It's a beast! We tackle a lot of guinea pig care topics in this video, I recommend treating it as a podcast and listening along as you do your piggies chores 😍😄
I have a question, what happens if your guinea pig doesn’t want your food and is very picky? Because I gave him a lot of food when we had first adopted him?
@@Van321CATarts Depends on what you mean by 'a lot of food' they should have plenty of hay available all the time, 1/8 of a cup of pellets per Piggie per day and 1 cup or less of veggies per day, when you 1st get a Guinea Pig especially a younger 1 with little or no good experience with people they may not eat many pellets or veggies but should be eating hay
25:15 Bandit and Splodge here! We (and our Mummy Kt) feel very honoured and touched that we got a mention on your video!! Thank you so much! And thank you for the advice - Mummy is reassured now!! ❤❤
I got a singular piggie last night from a friend. his cage was a fish tank, had muslei mix for food. and bedding was wood chips. his bedding is now a blanket with hay to sleep on and eat with normal pellets and fresh cucumber and parsley. his cage is also bigger now. he also let me pet and hold him immediately
Hey Sarah! Hope you and the piggy fam are well 💕 Would it be possible for you to do a vid on convincing your parents to keep your guineapigs inside. I know that guineapigs CAN live outside however we live near a town where there are noisy ambulances and there are neighbours cats and one of my pigs sadly passed due to a heart attack from that and I couldn't bare that happening again. So, just a thought on tips to help them realise that they are living creatures who get scared quite easily. Thank you for all your tips in your videos they've made me become such a better piggie mom sending love to the herd 💕
I think guinea pig boarding or sitting would be a good video idea for you. I've kept guinea pigs for around 15 years and started taking in boarders several months ago. What surprised me is that there are no rules or regulations at all for boarding animals other than cats and dogs in the UK. I'm a very experienced pig keeper, but technically anyone could take them in and be legal. Since there are no guidelines I went with what I would expect if I were to entrust my own pigs to someone. Things that you should ask are how long they've cared for guinea pigs, do they have an exotic vet nearby, do they know how to syringe feed and give medication, can you visit before booking, will they have floor time, do they disinfect supplies between guests and many other questions. There seem to be two main types of facilities too, there are experienced people who take in small amounts of animals as a hobby/side hustle and bigger places with a lot of animals and staff members. I'm in the latter category, I had a look at quite a few websites- there doesn't seem to be a massive price difference but smaller places seem to give more individual attention.
Thanks so much for this and the video idea - I'll definitely follow it up, I hadn't thought of this even though I do get asked a lot of questions about what to do when going away etc! 😊
If anyone else is in the Chicago area, I use Chicawoof for my pet-sitting needs for my three boars and they are FANTASTIC. They don’t usually come up in searching for guinea pig sitting, because they’re primarily cat and dog focused, but I’m so glad that they were recommended to me. All of the folks I’ve worked with have been so professional and they take the best pictures and it was just SUCH a relief knowing my goobers were safe while I’m away.
Hello Sarah! Thank you for your new and very informative video. I‘ve been having piggies for 20 years now and I can still remember how nervous I was when I first had to cut my long-haired piggies‘ hair. What helped me, was using a pair of scissors with rounded tips - like you find in a first-aid kit. I really recommend that - not only for nervous owners, but also for nervous piggies. They might do unexpected movements and easily hurt theirselves by jumping against the tip of the scissors. Rounded tips really help reducing this risk. Best wishes, Marianne and herd
Regarding the holiday care question - there is an alternative solution if you have your own car! I have 2 equal ranking un-neutered males who will argue, bully or very occasionally even have minor fights with each other if they do not have a LOT of space containing multiple beds, toys and 2 food, hay & water stations & litter trays set well apart; they need regular supervisory checks. Plus they are both on meds twice a day, so boarding or having pet sitters in twice a day isn't really an option. So I use self catering holiday accommodation that is pet friendly, check with the owner I can bring them, or ask the hire company or agency to do this and provide details (partly to ask for an exemption from one of their T&Cs which forbid renters from leaving pets unattended whilst they are out - obviously designed for dog owners). I take C&C cage panels, waterproof fleece liners to cover the floor, pee pads and 2 of everything from home with their scents already on them - including hideys and toys, plus 2 pet carriers which double as covered litter trays, and of course plenty of hay and cleaning out stuff, their emergency first aid kit, food, some veggies for the first few days until I scope out local shops. Once their holiday accommodation is set up in a suitable safe and secure room I stay with them for a few hours to manage any stress reactions and re-arrange things to suit their preferences if needed. This has worked well for the last 10 years and I have 1 or 2 weeks holiday each year, with travel distances from home ranging from 1 to 2.5 hours drive.
I have 2 piggies, cookie and marshmallow and when I got them they where dirty and in a cage that was to small for one piggy. I got them a bigger cage and cleaned them. They are 1 year old and I have had them for a week now (or a wheek )
This was a fantastic video! Thank you so much, it must have taken a lot of work to put it together. Some advice regarding finding a good "piggy sitter" is to find other piggy owners in your town that you would be willing to take turns with caring for each other's piggies while on vacation. Have them come to your home once a day to feed, fill water, clean, etc. and vice versa. One question I still have is - why does my piggy constantly chew on the wire bars of her cage? How can I discourage her from that habit?
Hello! First of all, I wanted to tell you that I love your channel and it has helped me a lot with my 6 guinea pigs. Greetings from Madrid, Spain. I must say that even though I know your intention is the best... perhaps you shouldn't advise anyone not to be alarmed if they see their guinea pig squealing when another one is chasing it... I did it and the one that was fleeing lost one of its hands... the other male caused a wound and it got infected incredibly fast... seeing how the hand of your 3-month-old guinea pig is necrosing and falling off is one of the most traumatic experiences I've had with my babies (and that's saying something, considering that in the past I worked as a veterinary technician in the operating room and I've seen real atrocities). That said, I again thank you for your effort with the channel :) and I would like to ask if you could make some kind of video explaining the best options for enclosures for our guinea pigs.
