Guinea Pig, The Best Pet Mammal?

[@ClintsReptiles]

Over 10 MINUTES of BONUS content from this video, exclusively for our Stinkin' Rad Fans on Patreon! Patreon is a great way to support Clint's Reptiles AND get awesome extras (including hundreds of other bonus videos)! www.patreon.com/posts/video-patreon-97058891

[@HassanMohamed-rm1cb]

Hey Clint Laidlaw, Why don't you get to think of a suggestion and creating a KZbin Videos all about the🐠Ray-Finned Fish Group🐠on the next Clint's Reptiles on the next Saturday coming up next?!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍👍👍👍👍

[@bluerabbit7683]

@ClintsReptiles Clint, I've been watching and enjoying your channel for a while. I hope you see this comment as it comes from a place of genuine care. I really appreciate this video and have been looking forward to it, however I really think it's important that you bring in a professional and not just a random guinea pig owner. It makes me begin to wonder if other videos that I've seen on your channel are less trustworthy than I had previously believed. Before I begin- I am not saying that Jessie is not doing what he should be as a pet owner. Based on what he said, and the way his pigs act, they seem to be very well taken care of. I just don't know if he was the best person to be talking unscripted about care, as things are obviously going to slip the mind. Something like care and diet really ought to be more scripted. Many things said were not necessarily the best things to be saying to people looking into owning guinea pigs. Much more time should be spent on the size of the enclosure, since 8 square feet is the absolute minimum for 1-2 pigs and they hardl touched on that. Not a single pet store cage is suitable for them. Unless you're lucky enough to live near an organization like LA Guinea Pig Rescue, you will need to order a cage online. They are significantly more work than I feel was implied. Hardiness being a 5 is an absolutely bonkers thing to say. Guinea pigs will try everything they can to die. Children are not good guinea pig owners, they require an adult caretaker, or at least an adult who is checking they're being cared for on a daily basis, and is actually willing to step in and care for the animal. Scurvy is very important to mention and I appreciate that you did so, however it's far from the only concern. Upper respiratory infections, heatstroke over 80 degrees, hypothermia under 60 degrees, GI Stasis, impactions, getting their head caught in hay racks, etc. Guinea pigs can survive in terrible situations sometimes, they're determined to live just like us, so please don't use those cases as an excuse to continue to raise piggies poorly in replies to my comment. A well kept guinea pig is also much more expensive than you'd think, not to even mention the vet bills, since they're exotics. However, there are ways to save on this, like buying hay from a feed store/farm instead of bagged from the store, or using fleece like Jessie mentioned. I personally use fleece for 3/4ths of my cage and a litter box for 1/4th which I fill with *kiln dried* pine shavings, eco flake. It's branded towards horses so you get a much larger amount for a more reasonable price than you would buying stuff at the pet store. However, and this is crucial, if you're using pine shavings, they *must* be kiln dried, or the oils will give your pigs an URI. EcoFlake is what LAGPR uses for all of their animals, and they recommend that or fleece. There are lots of things advertised towards guinea pigs and sold at pet stores that are completely unsuitable and sometimes downright dangerous. Please, please, please, look into the conditions guinea pigs and other animals are kept in by the breeders large pet stores buy from, and the conditions they're put in at the store, where they sometimes live their entire short, sick lives. Do not support Petco, Petsmart, or any store that keeps animals in such horrible conditions. If you're looking into adopting, check your local shelters and search to see if there's a guinea pig rescue near you. I really hope you read this and so I've posted it both as a comment and as a reply to your comment. Please look into LAGPR, Squeak Dreams, or any of the other wonderful guinea pig youtubers there are. P.S. One of your editors seems to have used this video uncredited kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJSTm416eLOloKc If I missed the credit I do apologize, but in that case it ought to be easier to find. It seems to be nowhere in the description, google doc, or on screen. In fact, the "links in description" aren't even the products shown on screen, most of which are his own store's products. The channel this was taken from, The Pig Room, also probably wouldn't agree with the way a lot of the things were said in this video. Frustrating that someone took the time to watch videos from a channel (and business) providing proper care, but that research seems to have been done *after* filming the video. Your channel is a very valuable resource to pet owners around the world, please keep it that way.

[@gus-gusandozzy]

Correction: Pigs have poop beans, hold there shape, and leave no residue!

[@JustJesting]

Hey you probably won't see this but I wanted to ask a question if you did, you see I got this 9-year-old leopard gecko from a teacher whose daughter had left it behind after going to college cuz she didn't want it anymore and it wasn't in the best condition for awhile, but after it started putting on weight and getting a bit bigger it's started turning iridescent blue when you look at him close in the light and I wasn't sure if that's normal as this is my first time owning a lizard and I can't find any information on this

[@jamesowens6730]

Hey Clint can we get a Australian Olive Python pet review 😫

[@fobiaargyst5875]

I've heard some people refering to Capybaras as 'Guinea Big' and I absolutly love it.

