6 Things I Wish I Knew About Guinea Pigs (Before I Got Them)

[@kimberlysolis5850]

My guinea pigs completely took over me and my families life. I love them so much, they are a million times better than what I would've expected. Yes they are expensive but they are worth it. Be prepared for them to take a big chunck of the house because they need so much space. They are super cute and chubby I love them 😍♥️

[@nova7684]

I agree. I had no idea how amazing Guineas were until my 2 girls. My girls lived to 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 and they were the best souls that entered my husband and my lives. We cry often about them. They will always be our baby girls.

[@mindyeden8269]

We love our piggies. We have 7 boys 5 under 1 1/2 yrs. So much fun We actually just gave up our living room and turned our family room into a "living room. Goes without saying that I still spend more time in with the boys anyway.

[@ScottysAnimals]

Absolutely true. Well said, Kimberly

[@jojomomster3772]

@@mindyeden8269so its not only me. My living room is all boars. Three pairs, four singles.

[@kimberlysolis5850]

@mindyeden8269 lol I had to move them to my living room too since my room was running out of space 😂 they are super cute and love being around all of us 😍♥️

[@Rcb1583]

I adopted 2 boys from a shelter last week ❤

[@Sarahlovesguineapigs]

I got a pair of female guinea pigs for my 9th birthday which unfortunately came from a PetSmart. They had a crappy small pet store cage which looking back now really breaks my heart. But I was just a kid back then and didn't know any better. Fast forward several years and I wanted to have guinea pigs again. I got my two girls from a shelter a week after my 17th birthday. I did my research and tried to learn from all the mistakes I made with my first two. My girls live in a 2 by 5 C&C cage. They have fleece bedding. I give them tons of Timothy hay and a cup of mixed veggies each night. I know I'm not a perfect owner but I try to give my girls the best life possible. I've had them for almost five years now and I just can't believe it. Time has absolutely flown by. I'm so blessed to share my life with these precious beautiful little potatoes. ❤

[@musicmamma]

I am 59. I've had guinea pigs on/off since I was 14. What I wish I would've known, was how short their little lives are. Each time I've lost a piggy, a bit of me goes with them.❤❤

[@boots1888]

When I found Eddie Murphy in the hallway of my apartment, I started googling information on them. I had never intended to own any but I needed to understand what to do until we found the owner. 8 days later with no one coming forward, I did an even deeper dive. I found you, Sakia's channel, squeek dreams and went down the rabbit hole. Thanks to all of you for getting me set up the right way and learning how to go about bonding. He's got a pretty happy life with his bonded partner in crime, Freddie Mercury.

[@maureenramirez4395]

2 things I wish I knew before buying guinea pigs.....Boys are harder to bond than girls. And guinea pigs are considered exotic pets. Only one vet in my area will take them. If I have an emergency, I have to drive 45 minutes. If they need emergency surgery, I have to drive 1 1/2 hours. Out of all the research I did, I never thought to to check local vets to make sure I had one nearby. But I won't trade them for anything. They have a special place in my heart.

[@ScottysAnimals]

This is very true. In Los Angeles it may take 45 minutes just to go 15 miles away. My regular vet is two and a half hours away and the emergency vet is 3 hours away.

[@helenm6474]

I wish I had known about cage sizes. I don’t think c and c cages even existed when I started but I cringe at how small there cages were back then. Thank god they also had a big run in the garden to make up for it

[@equestrianrosie]

So much knowledge that would help first time piggie parents. A lot of it really isn’t obvious unless you’ve been taught! My biggest mistake with the first guinea pig I had, even though she lived almost 10 years, most of that time she was alone. I didn’t realize just how much piggies open up and enjoy life when they’re with other piggies. She had a buddy who likely died of heart disease at only a few years old and we didn’t get her another buddy. We couldn’t have expected her to live 9 1/2 years, but we should definitely have gotten her another buddy. Also the variety of veggies that she could have had! She had her pellets and hay and a baby carrot each day. Her genetics carried her through, but she could’ve had such a more enriched life.

[@ScottysAnimals]

Thank you for your honesty and sharing your experience

[@maryamullins4332]

What a good video Scotty. All I know is my piggies fared far better because of your videos. My thing I wish I had known was I cannot live without them, 😂

[@paulaowens6214]

I can’t find where the link is to see all of the rescues u have listed. Maybe I’m on the wrong video??

[@Cavymum58]

Me too... Scotty is doing just what he was meant to do. His videos have helped this newbie pigmom so much! Plus he makes himself available to people like me when our piggies have problems. My older boy went through a month of one health problem after another. I emailed Scotty and we had a running back & forth conversation for several days as he offered some valuable guidance and kept up with my piggies status. He's the real deal! I'm very grateful to him for everything. 😊

[@sarahsavahnah]

Exactly that hapened too my two boys that were brothers. Ok to begin with then after a few months fighting.Got them from a petstore. Wish i knew also. Thanks Scottie for educating me and others.

