post here and show Jason when he gets home. I hope she does it again.

Where Can I Buy A Guinea Pig for A Pet?

If you are looking to get a guinea pig as a pet, the first thought to cross your mind would be to go to the pet store. But WAIT...

Did you know that there are rescues all over the United States that have guinea pigs available for adoption? Not only that but there are many places you can get them.

Rescues just for Guinea Pigs
Humane Societies- chances are you won't find them on their website
Petfinder.com
Craigslist- in your area, go to Community, then Pets and search

The point is there are guinea pigs all over that need you to adopt them. And more specifically you don't want to adopt from the pet store. Often times they come already pregnant, sick, inbred, etc. While it is tempting because you feel bad for them, the only way pet stores will stop breeding and selling them is to make them lose money doing it.

Why should they stop selling them? First of all they don't take care of them well at all. Many come with pieces of their ears missing, sicknesses spread easily, males and females mate and come pregnant, etc. I've been in way too many places that have too many pics in one area, including the federal requirements. Some may infect pigs you have at home, or they have parasites or mange. Last but not least they are often mis-sexed, where you are sold a male thinking it is a female.

Another thing people don't realize is that the staff at pet stores are often not educated as to what is good for the animal. Many times people are sold cedar bedding as a good option, which can make your pig very sick. Store employees also offer treats, and food that unnecessary. For instance you see Huge Balls for Guinea pigs at the store, for them to run in them around the house like a hamster. Guess what? Those are bad for their back bones...

Research as to what is best for your pet should only be done by you, read from sources you trust. And do not buy your guinea pig from a pet store when you think: Where Can I Buy A Guinea Pig for A Pet?

Vacuuming Guinea Pig Cages- First Try

Today I noticed the upstairs girls' cage was quite dirty (day 4 after change) and there was a LOT of poo. I decided that it was a pain to brush it all up while they were running around scattering it, and I would try to use the vacuum to clean up the fleece.

You are probably thinking, ahh... those poor girls, but it wasn't bad at all and I do believe I will try it again. I'm even considering finding another vacuum to use downstairs instead of the sweeping. I used the hose and the vacuum isn't too loud, but they stayed away from it for the most part. I used the lint brush attachment and sucked away. There wasn't enough pee anywhere to cause issues with the vacuum and it was a lot less stressing on my back.

One guinea pig, who is especially sensitive was scared, but she is always hiding so I took her out while I was doing it. Their fleece is now mostly clean, and tonight we are considering putting in bunk beds for the girls to use instead of all of their pigloos.

As for pigloos we are getting 5 today from a donation, 3 large ones that I am particularly excited about, and 2 smaller ones that are more than welcome in our larger cages. I might even be able to add another floor to one of the cages so that the pigs can have a pigloo up there as well. So much fun to have guinea pigs and to check out the cages photo gallery on the forum

Guinea Pigs for Kids?

While I know there are a great amount of people who buy guinea pigs for their childrens' amusement and take perfectly great care of them I wanted to bring this topic up. We have taken in far too many guinea pigs (as other rescues have too) that have come from families saying: "my kids don't play with them anymore". I try not to be sarcastic and I tell people I understand, and I do. I understand that children are CHILDREN and they lose interest in everything.

We as parents like to entertain them, give them what they want, etc. But we have to be prepared to take care of the animal and love it, etc, when the kids are done being excited about it. Think of it this way... I don't like taking care of the cages, I dislike the poo and pee getting on me, or the stuff getting on the floor, it's a pain. The smell sucks. Now I'm an adult and I can force myself to do it regardless of how much I want to. A child is not going to do that, they lose interest and they don't want to take care of a pet for 5+ years.

While I don't recommend a family not get one just because they have kids who will lose interest. I would like to see families that want to adopt as a whole, not just the children. Moms and or dads who don't mind taking care of the pigs and will spend time with them. Compared to other animals these guinea pigs are very easy. You don't have to walk them, buy huge bags of litter, etc. They require daily handling and food, water, hay, vitamin C.

I just wanted to put the idea out there that while other websites say how great of a first pet cavies are, or that they are great for children, yes they are, but be realistic and adopt if YOU want to be responsible for it. Not a child, or anyone under the age of 18(ish).

