By guinea-pig-gal, on December 30th, 2009%
Tired of hearing your child whine about wanting a pet? All parents seem to have this problem at one time or another. Many children want a pet, and it’s a perfect way to teach children responsibility. If you’ve decided to give your children the opportunity to have a pet of their own, you just have to figure out which pet is the right pet! There are a few smaller, easier to care for animals that make great first pets. These are typically a bit more affordable than bigger animals such as dogs or cats. However, with any pet, the owner’s personality affects the decision.
Gerbils make great pets for smaller children, as they are active during the day and are extremely curious and friendly. Gerbils are actually desert animals. They are very clean animals, which makes cleaning up after them a lot simpler. For a young child’s first pet, these are perfect! Gerbils are very social animals, so a pair is definitely the way to go with these animals. However, be sure they are not mates, otherwise you’d better be prepared to take care of lots of little gerbils! A large aquarium-style tank with a deep layer of wood shavings makes for a perfect home for these little creatures, as they love to tunnel and dig. To keep them (as well as your child) entertained, tunnel-type toys are great! Gerbil food is relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at any pet store. They also enjoy the occasional bit of lettuce or cheese. Gerbils usually live up to three years.
Guinea Pigs are good first pets, as they don’t scratch and can be gently handled. Like gerbils, they’re social creatures, so a pair is preferred. Guinea Pigs are very timid, so they need lots of places to hide in their cage. An aquarium-style tank works well for guinea pigs as well, as long as they have a grazing area and places to burrow. Guinea pigs need a daily diet that his high in fiber and vitamin C. Guinea pigs live up to six years.
Most people aren’t entirely keen on the idea of keeping mice, but if you’re looking to get one as a first pet, you should keep in mind that, like the others, they are social. Two to three female mice are the best way to go as males tend to fight and produce a much stronger smell. Cages must be cleaned two to three times a week. A wire-mesh cage works best for mice, as they need a well-ventilated living space, with tunnels and other toys. Mice need a lot of things to gnaw on, such as dog biscuits.
Continue reading Your Child’s First Pet
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 30th, 2009%
Tired of hearing your child whine about wanting a pet? All parents seem to have this problem at one time or another. Many children want a pet, and it’s a perfect way to teach children responsibility. If you’ve decided to give your children the opportunity to have a pet of their own, you just have to figure out which pet is the right pet! There are a few smaller, easier to care for animals that make great first pets. These are typically a bit more affordable than bigger animals such as dogs or cats. However, with any pet, the owner’s personality affects the decision.
Gerbils make great pets for smaller children, as they are active during the day and are extremely curious and friendly. Gerbils are actually desert animals. They are very clean animals, which makes cleaning up after them a lot simpler. For a young child’s first pet, these are perfect! Gerbils are very social animals, so a pair is definitely the way to go with these animals. However, be sure they are not mates, otherwise you’d better be prepared to take care of lots of little gerbils! A large aquarium-style tank with a deep layer of wood shavings makes for a perfect home for these little creatures, as they love to tunnel and dig. To keep them (as well as your child) entertained, tunnel-type toys are great! Gerbil food is relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at any pet store. They also enjoy the occasional bit of lettuce or cheese. Gerbils usually live up to three years.
Guinea Pigs are good first pets, as they don’t scratch and can be gently handled. Like gerbils, they’re social creatures, so a pair is preferred. Guinea Pigs are very timid, so they need lots of places to hide in their cage. An aquarium-style tank works well for guinea pigs as well, as long as they have a grazing area and places to burrow. Guinea pigs need a daily diet that his high in fiber and vitamin C. Guinea pigs live up to six years.
Most people aren’t entirely keen on the idea of keeping mice, but if you’re looking to get one as a first pet, you should keep in mind that, like the others, they are social. Two to three female mice are the best way to go as males tend to fight and produce a much stronger smell. Cages must be cleaned two to three times a week. A wire-mesh cage works best for mice, as they need a well-ventilated living space, with tunnels and other toys. Mice need a lot of things to gnaw on, such as dog biscuits.
Continue reading Your Child’s First Pet
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 29th, 2009%
Are those “fruit flakes” ok for hamsters and gerbilss?
I have some of those fruit bowl fruit flakes strawberry things can my gerbil and my hamster have some?
Aspen for rats? peanuts too?
Well i recently heard that Aspen is the best bedding for my Dumbo rat. Also shreaded news dissertation, but i wonder, can’t the ink in newspaper be bad for a rat? particularly when the urinate?? He sneezes so i took him to the vet and got him…
At a loss at what to do near a round up aggressive rat?
I’m wondering what would be the right thing to do. I have a very round up aggressive rat – he always knocks his water bottle stale of his cage, jumps from each side of his round up on the bars like a monkey, ransacks his food…
At darkness will I hear a hamster making its loud racket over two loud fan?
At night while Im sleeping will I hear a hamster making its loud noise on top of my parents lover that is louder than a hurricane and my fan that is set on lofty that is pretty loud.
Continue reading Rodents Questions & Answers
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 28th, 2009%
