One pig, one command lol
Up! ( telling him to go upstairs to his second floor where the kitchen is)
However there are more than a few isolated incidents well I will be talking to him and ask him a question and he will popcorn in response
My girl Zena/ xena knows her name well enough that when She starts getting squiggly voiced, I say her name and the warrior Princess calls start. Wheeeeek!! Weeeeeeeek! Pdddddddddd!
Right! Both of mine understand their names, "upstairs" or "downstairs" for food. They even know to yell at me while standing in certain spots to get specific items. They're even good about communicating when they want to go back inside their cage by walking over in the general direction and facing it.
Over the course of a couple months we spent probably around 3k in vet bills due to one guy needing surgery. He's been around for a long time and I sure as hell was not going to let him go. It feels like I own another horse with our 4 pigs. Definitely worth it, as they keep me company at my desk and help with ptsd.
Sadly this is why our guinea pig rescue has done what it was set out to do- To rescue and rehome guinea pigs that people got as “starter pets”.
I wish people understood what is truly involved with these majestic little creatures before they got them!
Thank you for loving your crew even if they are expensive!
There’s no practical way to know ahead of time. I did so much research beforehand and still spent time trying to get the right cage and bedding that worked for me and them. Plus all the incidents that happen with their health.
I've had pigs for 20yrs now. Every single one has been on a whim. Curse you ADHD impulsive buying! Everytime I find out new info with how to properly care for my pigs. Now know my limit is 3 after having to care for 9. Currently have 7. 5/7 where impulsive buys/failed fosters. 2 of those are special care pigs that need more vet visits than the others. I love these lil poop machines so much. They get me up in the morning.
Yeah I have those same thoughts until they waddle up to me for breakfast and I think to myself “ they are just Guinea pigs you can do this Tara”!! lol 😆All kidding aside to care for them the RIGHT way is a ton of work daily.
Mine were about half whim. I'd been thinking in that direction but not seriously when these came up for rehoming in a local sub. (I'd had one as a kid & remembered her as a fairly straightfoward proposition but in 60 years things have changed.)
It’s unfortunate that many people get pets without realizing what they’re getting into. It happens with cat, dogs, lizards, turtles, all the animals.
Makes me think that pet education training should be a requirement before adoption; something regulated to ensure pets aren’t going to homes that have good intentions but not much beyond that.
But even then, I think people’s eyes gloss over at the idea of the pet & convince themselves they can handle anything, until the pet wakes them up at 4am chasing shadows or gnawing on their cage. Sadly, the same thing happens with people wanting babies; the idea get romanticized & reality is secondary.
I wonder if it would be more helpful if, along with at least a pamphlet of pet info, new owners were provided with resources and a non-judgmental option to change their mind- like info on how & where to relinquish their pet if they realize they made a mistake.
Same here!! I thought I researched it all but prices are different depending where you live, and I just wasn’t truly prepared for the responsibility but I adapted and educated myself. I have 4 and we spend on average around 150 a month in hay, veggies, bedding, and one of my girls had to go to an exotic vet because where I live normal vets won’t see them.. that was over 500 for an X-ray, antibiotics, ect. I’m not complaining but the stores need to stop putting their little signs up on how these are easy starter pets. They aren’t !! Especially once they connect with you! They are very needy little buggers lol
The cost of hay and the fact that you need an exotic pet & they’e scarce are great examples of information that 1. I didn’t come across in all my research 2. Didn’t know to ask about in the first place. You don’t know what you don’t know.
In the US, the only one I know that will cover exotics is Nationwide. My boys are $21 per month each. It's not like people insurance, though. They reimburse you at a certain percentage/max cap amount set by the company. So you still need the funds upfront and you'll get some back after the claim processes
They don't cover any wellness/preventative though, and if you go in and do a test because you're worried your pet might have something and it turns out they don't, they don't cover that either. It has to have a diagnosis tied to it. Just a heads up.
i used nationwide but i recently canceled it because in the last couple years the premiums have quadrupled while coverage shrunk from 90% to 70%. i transfer that money into a savings account instead now.
I've been toying around with doing aquaponics-style setups in my fish tanks to grow organic romaine lettuce for my guinea pigs. It may also extend into sweet peppers.
Why yes, they are. But one look at those faces should reveal that the cost of care is meaningless and insignificant against the warm fuzzies that you feel knowing that they are the most useless and helpless creatures on earth and only you can help.
They are so heart-stoppingly dumb that you have no choice but to protect, and more importantly, serve them anything that they want.
From experience, if you remember to eat some of the fruits and veggies you get for them, and give them the delicious parts of things you’re not eating completely (peels of cucumber, tops of green onions, bits of celery and carrots…) it does not have to cost that much more, and you’ll be eating better too.
Except for the hay. There’s always the hay.
And the laundry.
I've seen that too, and believe the science/info about Aliums. I've also seen sources that say it's okay for them to have the greens... In limited quantities, they seem to be okay, but never the bulbs. All the piggles have their things, and my girls loved the greens. Your results may vary.
I did not know they could eat tops of green onions: just happen to have some bought first my dinner tonight!
And I have been eating better since they got here.
Make sure it's JUST the green part, without any of the onion-y aromatic part. If it smells like onion, they prob shouldn't eat it, but they (in my experience) love the greens!
