What are some good tips for two male guinea pigs?

Katie need help to clarify doubt about: : What are some good tips for two male guinea pigs?
Hi! I will be getting to male guinea pigs in about a week. They are about 20 days old and I am getting them from my mom’s friend wo has bunch of guinea pigs. The two males are from the same litter. By the way, I am 14 so I will be at school during the day. I will be going to petco this week and getting all of the needed stuff then. I will be making my own enclosure so if you have any tips about making that, that would help. So anything that would be useful would be great! Thanks!

Try this:

Answer by Mickey Mouse loves tacos
The safest enclosure you can make for your guinea pigs is a C&C cage. Here are some instructions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXG764Gex6A
The coroplast costs about $ 10 and is available at a local sign shop. The cubes are storage cubes that are available at Bed Bath and Beyond for about $ 16 a box. It is safest to keep them inside, so they don’t catch a disease or escape.
For bedding, you should use Care Fresh or aspen shavings, whichever works best for you. DON’T use pine or cedar shavings, because it can cause respiratory damage and cancer. Your enclosure should be 3 by 5, or 15 square feet for two guinea pigs. Guinea pigs need mental stimulation, as they are intelligent creatures. Give them food puzzles and mazes. Make sure they are stimulated physically(by exercise), mentally(by puzzles), and socially(by interaction with you and their companion guinea pig). DON’T use wheels or balls for exercise!
As for diet, the staple of their diet should be hay, mainly timothy combined with meadow and other types. Feed them four tablespoons of quality pellets a day. Make sure they ALWAYS have fresh water. I would recommend crushing up Oxbow Vitamin C tablets and putting the powder into their water(be sure to read the dosing instructions carefully). Also feed them fresh fruits, vegetables, and wild plants everyday. Many plants are poisonous to guinea pigs, so research them carefully. Try out carrots, romaine lettuce, and papaya. Feed fruit sparingly and avoid cabbage and iceberg lettuce. You can give them alfalfa for their first six months, but stop after that because they might get kidney stones from it.
They are a major commitment, and you need to spend at least 30 minutes each day cuddling with them, and give them 1 hour of supervised floor time(you can buy a playpen so that they only need to be checked up on every few minutes).
They always need a hide house and wood chews. I cannot possibly list all the information required to care for your guinea pigs. I do want you to take proper care of them so you can enjoy them for many years. Please pick up some reading material at the pet store. I recommend My Guinea Pig. If you have any questions at all about anything, from exercise and play to diet to housing, please feel free to email me at bolsterbar@yahoo.com. Hope I could help!

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5 COMMENTS

  1. Hi =D i have two male guinea pigs myself. You will have a lot of fun. They will be fine when you are at school and its great that you are getting two! they love to eat carrots and lettuce and tomatoes and a lot of hay. For the cages if you are making your own I suggest looking up cavy cages. Good luck =D

  2. I have to agree with the first person that answered on the C&C pen. Also, try using fleece instead of the bedding they sell at pet stores. It’s so much nicer for the piglets. I use fleece with a nice padding under it – they love it (and they have had both). The difference in the piglets was really amazing when you watched it!

    Be sure they have toys to play with – things to run through – places to hide – things to do! VERY important. A bored piglet can make a grumpy, aggressive piglet!

    Keep the pen clean! and give them love! They have each other through out the day, so don’t worry too much about that. But be sure to give them both snuggle time every single day (try not to play favorites, even though it’s hard) and give them floor time as well to exercise!

    As for food – green veggies! and mine love carrots! But be sure they have WATER, hard pellets (of a good quality – and they will tell you if they don’t like them!) and a ton of hay. Hay should be about 75-80% of their food. Give them treats of fruit. Mine love basil, parsley and most things green. If you are in a summer climate – try to feed them dandelion greens (leaves only) but be sure they have never been treated with any kind of killer or growth item.

    Other than that – read read read books and websites! Learn as much as you can about their care. But most of all – learn them! They will each have their own little personalities. Learn their likes and dislikes and what each little squeak and sound means! They are so much fun! Enjoy them!

    Let me know if I can be any further help to you!

  3. For the first 24 hours leave your guinea pig to settle in their new home. Obviously watch out for signs of illness, but try and resist the urge to handle your New Guinea pig, unless it’s necessary. Gently talk to your little friend. Yes, he/she may dart away as soon as she sees you, but just gently talk to your guinea pig so it slowly becomes accustomed to your voice.