[@sanjaypandey4437]

really I had no idea.

[@Aroaceenby]

Yes!

[@rickandrygel913]

I don't think I could tell the difference if I didn't have a size reference in the picture...

[@protocetid]

INB4 Clint does a capybara episode

[@AlmightyThagomizer]

I will say that as a former guinea pig owner, my piggies actually didn’t poop and pee ON me all that much, but their cage required more frequent cleaning then any other animal I’ve ever worked with, including the animals I cared for in a wildlife sanctuary!

[@__-be1gk]

He really likes talking about animals shitting on him for some reason

[@Houndw4veStudios]

@@__-be1gkyeah, maybe because it was something brought up in the video?? Maybe because it's a natural thing and is a major part of working with animals?

[@KaiSub]

@@__-be1gk because that is the reality of having pets, especially rodents. If he didn't talk about that and someone got a pet because of his video and suddenly get surprised pooped on I don't think they would be very happy

[@cass7448]

@@Rynn21 One of ours always gave us a gentle nibble when she needed to go.

[@erwinmulder1338]

Yeah, they actually don't like to pee or poo on you. If they do, it's either because they are terribly scared, or you ignored their signals. Mine sit with me and at some point they suddenly try to climb off of you and if that doesn't work, they give you small nibbles with their teeth. And sure enough if you put them back in their enclosure, a big wee comes out.

[@Katy-LilacHollow]

The noise they make when breakfast is late was downplayed SUBSTANTIALLY 😅. That "wheet" is very loud and they do it until you bring their celery to them 😅

[@yzettasmith4194]

Mine would start as soon as I entered the hall to my apartment and I could hear them plainly all the way from there. It's a wonder I didn't get a neighbor complaint! They also did it every time I opened the fridge. They are food obsessed.

[@Katy-LilacHollow]

@@yzettasmith4194 Ours would squeal as soon as they heard my mom go downstairs in the morning because they knew it was veggie time. This was often at 6am. I miss them a bit but they are so much work for a rodent. I need more friends with them so I can visit some.

[@kilderok]

And if you ignore them they will chatter their teeth at you sometimes. XD

[@emom358]

I'm like that about my coffee ☕😂

[@WolfanTerror]

Mine havw started to associate any movement in the kitchen with food lol As well as any rustling bags Lots of wheeking in my house 😂

[@mikeayers8951]

Guinea Pigs are the only animals (I've kept dozens of species) who genuinely appreciate when we clean up their cages. They get so happy that they start popcorning and licking hands.

[@blasttyrant3228]

What is popcorning?

[@rowanheart8122]

​@@blasttyrant3228 It's literally jumping for joy!

[@shroomyk]

I noticed that too. XD The rabbits did not react the same.

[@Corvus_Clemmons]

@@blasttyrant3228Lots of silly Guinea pig terms, you should look into to it if you want some quick awwwws.

[@uUuWolf16uUu]

I remember when we cleaned their cages. EVERYTIME the guinea pigs lick your fingers and try to get touched while you clean their cage. They are very appreciative.

[@rosalie.e.morgan]

It's always such a mixed bag watching modern care guides for pets I had as a child. So many fond memories made slightly sad by realizing how poor our care was. I hope it continues to get easier to find quality information on proper care. Thank you for this video.

[@AKindOfDog]

You just have to remember: you did the best you could, with the information that you had.

[@exomake_mehorololo]

Very true 😢it's often mortifying. But it's very good to see how people are trying to improve. I just wish pet stores would be better educating... Most are clueless and provide misinformation

[@qpqp2339]

I remember trying very hard with my hamster. partly because i thought we could get a dog if i impressed my parents with my upkeep and my parents were mess averse but also because i just cared. I remember reading two care books before i got my hamster and i remember the info now seems ridiculous. I also remember judging my friends for how dirty their hamster cages were. I don't have plans to get any soon but it blows my mind how i, as someone who just wanders the internet, managed to learn some basics about up to date hamster/etc care . And yet some people will still go buy a pet, whether its a rodent or lizard or fish or bird, and put it in the crummiest enclosure with a flimsy single piece of plastic for enrichment or decoration. People today have no excuse. Also i said i wasnt planning on getting a hamster but if one in needs comes my way i might offer up my home.. . Even if just to make it up to my childhood hamster

[@scrubjay93]

Back in the 60s and 70s, I don't remember any of our vets even being willing to see a small mammal pet like a rat or rabbit or guinea pig. 😔

[@lachouette_et_le_phoque]

Yeah, same. We had a single guinea pig iirc, and then two rabbits. The rabbits' cage was way too small, and I feel so bad thinking about them being crammed in there most of the time :( and we did meticulously read two books about their care, I don't remember their care instructions but we must have followed them and they probably were just insufficient. Those bad memories kept me from wanting to adopt another pet for a long time.