This was great! You answered so many of my questions... one that I actually added in a comment to another video of yours. Thank you so much for sharing the knowledge you have about the piggies with those of us who are new to them. Have a wonderful day!
Thanks for taking the time to answer some of my questions. Hoppy and I are making the 4 hr trip to the nearest guinea pig rescue this weekend to hopefully find him a buddy. I've learned a lot from the comments about bonding multiple boars too, so I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. Melissa
Aww such a helpful video m so luckily with my 2 boys I have a 2 very experienced vet for my piggies one of them even saved the life of my pet bunny life due to me not giving the bunny the right diet for me going away my boys go to a family who had Guinea pigs all of they life and set a boarding place and give medicine to them if needed if on metacam they no worry’s with that my boys love the stuff
Hi Sarah, great video. It took us a while to find Merry a new buddy after losing Pippin. When we finally found Bernie he was at a rescue about an hour drive away. They took Merry to bond him with Bernie it was the longest week without Merry. It was the best bringing them back home together. Bernie had been abandoned and was found... That's all we know about him! He was around a year old and I found out he liked to bite when feeding him (especially pea flakes) or just fingers getting very close to him he nearly drew blood but not quite, it did hurt though. Six months on he doesn't do it unless he's out of the cage but it's more like a little nibble. We think it was just being in a new place, new people and probably quite scared. Now he's settled in and much more used to us it doesn't seem to be too much of an issue... So my advice is to just let your piggie settle down and find a way of keeping fingers away will feeding them, pea flakes of course... He just loves them, maybe he hadn't had them before and I think some of it was he just couldn't get enough of them and anything that had that smell was an eating target!!! 🤣🤣 He has settled in so well and they are both good buddies. 😁😁 Hugs Elaine, Billie and the boys. (I'm PiggieNan btw)
I am so glad I listened to that advise of bonding with a dominant piggie. My biggest fear when I worked with my Harriet, a pet store skinny piggie who had issues as she was isolated and deprived of shelter, proper hay and enrichment. She never reacted good with furry and so my thinking was a baby, young skinny and I found the perfect skinny. The bonding was extremely intense at first then it was o-k, then when they went into their home, it went back intense. It stayed intense, then it was a light switch, and now they are like sisters. I am so blessed! Harriet my werewolf skinny is 17 mo. and my new rescue is 3 mo. It was so hard not putting my emotions into it. I stayed through the intense moments and now I have two piggies that snuggle and my new one Clementime who copies everything Harriet does!
Hello! Thank you for such a lovely video! I wanted to add a comment about supplementary vitamin C. I have a piggie girl who developed some trouble walking several years ago and the vet recommended liquid vitamin C. It fixed her right up! She gets 1ml three days a week of the CHILDLIFE ESSENTIALS Liquid Vitamin C for Infants, Toddlers & Kids, which I order off of Amazon. She absolutely loves it! As for the cause of the problem, my piggie suddenly stopped eating her cecal poops years ago (no idea why), so I think she was not getting enough vitamin C from her food no matter how many bell peppers I fed her!
Great questions and answers 👍. I have the father bour and his son. They are not neutered because I just don't trust the vets. I can't put them together, I had tried but the father kept jumping on the son which of course scared the son almost to death. So I had made 2 big cages together ,but fenced off in the middle so they can see each other, but not be together. On both sides they have the food dish and water. They visit and talk to each other so I feel they are happy. The woman with the 6 boars could try this way . I mean as long as they see each other, I believe it would be enough 🤔.
Yes, great advice! When I was researching single guinea pigs I found that there had been studies that showed isolated piggies are stressed, whilst pigs who can see and hear other piggies are as calm/relaxed as guinea pigs that are actually living with their companions in the same enclosure 😊
Hi Sarah! You have inspired me so much😊 I have adopted two very neglected piggies who are now living the dream life😄😂🥰 I have a question tho: i saw your tutorials for diy hammocks and hidey houses. Since a lovee a good diy i am lookig to buy a sewing machine- is there anything i should be careful about, when buying it?
I just got my two rescue girls last Sunday. Their old owners got bored of them 🙁 The more timid one who hides most of the time keeps chasing the other one and seems to be asserting dominance! I’m glad to hear that I just need to let them settle in a bit more. I figured this was the case!
I would like to confirm that my 2 sisters don't get on, so i went to my local rescue (where i also board them) to see if introducing a neutered boar, it worked brilliantly. Whilst they still face off with each other there isn't the aggression that was there before
When i tried to rebond my guinea pigs, one kept finding ways to jump over thr playpen enclosure and seemed miserable and never escapes otherwise. We have 2 separate cages still.
I think part of the running when you try to pick them up could be instinct -as a prey animal it would be reflex to run as their mind would think something ie a bird is swooping to catch them.
One of my girls, after I've been in the room for a minute or two doesn't care and doesn't exactly ignore me but just does her own thing while I'm cleaning (not feeding cause it's impossible to ignore hooman when they have food!) and the other ( her sister) is eyeing me while she's eating
I got two "bonded" male guinea pigs from the pet store yesterday and 1 keeps attacking the other. They both will not let me pet them or hold them and have scratched me a few times while I carefully tried to hold them. The one that was attacking the other won't let me pet him at all. I have given them a 8 sq foot cage and plenty of hay, food, and two hidey spots. Not sure if I should separate them at this point it has only been 24 hours..