I’m sure many online marketers have kids and they often come over to the desk when you are busy working online to ask questions like “what are you doing dad/mom” etc. How many of us actually tell them what we are doing or better yet show them? I have been guilty of being “to busy” to answer questions or saying not right now daddy’s busy. All this changed the first time I actually took the time to explain to my daughter just exactly what I was doing. My daughter has some “challenges” that I won’t go into here but the result of me explaining a little bit of what I do and why to her has been no less than inspiring to me. She took an interest in this whole marketing thing, especially wondering why people buy things and what makes them buy one item instead of a similar one. We have had lots of conversations about this and looked at lots of products and ads, everything from TV, eBay, online sites and even the who’s on the forum. We’ve discussed Christmas and observed the transformation of stores and TV ads during the holiday season. She has learned a lot about. * Integrity and honesty in promoting a product and many of the various ways to get the attention of the viewer. * How a buyer that feels fooled or cheated won’t be back and will tell people they know not to buy from you. * Wanting to belong to a group” – she was sitting next to me when I signed up for the Alliance forum and witnessed firsthand how building anticipation and exclusivity can work. * Selling something you are passionate about – how it won’t seem like work and you will probably have a better chance of success when the passion you have for a product show’s through. Soon all these evening conversations and lessons lead to Stephanie wanting her own website to sell something from. First she needed some money to launch her site. At the time I was an active power seller on eBay. Her little brother Thomas James was really into Bionicles (a toy) and was always cruising eBay looking for a deal on the latest Bionicle. One night we were at Wal-Mart and as usual in the Bionicle section with Thomas. The little toys were on sell at less than half price. Stephanie suggested that we could buy them and sell them on eBay. We did, we bought them all and sold almost all of them at retail or above. She helped design the ad and suggested posing some out of the boxes for pictures and was involved in the design of the auction ad. Enough was made to start her website. More eBay auctions followed to raise a few more dollars. After some discussion Stephanie decided what she wanted her website to be about. She decided on: * The pet niche – an area she is definitely passionate about (three dogs, hamsters, Guinea Pigs, fish and turtles make their home with us). * She picked out several private label products and click bank products to promote. * She chose the domain name freepettips.com * She bought the website to use a starting point for her site (she picked it out from eBay for $25). You can see the beginnings here. http://tomdean.net/Pets (it’s not finished this is just the starting point) but it will be up and running soon on her domain. Her site will be online soon and will include private label products about dog care, click bank products, resell rights products for dog/cat recipes, articles, adsense, and two of her very on products written for her but based on what she wanted them to include. One is on buying and caring for hamsters the other is on Guinea Pigs and includes plans for the guinea pigs home and an outdoor guinea pig play box. Of course I will be the one to finish up the site and get it on the web but the concept, product selection, chosen design and her products were all decided on by her. Think of all she will be learning from this process that she is involved with every step of the way. Many of her own graphics will be used on the site and in the products. She went from coloring graphics with crayons (her other passion) to drawing them in a paint program using a pen mouse that she purchased from her eBay proceeds. All of this from dad just answering some questions and deciding not to say “I’m busy right now”. I know we all get busy and stressed especially when that site is just not working out or your latest mailing didn’t do much for you. But take some time when the little one ask what you are up to. You may be surprised by how much they are really interested in what you are doing and how much your time means to them. You will also be surprised with what they can teach you if you just listen. * My daughter is 11. She is currently taking art class and learning to draw online with a mouse pen using photo impact and ms paint along with getting her website ready to launch.
I’m sure many online marketers have kids and they often come over to the desk when you are busy working online to ask questions like “what are you doing dad/mom” etc.
How many of us actually tell them what we are doing or better yet show them?
Continue reading An interest in this whole marketing thing
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 27th, 2009%
Guinea Pig Cages?
I’m Planning on getting one, what type of things should i put in the cage.And is there besides i can make a BIG cage, and if not what approx. size should the enclose be?
:*( How long will my gerbil survive ? :*(?
My gerbil wont eat or drink  i moved her to my spare cage ( it provides a better view afterwards her regular cage ) and i’ve marked the water height on the bottle, checked it is working, I’ve weighed the amount of food i put in…
Can you house a dwarf campbell Russian hamster next to a roborovski dwarf hamster?
I have a female Cambell dwarf hamster and a male Robo hamster. They both look really lonley and I be wondering if I could put them in the same hold together and also if they will mate. Please help!
can you use a syrian hamster bubble for a dwarf hamster ?
My friend has a hamster and i have her as my secret santa she requests a hamster ball and she has a dwarf hamster but in overnight case in the Future she gets a syrian hamster i want to get a big bubble please answer 10 POINTS…
Continue reading Rodents questions and answers
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 26th, 2009%
Rabbits have been popularly kept as pets in Western nations since the 1800s. Rabbits can adjust well to indoor life, and can even be litter box trained. Like all pets, rabbits need a considerable amount of care and attention.