[@1mrcow143]

Fun Fact: In Switzerland it is illegal to keep just one guinea pig!

[@lookwhosinsideagain3489]

Do you know what's the penalty for it? I've been searching and can't find anything

[@trayas2272]

They going to throw you in prison because you only have 1? What if you get 2 and one dies?

[@gangliaghost8720]

​@@trayas2272big guinea pig wants you to buy another, younger guinea pig, thus trapping you in the cycle of blissful guinea pig ownership

[@felixtheswiss]

​​@@lookwhosinsideagain3489As the law is pretty new there is no precedent. I guess it would be a fine plus court costs. Btw its not specificaly for Guinea Pigs, its for communal animals..

[@felixtheswiss]

​@@trayas2272 You can rent a companion and give it back when your original dies. We did that but then we stocked up to 4 again.

[@stacigurfgurl]

im a pet store employee whos often busy as heck trying to keep the store clean and animals cared for. your videos on "is this the right animal for you" have helped me SOOOO MUCH with helping customers better understand what theyre about to adopt etc. THANK YOU you make my days easier and my ability to communicate animal needs a breeze

[@SockyNoob]

Finally another furry watching Clint's Reptiles lol

[@softcuddlydragoness]

@@SockyNoob here too.

[@ReleaseTheQuackers]

I used to run a rodent rescue and a family surrendered 10 cavies to me due to the mass reproduction that happened due to one of the original 4 being a male. So I knew that the girls were already pregnant again. I separated the boys from the girls upon intake and waited for the inevitable. In the meantime, I was lucky enough to know a veterinarian that was willing to neuter the boys. In just a few weeks, I had 34 cavies running amuck. Upon weaning, I got the boys out of there, again, and had them neutered. All the boys were adopted out easily. When I was confident that none of the girls were pregnant, all were spay by my wonderful vet and I started adopting them out as well. Needless to say, my house was LOUD for a few months and I loved it! There were piggies popcorning all over the place and squeaking like crazy! It could be deafening, but how could you not love that sound? Sadly, I have no cavies now, though I have considered getting some more. This video sort of convinced me...

[@clarehidalgo]

When I was a kid, we got 2 female guinea pigs. We ended up with 4 because the one my mom picked was pregnant, 1 boy and 1 girl. The boy lived in his own cage.

[@hefoxed]

Thanks for rescueing them, but some things to think on for future around sterilization There are multiple ways to sterilize animals, with gonadectomy (full spay/neuter) being the option most common/available. It reduces the hormones, which sterilizes and decreases libido/sexual behaviour/some territorial behaviour, but that recuction of hormones may be causing issues that most aren't aware of. For example, it may also cause anxiety/depression. For some common pet species, there's is a lack of research assessing overall mental health/anxiety levels/depression (instead focusing on behaviour issues, which anxiety/depression can contribute to but also may not -- depression/anxiety [making an animal more cautious] may improve some behaviour issues for some animals/species). However, rodent, monkey, and human research has been done showing these issues. Look for research on these issues + gonadectomy/oophorectomy/castration/hormone deprivation/etc (there's several surgical and medical ways to reduce hormones and thus need to use several terms to look into this). So many vets and experts just ignore research on this finding negative side effects, likely prioritizing reducing overpopulation (which is important), but with that, denying clients ability to make informed medical choices for their pets. Check out what the VCA says about neutering rats (that there's been no research finding issues) then check out the actual medical research in rats for a very blatant example (as rats are used to study human medical care, the studies for them are more thorough/don't have owner as a contributing factor since lab rats [tho the conditions lab rats live in is a contributing factor, but the groups are at least living in similar condition unlike studies with pets/owners] :/ ). Also, example, for dogs, a lot of vets will claim it doesn't change personality while reducing aggression, but while true it can reduce some types of aggression, several studies have showed increased behaviour issues associated with anxiety including aggression in gonadectomized dogs. Tho, the dog research is bit conflicting, but there's likely confounding bias going on around socioeconomic factors/size/etc (intact dogs are more common in low income households, which increases risks to behavior and health in several ways [more rural, less vet care, less training, outside more, more likely guard dog, owner home less due to work requirements, etc]). Also, quite a few studies are just not long enough to assess long term side effects -- like one of studies trying to determine "long term" is just 9 months -- compare that to study in spayed monkeys that's three years (which found a decrease of serotonin in spayed monkeys -- vs shorter term studies in dogs/rats showed initially it may increase serotonin, thus the need for studies to be properly long term). Also, the dog research shows another issue: while it can decrease some health issues like breast cancer, it can also increase other issues -- tho the early death in intact from likely socioecomic factors (and size differences in sample sets, as larger dogs have shorter lifespan) makes it hard to say which is net best, as like the increased cancer in gonadtomized dogs just may be due to early death meaning intact dogs don't get old enough for some cancers (tho, blood/bone cancer and alc tears/joint/muscle issues do seem to be caused by gonadectomy, particular for large dogs and dogs who were had the surgery prior to adulthood). So, studies for overall health and lifespan really need to be done for species they haven't been done in, and properly account for owner's income/other factors. Also concerns around effect on immune system, allergies, skin issues, etc. The alternatives to gonadectomy include hormone sparing sterilization options -- vastecomy, ovary sparing spay, tubal ligation being the main ones there. Unfortunately, most vets aren't trained to give these options so they're not super accessible. Considering the increased risks for surgery for small animals, having a one-sex household for small species may be a better option. However, going with hormone sparing sterilization allows them access to non-reproductive sex, which may be good to their overall well being (considering the more recent research around sexual activity in many animals -- lot of older research has religious/misogyny biases leading to while idea that other animals just have sex for reproduction, when that's not really the case at least for some species [see the book b*tch: on the female of the species for a deep dive into that -- or just consider that snake cli ts were just discovered recently...]). Trying to control their animal behavior by making them anxious and sexless is rather dystopian. Also, experts using very biased research to promote medical surgery and public policy isn't great from a medical trust aspect; as we all probably been made aware of the last few years, medical mistrust is a global health issue.