For people in the Midlands in England, I recommend Adele Wharton, The Small Pet Vet. She's mobile and only sees small furries (rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice rabbits etc). She is excellent.
Great video thank you! Just wondering what veggies you and anyone else in the comments feed your piggies. Mine don't seem to be a big fan of spring greens and I know that ice burg lettuce isn't safe so I'm wondering what lettuce you feed them. Mine love spinach and is it okay to give then spinach every day? Please let me know what type of green leafy veggies you give your piggies or any ideas on what I could try. :)
Romaine lettuce is great too feed everyday, spinach unfortunately shouldn’t be fed everyday though due to its high calcium levels! You can feed it 3-4 times a week in small amounts though ❤ My Guinea pigs get romaine lettuce, coriander, bell pepper, kale and cucumber every day! Some good leafy greens to feed include: romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, coriander, kale and other herbs such as parsley!
Hello Sarah. My guinea pig is currently ill with a uti. Hes on his second course of anti biotics. And hes going off his food. Please can you recommend a pro bitoic. Thank you
I have a long haired guinea pig and I bathed him once before - he was the goodest during the bath itself but the afterwards....... he was a panicking a lot with the damp hair, i think he was afraid that something kept touching his bum. He would run around frantic or press his backside against a wall or a corner, creating tangled hair in the process. I was afraid that his little heart would give out because he wouldn't stop until his hair was dry enough. It was so traumatising for both of us that I decided to just cut his hair regularly. He is a bit dandruffy in one spot but i just monitor it..
Tip if you like; Post bath: Melt a small amount of coconut oil in hands and evenly distribute through hair. (Fur/ hair will be oily for a day or two depending on how much you use, three sometimes if you're me. Don't worry, it's totally safe!) This makes brushing a breeze and fur less likely to tangle! Use a chamois or two (also known as shammy and microfibre towel) Towels work best when just prest against the fur with slight pressure for 15 or seconds before moving to other sections. My piggies just sit on my lap for this 🙌 Desensitise the hair dryer, with dryer on COLDEST setting depending on your weather conditions (In winter I sit 2 meters or so from my heater with them on my lap in a towel just giving chin scratches and massages like the servant I am 😂) Hold the hair dryer arms length away with piggy in your lap with a new dry towel, turn to low and turn dryer like a fan on slow. Slowly turn dryer towards GP slowly going over whole body then back again. Keeping them wrapped up in a towel and being held securely straight after their bath definitely helps to reduce anxiety and gets them dry faster! We all know however, they do not require regular baths. I mean.. wild piggies don't get bubbles baths 😂 I feel, like other animals, they don't naturally get stinky and need to shower, it's what gets into their coat that makes them dirty. So regular brushing is actually way more important than bathing anyway!! P.S you can rub coconut oil into fur anytime, I do it twice a year with my piggies. You don't have to bathe first and makes brushing a breeze!! Happy Gpigging ❤
Off topic but I have a very similar guinea home as you. Do you ever get told there's not enough air flow? I have just been told this. I cannot see how?
I have a question about guinea pig families. I have a mom and her two daughters, and was wondering if, as they get older, do they forget that they are related. Does mom know that the other two g pigs in the cage are her daughters? Do the daughters forget that they are sisters? Mom g pig is a year and a half old and unsure of her daughters, but they’re about 6-8 months old.
love you so much your videos are very helpful but i have one question i have a pair of guinea pigs and I'm thinking about getting a third one any recommendations on how to introduce them?
Yes, introductions should be on neutral ground (like a playpen), with a few accessories out, but nothing where a piggie could get trapped inside by another pig. You can use a big pile of hay to distract them, and offer fresh food once things calm down a bit. Introducing an adult to other adults can be tricky sometimes, try not to intervene unless they actually start fighting properly (let them do all the other behaviours as they are testing each other). If you are getting a baby, you should have no problems 😊
Hello! I love your channel and finally got a guinea pig 3 days ago. She is 6 years old and has been living on her own for a few years probably. Is it worth getting another girl guinea pig. I am also getting 2 boy guinea pigs soon from my cousin. Can the boys ang girls be together for floor time with out making babies? Sorry I just have so many questions! I do have a large rectangular C and C cage and am planning to put the same C and C cage on top for the boys. Is that a good idea? Thank you so much!
I think the "boys don't get along" stuff needs to go, it annoys me so much. I have kept boars in a group for several years, as a trio for years and I currently have four living together. I often find people who say they can't be kept together or in groups has never kept any males before, but will repeat what they've heard. I had a pair of girls quite a while ago and I remember them arguing much more than any of my boys. I also run a small small animal boarding business, so I've met quite a lot of pigs and I've not noticed any significant differences in behaviour based on sex. I've also heard that smelling girls will make boys fight, but I had a pair of visiting girl pigs in the same room recently and their behaviour didn't change at all.
You are another of the very few examples I've heard of groups of more than two boars living together - do you have a very large set up for them and did you bond them when they were young or adults? All at once or in groups of two vs two? I would love to know more as it is quite unheard of. I am going off the lack of successful examples out there and the multiple threads in comments and forum of people (speaking from own experience, not just repeating others), that boars of more than two result in fights. I also have periodically looked at guinea pigs up for adoption at almost every rescue in the UK and have never come across a group of 3 or more boars.