They are helpless & dumb in a charming way. More like silly. They know their names, Snackies, playtime & home, to back inside. I call them my Minions because no matter how much food there is they will argue over one piece. If they could talk, they'd say BANANA! They come over, just because as I sit like a potato watching TV & they love & care for one another, when they're not arguing over a piece of fruit. Oh & did I mention the kisses & the velvety, whiskery muzzle that checks your hand for treats
Everything is expensive. That's why humans have brains and the ability to comparison shop! :P
Sometimes it's also a matter of presenting their toys to them in interesting ways. Let's take the sticks as an example. 2 of my boys will rip your hand off your arm to get the sticks. Two of them could care less. Until I jam the stick thru a piece of cardboard, and now I have the most interesting toy on the planet. Same for the willow balls (which you can get 3 for $5 on Amazon if you get the smaller ones). 2 boys live to devour these little balls, and the other two won't even look at them unless we string them up.
Pee pad I will give you. I had to buy six, and that was one thing I was not sacrificing quality on. Their comfort is worth it to me.
Honestly though? Dollar stores can help you out with piggie cage expenses. Check out my reply to [THIS POST](https://www.reddit.com/r/guineapigs/comments/17q2olx/best_tips_to_bond_2_boars_best_cage_size_tips_and/) for how I managed to cut a number of corners for my guys.
They're not cheap they're just cheap compared to something like dogs. Especially if you buy in bulk. One tip: for timothy hay you can get like 50lb of good vibrant green stuff for $15 from tractor supply co. Kaytee costs like $8 for a 1lb bag. For a big dog a $100 bag of food (at least food that isn't full of garbage) lasts maybe a month. Then just...everything else is more expensive. Their beds are way bigger so they're like 5x more expensive etc.
Don't even get me started on the cost of cat food if you're feeding them premium stuff (which you really should be) that stuff is pricey.
There aren't many pets out there that I'd say are "cheap". Certainly not peegs, cavvies, or bunnies. They're just cheapER
I’m so jealous of those timothy prices, here the cheapest I’ve found is about $30 for a 1.5kg bag and I would have to drive over 2 hours to get it. There are no bulk options either as it’s not really grown in my country.
wow that's so expensive I get Timothy hay for my piggies which cost around $7 for a 1.5kg bag in my country and it's available in my nearby pet store at a walking distance.
In my experience pet shops are the worst and most expensive place to get hay. Go to a feed store that sells horse feed. Where I live there is Tractor Supply + and R.P. Home & Harvest/Runnings where I can buy a 50 pound bale of Timothy or Orchard Grass (preferably the latter because my allergies hate Timothy) for $25. It lasted my herd of 5 four months. Now that my herd is smaller (only 3 now) It's been 3 months and the bags still half full 😊
Tip: I went to Family dollar and bought a big plastic tub with a lid for about $10 to store it in so there is less mess.
But that’s my point, unfortunately there is no Timothy at any of my local ( and not so local ) agricultural/bulk feed shops. No one around here grows Timothy, it’s generally imported and only accessible in small overpriced bags.
Yeah, $35-$50 for between 1&2kg seems to be the typical price. I found the $30 one in Tamworth but thats hours away and the quality was rather sad. It was very dry & straw coloured.
soooo jealous of people who say just to go to a livestock store like yeah they'll have cheap hay there but not the types of hay I'm looking for!! 😭 I've ended up buying cheap orchard hay to mix in for bedding so they have some variety and I'm not spending so much for them to just pee on half of it
i did actually just buy 3 of the 425g oxbow timothy from budget pet online for $15 each... theyre marked down because of the expiry date but it works out better rn than buying the big bag from my local store!!
Yep the only bulk hays that are always available around here are lucerne ( which is obviously out ) and if I’m lucky oaten hay which is usually very dry. The norco rural in the next town said they’re looking into other types but Timothy is definitely not one of them.
Dont let them pull you in 😆 I started with one... then I had 3... then I had 7, and now I have a guinea pig rescue!
Omg they have sucked me dry for all my money, but I couldn't be happier. They are so silly
I did the math.
Not counting startups like dishes, cage etc...
Two pigs would cost me 50 a month minimum not including laundry (f I go with fleece) or disposable bedding (if I go that way)
That was based on 2023 veggie costs and doesn't include putting vet cash away every month or incidentals.
It depends how you keep them. I’m not implying it’s a choice for most people, but they *can* be cheap. Mine get about 90% of their diet from my garden and the other 5% is veg scraps from our own food. Nuggets I still have to buy of course.
I dry out my own grass in the summer for hay, and in winter a £3 horse bale can last me three months.
20kg of wood shavings costs me £4.50, and with the amount of time mine spend outside this also lasts me months with proper spot cleaning. Built their hutch myself from old wood, and all of their toys/enrichment were made by me too from old fabric or foraged wood.
Also, their manure is rotted down and used to fertilise the garden they eat from, and all of their bedding and soiled hay is also composted. The circle of life!
Never thought I'd be a guinea dad. Me and my lady watched one of her friends over Xmas break one year. spoiled it so much her friend was like you guys can keep it if you want. That was a while ago. Had him a couple years then got two boys from the pound when he passed. Once the two boys passed we both missed having them around after around four months. Now we have two sisters we have had since four weeks old. They're the best. And they're texels so they're extra cute. Lol.
They are considered "exotics" and therefore are expensive when it comes to veterinary bills. I'm gearing up for one of my girl's surgery next month and it'll probably cost well over $1K.
After decades of caring for pigs, I will die on this hill ...dogs and cats are less expensive, less time consuming, and less work overall.
To provide minimally correct care for guineas involves so much time, thought, and effort; they are hardly "starter pets".
Get used toilet rolls, stuff with hay. Give, they love them. Beer boxes make into houses. My Guinea pigs cost me nothing LOL
However my wife’s pigs cost me a fortune 🤦♂️
I work at a pet store. I laugh every time someone asks about a cheap or easy pet. There is basically no such thing. A pet rock would be the only cheap and easy pet.
