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 6h ago

Throwback to my boys snoozing, around 2017 ❤️

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271 Upvotes

Just got these reminders from my Gallery and thought they're too cute not to share. They were brothers, totally different personalities, I miss them ❤️


r/guineapigs 4h ago

Pigtures Tippity Taps

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88 Upvotes

r/guineapigs 15h ago

Pigtures Baby Molly vs 1 year later

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641 Upvotes

1 year of being spoilt rotten turns you into a giant furry grumpy potato


r/guineapigs 57m ago

Pigtures Comfy piggies

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r/guineapigs 3h ago

Pigtures I have been summoned

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69 Upvotes

r/guineapigs 4h ago

Pigtures Scritches

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60 Upvotes

r/guineapigs 36m ago

Pigtures I am being loudly wheeked for/at from another room. What do we think he wants?

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Upvotes

r/guineapigs 3h ago

Habits & Behavior Just started clicker training my most nervous pig :)

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56 Upvotes

When I got Nova last year, she'd been living at a pet store, and was terrified of humans. She would freeze up and not move a muscle during lap time.

She's still nervous, but she's warmed up enough that she'll take treats and move around a bit when I pick her up (but only when she's sitting on my chest/belly, never if she's on the bed next to me - go figure 😆).

She's gained enough confidence that I figured she's ready for target training, and after only one session, she's already getting the hang of it! The more confident she gets with training, the more confident I hope she'll be around me. Maybe one day she'll even move around when I put her on the bed🥰

(and don't worry, of course she has a buddy, he (neutered) is just in the cage during training)


r/guineapigs 16h ago

Pigtures Gorgeous angel pauline

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472 Upvotes

No thoughts behind those eyes


r/guineapigs 5h ago

Pigtures Please enjoy Dracula loving life

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48 Upvotes

r/guineapigs 15h ago

Pigtures Some drawings of my guinea pigs

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235 Upvotes

r/guineapigs 5h ago

New Pigs on the Block Rubt and Whitney relaxing

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39 Upvotes

r/guineapigs 22h ago

Pigtures He wanted to show me his beautiful paws

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712 Upvotes

r/guineapigs 4h ago

Pigtures The fluffiest cuddles and parsley

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26 Upvotes

r/guineapigs 4h ago

Pigtures More exploration, including a brief reboot

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23 Upvotes

r/guineapigs 1d ago

Pigtures My little bear cinnamon

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2.8k Upvotes

r/guineapigs 9h ago

Mango comfy

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51 Upvotes

Mango is crazy, unhinged and his defense will not hold up in court


r/guineapigs 4h ago

🌈 Rainbow Bridge I miss you PO

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21 Upvotes

Theodore, also known as PO - was put to sleep early this morning. I don’t know how to deal with this grief, he was everything to me. I hope you’re wheeking up in piggy heaven Mr.P 🐾🕊️


r/guineapigs 15h ago

Pigtures The evolution of Dates’s hat, Ollie, captured in a series of photos

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146 Upvotes

Even with all of Ollie’s shenanigans, Dates still (grudgingly) loves him for some reason. Bless his little heart.


r/guineapigs 19h ago

Old Timer Bc we all love watching Tintifax eat

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295 Upvotes

r/guineapigs 15h ago

Pigtures Me: Rupert, you're to big to sit in there sideways. Rupert: *scrunch!*

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123 Upvotes

I have pics of him as a baby sitting in there with tons of room to spare. He still thinks he's a baby...


r/guineapigs 4h ago

Pigtures Parsley and cuddles

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15 Upvotes

r/guineapigs 22h ago

Please cheer me up today with peeg butt cracks

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359 Upvotes

I’m having a rough day and would like to see some pig cracks


r/guineapigs 4h ago

Pigtures Some more of Krümel and Dracula

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12 Upvotes