@@SqueakDreams My cage is a 6x3 c&c cage, and I have multiple beds, bowls, water bottles and two hay areas- I think if you have less things to argue over then you're more likely to be successful. I have two boys that I adopted from pets at home nearly two years ago- they were both a few months old but they weren't bonded yet so I had them in neighbouring cages for a couple of weeks. I had an adult boar who was left alone after two sudden deaths, once the two little ones were introduced I introduced them to the adult. Them being young, and him being a very sweet timid boy definitely helped. Unfortunately, he died a couple of months after meeting his new baby brothers. I had only had him for a few months, but he had been neglected before being adopted. I adopted two 3 month old boys in November, they were in a Midwest cage in the lounge for a week to settle in at first. I split my main cage in half, and had both pairs of pigs side by side for a couple of weeks to get to know each other. I sacrificed my lounge for the next part, I covered the carpet in loads of fleece and made a giant cage with loads of grids. All four of them were put into it, and then as things were going well I gradually added their things in. They lived like that for about a week, and then moved into the main cage, and they've been best friends ever since. Introducing boars does take time, patience and experience but once they're together their group dynamic becomes so sweet to watch as each of them has a different relationship with the others. Most of the new pigs have been young (6 months or less) which definitely helps. I did have one new boy that was 2 but he was the very timid one I mentioned earlier. I find that having them side by side really helps, they can sniff each other and you can also swap which side they are on. Buddy baths also help, they smell the same and are often too focused on hating the bath to notice a new boy. And being outside of their cage in a neutral area. I've seen a lot of videos where two adult boys are just put in a pen together and they find it hard to find a match. I've never had a failed match, but they've always typically had 2-4 weeks to get to know each other.
I also have three boars living together. Two skinny brothers and one older american. I noticed that people don't normally provide a large enough cage for the three boys. I have a 3×6, two water bottles, and I use blankets to cover up the corners for hides. I also noticed that with my pigs personally that I didn't have a big enough litterbox at first, so that caused some "fighting".
Hey, who do you insure your piggies with? I have 7 month old boars who I’d like to insure but can’t seem to find anything other than for rabbits? Thanks
Hi! Ive been trying to get my parents to let me have a guinea pig and recently they said yes. So i decided to crochet cuddle sack for them but i was wondering can the have actually yarn? I dont wanna kill my piggies (lol) so pls answer! Btw ur my idol and if u did respond id be sooooo happy!!!❤❤ love ur channel!
Yarn is fine to put in their cage normally! Depends on the piggies personality though but usually Guinea pigs don’t like to chew fleece based things! Make sure the holes in it aren’t big enough to get the piggies feet stuck though!! ❤ feel free to ask any questions, I’ve got 4 piggies of my own!
Can you make a video about barbering? I've never dealt with it until now and don't see that much online about it, but I'm really curious for your opinion. How normal is it/when can I expect my dominant piggie to stop barbering my submissive piggie? The submissive one doesn't seem in pain, she squeaks and eventually runs off, but it can get severe.
Is it normal for Dominance behaviours in males to continue throughout their life? My two boys are 2 years old and bonded, but still show Dominance behaviour. .
It completely depends on how aggressive they get, if it’s just small amounts of chasing, mounting etc then it should be fine! However if it’s constant chasing, loud squeaks and teeth chattering maybe try a larger cage or putting multiple of each accessory in the cage so they don’t argue over anything!
MAMA WITH THE SYSTEM: If the dominant pig is female, there is a possibility of ovarian cysts (hyperactic, hair loss on both sides of the abdomen and other symptoms). I had this scenario, I chose the right veterinarian who has extensive experience in treating small animals. My guinea pig had surgery, she started to calm down, her hair grew back and she lived next 1.5 years. However their are may reasons why try to just give them time, give them more space, give them free run etc .
mine just needed a bigger cage with two hay piles and water bottles on opposite sides. When the bullying pig starts up, I give her 30 min floor time by herself so she can have a break from her cagemate and run about a little. then she's ready to go back and be nice
Totally unexpected, feeling how it began to shrink and eventually disappear within 2 months was so liberating. I followed the steps I mentioned, and within the first 2 weeks the bloating was gone. I simply go'ogled Tilly Strankten's Ovarian Cyst Guide and it's like I hit the feel-good reset button lol.
It's a beast! We tackle a lot of guinea pig care topics in this video, I recommend treating it as a podcast and listening along as you do your piggies chores 😍😄
I love your videos
@@Taylors-version-editZXx I agree 😊
I have a question, what happens if your guinea pig doesn’t want your food and is very picky? Because I gave him a lot of food when we had first adopted him?
@@Van321CATarts Depends on what you mean by 'a lot of food' they should have plenty of hay available all the time, 1/8 of a cup of pellets per Piggie per day and 1 cup or less of veggies per day, when you 1st get a Guinea Pig especially a younger 1 with little or no good experience with people they may not eat many pellets or veggies but should be eating hay
@@candy11401 yes but my guinea pig only wants vegetables but when we give him hay and vegetables he doesn’t want it
25:15 Bandit and Splodge here! We (and our Mummy Kt) feel very honoured and touched that we got a mention on your video!! Thank you so much! And thank you for the advice - Mummy is reassured now!! ❤❤
Yay! Thank you for asking the question 😄
I got a singular piggie last night from a friend. his cage was a fish tank, had muslei mix for food. and bedding was wood chips. his bedding is now a blanket with hay to sleep on and eat with normal pellets and fresh cucumber and parsley. his cage is also bigger now. he also let me pet and hold him immediately
Hey Sarah! Hope you and the piggy fam are well 💕 Would it be possible for you to do a vid on convincing your parents to keep your guineapigs inside. I know that guineapigs CAN live outside however we live near a town where there are noisy ambulances and there are neighbours cats and one of my pigs sadly passed due to a heart attack from that and I couldn't bare that happening again. So, just a thought on tips to help them realise that they are living creatures who get scared quite easily. Thank you for all your tips in your videos they've made me become such a better piggie mom sending love to the herd 💕
I think guinea pig boarding or sitting would be a good video idea for you. I've kept guinea pigs for around 15 years and started taking in boarders several months ago. What surprised me is that there are no rules or regulations at all for boarding animals other than cats and dogs in the UK. I'm a very experienced pig keeper, but technically anyone could take them in and be legal. Since there are no guidelines I went with what I would expect if I were to entrust my own pigs to someone. Things that you should ask are how long they've cared for guinea pigs, do they have an exotic vet nearby, do they know how to syringe feed and give medication, can you visit before booking, will they have floor time, do they disinfect supplies between guests and many other questions. There seem to be two main types of facilities too, there are experienced people who take in small amounts of animals as a hobby/side hustle and bigger places with a lot of animals and staff members. I'm in the latter category, I had a look at quite a few websites- there doesn't seem to be a massive price difference but smaller places seem to give more individual attention.