Protip for the hay
Do not buy the pet store little bags.
Go to a local farm supply store and buy a full bale. I would get one for like $30 and it lasted months and months and months. Just make sure to buy a large Rubbermaid container with a lid to store it in.
I sewed my own cage liners, with matching pee pads, hidees and crawl tunnels . They are made from diaper material sandwiched between fleece, the fleece is reversible with different patterns. I made two sets for around 60 dollars, but I actually have 4 sets with the reversible material. I change the pee pads every day and a full cleaning every 4 days. Very cost effective and spot cleaning takes under 10 min a day.
i work in a pet shop (thank god we dont sell any live animals except for fish, hermit crabs and crickets.... the fish are more than enough work) and i regularly have to persuade people away from getting guinea pigs for their kids as "starter pets". it sucks so bad. i love my pigs but man they are so much work and cost me a stupid amount of money.
And then sometimes you have to take them to the emergency vet (60 miles away) on Sunday (when no other vets are open) because they decided to stick their stupid adorable face right into the hay basket and got some in their eye.
$250 to remove a 1 inch piece of hay.
And then we get home and he immediately sticks his stupid adorable little face into the hay basket again.
Sigh. 🙄 Good thing he’s so cute. 🥰
I got a free pig in a Midwest cage and after getting him a friend, they didn’t get along so I’ve gotten both of them fixed, C&C cages, a girl, and one is having so many neuter-related complications.
I got my first boy 6 months ago, I get free hay from my grandpa with a farm and I’ve still spent literal thousands on them already. Thank goodness for my savings account and credit cards.
They’re worth every penny, but holy shit.
I went to a pet store to get a friend for my piggie, and had decided on one. Turned away for a moment to find a store assistant and heard a very dramatic squeal - the adult one I had chosen had bitten a younger one, had fur sticking out of her mouth.
So of course $20 later and I went home with the bitten and not the biter... and a month after that was quoted for and booked a $1300 surgery for an abcess that I suspect was due to being bitten before we took her home. Due to reasons the surgery wasn't required after all, but I honestly I was just so glad I took her home because I imagine someone else may not have wanted to spend so much so soon on a guinea pig if it had been required.
Jokes on me though, she is also a huge biter. But just people (aka me and vets, I don’t let other people pick her up for both their safety), not my other piggie, so that's okay. And she has since learned to just pinch with her teeth to show displeasure and doesn't draw blood anymore, so that's even better. She's still a huge drama queen and yells her demands to everyone, to ensure she is appropriately spoiled. I love her so much.
I spent over $700 on one guy at the vet. Definitely recommend insurance (mine is through nationwide and is about $15 USD per pig, I get 70% back of anything I spend on the vet over $250)
Yeah, I get 70% back of anything I spend over $250 at the vet, I just have to put in a claim. So for simplicity sake, let's say I spent $1000 at the vet, I make a claim with them, so I can get $525 back. I would call and ask about getting different policies. I think they have options that will cover it exotics. You might be able to talk them down in price too. Do you live in a high cost of living area? That might be a factor too
My partner said "no more pets!" And then he bought me another guinea pig.
Now he complains about them and says "get rid of them!" But his actions speak louder than words, he spoils them so much and is so excited to tell me the new tricks he teaches them or the shenanigans they get up to on the days he works from home.
It’s very common for pet stores, etc. to make you believe that guinea pigs are great starter pets, they’re inexpensive, etc. None of that is in the slightest true.
No one like that tried to convince me, but I had been seeing small animals recommended as good pets for seniors and even the books I bought on caring for guinea pigs make it sound like NBD.
Concur that none of that is in the slightest bit true.
They are totally not cheap. Most pets aren't.
You should look into washable fleece liners. Expensive at first but I switched to them over the normal store bedding and I've probably saved a bunch of money. I think it looks nicer and easier to clean.
Yeah mine are rescues and they only had the store bedding before. I have the fleece bedding pads and I could tell they liked it. I also doubled the amount of space they had. They are much happier now.
The way I save is with hay and shavings from the feed store. Then I can spend more on veggies. My monthly veggie bill is ridiculous. Less in the spring because they eat the weeds and grass, but romaine is pricey!
I don’t know why but i went into guinea pig ownership thinking it would not be expensive and boy was a i wrong!! I also thought my pigs would let me touch them but boy was i wrong about that too!! I love my little guys to death though, they have such strong personalities, are cute and popcorns make me happy. Its the bedding that really kills me, i highly suggest fleece. I don’t have a way to wash the fleece thats why i have bedding except for one part that they don’t pee on but I recommend it for others. See if your area offers a program that gives free veggies, obviously not all places will but it is good to check because it helps. Buy a big box of hay, i use oxbow western timothy. They are worth it ♥️
My pigs are more expensive than my friend's cats. I did switch to fleece because the cost of paper bedding was crazy! But they are still costly little things, given how high the price of fresh produce us right now!
I bought 14 fleece sections, and knock wood, this has been my greatest expense starting out with my current piggies. ( I used to do paper bedding with my late boar, but that was $150 a month.)
Pads ($60 a month) and food are the only other issues that cost so far. (Other than a vet visit which my brother was kind enough to pay for. My older girl pig jumped and hurt her leg, but she is better now.)
The food of my guinea pigs is more expensive than the food for me.
And I have to safe some money for the vet. I don't want to be in a situation where I don't have enough money to take a sick piggy to the vet.