[@oneilmw]

@@hefoxed 😂You're not getting paid to write an essay but I gotta respect the passion 😉

[@lurji]

@@hefoxednot reading allat

[@TricksterModeEngaged]

oh my goodness, I have just two cavies (female + neutered male) and they're loud enough with just the two of them. 34 guinea pigs sounds adorable but so LOUD

[@victoriap1392]

Always get your Guinea pig from a rescue. I’ve kept Guinea pigs for more than twenty years, and they all typically lived anywhere between 5 and 9 years, so even if you adopt an adult they’ll likely stick around for a while. It also will not affect how tame they are because Guinea pigs adapt quickly to their surroundings and owners if you put in the time, and getting a baby definitely isn’t a sure fire way to get a tame one. Also please know that Guinea pigs can and will get diseases - dental problems, bloat, skin problems, respiratory and urinary infections etc are all fairly common. I definitely wouldn’t call them hardy. I’ve waited a long time for this video and am happy to see it, because Guinea pigs are the best pets in the world. So thank you! 😁

[@wraith1320]

I’m a little sad to hear that about the diseases. 🥺 I’ve avoided ever getting rats because of their susceptibility to illness and short lifespan…

[@victoriap1392]

@@wraith1320 I feel the same way about rats. They are so lovely but sometimes it feels like they’re made of glass. I will say, Guinea pigs live quite a lot longer than rats though. Unless something extreme happens you can almost always expect at least four years out of a Guinea pig. But yeah, most of my Guinea pigs have died at around 6 years old, often from cancer or having to put them down because of some chronic issue, typically dental or recurring infections.

[@wraith1320]

@@victoriap1392 Well, that’s at least quite a bit longer of a life than rats… What can you do to stave off infections or dental issues? Besides the obvious things, like keeping the cage cleaned and using appropriate bedding?

[@helloforever3046]

Yeah....I'm bummed they didn't mention how prone to illnesses they are. And how they have a *very* sensitive respiratory tract!

[@helloforever3046]

We had 4 guinea pigs and they all got some kind of a respiratory infection. First one started breathing weirdly and it quickly deteriorated. We took her to the vet, got prescribed antidotes, but she didn't make it past that day. Two months later the other 3 started showing similar symptoms and we quickly took them to the vet. They too got prescribed some kind of antidotes for it, but sadly despite the proper medication and care they were not getting better and we ended up putting them down. I honestly do regret that choice .. I feel like I could've saved them somehow, maybe a higher dose of the antidote could have saved them?... idk :(

[@cass7448]

I love guinea pigs. They're so expressive and quirky, not to mention the perfect size and shape for snuggling!

[@adamrodgers2377]

Got my Daughter 2 Guinea Pig's for her first Pets and the whole family fell in love with those 2 little "Popcorn" popping balls of cuteness. Well those 2 "Piggies" lived a wonderful life. My Daughter is now 16 and she has 2 more Piggies, a beautiful Fat Cat and 2 Leopard Geckos. She is also wanting to become a Vet Technician because of her love of animals, and it all started with those first 2 Piggies. 😃

[@zenxen7668]

Don’t care

[@Firebuck]

Fun fact: a medium green bell pepper has 25% more vitamin C than a medium orange. What bell peppers lack is the marketing budget of the various orange grower associations.

[@Diaphat]

I had some friends that raised them to get free compost. They used their soiled cage bedding to add to the pile. Apparently it was a great way to get nutrients for the garden. Rats and rabbits work as well for this.

[@scrubjay93]

Rats not quite so much, in my experience, because their diet is more varied. Their droppings can attract other rats and their poops are not nearly as nice to encounter in compost. I tried. Rabbits, on the other hand, their poop is fantastic for gardens and composting!