Thanks so much for this and the video idea - I'll definitely follow it up, I hadn't thought of this even though I do get asked a lot of questions about what to do when going away etc! 😊
If anyone else is in the Chicago area, I use Chicawoof for my pet-sitting needs for my three boars and they are FANTASTIC. They don’t usually come up in searching for guinea pig sitting, because they’re primarily cat and dog focused, but I’m so glad that they were recommended to me. All of the folks I’ve worked with have been so professional and they take the best pictures and it was just SUCH a relief knowing my goobers were safe while I’m away.
Hello Sarah! Thank you for your new and very informative video. I‘ve been having piggies for 20 years now and I can still remember how nervous I was when I first had to cut my long-haired piggies‘ hair. What helped me, was using a pair of scissors with rounded tips - like you find in a first-aid kit. I really recommend that - not only for nervous owners, but also for nervous piggies. They might do unexpected movements and easily hurt theirselves by jumping against the tip of the scissors. Rounded tips really help reducing this risk. Best wishes, Marianne and herd
Thank you for the tip Marianne! Definitely a useful one for new owners 😊
Thank you!😀
Regarding the holiday care question - there is an alternative solution if you have your own car! I have 2 equal ranking un-neutered males who will argue, bully or very occasionally even have minor fights with each other if they do not have a LOT of space containing multiple beds, toys and 2 food, hay & water stations & litter trays set well apart; they need regular supervisory checks. Plus they are both on meds twice a day, so boarding or having pet sitters in twice a day isn't really an option. So I use self catering holiday accommodation that is pet friendly, check with the owner I can bring them, or ask the hire company or agency to do this and provide details (partly to ask for an exemption from one of their T&Cs which forbid renters from leaving pets unattended whilst they are out - obviously designed for dog owners). I take C&C cage panels, waterproof fleece liners to cover the floor, pee pads and 2 of everything from home with their scents already on them - including hideys and toys, plus 2 pet carriers which double as covered litter trays, and of course plenty of hay and cleaning out stuff, their emergency first aid kit, food, some veggies for the first few days until I scope out local shops. Once their holiday accommodation is set up in a suitable safe and secure room I stay with them for a few hours to manage any stress reactions and re-arrange things to suit their preferences if needed. This has worked well for the last 10 years and I have 1 or 2 weeks holiday each year, with travel distances from home ranging from 1 to 2.5 hours drive.
Thanks!
Thank you for the super thanks! 🥰😃
You have inspired me so much that I’m now getting two New Guinea Pigs tomorrow and they are two cute boys❤❤❤😊😊
Hello!!!! Sarah Your channel is very helpful and amazing! Thank You!❤
You are very welcome! 🥰
I have 2 piggies, cookie and marshmallow and when I got them they where dirty and in a cage that was to small for one piggy. I got them a bigger cage and cleaned them. They are 1 year old and I have had them for a week now (or a wheek )
This was a fantastic video! Thank you so much, it must have taken a lot of work to put it together. Some advice regarding finding a good "piggy sitter" is to find other piggy owners in your town that you would be willing to take turns with caring for each other's piggies while on vacation. Have them come to your home once a day to feed, fill water, clean, etc. and vice versa.
One question I still have is - why does my piggy constantly chew on the wire bars of her cage? How can I discourage her from that habit?
Hello! First of all, I wanted to tell you that I love your channel and it has helped me a lot with my 6 guinea pigs. Greetings from Madrid, Spain.
I must say that even though I know your intention is the best... perhaps you shouldn't advise anyone not to be alarmed if they see their guinea pig squealing when another one is chasing it... I did it and the one that was fleeing lost one of its hands... the other male caused a wound and it got infected incredibly fast... seeing how the hand of your 3-month-old guinea pig is necrosing and falling off is one of the most traumatic experiences I've had with my babies (and that's saying something, considering that in the past I worked as a veterinary technician in the operating room and I've seen real atrocities).
That said, I again thank you for your effort with the channel :) and I would like to ask if you could make some kind of video explaining the best options for enclosures for our guinea pigs.
I love guinea pigs!!!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
I was going to get a guinea pig and you taught me so much about them and now they’re so happy thank you so much❤❤❤❤❤❤
Omg yay another fun video
This was great! You answered so many of my questions... one that I actually added in a comment to another video of yours. Thank you so much for sharing the knowledge you have about the piggies with those of us who are new to them. Have a wonderful day!
Your piggies are so adorable and unique.
Thank you! 😊
Another fantastic video! Thank you Sarah ❤
Thanks for a great video!
hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have cute guinea pigs!
Thanks for taking the time to answer some of my questions. Hoppy and I are making the 4 hr trip to the nearest guinea pig rescue this weekend to hopefully find him a buddy. I've learned a lot from the comments about bonding multiple boars too, so I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. Melissa
Aww such a helpful video m so luckily with my 2 boys I have a 2 very experienced vet for my piggies one of them even saved the life of my pet bunny life due to me not giving the bunny the right diet for me going away my boys go to a family who had Guinea pigs all of they life and set a boarding place and give medicine to them if needed if on metacam they no worry’s with that my boys love the stuff
Can you make video about how to wash your dirty fleece and what you use.