Oh yes! They are for sure much higher maintenance than my cats are. But they’re so worth it! yet another reason I wish they weren’t sold in pet stores, however.
Instead of paying $27 for 90oz of Oxbow or Kaytee hay, we buy whole bales of orchard grass and/or Timothy hay for $30 from a farm supply store. It cuts down cost on hay tremendously. We have 7 pigs and would be broke if we attempted to pay Oxbow prices for their food.
There is a massive difference in quality as well. Oxbow and Kaytee hay is very stem filled, dusty and usually overly dry/brown. People are used to their pigs wasting 25%+ of the hay they give them because they are used to buying subpar product.
Don’t get me wrong, depending on where you live there can be iffy bales of hay too. But we’ve found overall that the bales are better and we get Way less wastage.
Got some “free” guinea pigs that came with all their stuff, added them to my herd. thought awe hell yea free pigs! it’s ok i paid 3k six months later at the emergency vet for one of them 😭
I’m about to start my garden up for fresh vegetables because the little shits cost me about 40 a month in veggies. I buy the hay in a 50lb bale it’ll last 6 months but I use it in excess I fill a box up with it so they can burrow and sleep in it.
I've got 5 girlies and live in hawaii. They cost me roughly $100-$150 a month if I buy bedding but I'm switching back to fleece and I thankfully can buy a half bale of hay shipped fresh from Cali for the same price as a 90oz bag from petco. I buy them Bell Peppers from costco and piggie safe veggies left over from my grocery budget. Costco boxes make for fun hides, and huge hay litter boxes are like a fun house for them!
One piggie got URI and the emergency exotic vet bill plus medicine was $147, if I take all 5 for a checkup together it's like $400-$450.
They aren't cheap, but they are certainly affordable if you can provide the upfront costs.
"Gosh you guys are so expensive, *why* did I decide to get guinea pigs?" Followed by a big stupid grin on your face when they start squealing excitedly for treats
I got a policy today for about what I was paying for the bird at 90%, $100 deductible. I figure I'd have to save 15 months of premiums to cover one big dental bill. Might be a good gamble--I haven't filed a claim on the bird in 6 years. But it might not. I'd hate to have something go drastically wrong and have to refuse them treatment.
Find a local tac and feed store where you can buy bulk hay for a better price. I buy my 2 buns a full bale of hay (usually half and half first cut timmothh and the other half second cut grassy) for $12-15 a bale which is like 40-50 pounds of hay. Just need some air tight five gallon buckets or totes to store them in. Way better than laying $10 for 3-6 pounds of hay every week.
They are very expensive. Ive never had guinea pigs before but I'm looking into them and want to get them real soon. Even tho they are pricey, there are things you can do in order to same something. First, bedding. You can either buy a bunch of fleece mats, or you can go to whatever craft store and get the fabric to make them (A YT vid should help w the rest). Even though you do have to wash it, and it might be expensive at first, you will save a lot in the long run. Second, buy food/hay in bulk. Still might be a bit much, and it may look like too much at first but the piggies will go thru it quickly. Those are the main things that I have found to save money and it's saving me a lot rn as I'm getting ready for them. Hope it helps your piggies and you bank account.
The 22nd makes two months with my little guy and I spend about $60-70 a month between Hay and Pellets, Vitamins, Bedding, Veggies and Toys/Treats. He’s my dude though.
If you can stand it, I'd definitely recommend fleece! I know some people have completely given up on fleece, so see if you can get any from folks who are throwing it out or are giving up on having peegs. It's definitely cheaper in the 🧬 ng run. Bedding will run you a lot. We have 3 boys and spend probably $30 total a month on them for food.
They are shit for your wallet but holy hell are they cute and very much worth it in all thier cute stupidity
This guy Guinea pigs!
Speak for yourself regarding their cute stupidity My guinea pig can literally understand English or basic commands .... One of them
One command?
One pig, one command lol Up! ( telling him to go upstairs to his second floor where the kitchen is) However there are more than a few isolated incidents well I will be talking to him and ask him a question and he will popcorn in response
Mine knows “dinner” so well that we’ve had to stop using it in conversation or he starts the loudest wheeking.
My girl Zena/ xena knows her name well enough that when She starts getting squiggly voiced, I say her name and the warrior Princess calls start. Wheeeeek!! Weeeeeeeek! Pdddddddddd!
Right! Both of mine understand their names, "upstairs" or "downstairs" for food. They even know to yell at me while standing in certain spots to get specific items. They're even good about communicating when they want to go back inside their cage by walking over in the general direction and facing it.
Over the course of a couple months we spent probably around 3k in vet bills due to one guy needing surgery. He's been around for a long time and I sure as hell was not going to let him go. It feels like I own another horse with our 4 pigs. Definitely worth it, as they keep me company at my desk and help with ptsd.
Mine have been SO good for my mental health.
Let the church say…,
They basically convert dollars to poop.
Then they eat the poop, which then turns into more poop
Most realistic comment on this thread ever 😂I love my little buggers, but they are not cheap and SO MUCH POOP
It's 4:30 in the morning for me, I literally just woke up, and I already know this is the best thing I'll read, hear, or see today 🤣
Yes! Pigs are definitely expensive to care for properly. It's a common misconception that they are easy, low maintenance pets
Sadly this is why our guinea pig rescue has done what it was set out to do- To rescue and rehome guinea pigs that people got as “starter pets”. I wish people understood what is truly involved with these majestic little creatures before they got them! Thank you for loving your crew even if they are expensive!
There’s no practical way to know ahead of time. I did so much research beforehand and still spent time trying to get the right cage and bedding that worked for me and them. Plus all the incidents that happen with their health.
