owning a guinea pig as a college student

[hooloovoo]

I've decided I really want to do this. I have a dog that lives with my family, but he's too far away when I need a social animal to pet.

Originally, I was thinking it wouldn't be a huge deal because I raised them growing up but then I remembered- oh yeah, from age 8-16 my mom was the one paying for everything and picking up fresh vegetables and bedding. Plus it's always easier owning an animal in a house than a college apartment.

So, in terms of finances and keeping a stock of all necessary supplies on hand, how hard is it to keep up ownership of a relatively small animal as a student?

Also, where do I even go about getting one now? They have some really cute ones at Petco, but when I do research online I find sites with messages like "DON'T BUY BABY GUINEA PIGS AT PETSTORES THEY ARE UNHEALTHY AND DIE WITHIN A WEEK AND YOU'RE SUPPORTING EVIL ANIMAL ABUSING SUPPLIERS!!!!"

Which I could go with....except, guinea pigs aren't like dogs- there aren't just lists of reputable breeders you can look up and ship out animals from.

Any experience?

[Agent 008]

As a college student, you ARE a guinea pig.

[hooloovoo]

Perhaps, but I'm not this cute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUEKH9M72ds

[xxombie]

Most small critters are relatively cheap. If they're anything like rats (they use the same basic bedding a food, but I'm willing to bet rats are more expensive) it'll be initially expensive as you have to buy cage and food and bedding all at once, but after that it's $20-$30 every couple of months for upkeep.

And yeah, petstores fucking suck. You don't know the history of the parents, and odds are they're riddled with health problems, usually respiratory problems and such, that could cost you a fortune in medical bills. Really try and find a breeder. Ask everyone you know who has guinea pigs where they got them, and if they know anyone else with them that might potentially breed. Craigslist probably has some shit too.

[Lao Tzu]

As a college student, you ARE a guinea pig.

Being a uni student myself, I can tell you this is horribly correct.
:hrmph:

[Hyper-dimension]

Most small critters are relatively cheap. If they're anything like rats (they use the same basic bedding a food, but I'm willing to bet rats are more expensive) it'll be initially expensive as you have to buy cage and food and bedding all at once, but after that it's $20-$30 every couple of months for upkeep.

And yeah, petstores fucking suck. You don't know the history of the parents, and odds are they're riddled with health problems, usually respiratory problems and such, that could cost you a fortune in medical bills. Really try and find a breeder. Ask everyone you know who has guinea pigs where they got them, and if they know anyone else with them that might potentially breed. Craigslist probably has some shit too.

Guinea pigs actually cost 2-5 times as much as your typical 'fancy rat', depending on where you buy and what breed. They're also more expensive to maintain, and require more room.

A typical short-haired pig will run you $10-$30, abyssinians $20-$40, and long-haired Peruvians even more. There are also hairless guinea pigs to consider...:eek:

As far as housing, anything smaller than 2'x4' is pretty cruel. Their enclosure needs to be at least that large in order to provide them with enough room to engage in some sort of meaningful exercise. If you think you'd be up to this, I could walk you through building a cage this size for ~$60. Very easy to make, very easy to clean(<10 minutes).

As far as everything else, you'd be looking at another $60. Hay is the most important dietary component, but is also the cheapest. If you have a local farmer's co-op, you should be able to purchase a half-bale of timothy hay(an absolutely huge quantity for a single guinea pig) for about $10, and it would probably be fresher than the overpriced hay at pet stores.

I don't think pet stores are the only 'dying baby guinea pig' culprits, but also their pet suppliers. When I worked at a pet store, I can't tell you how many times we received guinea pigs that were too young to sell. The health of young pigs is simply too unstable to send to a new home. Buy an adult. Hold the pig up to your ear to check for respiratory disease, check over it's entire body for mange(a skin affliction, requires injections from a vet), ringworm(various topical creams are available), mites, etc. Check the ears and eyes for infection. I also wouldn't buy a guinea pig from a store that doesn't house them in a properly ventilated enclosure.

Infection is typically a sign of improper vitamin c supplementation, a critical aspect of keeping guinea pigs. Ask if they provide a liquid vitamin c(and vitamin c only) supplement orally, or just ask them how they do it to catch them off guard.

Good pet stores can be found, unless you happen to live in some small, obscure city.

EDIT: Just keep in mind that they don't stay as small as in the video you posted, I've seen guinea pigs the size of house cats!

[Clue]

A few rules to remeber.

One, they shit to no end.

Two, I had a few as a kid .
I'm not sure if this is with all of them but

Every time I stroked it until it cooed, it would piss in my lap.

Third rule

Make sure it isn't pregent.

Had that happen,
Somehow going from two to having 12 of them almost over night sucked.

Last rule,

It is a rodent, meaning it's teeth will keep growing until it dies.

Animals like that need something to wear their teeth down otherwise its going die from overgrown teeth.

Other that that have fun.

[Black Flag]

If you can adopt one from a animal shelter. They're kind of boring most of the time. I'd rather have a rat.

[Alamo]

Get a chinchilla :)

[Barney'sDealer]

Rabbits FTW.