[@aviendha1154]

Chickens are the absolute best for this, in part because they can and will happily eat most weeds, including some that cannot be composted, like wandering willy. And you also get eggs, and so long as you don’t have a rooster most areas allow chickens.

[@moonyfruit]

@@scrubjay93 As a bunny owner, yes!! And their poo can be used as fertilizer for edible garden plants, too. Not all poo fertilizer is the same. Some can make edibles toxic. Ick!

[@joycepillow8143]

I have 4 guinea pigs that were recently given to me by someone that had way too many. They're so sweet and it had been years since I had had any. They're going to be spending a lot of time in my greenhouse with me. All the animals on our homestead have jobs, and there's is to produce fertilizer. They'll get plenty of hay and greens that they'll share with the other animals here. The guinea keets are constantly curious about them. The other birds just kind of ignore them, Everly the quail which for some reason just lean into their fencing of the piggies are nearby. They really seem to like them.

[@teatreetops]

We had Guinea pigs for years! They are the most cheery little guys, and did a great job of mowing our grass in the summers. I definitely miss their little voices when they heard the crisper drawer being opened!❤❤

[@wraith1320]

How did they mow your grass? 😯 That sounds really nice, lol.

[@sanablue]

@@wraith1320 I'm kinda late, but wanted to answer your question anyway. We just let ours out on the lawn in summer and they pretty much eat all the grass the can get to. It's important to put a cage over them or a fence and something above though, to both prevent random wild animals from getting them and to protect them from the sun. Heat can and will kill them if you're not careful, but if there's enough shade and it's not too hot outside, they'll happily wander around their little enclosure and eat all the grass. We always set up their little cage in a different spot every day, so they'd basically mow the grass one square metre at a time. :D Hopefully, this helps answer your question (and sorry if any of my sentences sound weird, English is not my first language and I tend to overcomplicate my sentences...)

[@treedoesstuff]

Long time piggy keeper here just to inform a little more on piggies. This is a really good well rounded video! Guinea pigs are a fantastic pet, but I would say they are not super easy, cheap or particularly good for children as they are a little more delicate than made out here, they can't take rough handling. Their poop isn't "as you would expect" for poop consistency, they have two types, one they eat which is a bit stickier, and then the discarded poops are actually fairly solid, not super dry but they are easily brushed up or picked up with a tissue with very little residue left over. It's not going to fall apart or leave stains. Poop is super important for identifying issues with piggies, if they aren't the nice rounded poop shape, there could be something wrong, if its too small, dry, tear drop shaped, wet or sticky, there's something up! Cost: vet costs can be huge. they may cost you very little initially but toward the end of their lives they can easily start costing upward of 2k moneys, they are near impossible to insure as well and not really worth it when you can insure them given the monthly price of insurance. Hardiness: I would say this varies wildly from pig to pig, some just get a bad set of cards dealt to them, they do need to be kept around 21 degrees C or they can get quite upset, if its too cold not just too hot, so keeping them indoors where you can control the temperature is ideal. Dropping them can be game over, they are not climbers and do not bounce and can be injured easily if handled roughly, not ideal pets for rough children. Their guts can be upset very easily and much like rabbits their teeth can go awry if they aren't given enough hay. Tumours and hernias are also fairly common in my experience. They do also need vitamin D, I.E sunlight! so they do need outdoor time, or, I believe there may be some merit to using UVB bulbs for them. BEWARE PET SHOPS. They are a pain, they will often sell you a tiny cage, the wrong food, etc. They need a lot of space.

[@Obsessedpetlady]

My thought when he described the expect poop consistency, bro... what kinda poops does he do and maybe he should see a doctor 😂

[@LuckyStone888]

Just started the video. I'm 50 and I had Guinea Pigs as pets. We raised them completely wrong and I fee terrible about that. We had a very sweet one who was very small but very friendly and learned to sing. For a hairy potato he was so much fun.

[@WolfieDawn]

You did the best you could with the information you had.

[@atimidbirb]

Those are the calmest piggies I have ever seen, and I have owned quite a few myself. It´s clear they are very well loved and well taken care of . 😊

[@sakuraice22]

Probably not that related to the video but my sister once worked at a petstore (for a college thing) and one of the employees there was tasked with separating the male and female guinea pigs into 2 cages; they put the ones with long fur in one cage and the ones with short fur on another thinking that was the difference, all of the females were pregnant by the time someone noticed.

[@MireVale]

Oh no 😂😂

[@conlon4332]

Haha! Did they not know what sex means haha? You need to look at their bits.

[@sakuraice22]

@@conlon4332 Yeah they thought long hair = girl T∆T Although I do understand nobody told them what to look for, still if you're not sure, ask.

[@DFangs219]

One of the reasons I love this channel: when I seen the video pop up I thought wow I love guinea pigs maybe I'll look into some. After watching the video I realized that they aren't for me. I enjoy that these videos are informative instead of just entertainment!

