Guinea Pig advice needed!

sweetieangel176

Hey!
Today I went to the pet shop to get a new baby guinea pig. When I got there they had some beautiful little boys and when they went out back to check if there were any more I was left standing next to a set of cages that local rescue centres use to promote adoption of animals. There was a sign saying "Three female 2 and a half year old guinea pigs that are very timid and must be kept indoors". Well somehow I just couldn't leave them there so I have aquired three older pigs rather than one baby. Ive got them on guinea pig pellets and hay at the moment...what salad can they have? Will it ever be safe to introduce them to my spayed male rabbit or am i best to keep them apart at all times? How soon should i consider handling them? Theyre all living in my bedroom in a nero 3 cage from now on. Any advice welcome
Thanks
Carrie

ilovepiggies

Well, thanks for saving the lives of those piggies. About introducing them to your bunny that is not the best ideal to do. They have different dietary needs, they both have natural bacterias that can harm one of each other and the bunny may hurt the piggy or visa-versa. If you have more questions feel free to PM me or reply here

an1mal_l0ver

There are lots of books out there that will give you basic veggies and fruits that guinea-pigs are aloud to eat and aren't. I feed my guinea-pig on a stick of celery or half a big carrot a few times a week, maybe some apple and tomato and some kale cabbage, and other cabbage. He also has grass, but not cut grass, just pull a chunk out the garden (as long as its not treated) take the mud off it and they'll eat that. Erm... can't think of many other things I feed my guinea-pig. I try not to go too adventurous with fruits and veg, but thats just a personal choice.

It should be safe to introduce them to your rabbit, but of course, be careful, have them in a neutral place. I believe rabbits and guinea-pigs can live together perfectly fine, depending on the personality of all of them, but I wouldn't advise them being housed together. If anything happens, you should be nearby to take the rabbit out the way.

About handling, you should handle them straight away. Give them a space to run about, like around your bedroom, somewhere they can't bite wires, get stuck or underneath where you cannot get to. Then let them run around you and run up to you and on you, then stroke them and pick them up after a while. But you should do it straight away so they get used to being with you.

Guinea-pigs aren't the best of animals to tame enough for them not to freak out every time you get them out their cage, or go near them. So don't worry if it takes a long time for them to come round to you, if they do much at all.

Well done for rescuing them Smile

Twig

Congrats on your new pets! Smile

The RSPCA, Rabbit Welfare association and Peter Guerney all recommend rabbits and guinea pigs are NEVER housed together. rabbits can kick out and accidently break ribs and rabbits carry a bacteria which can actually be fatal to guinea pigs.Please get your boy a spayed female rabbit from a rescue www.rabbitrehome.org.uk

I'd hold off feeding them veg intially, maybe for a week until they have settled in unless you know they were fed fresh foods before you got them. The stress and new foods will only result in a deli belly otherwise. Wink

A Nero 3 cage is really too small for 3 adult piggies, you'd be better off making a C&C cage, which you make yourself, details can be found here;
http://www.guineapigcages.com/

sweetieangel176

Thought I'd just give a quick update on the guinea-pigs progress. They have gained so much confidence in the past few weeks, rather than hiding away they now come out squeaking and ready for dinner every night. They love attention and have become wonderful companions. We decided to name them Paprika, Cinnamon and Ginger, my little spice girls. I bought them a bigger cage which they love and although I've never let them make contact with my rabbit, they are still in the same room as him so he isn't alone all day. Thanks for all advice luv from
Carrie, Paprika, Ginger, Cinnamon and Mr Bramble (the bunny)

Asho_DirtyPoo

I've read a lot of places that supervised playtime together between guinea pigs and rabbits is almost recommended. It of course depends on their own personalities, and they definitely shouldn't live in the same cage ...but for playtime, it's not a big deal to try it out and see how they get along.

Just keep a close eye, and never leave them unattended!

And it's awesome that not only did you adopt older ones, but you adopted all 3! Kudos!

Twig

Asho_DirtyPoo

Almost as in SOMETIMES it is recommended, and others it isn't (different sites I've read). I've never read that they SHOULDN'T be allowed out-of-cage-time together...just some sites it is recommended as they bond well together, and other sites it doesn't mention at all.

Living together in close quarters is different than out and about in an open room. Close quarters can cause problems even in same species of animals. And out and about in the room keeps their food seperate as well as their using the bathroom - which is where the descrepencies lie. If the rabbit doesn't hurt the guinea pigs, and the guinea pigs enjoy it's company and aren't scared - I don't see where an hour or so of common playtime would be a problem.

And they absolutely CAN play together. I don't get where you'd think they can't. My rabbit plays with one of my cats all the time. They chase each other around and groom each other and cuddle and nap together. My rabbit and my late hamster used to play together often too (hamster in playball, of course).

Twig

all it takes is one accidental to kick to kill a gp, and I've heard it happen too many times. I have also heard of a rabbit blinded by a gp, I see no reason to let them have time together especially as one is from S.America and the other is from Europe, they aren't being deprived as they never would have met in the wild. ALso, rabbits can pass a disease to gps. Wink

Peter Guerny, RSPCA and the Rabbit Welfare Association all say no to mixing them.

Asho_DirtyPoo

I guess it's her decision, as their owners. My rabbit's vet said they can play together for short periods while being supervised *shrug*

I'm not going to argue about it any further, as it's clear we both have reasons for our own opinions, and it's doubtful either of us will be altering them on the words of random strangers on the internet.

coliel

hi
twig i normay think yor views are very well thought out and very often agree with you how ever how can you say that you think it wrong to let a rabbit and guiny play together under suppervision ?
animals get alot out of playing with diffrent types of animal - my dog plays with my ferrets and they love each outher!! - and yes either could cause dammage but rather that than a dull life !!
surly it can only enharnce the rabbits and guinys lives by letting them be together every so often, after all if you think of the amount of rabbits and guinys that have lived together over the years its only rare that either animal has sufferd directly because of injury from the other .
its always a shame when people get so worried about things they dont enjoy them any longer !
i have friends who wont let their dog off the lead just incase anouther dog atacks it !! - the fact that it is more likly to be atacked and far more damage done on the lead than off seems to be forgotten.
love coliel

Twig

I'm a member of a rabbit forum and I've heard about plenty of guineas being abused, and even on cases, rabbits. I just don't think its worth the risk of one rabbit binky breaking a gps ribs. Its not neccessary for them to 'play' and I say 'play' because they can't communicate with each other.

I think the fact the RSPCA which is so cat and dog minded, now no longer recommends them to be mixed speaks volumes personally. Smile

Asho_DirtyPoo

I think really, it's personal choice.

You gauge your own pets personalities, and if you think it's worth the fun or not.

Different animals have different temperments and mannerisms and the like *shrug*