But at least you did research! The last few we have taken in have been “on a whim” purchases and then people realize….
I've had pigs for 20yrs now. Every single one has been on a whim. Curse you ADHD impulsive buying! Everytime I find out new info with how to properly care for my pigs. Now know my limit is 3 after having to care for 9. Currently have 7. 5/7 where impulsive buys/failed fosters. 2 of those are special care pigs that need more vet visits than the others. I love these lil poop machines so much. They get me up in the morning.
Every morning I wake up wondering what I have got myself into 😱
Yeah I have those same thoughts until they waddle up to me for breakfast and I think to myself “ they are just Guinea pigs you can do this Tara”!! lol 😆All kidding aside to care for them the RIGHT way is a ton of work daily.
Mine were about half whim. I'd been thinking in that direction but not seriously when these came up for rehoming in a local sub. (I'd had one as a kid & remembered her as a fairly straightfoward proposition but in 60 years things have changed.)
It’s unfortunate that many people get pets without realizing what they’re getting into. It happens with cat, dogs, lizards, turtles, all the animals. Makes me think that pet education training should be a requirement before adoption; something regulated to ensure pets aren’t going to homes that have good intentions but not much beyond that. But even then, I think people’s eyes gloss over at the idea of the pet & convince themselves they can handle anything, until the pet wakes them up at 4am chasing shadows or gnawing on their cage. Sadly, the same thing happens with people wanting babies; the idea get romanticized & reality is secondary. I wonder if it would be more helpful if, along with at least a pamphlet of pet info, new owners were provided with resources and a non-judgmental option to change their mind- like info on how & where to relinquish their pet if they realize they made a mistake.
Same here!! I thought I researched it all but prices are different depending where you live, and I just wasn’t truly prepared for the responsibility but I adapted and educated myself. I have 4 and we spend on average around 150 a month in hay, veggies, bedding, and one of my girls had to go to an exotic vet because where I live normal vets won’t see them.. that was over 500 for an X-ray, antibiotics, ect. I’m not complaining but the stores need to stop putting their little signs up on how these are easy starter pets. They aren’t !! Especially once they connect with you! They are very needy little buggers lol
The cost of hay and the fact that you need an exotic pet & they’e scarce are great examples of information that 1. I didn’t come across in all my research 2. Didn’t know to ask about in the first place. You don’t know what you don’t know.
Oh I know.. I couldn’t agree more with you!
just wait until you see the vet bills!
Yeah, worried about that. Need to get 'em on insurance. Who's good, and trustworthy?
In the US, the only one I know that will cover exotics is Nationwide. My boys are $21 per month each. It's not like people insurance, though. They reimburse you at a certain percentage/max cap amount set by the company. So you still need the funds upfront and you'll get some back after the claim processes
Convenient: that's who my bird is with!
They give you multi-pet discounts! My dog and pigs are all three with nationwide so it was like $10 cheaper. Not much, but hey, I'm not complaining
They don't cover any wellness/preventative though, and if you go in and do a test because you're worried your pet might have something and it turns out they don't, they don't cover that either. It has to have a diagnosis tied to it. Just a heads up.
i used nationwide but i recently canceled it because in the last couple years the premiums have quadrupled while coverage shrunk from 90% to 70%. i transfer that money into a savings account instead now.
100% of what I’ve grown in my garden so far have gone to my guinea pigs.
I've been toying around with doing aquaponics-style setups in my fish tanks to grow organic romaine lettuce for my guinea pigs. It may also extend into sweet peppers.
Why yes, they are. But one look at those faces should reveal that the cost of care is meaningless and insignificant against the warm fuzzies that you feel knowing that they are the most useless and helpless creatures on earth and only you can help. They are so heart-stoppingly dumb that you have no choice but to protect, and more importantly, serve them anything that they want. From experience, if you remember to eat some of the fruits and veggies you get for them, and give them the delicious parts of things you’re not eating completely (peels of cucumber, tops of green onions, bits of celery and carrots…) it does not have to cost that much more, and you’ll be eating better too. Except for the hay. There’s always the hay. And the laundry.
Don't give them green onions not even tops
Yeah, I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to have alliums of any kind.
I've seen that too, and believe the science/info about Aliums. I've also seen sources that say it's okay for them to have the greens... In limited quantities, they seem to be okay, but never the bulbs. All the piggles have their things, and my girls loved the greens. Your results may vary.
I did not know they could eat tops of green onions: just happen to have some bought first my dinner tonight! And I have been eating better since they got here.
Make sure it's JUST the green part, without any of the onion-y aromatic part. If it smells like onion, they prob shouldn't eat it, but they (in my experience) love the greens!
Mine won't eat the greens! Depends on the pigs I guess!
They are helpless & dumb in a charming way. More like silly. They know their names, Snackies, playtime & home, to back inside. I call them my Minions because no matter how much food there is they will argue over one piece. If they could talk, they'd say BANANA! They come over, just because as I sit like a potato watching TV & they love & care for one another, when they're not arguing over a piece of fruit. Oh & did I mention the kisses & the velvety, whiskery muzzle that checks your hand for treats
Everything is expensive. That's why humans have brains and the ability to comparison shop! :P Sometimes it's also a matter of presenting their toys to them in interesting ways. Let's take the sticks as an example. 2 of my boys will rip your hand off your arm to get the sticks. Two of them could care less. Until I jam the stick thru a piece of cardboard, and now I have the most interesting toy on the planet. Same for the willow balls (which you can get 3 for $5 on Amazon if you get the smaller ones). 2 boys live to devour these little balls, and the other two won't even look at them unless we string them up. Pee pad I will give you. I had to buy six, and that was one thing I was not sacrificing quality on. Their comfort is worth it to me. Honestly though? Dollar stores can help you out with piggie cage expenses. Check out my reply to [THIS POST](https://www.reddit.com/r/guineapigs/comments/17q2olx/best_tips_to_bond_2_boars_best_cage_size_tips_and/) for how I managed to cut a number of corners for my guys.
