Saturday, May 9, 2009

Is it cool just to have one guinea pig?

i am at a limited budget and i think it would be fine if i just got one guinea pig and gave it plenty of attention to make up for not having a second. if all goes well and i become less broke i will get a second maybe.
Answers:
No it wouldn't be cool.
Guinea pigs still need a companion who THEY can communicate with. I have had guinea pigs live alone before (boars used for breeding) and they didn't become friendly towards me because they were unhappy about living alone. They make better pets, honestly.
People think that having a second guinea pigs mean twice the hard work and twice the money but it won't be. A single guinea pig, living on its own will probably eat more because they don't have anything to do, no other pig to play with.
I have 11, believe me, we aren't rich!! But we are coping.
Its cool just to have one, better in 2, but I only have 1 and hes getting along fine for 4 years now :)
Hope you have fun with your furry new friend!
One guinea pig is fine. We've had one for 3 years. She's adorable and loves the attention we give her. We also have 2 dogs who keep a close watch on her. She likes to follow them around the house when we let her out of her cage.
By the way, with experiences some of our friends have had with adding a new guinea pig to one that's been the only one for a long time, I've seen a negative affect on that scenario. This has happened with friends bringing in another from the same sex. One friend brought a male to the female. We all know what happened there.
Good luck with your new cavy. They're great.
I have always had one and never had a problem.we also have 8 other animals around, so she is very well socialized by all.lol
no you should have another so they can mate
Not cool. No matter how much attention you give it you do not talk guinea pig and you cannot be there 24/7. What will your piggy do for the 22 hours a day you're not there with it? Sit there all alone with nothing to do and no-one to talk to.
Better to spend some time putting some money away so you have a back up fund and then get two piggies when you can afford it, rather than get one now and have it be sad and lonely.
You really need 2 guinea pigs as they are really social animals. Without a companion guinea pigs have been known to be not as active and happy.
You can not be there all of the time so you should have 2. I was in a similar position. I had 1 guinea pig and was at home alot but just couldn't offer the same sort of companionship that another guinea pig could so in the end i got another one, (I have only had 1 guinea pig by itself for 2 weeks).
Before investing in anything have a look around:
Go to garage sales and get second hand hutches (the quokka is a good newspaper for this). If need be you can always fix them up.
Buy your food, hay, bedding, food bowls and water bottles from cavy shows (I have monthly cavy shows near where I live and the food, hay, bedding and any other accessories are really cheap).
Get guinea pigs from rescues or breeders they are alot cheaper than your average pet shop.
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If you really don't have enough money then you may have to wait a while until you do because there is no point going and getting a guinea pig and it dieing of malnutrition. You might as well wait and get 2 guinea pigs and they die of old age...
This is just my point and my opinion, if you think that you can do it then go ahead.
Good Luck:)
Yea its fine to have 1 but the best toy for a guinea pig is another!
By nature, guinea pigs are herd animals - they tend to do better in numbers. Speaking from experience, I have four unrelated male guinea pigs of varying ages and they all get along fine. However, I've also seen guinea pigs that prefer to be by themselves. It really can depend on the individual pig's temperament. Two of my boys are very dominant and have no qualms about pushing the others around, but they're not like that all the time - just when they're wound up.
My advice would be this - call up your local shelter to see if they have any guinea pigs. I know that one of the shelters by me sells surrendered guinea pigs for $5 each...check Petfinder, too. Pet store guinea pigs are commonly ill with parasites like mites, lice, etc. and upper respiratory infections. While the initial investment might be more for two guinea pigs (i.e. a bigger cage), it really doesn't cost that much more to feed and sustain them than it would for just one. I'd also recommend checking out Guinea Pig Cages.com for ideas on cages (pet store cages are too small...you can build your own for 1/2 the price and twice the size). I'd also recommend checking out Guinea Lynx.com for great info on general care, etc.
Good luck!
I think that if your budget is that limited, you should wait until you are in a better financial position before getting any piggies.
Have you thought about vet expenses? What if your pig gets sick? How will you pay the vet? The cost of a second pig could be no more than $30 tops. If you are worried about spending an extra $30, I am concerned about your ability to pay a $45 exam bill, plus any diagnostic procedures or medications.
You may want to reconsider and wait. Realize that by choosing to become a pet owner, you are responsible for providing it with proper care, which includes vet care.
Justified read my mind! Guinea pigs are not animals to get on a limited budget! There are many things that you are going to need that you have to buy, not to mention vet bills. I suggest waiting and save up some money for expenses and then adopt 2 pigs.
Two guinea pigs do not cost much more than 1, maybe 5% of your normal costs, but that's it. They need to be kept in pairs, it's what is natural for them. You can't be there 24/7.
always better to get to you cant be with the guinea pig 24/7. even though lots of people have one they are happier in a pair
i was wondering the same thing but if i do get one i would give it ALOT of attention!! mainlt because my mom wont let me get 2:(
it's not bad either...if you're spending about 2 hours with it every day it' ll be just fine.if not you should get another one as guinea pigs are social animals and need company. if you cant spend time with it and cant buy 2 of them then buy another pet
No it is NOT COOL to have just one guinea pig. In your circumstances its not cool to have ANY guinea pigs. if your on a budget your not gonna be able to pay for all the exspenses a guinea pig requires. A cage,water,pellets,hay, hiding house and vet bills. I think you should save up at least 500$ until you get a guinea pig!
if you get one play with it some time in will
get depress.if you get two it will be fine to
play with it some times .but if you get two
get two girls .because two boys will fight.
boy and girl don't get you will have to
put then in put them it not the same cage
she will have alot of babbies.i have 12
guinea pigs.

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