Hi, my name is Dawn and ebay id is chintastic_creations.  So, your thinking of purchasing a adorable guinea pig to call you own? Well there's some basic things you will need and need to know before you bring piggy home.

What is a Guinea Pig? 

First off, a Guinea Pig (also known as a Cavy) is a rodent belonging to the the genus of Cavia that originates from South America.

They are considered to be a small compact animal with a large head. Ears are short and limbs are clawed with the front limb having 4 digits while the hind limb has only 3. They have open rooted (continually growing) teeth and their coloration and fur type being varied. A Guinea Pig is tailless and classified as being both a diurnal and nocturnal herbivore , although it has been in my experience that piggies seem to be more on the diurnal side.

What is a Guinea Pigs Average Lifespan?

On average, a Guinea Pigs lifespan is a short 4-5 years, however some have been know to live up to 10 years (but 10 years is far from the norm).

Things To Know:

• Social- do well in pairs
• Adapt well
• Are Great with routines
• Can actually become stressed when routine/environment is changed
• Love to chew on just about anything
• Are not very agile and DO NOT climb well
• Use body language to communicate
• Also Make various sounds to communicate
• cost aprox. $25 and up

Things to look for in Selecting a  Healthy Guinea Pig:

• Bright Eyes
• Alertness
• Even coat of fur/hair without any bald spots
• For the Skin beneath the fur to be healthy, smooth and dandruff free
• For their to be NO Signs of cough/congestion, runny nose, diarrhea or open sores
• Check teeth to make sure they are unbroken/damaged, and meet smoothly in the middle of the mouth
• Check feet to make sure their is NO inflammation, broken/ingrown nails or large callouses>eventually your piggy may need his nails clipped to prevent ingrowing...be sure to avoid cutting through the "quick" of the nail.
• Squeaks should be High pitch, loud and clear
• Being a bit "skittish" at first is normal-especially when trying to "catch" a guinea pig
• Pellets emitted should not be watery and SHOULD be dark in color

What Your Guinea Pig Will Need:

1. An Enclosure to live within with guideline minimums being 7.5 square feet for one and 10.5 square feet for a pair- Remember Bigger is Better and a long enclosure is best yet!                                                                                                                                              

Homemade Enclosure Examples with solid bottoms:

• clear extra long rubbermaid container WITHOUT LID...drill hole in for water bottle spout to come through and two small holes near the top of where the water bottle will rest for a small bungee to come through in order to keep the water bottle upright if it does not come with a bracket.
• Wire grid cubes sold in places such as walmart, costco's, sams' club, etc. for frame using coroplast/showerboard/linoleum to cover the bottom. Remember to create a 2-3" frame around the bottom edges to contain litter. With showerboard you can easily score it to create a box-like bottom framing. I would use thick pine and wrap the above suggestions for framing over it to create a leak-proof base for easy disinfecting.
•  Closet shelving/pantry shelving found in the shelving section of hardware stores such as Lowes & Home Depot. Connect shelving together with faucet clamps/cable ties while creating a bottomless box frame. Once frame is created make a open box-like frame made of thick pine that is at least 2-3" high for bedding containment & whose floor base if covered with showerboard/linoleum/coroplast. Cut doors out of the shelving where necessary using a rocking motion over the thin bars using sharp pliars or a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade. Using  "Prevue small animal Playpen" sections.. you can simply use the loops that the sections atttach to and attach the loops to the cage (hang in up and down manner with the loops attaching to the top of the bar & the Jaw hooks attaching to the bottom corners. Jaw hooks work beautifully for locks to make doors easy to open and close. Other items can be used for doors and attached in a similar manner (if no loop at top connect using craft wire such as bead craft wire that can be found in the craft section of Walmart &  loop and twist making sure to clip off any remaining sharp edge...However I have personally found the the Prevue brand small animal playpen fits perfectly within the thicker bars)           

2. Water bottle with daily fresh Filtered water.

• Glass water bottles with rubber stopper, stainless steel ball tip, and galvanized hanging bracket that allows you to hang inside/outside of the cage are the best since they are completely indestructible by your pet. The largest ones are usually labeled for large birds such as parrots and are completely suitable for a Guinea Pig. I prefer the glass ones since they are dishwasher safe for easy sterilization in addition to being able to fill the largers version ones with small ice cubes/crushed ice for the hotter days.
• Target is carrying a great "Animal Planet" line of products and the  water bottle for guinea pigs/rabbits is great since it doesn't drip heavily like most, but this is a plastic water bottle and may be eventually chewed!
• Lixit has a great open top water bottle. The top can be opened to fill it with ice which is great for hot days, but this one is also a plastic water bottle that may be eventually chewed.                                                          

**All water bottles will drip for a few seconds and should eventually stop. Things that tend to make a water bottle drip more heavily are ice & extremely cold water---most water bottles recommend using room temperature water to prevent excessive dripping**

3. Food Dish that is narrow to avoid pet from using as potty and heavy enough to prevent tipping that is filled with fresh Guinea Pig food that has vitamin C already added. Guinea Pig food comes in pellet form and is available in bags, plastic containers and even boxes.