Often people purchase rabbits from a breeder. Many people prefer breeders under suspicion that some pet stores sell cross bred rabbits. Such a breeder who has a litter of young rabbits available for sale can be found in the newspaper classified ads listed under “Pets” or “Livestock.” Some can be found through rabbit breeders’ club publications or through rabbit-related magazines, which often include a breeder listing. With the advent of the Internet, many breeders advertise their stock online.


Finding a local rabbit breeder is generally preferred to shipping rabbits for long distances, as it can be stressful for the animal. Many pet shops nearly always carry smaller breeds of rabbit such as the Netherland dwarf, the Holland lop, and the Mini-Rex. These breeds, although smaller than ‘normal’ rabbits, still live long and healthy lives. A point to note is that often smaller breeds of rabbits are prone to tooth problems such as malocclusion.
Continue reading Things to Think About Before Acquiring a Rabbit
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 25th, 2009%
In 1849 hundreds of men made the grueling climb across the Rocky mountain range before stepping onto California’s soil. These men, who history remembers as forty-niners, came to California with dreams of striking a mother lode of gold and spending the rest of their days in the lap of luxury. Few of these forty-niners had possessions worth speaking of, just the tattered torn clothes they were wearing, a shovel, a pan specially designed to sift through river sediment, and an old mule to haul their find out of the mountains.
Over a hundred and fifty years have passed since the last forty-niner made their final trek across the Rockies with only his own voice and a cantankerous old mule named Worthless for company. In this new modern world a different type of person is journeying across the country seeking the answers to all their dreams and prayers in the warm California sunlight. Today its students, freshly armed with brand new high school diplomas and a tiny sub-compact car loaded down with expensive clothing and glamour shots, seeking not gold but rather fame under the bright lights of an acting studio. Like the fortey-niners, many of these future stars have only their CD collections and a family pet to keep them company on the long drive across the country.
What many of these Hollywood hopefuls don’t realize is the animal health branch of the California Department of Food and Agriculture has rules and regulations for bringing pets into the state. Most of the rules will involve the young pet owner to take their pet to the veterinarian for a round of shots and an exam before leaving for the land of movie stars and millionaires. The purchase of pet health care coverage can sometimes let the youngsters get the routine vet work out of the way without forcing them to dip to heavily into their savings.
Continue reading California’s Pet Health Insurance
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 24th, 2009%
A appropriate place to go and get pet rats?
Does anyone know of a good place to get pet rats in Genesee county,MI
Am I right to be furious next to the vet?
On monday afternoon, I called my vet surgery because my beautiful blue rat Crispin was not a hundred percent. I thought either he had broken his leg, or had a stroke, because he be not himself at all and he was struggling to walk.I told them…
Am I scare my hamster?
I woke her up by refilling her water bottle, and she went up to the top of the shut within and looked at me very alertly,not moving and I try to calm her down by speaking softly
Am i the solitary one who hate crittertrail cage?
i just think they are small and cramped , alot of people utter they are good for dwarfs but they don’t fit up the tubes and they are way to small for syrians . I think habitrail cage are the best cage they ever invented , nice…
Continue reading Rodents FAQ
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 23rd, 2009%
In the quest for youthfulness John Q. Public has been the proverbial guinea pig.