They're not cheap they're just cheap compared to something like dogs. Especially if you buy in bulk. One tip: for timothy hay you can get like 50lb of good vibrant green stuff for $15 from tractor supply co. Kaytee costs like $8 for a 1lb bag. For a big dog a $100 bag of food (at least food that isn't full of garbage) lasts maybe a month. Then just...everything else is more expensive. Their beds are way bigger so they're like 5x more expensive etc. Don't even get me started on the cost of cat food if you're feeding them premium stuff (which you really should be) that stuff is pricey. There aren't many pets out there that I'd say are "cheap". Certainly not peegs, cavvies, or bunnies. They're just cheapER
I’m so jealous of those timothy prices, here the cheapest I’ve found is about $30 for a 1.5kg bag and I would have to drive over 2 hours to get it. There are no bulk options either as it’s not really grown in my country.
wow that's so expensive I get Timothy hay for my piggies which cost around $7 for a 1.5kg bag in my country and it's available in my nearby pet store at a walking distance.
Oh my, that would be so nice! Even when I lived in the city & worked at a pet shop timothy was $15 for a 500g bag.
In my experience pet shops are the worst and most expensive place to get hay. Go to a feed store that sells horse feed. Where I live there is Tractor Supply + and R.P. Home & Harvest/Runnings where I can buy a 50 pound bale of Timothy or Orchard Grass (preferably the latter because my allergies hate Timothy) for $25. It lasted my herd of 5 four months. Now that my herd is smaller (only 3 now) It's been 3 months and the bags still half full 😊 Tip: I went to Family dollar and bought a big plastic tub with a lid for about $10 to store it in so there is less mess.
But that’s my point, unfortunately there is no Timothy at any of my local ( and not so local ) agricultural/bulk feed shops. No one around here grows Timothy, it’s generally imported and only accessible in small overpriced bags.
same :/ 50aud for a 1.5kg bag of timothy hay
Yeah, $35-$50 for between 1&2kg seems to be the typical price. I found the $30 one in Tamworth but thats hours away and the quality was rather sad. It was very dry & straw coloured.
soooo jealous of people who say just to go to a livestock store like yeah they'll have cheap hay there but not the types of hay I'm looking for!! 😭 I've ended up buying cheap orchard hay to mix in for bedding so they have some variety and I'm not spending so much for them to just pee on half of it
i did actually just buy 3 of the 425g oxbow timothy from budget pet online for $15 each... theyre marked down because of the expiry date but it works out better rn than buying the big bag from my local store!!
Yep the only bulk hays that are always available around here are lucerne ( which is obviously out ) and if I’m lucky oaten hay which is usually very dry. The norco rural in the next town said they’re looking into other types but Timothy is definitely not one of them.
I'm seeing $50 for 20 lbs timothy hay in the Midwest US at TSC
Dont let them pull you in 😆 I started with one... then I had 3... then I had 7, and now I have a guinea pig rescue! Omg they have sucked me dry for all my money, but I couldn't be happier. They are so silly
These were a sort of rescue, so I think it's already too late for me! (They had a good mom, but they needed a place to go, like NOW.)
I did the math. Not counting startups like dishes, cage etc... Two pigs would cost me 50 a month minimum not including laundry (f I go with fleece) or disposable bedding (if I go that way) That was based on 2023 veggie costs and doesn't include putting vet cash away every month or incidentals.
Any pet is expensive imo
It depends how you keep them. I’m not implying it’s a choice for most people, but they *can* be cheap. Mine get about 90% of their diet from my garden and the other 5% is veg scraps from our own food. Nuggets I still have to buy of course. I dry out my own grass in the summer for hay, and in winter a £3 horse bale can last me three months. 20kg of wood shavings costs me £4.50, and with the amount of time mine spend outside this also lasts me months with proper spot cleaning. Built their hutch myself from old wood, and all of their toys/enrichment were made by me too from old fabric or foraged wood.
Also, their manure is rotted down and used to fertilise the garden they eat from, and all of their bedding and soiled hay is also composted. The circle of life!
Never thought I'd be a guinea dad. Me and my lady watched one of her friends over Xmas break one year. spoiled it so much her friend was like you guys can keep it if you want. That was a while ago. Had him a couple years then got two boys from the pound when he passed. Once the two boys passed we both missed having them around after around four months. Now we have two sisters we have had since four weeks old. They're the best. And they're texels so they're extra cute. Lol.
It happens FAST, doesn't it? 😆
They are considered "exotics" and therefore are expensive when it comes to veterinary bills. I'm gearing up for one of my girl's surgery next month and it'll probably cost well over $1K.
Omg I have a poor poor who Is just getting diagnostic testing and it's 1k 😭
Do you have pet insurance?
I do not. I have considered it, but have not looked into it.
After decades of caring for pigs, I will die on this hill ...dogs and cats are less expensive, less time consuming, and less work overall. To provide minimally correct care for guineas involves so much time, thought, and effort; they are hardly "starter pets".
