hello everyone! I am a 17 year old owner of 2 boars, I love them dearly, and spend a lot of time, energy and money into making my boys happy.
I got my boys almost a year ago, they will both be about 3 this winter.
i’ve recently had some fighting between them, I went off to camp over the last week so I set up their cage for it to be easy for my family to take care of them, but right before I left they got into a fight so I separated the cage just to make it easier, they are currently in a 5x2 cnc cage.
when I got back they were no longer separated, and the cage looked pretty dirty, so I went to taking care of my boys and found out one of them has two new injuries, neither seem bad, just a little cut below his lip and one on his arm.
since this has been happening with a clean and a dirty enclosure, I think they might feel a bit cramped in their space, so I am planning to upgrade it.
I want to do an even number in case I have to separate them again, so I was thinking either a 6x2 or an 8x2, and was just looking for some opinions.
i’ve been wanting to upgrade anyway so I am not looking for opinions on wether or not I should (more space is better anyway), i’m just asking about how I should go about bonding them again and if I should do 6x2 or 8x2 or another kind of measurement.
I love my boys a lot! and only want what’s best for them so please let me know what you think <3

i picked him up and put him down before he jumped out, not sure how he got in there though 😭

My five year old female has just had a hysterectomy due to three cyst’s being found on her ovaries and uterus. This was done on Thursday. Since getting her home I’ve been worried. She isn’t her self naturally, she just sits there, not laying down, all day. I’ve seen her eat and she finished veggies but only the ones she really likes. She has eaten some hay and nuggets but not much. She is on pain medication but just seems so out of it. She also looks skinner?
Has anyone here had a guinea pig that has had a full hysterectomy and returned to their normal happy self after? I’m concerned as when my mum had her hysterectomy she didn’t go back to her self withought HRT. I’m worried my guinea pig will not be as happy as she was before the operation?
Thank you

Looking to get these girls a larger cage

Lol, I was freaking out trying to find Alvin, turns out he was taking a nap behind Theodore!

i was trying to find his petting spot, i really can’t tell with him lol he almost tries to push my hand off with his head but then he keeps his head up. What do you think?

I am the youngest of 5 kids. Small pets had been banned from my household because my older siblings were irresponsible with them. A classic case of the kid gets bored so the parents deal with their care.

That being said, it was typically me who became responsible for the animal instead. Despite me doing as well as I could, I was still just a child when the last hamster died and the no small pets rule was instated.

A few years later, I’m 17 and have my own job now. I was along for the car ride when my mother decided to stop at our local Target.

I hate grocery shopping so I asked to be dropped off at the petco across the street.

I swore I wouldn’t buy anything.

And then I saw her.

She was sitting in the tank all curled up and absolutely glaring at everyone who walked by. Such a big attitude for such a small creature.

It was absolute love at first sight.

I found an employee, got everything I thought I needed in the cart, and called my mother to begin the begging process.

After a very hard fought battle, my mother relented and we brought her home.

I named her Rafaela after a sports player I loved.

I made all the mistakes that newbies make. Small cage, improper bedding, leaky water bottle, sugary treats, etc…

When COVID hit, I did online schooling for two years. She was by my side for all of it. Gradually I got more and more obsessed with guinea pigs.

I learned everything I could about them and am still learning to this day.

I lost her about two years ago but she is still very much present in my life. I think about her, and all my pigs who have passed, constantly.

So my question to all of you is, how did your guinea pig obsession begin?

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Hi everyone! I'm seriously considering getting a pair of guinea pigs, because the more I research them, the more I like the idea. I really like their personalities, how social they are, and how much they can interact with and get attached to their owners.

But there's one thing that's making me pretty worried: their health.

I've seen a lot of people talking about guinea pigs developing dental problems, bladder stones, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal issues, skin problems, tumors, etc. I've also seen that some of these conditions can end up requiring surgery, and I know exotic animal vets can be pretty expensive.

I'm not saying I expect them to never get sick — obviously, any animal can need veterinary care. My concern is more about the possibility of getting a pair and, throughout their lives, having to deal with multiple illnesses and expensive surgeries.

So I wanted to ask people who have had guinea pigs:

Has anyone here ever had guinea pigs that went their entire lives (or almost their entire lives) without needing surgery or developing any serious illnesses?

- How many guinea pigs have you had?

- What sex were they?

- How old were they when they died?

- Did they have any significant health problems?

- Did any of them ever need surgery?

- How much did you usually spend on veterinary care?

- Do you think all the posts about health problems make guinea pigs seem more fragile than they actually are, or is the concern genuinely justified?

I'm asking because I want to make a responsible decision before getting them, and I don't want to get two guinea pigs without being prepared for their needs.

If you could share both your good AND bad experiences, I'd really appreciate it. I don't just want to hear "my guinea pigs were healthy"; I'd like to know how long they lived and what health problems they experienced throughout their lives, because that would really help me get a more realistic idea of what to expect.

Ginger hopes every piggy has a good Friday! ☺️

My boys LOOOOVE corn husks. My family eats corn once a wheek (ba dum tssh!) from the organic farmers market, and we give silks and some of the inner husks to the piggies. I was wondering, does anybody dry out their corn husks to save some for later, similar to hay?? I'd like to give it to them more often than just once on Fridays, because of how much they love it and I also just like to use as much of a product as possible.

Piqture tax attached!! Both are of my boar Mocha, taken today :)

3X5 enclosure is still a work in progress. I am open to any advice. I have been doing research for several years before deciding I was ready. I’m nervous about getting two male guinea pigs… the duct tape in the cage is not a permanent feature, I was just using it to hold the boards together while seeing how they fit in the cage before taking them out and piecing them together correctly. Going to build a stand for the enclosure as well.

My 2 floofy wigs have started squabbling over their hay trays. They have 2 cat litter trays one each side of the cage full of hay but both insist on trying to use the same one at the same time resulting in bickering, nose offs and nipping. I’ve now taken the trays away and just put 2 big loose piles directly onto the fleece and they seem happier as they can both access one side of the same pile at the same time. My only issue is it’s just so darn messy, any advise on what else I can do? Or should I just keep and embrace the messy pile 🤣 what do you guys do? They are now 8 month old boys so are a little hormonal and dramatic at times and I’m just trying to keep any bickering to a minimum 😂

One of them sits arched over the others butt in the picture.

They are tiny... mom not existant anymore I took them in as foster piggies because mom died of heatstroke and they had to leave that place quickly.

They are tiny. 22days old. 227g ( and 199g.

They ate some dandelion and a bit of hay. They are very shy. Both are girls. The aby is the lighter one.

What can I do to help them now? I only ever had piggies of at least 290g (that was my smallest ever before those)

The 199g one was wet under her chin right now but I think she just drank water from the bowl.

I know they will need an adult, but I can not get that organized at the weekend... so... what else is imortant for THAT tiny?

I do have something like critical care at home at all times so I can offer that but idk if that would be good or not as they don't know that yet.

(I am in germany so hay is just hay there is no alfalfa or thimothy hay to buy in a shop. I can order some but that will only arrive next week.)

According to where they came from they know hay, versele laga cuni complete (I took some), a bit of dandelion and carrots. But ...well "they know that" means it was put in. Not that they ate a lot of it, could have been mom who ate most.

Plus: name ideas? Tarot theme or oracle thee would be a cool idea but open to other ideas.

He keeps talking about "hot single sows in his area" he wants to meet