[@guineapigchronicles]

Bless you for the information ❤! Also in my area, the Mspca is a beautiful rescue I adopted from! Guinea pigs are more than pocket pets as they say😮! They require more care than most realize. I am glad I know more now, than years ago! Thank you, Scotty for helping humans be better caretakers❤

[@PrettyLeafy]

I adopted my first two guinea pigs ever this past Sunday! Two bonded males, I love them immensely already. The set up was very expensive but they are worth it and bring us so much joy.

[@ruthcz4360]

I wish I had known to quarentine Bruno. Rest in peace Bruno and Michi! On a happier note: Taking over their humans life😀😀😀 They are everywhere........ Yeah! Free roaming!! demanding veggies! Being cute! They deserve only the best!

[@bunberrier]

Here's a funny story you might like Scotty. I was down to three elderly rescues, but can easily serve a few more, so I went to our state provided website. There was only one listed... a little girl named Bugsy that it said was at a place called a "Farmhouse Animal Natural Sanctuary" 38 miles from me. After corresponding and waiting a week for their organization to approve it, I loaded the car and got ready for the pick up the next day. In that time, another piggy had come in there so I would take them both. I loaded up the map in Google and realized for the first time I had had my VPN on when I first searched for piggies. This place was HOURS away, all the way down near Miami. So I went anyway. Believe it or not F.A.N.S. is a sanctuary for kangaroos and all sorts of animals. Very cool. In Myakka City FL. Now I have Bugsy, and Goose, who is an agouti gray boar with that wild hair that comes up in huge tufts everywhere. My joke is he was bitten by a radioactive squirrel.

[@alisonstaniforth4506]

Really important information in this video, I related to your story of your first piggies, this happened to me, it was heartbreaking because deep down I knew something was wrong, but as a new owner, I had no idea how dangerous illness is in guineas. I wish I had gone to a rescue first, never go to a breeder/ shop. I learned so much from your channel and the LA guinea-pig rescue KZbin channel.

[@SheriMorgan]

Thank you for this video! Especially the boy brother bonding!!! I had my “Migos” and Quavo bullied Offset to the point of seperation… he pecked his whole back one night 😢 I miss him so much! I have 2 boy skinny piggre brothers crossing fingers with my new 5x8 cage makes enough space so they can stay bonded. Love&Light from California 🤍🤍

[@sharonmcandrew5046]

If it hadn’t been for your channel I wouldn’t have known one of my girls had an upper respiratory infection and I was able to act quickly after being on strong antibiotics she’s back to her normal self thank you scotty for all the info that you pass on to people 🎉

[@emilyfunk9560]

My guinea pigs are a huge influence on my life! I get up every morning and give them a variety of fresh vegetables and oxbow vitamins and supplements. Now I see myself eating more healthy and taking my vitamins! Also, they are just as excited to see me as my dog is. I love how spoiled they are. One thing I wish I knew before owning guinea pigs is that if you have males, they need to have regular boar cleanings because as they age, the smegma and feces will get trapped into that little pocket. I also wish I knew that Fleece and target bath mats will make cage cleanings SO much easier. My piggies have also learned how to use a litter box. full with pee pads and SO much fresh hay. there is hardly any accidents outside of the hay bin. Great work Scotty! I hope to meet you on the 2nd when I come to bond and adopt more piggies 🤗

[@MomMommy-mj1vn]

Scotty, you are the best 😊

[@ScottysAnimals]

Why thank you. ❤️

[@carolinewhittle1079]

The lack of experienced Vets. I have suffered with my babies through this. In the UK, we have a wonderful lady that changed all of this; Vedra Stanley-Spatcher and Peter Gurney who wrote the groundbreaking book; The Proper Care of Guinea Pigs. I studied with both. Thankfully, there are now Vets that have trained and learned through this work. I still berate myself for health issues with my babies where I was sorely let down through lack of Veterinary knowledge. i cannot get over a poor baby with an eye issue. It was horrendous. By the time I found someone to help him, he had to be PTS. The pain and suffering he endured for two weeks haunts me 30 years on. 😭

[@MackPackreselling]

3:00 Me too I had no idea about piggy rescues

[@beverleymason9038]