    On the second day you could try and handle him/her. Always let them see your hands first as this will make them even more nervous if you suddenly lift it and he/she didn’t see you coming. You’ll notice they will try to struggle so always have a firm grip (do not squeeze) so they doesn’t fall out of your hands. Remember that even after a while your piggy may still want to run away from you. Please don’t think your piggy doesn’t like you, it’s just their natural instinct and some are more confident than others.

    Building a C & C cage

    1-Find where you will buy your materials. You’ll need to find stores that sell the materials you will need to make it. You need to find somewhere to purchase cubes (Target, Kmart, Costco) and cloroplast (Signs Stores)

    2-Decide where you will put the cage. Avoid putting it on the floor unless it is your only option. This is because when they are on the floor they can feel more vibrations when people are walking, someone is using the vacuum, etc. The area should be in a high traffic area, or an area where the family usually is. This makes them feel like they are in the family and will be happier. The area should be a bright room with indirect sunlight. If you have a window that will bring occasional light in the cage, that is good too. The room should also have a stable temperature between 65-75 degrees. If you are comfortable with the room temperature, so are they.

    3-Decide whether you want it to be an open or closed cage (Top or no top). If you have a toddler, cat or dog that could easily get to your Guinea Pigs when your not around, you should make a closed cage. If you have any of those and they can’t get to the Pigs when your not around, you could have an open cage.

    Anyways there are alot of ways to make them. You first need Cubes http://www.walmart.com/ip/Whitmor-White-… and coroplast http://www.coroplast.com/. You can order cubes online usually and coroplast can be found at any sign shop usually. Like Fastsigns.
    This site teaches you how to make them and shows many many pics of people’s designs, you can find a pic of one you like and make one similar or the same. http://www.guineapigcages.com/index.htm

    Cost:
    Cubes: generaly around 15-25 for one pack, depending wither you get 3 cubes or 6
    Coroplast: don’t pay more than 25 or its a rip off.

    So in total your looking around 40$ which is a great price for a big cage and one your piggie will love 🙂 Don’t forget you can make the cage any way you want. You don’t even have to put a lid on it.

  4. Tips for two male guinea pigs r that u should put them in separate cages so they wont fight.Also,u should get them neutured when they reach theyre age.Also,i really recommend going to a breeder but if u really cant then make sure to pick a healthy one.Look for a healthy shiny coat,clear eyes that arent twitchy or anything,make sure they dont shed so make sure to ask them if u can hold them both and feel there coat if it falls out,also check to see if they have any bald spots like completely or sometimes its just like that,and just feel there coat if its soft not hard or rough or anything like that.Hope this helped!!Enjoy them both.Btw owner of one male guinea pig. :)))

  5. Hi,
    I have 3 guinea pigs now. They are females. I have an Abyssinian, Cornet, and American Short Haired. I would buy a C&C Cage. They are MUCH cheaper then those crappy Super pet ones, that are more fit for traveling cages. You can buy the grids at Walmart. You can make them as big as you want with an upstairs! Another thing is guinea pigs dont jump. The coroplast should be at your local sign store, and zip ties should be easy to find at Walmart also. You can also use a tarp, or a shower curtain! It is so much cooler! Guinea pigs like dark places. So drape a towel over your piggies nesting area, and buy 2 huts or something or a cuddle cup. Make sure it is dark and you use binder clips to make it. For a C&C cage, the bigger the better. The least size you should make for 2 is a 2×4. 2 across, 4 down, 2 across, 4 down. Guinea pigs also need 1 cup of veggies each day, and every week at least a small fruit. Piggies are very skittish animals, and are pray animals. So if they run away, they dont hate you. Try not to pick them up the first week. If you do not see them eating or drinking, this is perfectly normal. Also, piggies need hay. Not as treats, they need it 24/7. This should not be a little treat you give them. Also ceramic bowls work better, as piggies tend to tip their bowls. Another thing to look into is chews. They need a LOT of those. My guinea pigs love corn husk. Their teeth constantly grow, so provide lots of treats. You need to take your piggies out daily. Other wise, they may turn mean and vicious. Give them “Lap time” Hold them in your lap, feed them veggies, and other things of that sort. Also, just so your piggies don’t find, give them 2 water bottles, and 2 food dishes. But this is not a necessity. Just an idea as boars tend to fight more and some times need extra space away from another piggie. Also, a thing to look into is fleece. It is much easier to clean than bedding, and you can buy hundreds of designs the way you want them. My piggies love toilet paper tubes/paper towel tubes. Really one of the only things they will chew on. Guinea pigs poop a lot, so make sure to clean out their cage everyday. They are a big responsibility, and may seem like another small rodent, but really aren’t. If you have any questions, please email: smileyface795@yahoo.com I am happy to answer any piggie questions(:

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