Hi Sarah, great video.
It took us a while to find Merry a new buddy after losing Pippin. When we finally found Bernie he was at a rescue about an hour drive away. They took Merry to bond him with Bernie it was the longest week without Merry. It was the best bringing them back home together. Bernie had been abandoned and was found... That's all we know about him! He was around a year old and I found out he liked to bite when feeding him (especially pea flakes) or just fingers getting very close to him he nearly drew blood but not quite, it did hurt though. Six months on he doesn't do it unless he's out of the cage but it's more like a little nibble. We think it was just being in a new place, new people and probably quite scared. Now he's settled in and much more used to us it doesn't seem to be too much of an issue... So my advice is to just let your piggie settle down and find a way of keeping fingers away will feeding them, pea flakes of course... He just loves them, maybe he hadn't had them before and I think some of it was he just couldn't get enough of them and anything that had that smell was an eating target!!! 🤣🤣
He has settled in so well and they are both good buddies. 😁😁
Hugs Elaine, Billie and the boys. (I'm PiggieNan btw)
So so so HELPFUL 😊
I am so glad I listened to that advise of bonding with a dominant piggie. My biggest fear when I worked with my Harriet, a pet store skinny piggie who had issues as she was isolated and deprived of shelter, proper hay and enrichment. She never reacted good with furry and so my thinking was a baby, young skinny and I found the perfect skinny. The bonding was extremely intense at first then it was o-k, then when they went into their home, it went back intense. It stayed intense, then it was a light switch, and now they are like sisters. I am so blessed! Harriet my werewolf skinny is 17 mo. and my new rescue is 3 mo. It was so hard not putting my emotions into it. I stayed through the intense moments and now I have two piggies that snuggle and my new one Clementime who copies everything Harriet does!
Thank you for answering my question 😊
Sooooooooo cute🦆🦆🦆
Hello! Thank you for such a lovely video! I wanted to add a comment about supplementary vitamin C. I have a piggie girl who developed some trouble walking several years ago and the vet recommended liquid vitamin C. It fixed her right up! She gets 1ml three days a week of the CHILDLIFE ESSENTIALS Liquid Vitamin C for Infants, Toddlers & Kids, which I order off of Amazon. She absolutely loves it! As for the cause of the problem, my piggie suddenly stopped eating her cecal poops years ago (no idea why), so I think she was not getting enough vitamin C from her food no matter how many bell peppers I fed her!
Great questions and answers 👍. I have the father bour and his son. They are not neutered because I just don't trust the vets. I can't put them together, I had tried but the father kept jumping on the son which of course scared the son almost to death. So I had made 2 big cages together ,but fenced off in the middle so they can see each other, but not be together. On both sides they have the food dish and water. They visit and talk to each other so I feel they are happy. The woman with the 6 boars could try this way . I mean as long as they see each other, I believe it would be enough 🤔.
Yes, great advice! When I was researching single guinea pigs I found that there had been studies that showed isolated piggies are stressed, whilst pigs who can see and hear other piggies are as calm/relaxed as guinea pigs that are actually living with their companions in the same enclosure 😊
i love your stuff
Hi Sarah!
You have inspired me so much😊
I have adopted two very neglected piggies who are now living the dream life😄😂🥰
I have a question tho: i saw your tutorials for diy hammocks and hidey houses. Since a lovee a good diy i am lookig to buy a sewing machine- is there anything i should be careful about, when buying it?
Love your video,s. Learn so much from you. Much off your tips are so valuable
Thanks so much 🥰
Thanks for your vids, great content and presentation. Re. Outdoor pigs, would you suggest using fleece in hutches or not a good idea?
My local rescue recommended the vet she uses, as they are the most experienced local to me
Can you make a genie pig video like a normal like watching them. I hope it will be 1 hour 🤞
What?
Huh
I just got my two rescue girls last Sunday. Their old owners got bored of them 🙁 The more timid one who hides most of the time keeps chasing the other one and seems to be asserting dominance! I’m glad to hear that I just need to let them settle in a bit more. I figured this was the case!
Aww, poor things 😔 how can you get bored of these little fur babies ❤️😖
I would like to confirm that my 2 sisters don't get on, so i went to my local rescue (where i also board them) to see if introducing a neutered boar, it worked brilliantly. Whilst they still face off with each other there isn't the aggression that was there before
When i tried to rebond my guinea pigs, one kept finding ways to jump over thr playpen enclosure and seemed miserable and never escapes otherwise. We have 2 separate cages still.
I think part of the running when you try to pick them up could be instinct -as a prey animal it would be reflex to run as their mind would think something ie a bird is swooping to catch them.
Totally agree!
One of my girls, after I've been in the room for a minute or two doesn't care and doesn't exactly ignore me but just does her own thing while I'm cleaning (not feeding cause it's impossible to ignore hooman when they have food!) and the other ( her sister) is eyeing me while she's eating
I got two "bonded" male guinea pigs from the pet store yesterday and 1 keeps attacking the other. They both will not let me pet them or hold them and have scratched me a few times while I carefully tried to hold them. The one that was attacking the other won't let me pet him at all. I have given them a 8 sq foot cage and plenty of hay, food, and two hidey spots. Not sure if I should separate them at this point it has only been 24 hours..
For people in the Midlands in England, I recommend Adele Wharton, The Small Pet Vet. She's mobile and only sees small furries (rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice rabbits etc). She is excellent.