Great video Scotty. They're very special little animals and it's easy for them to get us hooked. I got my first piggies in 1991 and I wish I had owned them from childhood onwards instead of at the age of 30. All those younger years without piggies but hey ho, I own them now 👍. My little Harvey was standing on top of his log tunnel last night, staring up at the ceiling in curiosity for some reason 😂😂. He's a very chilled out piggy. Maybe they have special powers 😂😂. They definitely are uniquely special anyway. Thank you Scotty 🐹🐹🐹🐹

[@kathym.9140]

Although I love my guinea pigs with all of my heart and hope to never be without at least two of these wonderful animals, I didn't realize how careful you had to be with anything that is scented. I was always a lover of scented candles, but that ended as soon as I adopted my first two piggies. I know many say it's okay to use them as long as the piggies aren't near them, but I won't take the chance. Furthermore, I'm extremely cautious about using any cleaning products near my piggies. It probably benefits us too, but the only cleaner I will use is a mixture of water and white vinegar.

[@jenniferhwaddington]

Great video Scotty! I wish I knew those furry potatoes are so full of love and personality.

[@empathsentientsoul]

Hi, I have recently had the absolute privilege of being a first time guinea pig owner. I was blown away by the character of this little one. Anyone that entered my house instantly fell in love with him. I only had him for 3 and a half years and I have no idea what age he was. He died in my arms last week and I am still heartbroken at his loss. Anyway, I guess I am looking for some advice from some seasoned owners. My neighbours recently spray painted their kitchen and the smell was horrendous in my house and there was also some blue dye residue on my kitchen worktops. My little guy went downhill rapidly after this, although my vet assures me that it was nothing to do with the spray paint as he would have had respiratory issues, I am not convinced. Can anyone offer any advice on this. Thank you.

[@ScottysAnimals]

It is impossible to say without any postmortem examination. That's why I say in this video it's important to learn about common illnesses and the symptoms. Assuming he was older you could have been some kind of internal tumor, heart disease or some undiagnosed respiratory infection. Maybe their answers in the illness section of my guinea pig care guide.

[@ScottysAnimals]

My condolences. I know how much of an impression they make on our hearts

[@empathsentientsoul]

@@ScottysAnimals Thank you very much for taking the time to respond.

[@patriciaappleby6053]

l had a guinea pig as a child l didn't know then what l know now l have learnt so about them thanks to l a guinea pig rescue lm so glad I've learnt from the video's and info l wouldn't buy a pet from a shop l have learnt a hard lesson from doing that thank you so much Scotty ❤😊xx

[@Paperbird76]

I think I went in well prepared with my piggies, mostly because of your channel. One think that you really should be prepared for is exorbitant vetbills!! Vet prizes really went up here in the netherlands... Worst problem for me is logistics getting them to a vet without having a car, and them always getting sick in impractical hours!

[@beta0117]

Thank you so much

[@michelleschneider3220]

Oh Scotty, you nailed it on all six things! I wish I knew about the corporation pet stores,like Petco where I got Harriet. Thinking I did research as a classroom pet and how Petco offered educational grants and programs,along with donating through Bobs shoes. I thought, all good, How wrong I was and realized looking at Harriet in her tank, not having shelter,a couple strings of hay and learning she was isolated for months. They directed me toward cages, not big, but I took the biggest. Long story short, I didn't take the grant, realized classroom wasn't the best and Harriet was mine forever. I then found Scotty's Animal's and then Saskia and oh how my world opened up to learning about proper care and I got the proper cage,first midwest,then as I grew and oh my gosh, hay, yes, how I wish I knew to buy in bulk and all the ways to get supplies at a cheaper price. When I think how much I spent trying to figure out as I learned! Also, Adopt,don't shop! I don't set foot in Petco or buy anything from pet stores that sell animals. Harriet has found her forever sister at a rescue,Clementine thanks for all I learned, but I didn't know about rescues.I so agree, I wish I knew how much these precious guinea pigs--werewolf skinny in my case, would capture my heart! Everything they do makes me fall in love with them more and more! Thank you Scotty for all your work and for opening a whole new world of love and care for my girls!

[@MarrisaPlays]

Well i actually did wind up doing research before i got piggies because the petco cages were stupid expensive when we went to impulse buy a piggie. so we went home and while looking at cages i fell down a rabbithole and the next week i had a midwest and TWO piggies from the shelter. Now what do i honestly wish i had known before hand... how much i was going to love them and equally how much they would break my heart on passing. I don't think it would have stopped us but it might have better prepared us for it. Oh and while Tractor Supply might be good for some things You need to look for the local mom and pop feed stores I get a big 2-tie bale of orchard grass every 2-3 months for my 6 pigs and spend $15 i think maybe up to $25 I'm not sure, per bale. Since i have this large bale at such a good price i don't worry about the incredibly large amount of hay waist piggies have any more.