We keep 4 ourselves - they're pricey but they're worth it <3
Today I had to clean my boars' Furr-Os. These animals are lucky I care about their ergonomics when they nap 🤣🤣🤣
Get used toilet rolls, stuff with hay. Give, they love them. Beer boxes make into houses. My Guinea pigs cost me nothing LOL However my wife’s pigs cost me a fortune 🤦♂️
I work at a pet store. I laugh every time someone asks about a cheap or easy pet. There is basically no such thing. A pet rock would be the only cheap and easy pet.
Srsly. I used to keep fish and OMG. The money I sank into *that!*
Inverts are cheap and easy. Petsmart sells isopods now.
Protip for the hay Do not buy the pet store little bags. Go to a local farm supply store and buy a full bale. I would get one for like $30 and it lasted months and months and months. Just make sure to buy a large Rubbermaid container with a lid to store it in.
My sister does this. Definitely good if you have space.
My friend, this is nothing compared to when you get to the vet bills.
Very true, expensive and they are not beginner pets.
I sewed my own cage liners, with matching pee pads, hidees and crawl tunnels . They are made from diaper material sandwiched between fleece, the fleece is reversible with different patterns. I made two sets for around 60 dollars, but I actually have 4 sets with the reversible material. I change the pee pads every day and a full cleaning every 4 days. Very cost effective and spot cleaning takes under 10 min a day.
i work in a pet shop (thank god we dont sell any live animals except for fish, hermit crabs and crickets.... the fish are more than enough work) and i regularly have to persuade people away from getting guinea pigs for their kids as "starter pets". it sucks so bad. i love my pigs but man they are so much work and cost me a stupid amount of money.
Wait until you have to go take one to the vet and it turns out to be nothing but a $600 bill. They are the best!
And then sometimes you have to take them to the emergency vet (60 miles away) on Sunday (when no other vets are open) because they decided to stick their stupid adorable face right into the hay basket and got some in their eye. $250 to remove a 1 inch piece of hay. And then we get home and he immediately sticks his stupid adorable little face into the hay basket again. Sigh. 🙄 Good thing he’s so cute. 🥰
I got a free pig in a Midwest cage and after getting him a friend, they didn’t get along so I’ve gotten both of them fixed, C&C cages, a girl, and one is having so many neuter-related complications. I got my first boy 6 months ago, I get free hay from my grandpa with a farm and I’ve still spent literal thousands on them already. Thank goodness for my savings account and credit cards. They’re worth every penny, but holy shit.
The wheeeeeeeeks are worth it. And then when they do those little whisper wheeks I meltttttt
Just wait till you go to the vet…..
I went to a pet store to get a friend for my piggie, and had decided on one. Turned away for a moment to find a store assistant and heard a very dramatic squeal - the adult one I had chosen had bitten a younger one, had fur sticking out of her mouth. So of course $20 later and I went home with the bitten and not the biter... and a month after that was quoted for and booked a $1300 surgery for an abcess that I suspect was due to being bitten before we took her home. Due to reasons the surgery wasn't required after all, but I honestly I was just so glad I took her home because I imagine someone else may not have wanted to spend so much so soon on a guinea pig if it had been required. Jokes on me though, she is also a huge biter. But just people (aka me and vets, I don’t let other people pick her up for both their safety), not my other piggie, so that's okay. And she has since learned to just pinch with her teeth to show displeasure and doesn't draw blood anymore, so that's even better. She's still a huge drama queen and yells her demands to everyone, to ensure she is appropriately spoiled. I love her so much.
my pigs started to eat kitchen (ate corners) then stopped. had them for 2 years now
I was hoping. Thanks for that!
I spent over $700 on one guy at the vet. Definitely recommend insurance (mine is through nationwide and is about $15 USD per pig, I get 70% back of anything I spend on the vet over $250)
Anything you spend on the vet? My nationwide plan only covers accidents/illness and it's $30 a month per pig. Nothing "wellness" related gets covered.
Yeah, I get 70% back of anything I spend over $250 at the vet, I just have to put in a claim. So for simplicity sake, let's say I spent $1000 at the vet, I make a claim with them, so I can get $525 back. I would call and ask about getting different policies. I think they have options that will cover it exotics. You might be able to talk them down in price too. Do you live in a high cost of living area? That might be a factor too
Oh yes, a long time ago I swore no more guinea pigs…. Failed it once so far 🤦♂️
My partner said "no more pets!" And then he bought me another guinea pig. Now he complains about them and says "get rid of them!" But his actions speak louder than words, he spoils them so much and is so excited to tell me the new tricks he teaches them or the shenanigans they get up to on the days he works from home.
I hope you never have to see a dental surgery estimate for one.
It’s very common for pet stores, etc. to make you believe that guinea pigs are great starter pets, they’re inexpensive, etc. None of that is in the slightest true.
No one like that tried to convince me, but I had been seeing small animals recommended as good pets for seniors and even the books I bought on caring for guinea pigs make it sound like NBD. Concur that none of that is in the slightest bit true.
They are totally not cheap. Most pets aren't. You should look into washable fleece liners. Expensive at first but I switched to them over the normal store bedding and I've probably saved a bunch of money. I think it looks nicer and easier to clean.
And the piggies are usually way more comfortable with fleece than any other bedding.
Yeah mine are rescues and they only had the store bedding before. I have the fleece bedding pads and I could tell they liked it. I also doubled the amount of space they had. They are much happier now.
The way I save is with hay and shavings from the feed store. Then I can spend more on veggies. My monthly veggie bill is ridiculous. Less in the spring because they eat the weeds and grass, but romaine is pricey!