Thanks for sharing that recommendation 😃
I can second this recommendation. I trust her 100%
Great video thank you! Just wondering what veggies you and anyone else in the comments feed your piggies. Mine don't seem to be a big fan of spring greens and I know that ice burg lettuce isn't safe so I'm wondering what lettuce you feed them. Mine love spinach and is it okay to give then spinach every day? Please let me know what type of green leafy veggies you give your piggies or any ideas on what I could try. :)
Romaine lettuce is great too feed everyday, spinach unfortunately shouldn’t be fed everyday though due to its high calcium levels! You can feed it 3-4 times a week in small amounts though ❤
My Guinea pigs get romaine lettuce, coriander, bell pepper, kale and cucumber every day! Some good leafy greens to feed include: romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, coriander, kale and other herbs such as parsley!
@@Libbys-piggies Thank you so so much. Very helpful!
@@Scb-gplife no problem!! Ask any questions needed 🫶🏼
How do you clean the cage early on and when they are still afraid?
I clean when they're having floor time
❤❤❤
I feed my piggies the non GMO non Soy pellets from Small Pet select.
I actually cut my silkie pigs hair in the bath after washing then make it even after drying them
Hello Sarah. My guinea pig is currently ill with a uti. Hes on his second course of anti biotics. And hes going off his food. Please can you recommend a pro bitoic. Thank you
I have a long haired guinea pig and I bathed him once before - he was the goodest during the bath itself but the afterwards....... he was a panicking a lot with the damp hair, i think he was afraid that something kept touching his bum. He would run around frantic or press his backside against a wall or a corner, creating tangled hair in the process. I was afraid that his little heart would give out because he wouldn't stop until his hair was dry enough. It was so traumatising for both of us that I decided to just cut his hair regularly. He is a bit dandruffy in one spot but i just monitor it..
Tip if you like;
Post bath:
Melt a small amount of coconut oil in hands and evenly distribute through hair. (Fur/ hair will be oily for a day or two depending on how much you use, three sometimes if you're me. Don't worry, it's totally safe!)
This makes brushing a breeze and fur less likely to tangle!
Use a chamois or two (also known as shammy and microfibre towel) Towels work best when just prest against the fur with slight pressure for 15 or seconds before moving to other sections. My piggies just sit on my lap for this 🙌
Desensitise the hair dryer, with dryer on COLDEST setting depending on your weather conditions (In winter I sit 2 meters or so from my heater with them on my lap in a towel just giving chin scratches and massages like the servant I am 😂)
Hold the hair dryer arms length away with piggy in your lap with a new dry towel, turn to low and turn dryer like a fan on slow. Slowly turn dryer towards GP slowly going over whole body then back again.
Keeping them wrapped up in a towel and being held securely straight after their bath definitely helps to reduce anxiety and gets them dry faster!
We all know however, they do not require regular baths. I mean.. wild piggies don't get bubbles baths 😂
I feel, like other animals, they don't naturally get stinky and need to shower, it's what gets into their coat that makes them dirty. So regular brushing is actually way more important than bathing anyway!!
P.S you can rub coconut oil into fur anytime, I do it twice a year with my piggies. You don't have to bathe first and makes brushing a breeze!!
Happy Gpigging ❤
Off topic but I have a very similar guinea home as you. Do you ever get told there's not enough air flow? I have just been told this. I cannot see how?
I have a question about guinea pig families. I have a mom and her two daughters, and was wondering if, as they get older, do they forget that they are related. Does mom know that the other two g pigs in the cage are her daughters? Do the daughters forget that they are sisters? Mom g pig is a year and a half old and unsure of her daughters, but they’re about 6-8 months old.
my vet says pellets are considered a treat. My girls get 1T a *week*
love you so much your videos are very helpful but i have one question i have a pair of guinea pigs and I'm thinking about getting a third one any recommendations on how to introduce them?
Yes, introductions should be on neutral ground (like a playpen), with a few accessories out, but nothing where a piggie could get trapped inside by another pig. You can use a big pile of hay to distract them, and offer fresh food once things calm down a bit. Introducing an adult to other adults can be tricky sometimes, try not to intervene unless they actually start fighting properly (let them do all the other behaviours as they are testing each other). If you are getting a baby, you should have no problems 😊
Hello! I love your channel and finally got a guinea pig 3 days ago. She is 6 years old and has been living on her own for a few years probably. Is it worth getting another girl guinea pig. I am also getting 2 boy guinea pigs soon from my cousin. Can the boys ang girls be together for floor time with out making babies? Sorry I just have so many questions! I do have a large rectangular C and C cage and am planning to put the same C and C cage on top for the boys. Is that a good idea? Thank you so much!
I think the "boys don't get along" stuff needs to go, it annoys me so much. I have kept boars in a group for several years, as a trio for years and I currently have four living together. I often find people who say they can't be kept together or in groups has never kept any males before, but will repeat what they've heard. I had a pair of girls quite a while ago and I remember them arguing much more than any of my boys. I also run a small small animal boarding business, so I've met quite a lot of pigs and I've not noticed any significant differences in behaviour based on sex. I've also heard that smelling girls will make boys fight, but I had a pair of visiting girl pigs in the same room recently and their behaviour didn't change at all.
You are another of the very few examples I've heard of groups of more than two boars living together - do you have a very large set up for them and did you bond them when they were young or adults? All at once or in groups of two vs two? I would love to know more as it is quite unheard of. I am going off the lack of successful examples out there and the multiple threads in comments and forum of people (speaking from own experience, not just repeating others), that boars of more than two result in fights. I also have periodically looked at guinea pigs up for adoption at almost every rescue in the UK and have never come across a group of 3 or more boars.