It is true. For the past ten years or more injections that plump and paralyze have become the mainstay of many physicians including plastic surgeons, derms and now even OB/GYN’s, dentists and proctologists have jumped on the cash cow bandwagon to fatten their wallets.

There is no end in sight even though warning bells have been rung to alert users that these injections may have hidden drawbacks with serious consequences that aren’t readily identified.

 Continue reading Using Facial Exercise Means No Cutting or Injecting
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 22nd, 2009%
In its traditional meaning, a pet is an animal that you keep to care for and feed. It is also your responsibility to fulfill its needs like affection because you are its master. And in return, your pets are the ones responsible for giving you a happier home by their mere happy presence.
Unknowingly, they also are there to help relieve you of stress and helping you relate to others by its interaction. Pets may not be something you can buy over the counter but they are indeed very helpful in relieving stress. In fact, they have been approved by the medical community to be such and such as a scientific basis already. Walking your pet, especially your dogs, is a form of exercise and it helps you get your needed fresh air. Social interaction is also improved because pet lovers love to shares ideas and tips with each other on how to be better masters.
Pets have special characteristic that make humans drawn to them. Their playful attitude, loyalty and sometimes their attractive appearance is enough to charm people’s hearts. According to a study done, the most kept pet there is are birds rather than dogs which is what you may be thinking right now. The lovable dogs just come next. Fishes are also some of the well-loved pets.
Having a pet around is truly beneficial. However, it also has its share of disadvantages. Pets can cause allergies or it can aggravate allergic conditions of its master and that is usually caused by their feathers and furs. Parasites like lice and other diseases can also be brought about by pets which have medical problems. Having pets can also mean having a big cut from your finances because of the food you give to them and the regular visits to the veterinary.
Continue reading The Robot That Is A Pet
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 21st, 2009%
Either you have a dog or cat as your pet, or another type of pet, like birds or exotic pets, your pet is parts of your life. Our pets are our friends. We live, play and travel with our pets. But we do something more: we care them. We feed them, bath them, provide a custom environment and take them to the vet when they get ill or hurt.
Having a pet will cost you money if you want to have a happy and healthy pet. Many pet owners do not know that they can lower their expenses by having their pets insured. Pet insurance is also referred to as pet health insurance, pet care insurance or veterinary pet insurance (VPI).
The main reason why pet owners choose to insure their pets is to lower their vet bills, and to have healthy pets the same time. Pet insurance policies will pay a significant amount of the cost of your vet bills. Think your dog or cat get ill a few times during a year, contracts a disease, or gets hurt and you need to pay a few hundred dollars almost every year. If you have your pet insured, you will pay just a small amount of the sum. The rest will be paid by the insurance company.
A good reason why you should insure your pet is that it is not expensive. Compared to your vet bills you will see that it is very cheap and it worth having health insurance for your pet.
Continue reading Why Should You Buy Insurance for Your Pet
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 20th, 2009%
If you are thinking about getting a pet for yourself or for your family, you should know that dogs and cats are not the only animals that make good pets. If you are interested in getting a more unusual and intriguing type of pet, you’ll be glad to know that there are many different, some unexpected types of pets available to you. You may have come across some of these pets in your life, and others, you may be shocked to learn make very good pets to certain households (and could make a good pet to yours). The type of exotic pet that suits you best will depend on many factors including your lifestyle, budget, personality, tolerance, etcetera. Some of these types of pets are very low-maintenance and easy to take care of, while others may require large amounts of attention and money. No matter what type of rare pet you decide is right for you, cultivating the bond between pet and pet-owner will take time and effort.