[@randygiles845]

You can also check your local animal shelter. The Humane Society in my area always has Guinea Pigs.

[@PositronWeaponD]

Hey Clint! Relatively new fan here. Would you consider doing a video in this series for non-Guinea yes-pigs? That is to say, pigs! We’re kind of past that stage in the 2010s where people were buying pet pigs and then giving them away when they realized how difficult they are to take care of, but I think it’d be interesting to showcase that. My family has a pig named Carl and it’s like having something with the impulse control and tantrum-throwing capabilities of a toddler and the temperament of a crotchety 75-year-old man…and the appetite of a competitive eater!

[@elizabethj.davenport8947]

Rats and Guinea Pigs (and mice) deserve respect and admiration for all the scientific and medical advancements made possible by them.

[@Cheezitnator]

And rabbits

[@WolfieDawn]

And rhesus macaques.

[@Noblebird02]

Yes. It was guinea pigs that helped a Hungarian scientist discover vitamin C because like us they need vitamin C in their diet otherwise they get scurvy

[@wraith1320]

This is something that doesn’t get said enough!

[@lisamr40]

As a child I had a guinea pig, so when my husband called and said one of his co-workers was trying to find a home for her guinea pig, (because he was fighting with her others) I jumped at the chance. However, when we got him, I started doing the research and so much has changed since the 70's and 80's. I feel they are an expensive pet to keep. The bedding is expensive, hay and food is a weekly purchase as is the vegetables. But they are so adorable. Ours rarely poos when we hold him and never pees when we are holding him. However, me and all 3 of my kids get rashes when we hold him on our bare skin. We have to hold him with a towel. I have heard a lot of people say this too. They can be allergy inducing. But they're so cute and friendly. Thanks for covering these amazing little creatures!

[@ettinakitten5047]

I developed allergies to my rats. I got my first rats at age 15, and by about 24ish, I was so allergic that just being near the rat's cage would give me an asthma attack and when I held her I got hives everywhere she'd touched me. That was my last pet rat, I kept her until the end of her lifespan and didn't get any more. I miss having rats, but they're not good for my health.

[@yourhorseyepona7309]

​​@@ettinakitten5047 i sorry to hear. Never owned rats myself, but i watched a lot FriendlyRatForcast and they seem like cute lil energetic babies. Was sad to learn that their livespans r SO short compared to, say, guinea pigs.

[@kennikitty]

Get that poor guinea pig a friend. Keeping just one is literal animal cruelty. It may not look like it, but a single g-pig is constantly suffering from loneliness.

[@Corvus_Clemmons]

@@kennikittyIt depends on the pig, some actually prefer being alone, just like humans we all have our preferences, though as a pet owner it’s their responsibility to find out if their piggy likes company.

[@kennikitty]

@@Corvus_Clemmons Absolutely not. I have to disagree with you on that one very strongly. G-pigs absolutely need a companion. There is no such thing as a guinea pig that prefers to be alone. There's no room for discussion. They suffer alone. They ALWAYS suffer alone. Keeping a single g-pig is animal cruelty. The only thing there is, is very poorly socialized individuals - either because they were separated from adults way too early and were kept in Baby-groups, or we're kept alone from a very young age and never really got the chance to properly learn g-pig behavior. It can be very hard to find a suitable companion for such individuals. It sometimes helps "throwing" them into a large well organized and socialized group... for a crash course so to speak. Sometimes very mellow and soft-spoken individuals make good friends for such poorly socialized piggies, sometimes very dominant boss pigs are better suited to whip them into shape. It's hard to match them, but it's still worth it. Never keep a g-pig alone.

[@michaeljames8329]

"If you don't mind bodily functions functioning on your body" 😂 Great writing. ❤ When I had rats - I used rabbit cage liner, which was unscented paper clumps & plastic placemats on upper levels (bars are hard on their feet). This made cleaning easy - remove soiled paper from the bottom & the placemats wipe clean in hot water (didn't use soap, to protect their sinuses).

[@ettinakitten5047]

My rats rarely pooped on me - they were more likely to poop on the ground while exploring. I think they learned that poop/pee getting on me resulted in me putting them back in their cage and going to wash up, so they tried to avoid it.

[@michaeljames8329]

@@ettinakitten5047 my girl was fastedius too, always cleaning herself whenever I touched her

[@tabbitee]

That's the first I've heard of soap being bad for ratty sinuses. I'm hoping to establish a mischief again soon (I've kept some in the past but didn't do my research properly back then) - would you be able to give a bit more detail about this issue?

[@michaeljames8329]

@@tabbitee when I got my girl, she'd been kept in cedar chips & it took weeks to figure out that they were causing her constant sneezing. My wife bought only heavily scented soaps at the time, so I avoided using them to protect my rattie girl's sinuses moving forward.