New York State Fair & Guinea Pig Breeding

Today was the show for cavies and rabbits (I think) at the New York State Fair. A friend and I went with our significant others to see all the piggies, because we love guinea pigs. The show was a bit less than we thought it would be. The guinea pigs were all caged and they were pretty small, and then they were brought one by one to the show guy, who graded them. I guess I was thinking it would be like a dog show. So, we got to pet a few and walk around seeing all of them.

It really surprised me, all the guinea pigs there, they seemed to be about the same ages, up to 6 months old I would guess. There were two cages (normal size) of guinea pig moms and their babies, who were so cute and very young, but I didn't see the owners anywhere.

While the set up was ok, they didn't have much room and they were suppose to be there through the whole fair. That way people will have something to look at, how I would love to smack the guy who came up with that. Anyhow, we asked about buying one, because I was interested in getting one out of the breeding cycle, but I didn't see any that looked like parents. The signs were posted after the show telling us who was for sale. I would say it was about half of them. We asked someone and she said a lady there starts breeding in the spring time to bring them all to the fair show. She had about 80+ there.

I haven't completely gotten to the point where I hate breeding yet, but I'm sure it will come. Those piggies looked so lonely, and I didn't see hay in their cages. There was lettuce (dark green) and carrots though, and each had their own water bottle. I wouldn't say there was anything really wrong with it, just that I wouldn't want my piggies to be there.

So what do you think about the breeding and the shows? What's the point? What do they get out of it? At selling them at $25 a piece and there being about 100 of them, how is that really worth the time invested?

That all said we did pay for one, and can't get it till the end of the fair, I'm hoping when I go back they will have the older ones that can be rescued from breeding.

One last thing, I really disliked their ears being tagged, what is that all about?

Timothy Hay for Guinea Pigs in Bales

We were lucky enough to have someone who surrendered their guinea pigs to us give us a bale of timothy hay. It's got to be a good 40-50 pounds. We have used it for a few weeks now and have used about a third of it for the rescue. At some point we will have to get more, but where?

Well luckily enough there are local farms that sell it in bales for very cheap, $2-$10 each, and we found them right on Craigslist. I just wanted to let others know that it is out there, and it is cheaper than any store. Check Craigslist, ask anyone who sells Hay on there if they can direct you. If no one there can you should call the local feed store. Google lets you do that simply by putting your location and feed store in search.

Our C&C cage for female guinea pigs

Today we cleaned the adoptable girls' cage and I took some pictures. I almost think they are more spoiled than our own guinea pigs. Here is a long shot that includes their 'kitchen'.

This is the 6x2 grid coroplast cage. We put a couple of our own in to socialize with them. The kitchen is actually a tray from a cage that came with another pig. It is about 1.5 inches at the sides, and we put all the hay in there because it gets bad and into the fleece fibers bad when not on something.

Needless to say, the girls LOVED it. But now I am wondering if I can turn it into a 6x3 grid cage, because that would be more room.

Can I put two male guinea pigs together?

Lately I have had quite a few people bring up the issue with housing two males together. Most of the time people automatically assume they can not do this.

It's frustrating because it is a HUGE myth about guinea pigs and not only is it not true, but it is also probably a cause behind accidental breeding. Thinking you have to have a boy and girl together in order to have two guinea pigs. Everyone wants their pig to have a friend, but boys shouldn't be together?

Let me be clear: BOARS can be housed together.

Just like people they all have their own personalities. When we got our baby guinea pig, he went in with our older male with no problem at all.

My girl (the first one we got) was absolutely horrible about accepting another pig. We tried split cages, baths together, everything we could think of. Finally it came down to getting a 2x3 grid cage and consistently trying to put them together. It took a long time.

The adoptable girls we have mostly live together. We have 7 right now and had 11 all in one HUGE c&c cage. They were all fine, and if we put our first girl in there, she is fine too, I think too many are there to be the spoiled pig she is. :)

As for the boys we have, out of the 10 we have gotten we have had two issues. 2 pigs that do NOT get along, I am not sure what their previous situation was, but they both came with a lot of bite marks. I'm worried they may have fought over food, housing, etc :( That was an environment issue.

The other two pigs we got and had a problem with were split before they came, they have been together ever since, but absolutely don't mix well with the other males. They were spoiled ROTTEN before and it isn't worth it to try to get them to go with others.