Ferrets

Ferrets are very amusing pets. They are a lot of fun to watch and play with. A little-known fact about ferrets is that they sleep for a large part of the day. Ferrets require a good-size cage and plenty of toys. Ferrets also have a high metabolism and require food every 3 to 4 hours. While ferrets are generally very playful and have personalities of their own, they also tend to be very quiet animals.
Continue reading An Exciting Guide to Exotic Pets
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 19th, 2009%
Pet adoption agencies are unfilled throughout the United States and it is a superb way to get your own pet. The adoption agencies in the U.S impart homes for the pets brought from animal rescues, animal shelters and humane societies. Some pets are brought their due to ill cure by the pet owners or would have got engrossed having not having a family. Many of the pets adoption agencies work over time to find a constructive mixture for the U.S pet population concern. They work hard in ruling adoptable pets and suggest them caring and loving family homes.
The websites of the pet adoption agencies supply the impending pet parents to quest for a pet of their decision lacking any neediness of departure to chaotic and loud locales. You can quest for your preferred pet of any breed, magnitude, age, and sex and even from any definite organization from where the pet came before it made its way to the adoption outfit. The websites have pages that record photos of the animals untaken by the agencies with their names, their place of birth or from where they came to such related information along with their preferences. Information liked vaccinations, intake practice, likes and dislikes and vigor conditions are all unfilled preceding to pet adoption.
If you are not in a locate to adopt a pet but you affection pets and want to help them, then you can remit your donations to the pet adoption agencies. They forever receive volunteers for portion the in navy like pet adoption, administrative buttress, and marketing and store raising trial. There are many programs that simplify pet lovers to play with pets for certain duration of hours. This examined is existing especially to help those pets that are homeless and mistreated previous, for expenses time with loving and caring humans. All the pet adoption agencies provide help and extend their provision for the families who have adopted pets freshly and for pet adoption seekers. They offer guidance on what kind of pet can become your family and in-house education. They counsel you about separation worry, crucial techniques on obedience, introduction of new pets and how to adjust the new pet with additional pets in your home.
Continue reading The Pet Adoption Procedure
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 18th, 2009%
No Papua New Guinea Tour would be complete without visiting Ambua Lodge located at 7000 feet in the Papua New Guinea Southern Highlands. It is a great mix of local architecture, with spectacular views and modest luxury, well off the beaten track.

This area overlooks the Tari valley and is the home of the Huli clan with their human hair wigs.

Ambua Lodge has a formidable award winning reputation for ecological responsible tourism, so if you are an avid supporter of eco lodges, and what they stand for, then this Papua New Guinea vacation will be for you. Situated at the edge of the rainforest at the beginning of the valley grasslands which means an incredible number of birds can be spotted here.

Not only birds because this is one of the few places left anywhere that men and women can be seen wearing their traditional dress as part of their daily lives, and a man’s wealth is determined by the number of wives he has, and the number of pigs he possesses!!

