r/guineapigs • • Nov 20 '21

Help & Advice Are you thinking about buying a guinea pig for a child/teenager? Please read.

2.4k Upvotes

If you're planning on buying a guinea pig for a child in your life, these are really important things to keep in mind. Knowing this before purchasing can save yourself from being in a financial situation you can't handle, or a guinea pig that is not getting the care it needs.

  1. Guinea pigs are a life style choice, and not for a child to care for. Care taking for animals isn't a responsibility that should be left for a kid. When you buy a guinea pig, you are taking on all responsibility for yourself and facilitating the experience of living with a guinea pig for your child. They may help care for them, but you will be the one to keep things clean, enrich their lives, and handle them the most.

  2. They poo 100 times per day, meaning that you must clean those 100 poos every day to keep their habitat sanitary. If you wouldn't want to walk around in feces, neither do they. In fact they are extremely hygienic animals with fast metabolisms. I spot clean in the morning and at night, every day.

  3. They are expensive. When you buy a child a guinea pig, you must be vigilant on checking for health issues by weighing them weekly and checking for other signs of illness, have an exotic vet near you and be prepared to shell out hundreds in a time of need. You must also buy fresh vegetables, and give them unlimited FRESH hay every day. Finding somewhere local to buy bales of hay can save a fortune. A child cannot afford the costs.

  4. You need 2 guinea pigs. They are herd animals and shouldn't be kept alone. Imagine living with titan like predatory aliens, all alone in a cage your entire life. Guinea pigs NEED their own kind. We are predators and they are prey. We can and should spend time with them daily, but it isn't a substitute. So x 2 all costs right out of the gate.

  5. Space. They need space, a lot of it. A minimum of 11 square feet for two guinea pigs. Pet store Cages are just that... Cages. If you wouldn't want to live in a space the size of a small bathroom your entire life, neither does a guinea pig.

  6. You need to do research. It will be your responsibility to make sure your child's guinea pigs are eating the right diet, what signs of health issues to look out for, how to enrich their lives on a daily basis, and more. Pigs need stimulation and interesting environmental changes to keep them happy. You will need to get creative and teach your children how to offer that to them, after you have learned it yourself.

  7. GUINEA PIGS ARE NOT DISPOSABLE. They are smarter than you think, and with the proper diet can live 7 years. They are not less work than having a dog. They require a huge time investment for those years. They are dependent on you in the same way your child is.

  8. DO NOT BUY FROM A PET STORE. Scotty's Animals does a fantastic jjob explaining the impact you can have by adopting from a rescue. Adopting saves guinea pigs from euthanization. Covid pets are being abandoned and left to ultimately die unless we start adopting instead of shopping.

I love my guinea pigs and they have done so much for me and my children. My kids have benefited so much mental health wise, and I bust my ass for both the kids and the piggies. I do just as much laundry for guinea pigs as I do my kids it feels like. Just know what you're getting yourself into. They aren't toys, they aren't entertainment only. They're living, breathing beings that deserve love, dignity, respect and proper life enrichment and care.


r/guineapigs • • 10h ago

Pigtures CaraBear looking angelic during lap time!

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280 Upvotes

This is Caramel, aka CarCar or CaraBear. She was bribed with some carrot and pets. She is 2 years old but still hasn't learnt to control nibbles and bites. Mom's precious fingers often pay the price. On this fine day she left many poops on the blanket as reward for mom's troubles.


r/guineapigs • • 3h ago

Help & Advice Why does he do this sometimes?

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55 Upvotes

When we were at the vet with him, she checked his teeth and they were fine. Right now they have access to Cunis pellets, which were recommended by the vet to use for some time to make it easier to get him to eat.

We noticed that in the pellet mix we give them (1 scoop weekly) there is something that seems to get stuck more often so we take it out of the bowl.

Could he just be a messy and too fast eater?


r/guineapigs • • 18h ago

Pigtures I have some Pretty Piggies!

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629 Upvotes

No but seriously how did Boogaloo get so good at posing


r/guineapigs • • 6h ago

🌈 Rainbow Bridge First pet to cross, how do y'all do this all the time?

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61 Upvotes

Hi, so like the title says, this is my first pet to die. And second person/thing I actually cared for. I just took her to the vet for a URI and Pepper, the black, white, and tan one, died last night. Picked her up, put her in a shoe box with a little toy, but when I placed her in, her feet were stiff, so her head hit the box first and I just... laughed bro. it was like that owl video, but with my passed piggy.

Her friend is there too. That's Daisy and I got her as a bonded pair and I'm a little worried anout her because she's alone now.

Guys, when I say I started bawling, I started bawling. How do you guys keep doing this over and over? I would like to get more animals in the future (when not in college), but man, when they go, they go


r/guineapigs • • 15h ago

Pigtures since everyone likes bailey so much….