Really I believe it comes down to attitude. A pig that is laid back and such can be put with others, those with a spoiled background, somewhat stuck up (for lack of a better term) will be harder to adjust. With all of this said, I read a great page on all of this called Guinea Pigs Social Life by Cavy Spirit.

So if your question is Can I put two male guinea pigs together? The answer from most any real guinea pig experienced person is YES!

Guinea Pig Cages- Guinea Habitat

I was just searching online for the cheapest guinea pig igloos or living world domes, and found the coolest (well close anyway) guinea pig cages. They are called guinea habitats.

Compared to c&c cages they are just a bit easier because you don't have to run about finding parts, etc. I love how easy it is to separate the sections with the dividers and then how they have openings in them that can open or you can put a ramp in between.

While I wish I had found these sooner, I don't need them now. We have 1 6x2 grid cage, a 2x2 grid cage, and 2 2x3 grid cages, plus another 7 or 8 cages for piggies. But they look awesome, and the cost isn't bad at all. $37.95 I believe is one of the prices I found with free shipping. They are almost 4 feet long, by 2 feet, and 14 inches high. I like the idea of the canvas underneath, sounds interesting at least. Cost effective I don't know :( for c&c cages we spend $18 on the grids and then $20 on the sheet of coroplast and can get two cages out of that.

Here is what I was thinking though, as I can't do buy the guinea habitats. I am thinking of using a wire cutter to cut out a couple of grids, and extra coroplast to make a few two ways ramps. Then I can sand down any sharp areas for the piggies, and give them a kitchen YAH!!!

If I get around to it, I will post pics, but you have to check out the guinea habitats, they are so neat.

Our First Vet Visit for Guinea Pigs

Yesterday we noticed a sore on the guinea pig that had been bitten by it's cage mate (separated immediately after) wasn't healing very well. It looked infected and we were worried. We got right into the vet who said it was not mange- so happy about that, and that he just needed some antibiotics.

Needless to say the antibiotics are NOT easy to administer. They are small pills and he gets half a pill a day, I actually have to get it into his mouth and make him keep it in there to chew it, poor guy. She also said he needs to be held more, apparently the previous owner had not done well with that.

She asked if we had other pets and looked at us like hoarders when we said yes we have 24 guinea pigs, because we are helping with rescue. She was actually nice after that and said she would call if she needed a guinea pig expert.

In total the visit cost $66, which wasn't anywhere near as bad as what I thought it could be. The staff was really nice and if we have any trouble in the future we will go to them again. His sore looks much better today and he should be healing nicely.

Guinea Pig Bedding

I have been in talks lately to get some fleece guinea pig bedding from Piggy BedSpreads. Martha makes beautiful bedding for the cages that lasts and doesn't smell. I may help with her website at some point but I wanted to discuss how great I think her product is.

For a long time other websites have been trying to figure out the best guinea pig bedding to use. From products like Care Fresh, to Soft sorbent, pine shavings, aspen shavings, there are tons of products to choose from. This article from Guinea Pig Cages on Bedding is a great read. Even after all of this, they still haven't found the perfect option though.

Since we started rescue we have gone with the fleece/towels information provided on The Fleece Project Study on the Guinea Pig Cages website we figured out how to do the cages with them not smelling. We did use aspen shavings before, but it was a mess all the time, and our dog would eat the shavings that were all around the house, because no matter how hard we tried they would get everywhere.

The guinea pigs seem to love the fleece, and most of them popcorned around when we put them on it for the first time.

I do have to say we need to clean cages a bit more often, instead of it lasting a week for fleece we are able to get about 5 days out of it. This of course, could be because we have more than the suggested number of cavies in each cage, but we use C&C cages mostly and they have a ton of room. For instance right now we have a 6x2 grid cage and 8 pigs are in it.

So what do you use for bedding? What works best for different sexes, different breeds, etc?

My Piggies

I have four piggies:

Chewbacca- actually a girl but we didn't know when we first got her. She was born in December 2009.
Asoka- adopted from Craigslist pregnant- she was born early 2010, had two baby girls who went to a great home together.
Vader- our first little boy piggie.
Logray- adopted from Craigslist- born early July 2010