This is a great place for botanists, orchids and bird spotting.
Continue reading Ambua Lodge Is A Must Visit On Any Papua New Guinea Tour
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 17th, 2009%
The Pig may be the most generous and honorable Sign of the Chinese Zodiac. Pigs are nice to a fault and possess impeccable manners and taste. They are perfectionists and can be perceived them as snobs, but this is a misconception. Pigs are simply possessed of a truly luxurious nature, one that delights in finery and nice things (in surroundings, food, lovemaking and otherwise). This Sign believes in the best qualities of mankind and certainly doesn’t consider itself to be superior. Pigs also care a great deal about friends and family and work hard to keep everyone in their life happy. Helping others is a true pleasure for the Pig, who feels best when everyone else is smiling.
A Pig with no one around to appreciate its giving nature is a sad thing indeed. Pigs are so magnanimous they can appear almost saintly; this can lead some less-than-well-intentioned souls to stomp all over this Sign, and the bad news is, the Pig will take the blows.
Pigs are highly intelligent creatures, forever studying, playing and probing in their quest for greater knowledge. They can be misinterpreted as being lazy, however, due to their love of reveling in the good stuff; this Sign could happily spend hours on end making love, napping, taking a long bubble bath or dallying over an incredible spread of rich foods. Pigs tend to make wonderful life partners due to their hearts of gold and their love of family. Even so, Pigs can be rather exclusive, choosing to spend time with those who will appreciate them most and ignore the rest of the populace. Pigs would do well to realize that there’s more to life than being needed. When they open up their world to a diverse group of people, they will truly bloom. The most compatible match for a Pig is the Rabbit or the Goat.
Continue reading Learn About the Wonderful Pig
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 16th, 2009%
When you have a PS3 you understand that any game at all will, regardless of type, play very well on it. Disney just put out this cute movie called G-Force. PlayStation has released G-Force PS3 and you can either rent for short play or purchase it. For those out there like me, buying is better. I am good with my games, and that way I can play it for as long as I want. Eventually If it suits me I will sell it. This one though is so fun I don’t see that happening.
This game does appear at first to be nothing more than a cutesy game for small children. Once you play however you figure out that it has some detailed gaming within all that cuteness. The game is made by Disney Interactive Studios and stars Guinea Pigs. Not just any Guinea Pigs though, these guys are well trained and highly skilled. They have some very cool toys that do interesting things and help them with their undercover operation. All of this makes a very fun game.
There are some mean and rotten household appliances that get between the cute little G-Force guys and their goal. The graphics are top notch and you get ahead by problem solving and figuring out puzzles. The team gets help from good appliances like a water cooler for instance, to make it through the mission.
Continue reading G-Force PS3 Game: A Guinea Pig Adventure
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 15th, 2009%
Guinea Pigs are considered to be one of the most domesticated rodents that we may have known of. Records show that as early as 5000 BC the mountain tribes of Ecuador and Peru have domesticated these animals for food. Guinea Pigs were brought to Europe by the Spanish, Dutch and English traders where accounts date back as early as 1547. The rodents became popular exotic pets by the upper class men of society. Guinea pigs which are popularly known as cavies may weigh between 1 to 2.25 pounds and may grow in length from 8 to 10 inches long. A typical life span of these rodents may last up to four years and some even reach until seven years.

Guinea pigs, like any other pet would need the proper essentials to be healthy and happy. Care, attention and a proper amount of play and socialization are only a few essentials to mention for the proper cavy care.

Feeding
Continue reading Feeding The Pet Guinea Pig
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 14th, 2009%
Guinea Pigs are highly sociable animals which make great pets, and are ideally suited to families with children. However, it is important to think about all the implications of buying a pet, including housing and other supplies, which can be quite expensive. In addition to that, you’re going to need to dedicate yourself to caring for the animals, ensuring you take care to feed and socialize with them at all times.

The first thing to think about before buying that is the commitment required. With any pets, you’re going to have to dedicate a lot of time to looking after them, and ensuring you tend to their every need, especially in the first few months. That means negotiating alternative arrangements whenever you go on vacation, and ensuring they always have food. Guinea Pigs, although fairly independent, must obviously be given the essentials to survive, and so it is important you make sure you always look after them properly.

Next, you need to think about housing them, and potentially building a run. That need room to exercise, and if you don’t want their health to suffer, or them to get too bored, it’s important you let them out frequently to exercise. Additionally, spending time with guinea pigs is essential to ensure their effective social development. Additionally, you should ensure they are housed securely in a locked cage to avoid harm from predators, and of course, escape.
Continue reading Caring for Guinea Pigs
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 13th, 2009%
In today’s short article, we are going to talk about bottoms. No – I don’t want to discuss your bottom – or even your guinea pig’s bottom. I want to talk about the need for incorporating a bottom when designing and building your C&C cage.

