Convincing my parents to let me have a Guinea Pig?
My birthday is in a few months, and I wanted to get a guinea pig. But don't worry, I still have time to do lots of research. I have a Syrian Hamster that I got with my Christmas money last year. I have had her for over a year and she is healthy, and well taken care of. I did lots of research, and I know what I'm talking about. I know a heck of a lot about hamsters. My parents wouldn't let me get one at first, so I went crazy doing a lot of research. But anyway, I'm wondering how I should go about convincing them. They didn't really want me to have a hamster, and it took almost a year to convince them! (It was mostly my dad I had to convince) My dad even told me that he only let me have one so that I would shut up about it, lol. What do you think would help? Can you tell me some pros and cons? (only if you have a pig, please!) And did you have an experience like this? If so, how did you convince your parent(s)?
What makes guinea pigs cry?
Guinea pigs have a number of different behaviors and vocalizations, so I’m going to try to guess what you mean by “crying.”If you mean “shedding tears,” there are many reasons for a guinea pig having a “weepy” eye, including allergies and infections.They can have allergies just like humans, dogs, and other animals, including symptoms like itchy eyes, a runny nose, and sneezing. They might be sensitive to something in their environment like bedding or hay. If the allergic reaction is fairly mild, you can try removing a potential allergen from their cage for a few days to see if their symptoms clear up. You will also want to keep a close eye to make sure the symptoms don’t get worse.If your guinea pig has sticky, crusted material around its eyes, you should take it to your exotics vet immediately. This is the sign of an infection that must be treated quickly. If left untreated for too long, it can result in permanent damage to the eye and vision loss. While they do sometimes clear up on their own, never underestimate the training or intuition of your exotics vet. They may suspect underlying or related issues that could have caused the infection to take hold in the first place.Sometimes, just like we do, they get a little bit of something in their eye and the eye produces tears to flush the irritant out. These tears stop when the foreign object is washed away.If you mean “crying out,” guinea pigs make some incredible noises, and they have a different song for every occasion! These are just some of the most common sounds that might be interpreted as “crying”:The loud “WHEEK WHEEK WHEEK” you hear at veggie time or when you talk to your guinea pig is sheer excitement. It’s often accompanied by frenzied laps around the cage and stretching waaay up to try to be first in line for whatever is happening, no matter what it is.There is a strained, wavering “squeak” that means the guinea pig is in pain. My oldest Isis would make this sound in her litter box when relieving herself. She had chronic digestive issues (including bloat). If your guinea pig is crying when they urinate or defecate, take them to your exotics vet immediately.When guinea pigs aren’t comfortable with a situation they can make a series of rapid higher-pitched whines. They can be quite loud if the situation escalates.One of my favorite YouTube channels is Little Adventures, and they have a video about various guinea pig sounds:
What should I do my guinea pig is rejecting the runt of the litter and I have to hand feed it?
I had to do exactly the same thing, but he wasnt rejected, he was just a runt, and had two older (and v. Pushy) brothers, so he had to be fed extra. I had to hand feed him on kitten milk. The best thing to do is hand feed him, but you can give him extra treats as well. My little one liked grass, but dont give them too much, it can be bad for them. Cucumber will be alright, but apple is very acidic, and can damage their teeth. You can buy high quality guinea pig food for it, with plenty of vitamins in it, but just make sure that he gets plenty of extra food. good luck and i hope i helped. KK ps, could u email me and tell me wether they are boys or girls wen u eventually find out please? im always curious. sadly, I cant have any more guinea pigs (my mum thinks 9 is too many! I personally dont, but still...)
Why did my guinea pig die?
Guinea pigs are not all that easy to take care of, they need a lot of attention to begin with. They easily die of sadness if they do not get at least 2 hours of one on one time a day or they have a cage mate. Guinea pigs are prey animals and hide the fact they are ill until it is in the acute stages, the last one when you saw it not doing well if you had taken it to the vet that day it most likely would have lived. Guinea pigs get upper respiratory infections if they are to cold, in a drafty place, or inhale chimerical s.Once they get one it will be dead in a couple of days if there is not vet intervention. the fact guinea pigs hide their illness is a must for their survive in the wild but it makes it hard to get them medical help in a timely manner. Guinea pigs need all they can eat of alfalfa hay until they are 6 months old they changed it to timothy hay, they need 1/4 cup of pellets a day and 1/2 to 1 cup of dark green leafy greens a day. They need their water changed every day. Their cage must be kept very clean at all times, if not clean they become shamed based and sad, a sad guinea pig is a sick guinea pig, a sick guinea pig is a dead guinea pig. Guinea pigs are such darling little tykes but they do require a lot of attention every day for them to be happy and healthy.