• All Living Things animal sift feeder is great since it sifts the dust from food and helps keep food semi-elevated to prevent spilling.

4. Hay holder should be filled at all times with ample Hay--with Timothy Hay being best!

• A permanently lasting hay buffet that will hold a massive amount of hay, has a galvanized box that slides out for easy refilling, is indestructable and keeps the hay elevated off the floor is a BunnyBale metal Bunny Bale Feeder Kit
• A cheaper plastic version of a hay hanger that holds a fairly nice amount, but is plastic so it may possible be chewed by your pet, is Lixit's "Hay Buffet"
• If your lucky enough to get your precious piggy to eat hay cubes..then I would recommend hanging the cubes by drilling a hole in the center of the hay cubes and stringing them on sisal-or for a reloadable version- use small chain (found at hardware store) and  and place keychain ring through bottom link and slide hay cubes on chain. Finish off by attaching another keychain ring and attach using a keychain hook, jaw hook, pear link, lanyard hook, etc.

5. Pumice/Chews to make available at all times to keep teeth properly maintained.

• Pumice blocks can be easily found at many dollar trees and department stores such as Walmart usually located in the makeup aisle near nail polishes. Just be sure that it is pure pumice rock and is not scented/does not come on type of plastic applicators.

6. House to sleep in makes your guinea pig feel safe and secure.

• Some examples of Great houses are Large Igloos with the opening cut off to allow for proper air exchange, wooden Log Cabins, and Guinea Pig Snak Shacks which are 100% edible.

7. Bedding for enclosures bottom which will need to be changed as needed. I recommend a minimum of at least once every 5 days...and sooner if litter looks dirty or enclosure is beginning to emit odor. 

•  Carefresh ultra is the best since it is allergy free and soft for your pets feet. Also great as recovery bedding for quarantines and surgeries.
• Carefresh is a bit cheaper but is bascially the same as the Carefresh ultra--however it seemed to bother my allergies and wasn't as soft.
• Pine bedding is very cheap and can be found in massively large bags for under $6.00 in stores such as Walmart and Kmart in the pet department. However if you are unfortunate enough to have allergies you may want to avoid using this. As some bags smell strongly of pine and this stuff seems to drive my alleriges nuts. Complete with eyes watering/swelling, sneezing, itchy mouth, and sore throat.

Common Guinea Pig Sounds/Behaviors:

• Chattering/chubbering/vibrating-sound of dominance,agression,fear
• Chortling-happy
• Wheeeeekkk-I want food or to be played with (I want a snack--they love carrots..especially baby carrots and carrot slices. Apple slices with the skin on is also a very much appreciated treat, and sun maid raisins go over quite well, in addition to Romaine Lettuce. REMEMBER...moderation...too much of a good thing can give piggy diarhhea)
• Sniffing Air-smelling to see who it is
• Freezing-scared or smell something
• Running and Jumping/"Popcorning" = Happy / Carrying On / Playing
• Licking You = licking for salt / showing affection

Warning:

Guinea Pigs make great pets, however you must watch younger children to avoid dropping and over squeezing. Also be sure to avoid Cedar products as they are toxic to Guinea Pigs. ALSO...PLEASE DO NOT buy those play balls/wheels that pet stores sell for Guinea Pigs...Their backs do not allow for the arching necessary to use these toys....and who would want to roll in a ball with urine and feces raining down on you!

Cheap Toys:

• Large Pvc Pipe/Tubing- great for tunneling and will last forever...also easy to sanitize
• Toilet Paper rolls without the paper on them- great for chewing or stuffing hay in
• Square Pet Pumice Block -will last a long time
• Small Cardboard shipping box- fun to chew and hide in
• Popsicle sticks- make sure they are rinsed and air dried
• Terra cotta planter overturned on side- cool hiding spot which is also easy to disinfect
• Chin-Chiller stone or single piece of granite/marble flooring found in hardware store- cool place to lay on warmer days
• Ping pong Ball - too cute to watch them push around

It is in my opinion that Guinea Pigs make a terrific addition to any home and are a fantastic choice for a first pet!