Go online and search for web pages and articles on how to build a C&C cage. The vast majority of results returned will show how to build a cage that looks less like a cage and more like a corral. If you examine it closely, you will note that this simplistic class of designs consists simply of a Coroplast bin or tub surrounded by a wire grid fence.

And I am not knocking this system. It is an absolutely fantastic and innovative design. It is both effective and efficient in its simplicity. It provides a lot of space for the money. And in my opinion, of all cubes and Coroplast designs out there; this simple, basic “pig corral” is the most economical and cost-effective design that can be had. However, there is one caveat – and it is an important one.

In my mind, this class of bottomless cage is generally safe only when used on the ground. Let me explain why.
Continue reading Guinea Pig Cages – Why Your C
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 12th, 2009%
What is a C&C Cage?

First of all, I mention the phrase C&C cage in the title of this article. This is cage-building technology that has become more and more popular in recent years. C&C stands for Cubes and Coroplast – the two major components used to design and construct these types of cages.

In reality the word cubes does not accurately describe the construction material being used. In actuality, steel wire grids are used to construct the cage walls. They are referred to as cubes, simply because these grids are traditionally used to build storage cube systems. The steel wire grids are simply a building component in the storage cube system – just as they are a component in your C&C cage.

Coroplast is technically the brand name of the product. The name is actually a contraction of the words corrugated and plastic. Coroplast is a corrugated plastic material that comes in sheet form and is usually used to make signs. You may have seen political campaign signs, for instance, on people’s lawns made from this material.

Why Choose a C&C Cage?

The major reason that people chose C&C cages over mass-produced pet store cages is because pet store cages are generally much too small to provide a healthy environment for your pig(s). Larger cages can be difficult to find. Additionally, Guinea Pigs are social creatures so it is always recommended that they be kept in groups of two or more. This, of course, creates an even larger space requirement.
Continue reading Guinea Pig Cages – Characteristics of C
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 11th, 2009%
If you’ve owned a guinea pig for some time, you know that a fresh supply of hay is vital for your piggy’s well being. A hay rack is an excellent way to stockpile your pig’s hay, while keeping it clean and fresh. Hay racks are readily available on the market and can be easily found in your nearest pet store.
The problem with readymade hay racks is that they tend to be much more expensive than if you made them on your own. Plus, you could get a lot more room on a homemade hay rack for a lot less than what you’d spend on a purchased one. This follows much the same rule as building your piggy’s cage by hand.
The first step in making a Guinea Pig Hay rack is to go to your nearest convenience store and get a small basket. This can either be a wire basket or plastic depending on which you like better. The advantage with the plastic baskets is that the hay will stay inside the basket more. Next, get a few threads or cable ties to tie the basket to the cage.
Finally, you need to do the tying but make sure that wherever you’re attaching the basket, tie it strongly from the inside of the cage. If the basket is plastic, you should position the rack on or close to the floor so that the pig can reach over the top and get the hay. Wire baskets naturally have hooks, so that you can hang them on to the cage but you should still tie them tightly so they don’t fall over and make a mess.
Continue reading How to Make a Guinea Pig Hay Rack
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 10th, 2009%
Since baby Guinea Pigs are so small and tiny it’s always a good idea to take more precautions to help to make them safe while they are in their cage. Take their little heads for example, their heads could easily become stuck in between the bars and this would lead to asphyxiation.
One way to prevent this from happening is to line the cage walls with cardboard from the bottom up to around one foot. If your cage is made from wire grid, then you could add a new wall by placing more grid on the outside and then putting cardboard in between the two cage walls. After the babies have gotten to be around 4-6 months old this extra wall or cardboard can be removed. They have now gotten big enough to not worry about their little heads becoming stuck.
After the new babies are born and mom has had time to sufficiently bond and clean them it will be safe for you to touch the newborn pups. Your smell on the new pups will not affect the mom from taking care of them herself. This would also be a great time to monitor their weight. By keeping track of their weight this will give you some idea of how well their health is coming along.
If by chance your baby pup is not growing at the same rate an another one then you will need to step in and place this pup with the mom alone at feeding time. This will ensure that this little pup is receiving their fair share. If this pups weight does not improve or any of the others are not gaining weight, then you need to get in contact with your veterinarian as quickly as possible.
Continue reading Guinea Pig Babies care tips
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 9th, 2009%
If children are older and reasonably responsible, they can (and should) take on a role in the care of your family’s guinea pig. With the words: Okay, we’ll get a guinea pig – but you will have to take care of it, many parents are tempted to completely abdicate their pig care responsibilities and assign them all to the child. This is almost never a good idea. While caring for any living creature is a great learning opportunity (and the parent may even tell the child that they are totally in charge of the animal’s health, safety and welfare); ultimately, the final accountability should always remain with the responsible adult.

