We would like to introduce you to our little group of Guinea pigs. I totally caved to peer pressure and agreed we should get a pet (singular), naturally this meant a herd of three brother guinea pigs – it seemed a shame to break a family apart.
We already had some knowledge about cavy’s (Guinea Pigs):
- They are social creatures and do not like to be alone.
- They can fight to the death if they do not get along.
- Family matters in the guinea world.
- They make excellent first pets.
- They very rarely bite.
I liked the idea of a pet that could live outside – maybe brought inside for cuddles – and then taken back outside! I didn’t want to deal with biting, scratching or potty training either. So Guineas could be the Perfect Pet for our family.
Anyone thinking of getting a guinea pig, please please consider adoption. They tend to breed like, well… rabbits which means that there are a huge amount of homeless piggies. We adopted our brothers from a lovely lady who we found online, she literally takes in guinea pigs that people don’t want or can’t look after anymore. This includes the tiny babies that are created when guineas are not neutered or sexed correctly.
The kids got to choose one each to name, which surprisingly didn’t cause any arguments. Yay! Andy and I named our boy ‘Sandy’ – see what we did there – Sarah & Andy – it suits him because of his colouring too. Ruby chose the tiny brown one, she called him ‘Cookie’. I think he looks like a chipmunk. Miller named his completely black piggy ‘Mr. Fuzzy pants Destroyer of Worlds’ or ‘Fuzzy’ for short.
My biggest reservation in becoming a pet owner was the expense, although I was completely railroaded by the kids, both expressing a desire to forgo pocket money if they could have a pet. I have spent a small fortune on books on how to care for your guinea pigs, treats, toys, and grooming items.
Although I will tell you a secret, the money doesn’t seem to matter when I’m actually holding and stroking little ‘Sandy’. He makes me completely forget what I have spent when he sees me and starts squeaking excitedly. Awww…
The best book we purchased was the ‘usborne pet guide – Looking after Guinea Pigs’ from amazon. You can find it here.
It was full of pictures and helpful information to keeping a happy healthy pet. The kids actually used it lots and kept going back to reference bits from.
The brothers 3 are living the life of luxury in our dining room where they are pampered and fed delicious kale and juicy watermelon. Every time anybody walks past they get a cuddle or food – it’s good to be the King or in this case three little Princes.
My plan of having outdoor pets has not gone too well so far and I plan on buying a cage at the earliest opportunity. They have taken over my floor space and we have already had ‘Fuzzy’ do a Houdini act. It was a tense and dangerous situation that resulted in Ruby in tears and me having a panic attack just before bedtime. We eventually found him two hours later hiding under the side unit.
Ruby seems to have taken over the responsibility of cleaning them out and making sure all their needs are met. Which is brilliant, and I hoped this would happen and was part reason why I finally agreed to getting a family pet. I wanted the kids to be more responsible and show me that they could help out more. I really hope this continues… fingers crossed!
We are only a week in, but overall I’m so happy we have added to our family and it’s brilliant seeing the kids enjoying and playing with them. Hopefully we will have many more Piggy adventures to share.
Helloyellowdoor 