[@tabbitee]

@@michaeljames8329 tysm for the clarification! Can I assume that very mild or unscented soaps (ie simple dishwashing liquid) might be okay for washing hides or toys or such? We used to wash our girls' toys and hides in dishwashing liquid.

[@miscellanynchaos]

I live in Australia and I've had guinea pigs, my friends have some as well. They're actually very easy to get, they can be very hard to keep when it gets hot but basically whatever you use to keep cool will work for them. My friend gives them ice bricks and they do sit on them and it's super cute.

[@yzettasmith4194]

I love g. pigs and am so glad you did a vid on them. To clarify one thing, keeping them in an open top enclosure is fine as long as a person does not have other pets like dogs and cats. It's just common sense but I thought I would point it out anyway. They are more fun to watch than to hold and pet, IMO, because they burble and chatter and grunt as they interact with each other - built in ASMR. :)

[@daisypekin6787]

what's AMSR?

[@daisypekin6787]

ooops, ASMR?

[@conlon4332]

@@daisypekin6787 Google it.

[@yzettasmith4194]

@@daisypekin6787 I forget what the letters stand for, but it's a pleasantly tingly feeling or a deeply relaxing one from listening to certain sounds.

[@wraith1320]

I keep wanting to ask this of somebody who uses open-top enclosures: how do you make sure they don’t launch themselves out??? I’ve seen a video of one adult that was startled by a noise, and managed to scramble over the side of a C&C enclosure. It made me feel so uneasy about that…

[@pyrpyr5Wolf]

They usually learn nor to poop on you if you remember to only have them out for short intervals. The main thing to be aware of is that a lot of people are allergic to them as theyre very dusty/dandruffy. We used to breed them but alas, ive grown allergic over time.

[@NoName-ds5uq]

These are readily available in Australia too! Rightly many animals are not, but Guinea Pigs are.

[@chriswhinery925]

Considering how sensitive to heat they are I guess the Australian government isn't too worried about them getting loose and running amok like so many other invasive species there have. Even the cold seasons might be too hot for guinea pigs there.

[@NoName-ds5uq]

@@chriswhinery925 lol, not when I live! Average maximum in the hottest 2 months(January and February) here in Tasmania is under 22 degrees Celsius. Part of Canada, Windsor Ontario is closer to the equator than we are! 🤣🇦🇺

[@cass7448]

@@chriswhinery925 Weather aside, domestic guinea pigs just aren't suited for living wild. Escapees are lucky to last more than a few days.

[@chriswhinery925]

@@cass7448 True, they are kind of fat and pathetic. Lucky for them they're so cute that humans love them.

[@leemasters3592]

Mine escaped when I was cleaning their outdoor hutch and lived in the shade house for 2 years before I could catch the lil buggers again. After the a couple of hours when it became clear I wasn't going to catch them unless they let me or i moved the several hundred pot plants and stress them a lot moved their food and water to where they could access it.

[@chosetec]

Clint, I love that you finally got to guinea pigs in your series. Thanks for such a good and thorough video. There are a few things I would add, as a guinea pig keeper, mainly that potential adopters should check the shelters first, since guinea pigs are very commonly abandoned and shelters are often full of them looking for homes. A lot of people are in over their heads because the amount of work is actually similar to keeping a dog, just different.

[@everymanoffroadadventures6082]

Clint, I LOVE how you have a resident employee who's a GP enthusiast, and so you brought him on the video! Further proof that you are a real, quality human. Thank you for setting the example. This is the way.

[@scrubjay93]

Animal shelters often have adorable guinea pigs up for adoption! This was a lovely segment. Very handsome cavies indeed.

[@RoninUK-e3u]

I don't know how true it is but I was told that when Guinea Pigs were first brought in to the UK as pets they cost 10 shillings and 6 pence to buy. This was half a Guinea (£1 and 1 shilling) and so they were known as half guinea pigs and this got shortened over the years. it might be a complete myth but it always stuck in my mind.

[@rowanheart8122]

I thought it was a whole guinea, but I think it's true

[@valentinaaugustina]

guinea is a 17th century term that basically means foreign, which is pretty much what peru was to the english

[@Corvus_Clemmons]

That is a hypothesis for where the name originated, just like many others we don’t know for sure so we can’t say for sure why they are called Guinea pigs.

[@littlesaresare]

There are four primary theories behind where the 'guinea' comes from. 1. The were introduced to the American country Guyana and the surrounding Guianas in the 1500s. From there they were exported to Europe, where it've mighted been corrupted from Guyana pig or Guiana pig. 2. They were imported via the African slave trade routes, most commonly passing through the African country Guinea, so they were perceived to come from there. 3. They were worth a guinea (I've never heard half a guinea, only ever one guinea), which is equivalent to US$100 today. 4. The word 'guinea' was old English slang for foreign, thus guinea pig was simply slang for 'foreign pig'. The 'pig' is a little more cut and dry. They squeal and they look like roasted suckling pigs when prepared. This carries through to their gender terms of boar and sow.