While full responsibility for your pig’s welfare should never be given to a child, it is actually a good learning experience to assign specific tasks to the children in the family. If the tasks are a life-critical – such as those involving food, water or supplements – the responsible parent must monitor the situation to make sure these duties are not being neglected. Your pigs’ lives depend on it! The parent should give occasional praise and positive reinforcements when the job is well done and they should give reminders and negative consequences when the job is neglected, forgotten or done poorly. Owning a pet is an excellent learning opportunity for your children – but it should never come at the expense of your pets’ health, safety or well-being.

If the task is less life-critical – such as cage-cleaning or giving the guinea pig daily attention and exercise – then monitoring does not need to be as diligent. However, this does not mean that you can simply delegate the task and walk away. Remember that ultimately the responsibility for your pigs’ safety and happiness falls on you – the parent. Also remember that the monitoring of tasks is for two very different and important reasons: 1) to insure the care, safety and comfort of your pet(s) and 2) to teach your kids to be responsible, caring and respectful pet-owners. So even if the task is not critical to your pigs’ health or safety, it is still an important part of your children’s transformation into responsible adults and community members.
Continue reading Guinea Pigs – Cavies and Children – Are They a Good Mix?
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 8th, 2009%
When you go shopping for a guinea pig cage, what are the things you consider? Color? Price? An attractive design? People choose their cages based upon many different criteria. However, there is one extremely important factor that often gets overlooked or ignored.

The most commonly overlooked factor in choosing a guinea pig cage appears to be cage size. Sure, people may think they look at cage size when purchasing a cage. But, judging by the number of small, “standard” pet store cages still being purchased every year, it is clear that people do not really look at cage size.

Let’s do a little thought experiment. The average guinea pig is about 9 to 15 inches in length. The average height for a human is roughly 5’4″ to 5’10″. An average pet store cage is 24-inches by 16-inches.

Put yourself in your pig’s place. An equivalent size room for you would be approximately 8-ft by 12-feet – the size of a large bathroom or a small bedroom. So, living your entire life in a large bathroom or small bedroom may not seem horrible – but it would certainly be a challenge to get a significant amount of exercise in a space that small.
Continue reading Guinea Pig Cages – The Most Commonly Overlooked Factor in Choosing a Cage
By guinea-pig-gal, on December 7th, 2009%
The remarkable thing about baby Guinea Pigs is when they are born their hearing and sight is fully developed including a full coat of hair. Only after a few hours they start to learn how to run. They have full working teeth and only their back molars need to break through. In the wild this is very advantageous to their survival.
When born the average weight is 1.5 to 4 ounces. If it is a singular birth they have a tendency to weigh more as opposed to multiple birth babies, but this occurrence is very rare. For their first few days, if you weigh them, it should reflect a constant weight or can sometimes drop a quarter ounce. Healthy youngsters from that point on will steadily show a daily weight gain of approximately 1/8 of an ounce. It is a good idea to start weighing them as soon as possible, as their weight can be an indication of their health.
During the first few days of their lives, in addition to their mothers milk, they start to eat solid foods. You might see your baby eating the feces of their mother, however this is normal behavior and a natural requirement of certain vitamins for their growth.
Baby Guinea Pigs continue to grow in size till there are 15 months of age, and the speed of growth in that time slows down quickly as they age. On average a full grown male guinea pig will weigh between 35-64 ounces, and the female between 24-35 ounces. If they are larger is might be due to fat deposits.
Continue reading Baby Guinea Pigs
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