@@SqueakDreams My cage is a 6x3 c&c cage, and I have multiple beds, bowls, water bottles and two hay areas- I think if you have less things to argue over then you're more likely to be successful. I have two boys that I adopted from pets at home nearly two years ago- they were both a few months old but they weren't bonded yet so I had them in neighbouring cages for a couple of weeks. I had an adult boar who was left alone after two sudden deaths, once the two little ones were introduced I introduced them to the adult. Them being young, and him being a very sweet timid boy definitely helped. Unfortunately, he died a couple of months after meeting his new baby brothers. I had only had him for a few months, but he had been neglected before being adopted.
I adopted two 3 month old boys in November, they were in a Midwest cage in the lounge for a week to settle in at first. I split my main cage in half, and had both pairs of pigs side by side for a couple of weeks to get to know each other. I sacrificed my lounge for the next part, I covered the carpet in loads of fleece and made a giant cage with loads of grids. All four of them were put into it, and then as things were going well I gradually added their things in. They lived like that for about a week, and then moved into the main cage, and they've been best friends ever since.
Introducing boars does take time, patience and experience but once they're together their group dynamic becomes so sweet to watch as each of them has a different relationship with the others. Most of the new pigs have been young (6 months or less) which definitely helps. I did have one new boy that was 2 but he was the very timid one I mentioned earlier. I find that having them side by side really helps, they can sniff each other and you can also swap which side they are on. Buddy baths also help, they smell the same and are often too focused on hating the bath to notice a new boy. And being outside of their cage in a neutral area.
I've seen a lot of videos where two adult boys are just put in a pen together and they find it hard to find a match. I've never had a failed match, but they've always typically had 2-4 weeks to get to know each other.
I also have three boars living together. Two skinny brothers and one older american. I noticed that people don't normally provide a large enough cage for the three boys. I have a 3×6, two water bottles, and I use blankets to cover up the corners for hides. I also noticed that with my pigs personally that I didn't have a big enough litterbox at first, so that caused some "fighting".
6x3 is that feet, yards, metres?
@@watcher24601 it's a c&c cage- people tend to describe them by how many panels long and how many wide it is. I think a panel is around 35cm.
what do I do if my guinea pig is drooling on him self?
Hey, who do you insure your piggies with? I have 7 month old boars who I’d like to insure but can’t seem to find anything other than for rabbits? Thanks
We are with Exotic Direct 😊
just adopt a guinea pig a week ago i notice hair loss on the cheeks can you help me please im worriied 🙏🏻 thanks @squeaky dreams
❤❤❤❤❤
❤
Out of my 11 Guinea pigs that I’ve had, I’ve only ever had one bitey pig and we found out she was riddled with cancer 💔
Who do you insure your piggies with ? Xx
Exotic Direct 😊
Hi! Ive been trying to get my parents to let me have a guinea pig and recently they said yes. So i decided to crochet cuddle sack for them but i was wondering can the have actually yarn? I dont wanna kill my piggies (lol) so pls answer! Btw ur my idol and if u did respond id be sooooo happy!!!❤❤ love ur channel!
Yarn is fine to put in their cage normally! Depends on the piggies personality though but usually Guinea pigs don’t like to chew fleece based things! Make sure the holes in it aren’t big enough to get the piggies feet stuck though!! ❤ feel free to ask any questions, I’ve got 4 piggies of my own!
I love long videos like these I have a girl piggie that loves like roxy
Can you make a video about barbering? I've never dealt with it until now and don't see that much online about it, but I'm really curious for your opinion. How normal is it/when can I expect my dominant piggie to stop barbering my submissive piggie? The submissive one doesn't seem in pain, she squeaks and eventually runs off, but it can get severe.
Yes I can look into it and see if I find much researching about it - it's definitely a bit of an odd behaviour!
Thank you so so much! Everything they do is normal except this, so that's why I'm so baffled
Is it normal for Dominance behaviours in males to continue throughout their life? My two boys are 2 years old and bonded, but still show Dominance behaviour. .
It completely depends on how aggressive they get, if it’s just small amounts of chasing, mounting etc then it should be fine! However if it’s constant chasing, loud squeaks and teeth chattering maybe try a larger cage or putting multiple of each accessory in the cage so they don’t argue over anything!
MAMA WITH THE SYSTEM: If the dominant pig is female, there is a possibility of ovarian cysts (hyperactic, hair loss on both sides of the abdomen and other symptoms). I had this scenario, I chose the right veterinarian who has extensive experience in treating small animals. My guinea pig had surgery, she started to calm down, her hair grew back and she lived next 1.5 years. However their are may reasons why try to just give them time, give them more space, give them free run etc .
mine just needed a bigger cage with two hay piles and water bottles on opposite sides. When the bullying pig starts up, I give her 30 min floor time by herself so she can have a break from her cagemate and run about a little. then she's ready to go back and be nice
What breed is Phoebe?
She is an Abyssinian crossbreed, she has rosettes, but her hair is a bit wiry so I think she has some rex/teddy in her!
@@SqueakDreams okay thanks, I love her coloring
My guinea pig drew blood on me 2x in a week when I calmly held him😢
Hi
Do you know victoria raechels channel 😢
What happens when your guinea pig like to renovate her own space 😂
I relate too that😂😅
Alexa accidentally played Cardi B and it made 1 guinea pig freeze and scared 😂
Are guinea pigs horrible climbers ? Are guinea pigs prey animals ? Why do guinea pigs rumblestrutt ? Lets find out in this video !
It's so helpfull!
Totally unexpected, feeling how it began to shrink and eventually disappear within 2 months was so liberating. I followed the steps I mentioned, and within the first 2 weeks the bloating was gone. I simply go'ogled Tilly Strankten's Ovarian Cyst Guide and it's like I hit the feel-good reset button lol.
My Guinea pig ealryer
🐨🐨🦘🦘
Fir
hi can u pin me
can u pls pin me