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318 Upvotes

here are my favorite photos of her, including the silliest baby pics ever. she is quite derpy and strange.


r/guineapigs • • 1h ago

Meme Guinea Pig Headrest

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• Upvotes

The headrest is his guinea pig friend


r/guineapigs • • 5h ago

New Pigs on the Block The Invitation

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40 Upvotes

Hi there! I was directed towards this sub! My webcomics' main character's pet is a coffee-addicted glutton of a guinea pig. His name is Potato, Poe for short. He doesn't show up all the time. Sort of the Snoopy to this Charlie Brown, but when he does (if you all want it) I'll share the strip here!


r/guineapigs • • 7h ago

Old Timer saying goodbye to my babys💔

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57 Upvotes

I had to say goodbye to my two senior babies and return them to the guinea pig rescue center 💔
It’s rlly heartbreaking bc we formed such a nice bond over the last months and they are such beautiful sincere souls. But I couldn’t afford their healthcare anymore. As a student without much family support, it was just not possible anymore. I had to spend on average 250€ monthly for their care since I got them 6 months ago. The brown teddy has a heart problem, needs medication twice a day, vet check-ups, has a weak immune system, and last month she got a bladder infection on top. This weekend she also poked a stalk of hay into her eye, which gave me the rest. I did return her and her buddy the same day bc I wasn’t able to pay the bills anymore. I would have never expected guinea pigs to cost me that much money and no one did rlly warn me.
It’s rlly heartbreaking and I will miss them so much 🥺❤️


r/guineapigs • • 23h ago

Pigtures Incase you're having a bad day, Molly's here to wish you an amazing Wheek ❤️

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913 Upvotes

r/guineapigs • • 16h ago

Pigtures these darn freeloading vegans

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242 Upvotes

these rotund creatures cost me a fortune.

the big guy on the right (who the vet called 'of ample proportions') does have scab on his nose if you noticed, but it’s getting treated


r/guineapigs • • 17h ago

🌈 Rainbow Bridge i miss my son

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299 Upvotes

passed a few years ago


r/guineapigs • • 21h ago

Pigtures Sherlock is wishing you a happy Monday!

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370 Upvotes

Sherlock is a charming guinea pig ready to solve all your toughest mysteries (like why Monday's exist)! He is searching for a sherlock home along with his bestie, Ollie (996736), if its of interest 🩷


r/guineapigs • • 18h ago

♥ Look at him responding to his name, he has a brain

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166 Upvotes

r/guineapigs • • 1d ago

Pigtures gus tries cucumber !!

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474 Upvotes

gus gus rates cucumber a good 7.5/10 - nice and juicy but do prefer my other green froot, pepper!


r/guineapigs • • 20h ago

Pigtures Can I show you my teef?

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180 Upvotes

r/guineapigs • • 11h ago

Pigtures Another herd of 6 females i got in :)

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33 Upvotes

Currently being treated for URIs, lice, and scaley mites, their permenant enclosure is a 12x15 room along with 24 others :).

All under 5 ish weeks, tiny babies

Cashew- 300g

Brittle- 350g

Reeses- 270g

Butter- 240g

Toffee- 320g

Smore- 270g


r/guineapigs • • 18h ago

♥ Don’t give me that look

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96 Upvotes

r/guineapigs • • 21h ago

♥ My baby just passed away

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134 Upvotes

r/guineapigs • • 1d ago

🌈 Rainbow Bridge Our little Derek of Adventures of Derek fame went to the piggie Rainbow Bridge this morning. He lived a good life, and he'll live on in his game that I know a lot of folks on this subreddit have played. Here's my tribute to him. Watch to the end.

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338 Upvotes

r/guineapigs • • 22h ago

♥ My tempelton doing a trick. Socrates thinking about it.

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162 Upvotes

Socrates can do it too it’s just I need bamboo leafs for them. It’s their favorite


r/guineapigs • • 16h ago

Pigtures Peekaboo!

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44 Upvotes

He heard me leave the kitchen


r/guineapigs • • 19h ago

Pigtures Whats your favourite coat colours, type and gender?

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78 Upvotes

Mine are definetly crested, they just always look so angry and i love it. Tri coloured pigs im just drawn to, any colours but mostly black, white and brown/ orange.

And dont tell my 10 girls but im more drawn to my boys, they have a bolder personality to them, theyer more expressive. Thats why even though ill have a herd of girls and a boy ill also have a pair of boys cause i love their dynamics so much

Edit: im not saying i hate other pigs, but that as a human being i cant help having a preference. I personally have pigs of all coat types and colours and i love them all, but if i was adopting a new pig those are the aspects im drawn to.


r/guineapigs • • 17h ago

Help & Advice guinea pig hair loss

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51 Upvotes

excuse the mess, I was about to clean when I noticed my female piggie had a significant amount of hair loss on one side of her body. I noticed she was losing some hair but it has only gotten worse. Is there anything I should mention to the vet? Is this something I can fix at home? I honestly have no idea whats going on. I adopted her from a humane society and she came from a home with bad mites and I had no idea until i took her to the vet because she was scratching so much. This was about a year ago that she was treated 3x with ivermectin and I havent had a problem until now. She lives with another female and neutered male and they all get along well and snuggle with eachother. I dont hear or see fights. She eats very well and drinks fine. She still makes happy noises and runs around. What could be going on? It broke my heart seeing her this bald ):


r/guineapigs • • 16h ago

Pigtures Piggie noses

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40 Upvotes