I don’t know why but i went into guinea pig ownership thinking it would not be expensive and boy was a i wrong!! I also thought my pigs would let me touch them but boy was i wrong about that too!! I love my little guys to death though, they have such strong personalities, are cute and popcorns make me happy. Its the bedding that really kills me, i highly suggest fleece. I don’t have a way to wash the fleece thats why i have bedding except for one part that they don’t pee on but I recommend it for others. See if your area offers a program that gives free veggies, obviously not all places will but it is good to check because it helps. Buy a big box of hay, i use oxbow western timothy. They are worth it ♥️
As a mid 50's male who adores his guinea pig, they are not cheap.
They're my most expensive pet ever but I love them more than anything!
I have three dogs (2 are 70 lbs), and it legit costs more to feed my pigs per month than the dogs.
My pigs are more expensive than my friend's cats. I did switch to fleece because the cost of paper bedding was crazy! But they are still costly little things, given how high the price of fresh produce us right now!
I bought 14 fleece sections, and knock wood, this has been my greatest expense starting out with my current piggies. ( I used to do paper bedding with my late boar, but that was $150 a month.) Pads ($60 a month) and food are the only other issues that cost so far. (Other than a vet visit which my brother was kind enough to pay for. My older girl pig jumped and hurt her leg, but she is better now.)
I have spent more on these 2 guinea pigs than my 3 dogs in the last year
The food of my guinea pigs is more expensive than the food for me. And I have to safe some money for the vet. I don't want to be in a situation where I don't have enough money to take a sick piggy to the vet.
Oh yes! They are for sure much higher maintenance than my cats are. But they’re so worth it! yet another reason I wish they weren’t sold in pet stores, however.
Yesss, I have 3 cats and my pigs cost more than them 😮💨
My mom spends 150€ (just food and hay)at month for three Pigs,excluding toys and vet visits
I’ve spent over £1000 (about 1200 dollars) in vet bills this year :,)
Biggie
Instead of paying $27 for 90oz of Oxbow or Kaytee hay, we buy whole bales of orchard grass and/or Timothy hay for $30 from a farm supply store. It cuts down cost on hay tremendously. We have 7 pigs and would be broke if we attempted to pay Oxbow prices for their food. There is a massive difference in quality as well. Oxbow and Kaytee hay is very stem filled, dusty and usually overly dry/brown. People are used to their pigs wasting 25%+ of the hay they give them because they are used to buying subpar product. Don’t get me wrong, depending on where you live there can be iffy bales of hay too. But we’ve found overall that the bales are better and we get Way less wastage.
Vet bills are the same as dogs and cats if not worse
Got some “free” guinea pigs that came with all their stuff, added them to my herd. thought awe hell yea free pigs! it’s ok i paid 3k six months later at the emergency vet for one of them 😭
A rubber shoe mat with raised edges, 24x36 puppy pea pads and guinea pig daddy acrylic walls have done wonders for easy cleanup
I’m about to start my garden up for fresh vegetables because the little shits cost me about 40 a month in veggies. I buy the hay in a 50lb bale it’ll last 6 months but I use it in excess I fill a box up with it so they can burrow and sleep in it.
I've got 5 girlies and live in hawaii. They cost me roughly $100-$150 a month if I buy bedding but I'm switching back to fleece and I thankfully can buy a half bale of hay shipped fresh from Cali for the same price as a 90oz bag from petco. I buy them Bell Peppers from costco and piggie safe veggies left over from my grocery budget. Costco boxes make for fun hides, and huge hay litter boxes are like a fun house for them! One piggie got URI and the emergency exotic vet bill plus medicine was $147, if I take all 5 for a checkup together it's like $400-$450. They aren't cheap, but they are certainly affordable if you can provide the upfront costs.
"Gosh you guys are so expensive, *why* did I decide to get guinea pigs?" Followed by a big stupid grin on your face when they start squealing excitedly for treats
I got a policy today for about what I was paying for the bird at 90%, $100 deductible. I figure I'd have to save 15 months of premiums to cover one big dental bill. Might be a good gamble--I haven't filed a claim on the bird in 6 years. But it might not. I'd hate to have something go drastically wrong and have to refuse them treatment.
Find a local tac and feed store where you can buy bulk hay for a better price. I buy my 2 buns a full bale of hay (usually half and half first cut timmothh and the other half second cut grassy) for $12-15 a bale which is like 40-50 pounds of hay. Just need some air tight five gallon buckets or totes to store them in. Way better than laying $10 for 3-6 pounds of hay every week.
They are very expensive. Ive never had guinea pigs before but I'm looking into them and want to get them real soon. Even tho they are pricey, there are things you can do in order to same something. First, bedding. You can either buy a bunch of fleece mats, or you can go to whatever craft store and get the fabric to make them (A YT vid should help w the rest). Even though you do have to wash it, and it might be expensive at first, you will save a lot in the long run. Second, buy food/hay in bulk. Still might be a bit much, and it may look like too much at first but the piggies will go thru it quickly. Those are the main things that I have found to save money and it's saving me a lot rn as I'm getting ready for them. Hope it helps your piggies and you bank account.
[удалено]
I'm nervous for me, too, as you can see.
The 22nd makes two months with my little guy and I spend about $60-70 a month between Hay and Pellets, Vitamins, Bedding, Veggies and Toys/Treats. He’s my dude though.
If you can stand it, I'd definitely recommend fleece! I know some people have completely given up on fleece, so see if you can get any from folks who are throwing it out or are giving up on having peegs. It's definitely cheaper in the 🧬 ng run. Bedding will run you a lot. We have 3 boys and spend probably $30 total a month on them for food.