Could I take my Guinea Pigs to the beach?
I have two male Guinea Pigs, Blink and Bugzy.. Well I go to the beach a lot and I thought maybe they would enjoy going as well. I wouldn't take them on an extremely hot day, of course. I jus wanted to know if they could run around in the sand in the little piggy pen I bought on a decent day. I wouldn't leave them unattended either of course. Please and thanks! (:
What do you do with your guinea pig while you go on vacation?
Give her to a friend for the time you're gone, or have someone come over every day and give her fresh food/water. It'd be easier though just to have someone take her so they dont have to drive to your house every day. Im sure somebody would be willing to watch after her while youre gone. Ask around now, see if anyone would be willing, and if they say yes, tell your dad that you've already found someone who will babysit your guinea pig while you're gone, so that's not an issue anymore. If no friends or family will do it then you could leave her with your local vet for the time you're away, but they will charge, usually by the day. I'm not sure how much they charge to board guinea pigs. If I were you I'd call around and ask if they do it, and if so, how much they charge. Present all this information to your father, show him you've done your research. That'll prove that you're serious about wanting a guinea pig. You might also want to offer to pay for half (if not all) of the cost of keeping it at the vet while youre gone. But, it'd definitely be better if you could find a family member or friend to keep it instead....they usually wont charge you.
Should a give my guinea pig AWAY!!!!???!!!:(?
i got a guine pig 4 months ago she is 8 months old i think. well i try my best to take care of her but my parents are having money problems so i can't get her bedding when she needs it and she needs a bigger cage but we can affored one right now. i take her out every day and feed her her fave veggies. and also take her out for play tim atleast twice a week. but when it comes to her needs i can't do any thing i'm only 13 and can't get a jod to give her the proper care she needs. i don't want to give her away but right now it seems like the best thing. i got her cause i thought she would replace my hamster that passed away. oh and the guinea pig was my moms but my mom is a loving and busy person so i told her i'll take care of the guinea. i'm homeschooled so i have alot of free time to spend time with my guinea pig. any ways if i give her up i'll fill good cause i know she will be with more guinea pigs and with a good family and i will fill bad caue she is apart of my family.
What are the tradeoffs between getting one guinea pig for my kids or two?
Because the advantages of having two guinea pigs are obvious (as many here have already stated) I am going to make the argument for having only one. Our son has owned a single male cavy for nearly five years.As others have mentioned, guinea pigs are social animals, so having only one requires paying extra attention to providing companionship. For this reason ours is kept not in a bedroom but rather in our living room where we spend the most time. From his spot he can also see and hear activity in the kitchen. His cage is kept atop of a large ottoman, so he is at eye level with our dog, who sleeps on a bed right next to his cage and will make “nose contact” with him from time to time. Thus he is never really alone.In addition we make sure he gets daily time being held. This is easy with a guinea pig because unlike hamsters or gerbils they are very calm and will sit contentedly in a lap, sometimes even falling asleep. It is easy to hold ours while watching TV, and even I enjoy visiting with “Mr. Winks.” (I first fold a towel across my lap first to reduce the risk of accidents.)My concern with having two pigs is, first, it would require a very large cage — sincerely, one that you would not be able to purchase at a typical pet store. Putting two pigs in too small of a cage would, in my opinion, be as stressful and unhealthy as one living alone.Secondly, and more significantly, guinea pigs have a tremendous amount of output. They eat and thus poop nearly continuously. I think I read once that a single pig can produce 300 turds in a day. I cannot imagine keeping a clean environment for two pigs. It is hard enough with one. I am certain there are devoted cavy owners who are successful at it, but for the average pet owner I just don’t think it is manageable long term. Thus, owning two pigs would probably double the odds of either or both developing health problems, such as cauliflower feet, from living in a dirty cage.All the advocates for owning more than one guinea pig certainly have their hearts in the right place. I guess I’m just much more of a realist. In my opinion, one pig who is healthy and well-loved is better than two pigs who are neglected because it’s assumed that they are happy together.Our Mr. Winks has lived five long years! I have had various concerns about him from time to time, but loneliness has never been one of them.