[@H.Tawney]

I wish I would have known how delicate their respiratory systems are. I also don't think people know how much care they need daily. I have to take one of my girls tomorrow to see if she needs to have a surgery for her ovarian cysts. I just have two and they consume my life 😂 . But I enjoy caring for them.

[@rachaelwoods4569]

Thanks

[@rachaelwoods4569]

Hi Scotty thanks for all your helpful advice and knowledge about guinea pig care. I wish I knew in the UK 🇬🇧 how much the vet fees are and that you are best to find an exotic vet to treat them. Most UK vets can do basic checks and pain relief but you should really go to a specialist exotic vet otherwise you may end up paying for two appointments.

[@ScottysAnimals]

That is really good advice, similar to the measure twice cut once adage. Thank you for the super chat

[@amandaliverpool3374]

Oh my gosh. My son's first piggies about 14 years ago were baby brothers. One of them died. They both suffered soft poops and always had poorly tummies. I ended up as the main carer. There's lots of things I didn't understand 😕

[@ScottysAnimals]

We have all learned a lot over the years

[@mariapaz2789]

House is quite today 😂...Love these videos ,always something new to learn or something old to remember.#Adoptdontshop and watch loads of videos before , during and after you welcome your piggy ❤

[@patriciaappleby6053]

lm glad l got my two from a rescue although I have only got one now but a few weeks ago l went to pet's at home and that had two females l watched it that had bedding and kibble and a little bit of hay l wanted to say something about the hay l didn't because I didn't want to get upset because of my heart lm sorry

[@accountname337]

Wish I’d known that guinea pigs need an exotic vet and finding one can be tricky.

[@donnadrane4977]

I wish I had known to weigh my guinea pig every week as a means to detect illness!

[@Shishiochan]

I wish someone would have told me just how bad the medical treatment possibilities are for guinea pigs. Or that it's essentially a roll of dice what diseases the guinea pigs you adopt already have, even though they are supposedly healthy. Since I adopted my first pair of guinea pigs 3 years ago, it was a constant struggle. I'm past my limit of how much worrying and heartache and palliative care I can give them. I lost 2 piggies to incurable diseases the last couple of weeks, 2 guinea pigs are special need, 1 guinea pig will have to go back to the rescue to find a new home and only time will tell when the last 2 will surprise me with some new chronic/incurable disease to keep me up at night.

[@shelovemusic0]

I need your help my guniea pig is sick he can't move properly please help me i don't know what's happene with him i think he is sick i need your help please can you tell me what should i do

[@atreb56]

The thing that I wished I knew before getting my piggies is how to sex a piggie. The pet shop told me she was a boy and she was pregnant. I loved her two babies so much.❤🐹

[@reallyfedup5070]

❤❤

[@Trekopolis]

"Pet Shops" should be banned to sell live animals. They should by law only sell supplies, food, or accessories. I'm not sure what legislative branch of government oversees these types of laws, but new policy needs to be established around the globe. The system is broken and people need to figure out a plan, especially for rescue animals. There's not enough room, manpower, and resources to build more so thanks Scotty for what you do.

[@ChhanelLy-c8v]

I am interested in keeping both male and female guinea pigs in the same cage without separating them. However, I want to ensure that the female does not become pregnant. What methods or precautions can I take to prevent this while keeping them together?

[@neelymurphy6797]

You have to neuter and spay

[@beta0117]

I recently Lost My baby because an intestinal problema. I wish I knew a Lot more about intestinal illness

[@MackPackreselling]

11:49 100%%%%%%

[@ScottysAnimals]

I love timestamps

[@MackPackreselling]

@@ScottysAnimals good to know 🥰

[@MomMommy-mj1vn]

$100 on hay 😮

[@AlysonMcNulty]

Pet supplies that don't sell pet shops? I had to listen twice to get the exact wording of the typo I wanted to ask about. This time I don't think it is because I am a typo queen or because I have high frequency hearing loss.

[@ScottysAnimals]

I'm sorry I meant to say pet shops that only sell pet supplies and not animals

[@AlysonMcNulty]

@@ScottysAnimals I got that my brain translated that. It was did I actually hear what I think I heard.

[@mmmmbbnn3576]

Ja opiekuje sie zwierzakami,ale nie ma między nami relacji,nie reagują w żaden sposób na mnie ,więc nie ma między nami miłości

[@Mukyuify]

Nie podchodzą? Nie reagują nawet na jedzenie?

[@mmmmbbnn3576]

@@Mukyuify na jedzenie tak,na jedzenie reaguja ale nie na mnie.Jakbym podeszla do kota sasiada to on też przybiegnie na jedzenie. Czy to znaczy że mam go pokochać? Jest im wszystko jedno kto sie nimi opiekuje.