[@samuelkatz1124]

Thank you so much for covering Guinea pigs! If it weren't for my terrible allergy to rodents id probably have a dozen of my own. They're adorable!

[@scrubjay93]

There are hairless guinea pigs now - sometimes called Skinny Pigs. And hairless rats. Not sure if that would be enough to bypass your allergies, but thought I would mention it just in case😊 I have a feeling it wouldn't help that much - the little scratches from their claws would probably really cause a reaction.

[@jessicaj2990]

@@scrubjay93 breeding them is illegal in several countries bc breeding a deformed animal on purpose which causes them discomfort (no thermoregulation, high risk of skin injuries, also they lack vibrissae their "whiskers" which normally are very sensitive and aid orientation) falls under animal cruelty laws promoting hairless animals to allergic people is pretty much a scam tbh, most people are mostly allergic to the dandruff, tiny skin particles, obv a naked animal still has skin

[@samuelkatz1124]

​@@scrubjay93 I've heard mixed things on whether skinny pigs are actually any less allergenic than regular guinea pigs.

[@evanrigel954]

i love their little squeaky noises, it's so adorable

[@postmillennial1177]

Also thank you Jessie for allowing Clint to make a video on your amazing guinea pigs.

[@mattm7798]

Rats are so so so underrated as pets because often, they are pests because they survive so well. But they make amazing pets with the only major downside is they don't live that long.

[@wraith1320]

That’s just SUCH a downside, though. 🥺 I really wish they lived at least five years, and I’d love to have some… but it just seems too painful to get attached and then only have two years or so. 😢

[@moonyfruit]

That downside is making me HIGHLY reconsider getting rats and getting guinea pigs instead.

[@SerbAtheist]

There are two schools to guinea pig bedding: the first is fleece and the second is PINE shavings, more specifically Kiln Dried Pine shavings. I'm team pine. Cleaning is relatively fast and easy, every 4 days or so, just dump all the shavings as well as everything else that has accumulated on them into a garbage bag, wipe and put in new fresh bedding. Doesn't take longer than 10 minutes. Guinea pig poop is not that bad, just like tiny pellets. Getting peed on is far worse, which is why they shouldn't be handled for longer than 15 mins or so since they have tiny bladders, which is just about their only disadvantage compared to cats. Another big problem with guinea pigs is that they are social animals, so it's highly inadvisable to have just one, but they don't always get along. Males are usually kept in bonded pairs, while females can perhaps have a larger bunch along with optionally a neutered male. The chance of two males getting along is just 20%, while with females it's more like 80%, so you can't simply put two guinea pigs and hope for the best, you actually have to test whether they'll bond first.

[@JamesJohnson-iq5wb]

I often handle my guinea pig for up to any hour and he pees on me maybe once a year at most

[@glorygloryholeallelujah]

To be fair, in Peru’s defense (and Bolivia/Ecuador/possibly others-those are just the places I’ve seen/had it)….. *Cuy is super delicious.* So long as you can get over the mental hurdle of what you’re eating-which not everyone can (and I 100% understand/respect those who cannot).❤ I had a few pet Guinea pigs, that I absolutely adored when I was growing up! And even having the benefit of being from a country with a somewhat similar culture(Mexico)-a place where we also eats a few things that most people consider weird or gross here in the USA (and in many other countries)… I probably would’ve had a much harder time with it-but I had no idea what I was eating the first time (it was simply unidentifiable chunks of meat in one of the dishes served at a fancy-pants work function that I was lucky enough to be invited to, while temporarily working/studying/interning at a site in Peru). They make great pets and a great dinner-what more could you ask from an animal?! 😂❤

[@qpqp2339]

What do they taste like

[@Chameleonradio]

They are about the intelligence level of a lot of things we eat on the regular so it does make sense. Certainly less than regular pigs probably...I had cuy once, it was at a special cuy restaurant where they serve them spitted out like regular pigs. It was pretty good, but I'd like to try it as part of another dish. It seems like cuis raised for meat tend to be bigger lol. (I had a cuy as a kid; unfortunately we didn't have the best understanding and I wouldn't call myself the most responsible owner...she ended up having misaligned teeth because she didn't get enough roughage and starved. 😥)

[@manarayofhope2374]

I,v never tried but I wouldn't mind it

[@cutencurly9019]

As someone whose family is from one of these countries, I do find it hard to see them as pets and not as just food. Same with chickens, some people keep them as pets, or just eggs, but others, well… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Also, for those asking, they are quite good, I always think it tastes like dark meat poultry.

[@gregorysteffensen3279]

Worth noting that although the pet breeds are historically a meat animal, modern meat guinea pig breeds can be as much as 2-3 times larger. They are sometimes available in the US as well, but the meat breeds are a lot more skittish and much less docile when handled

[@fluffygalaxy6]

Socializing them early really is important. We had some when I was still pretty young, we got them small and kinda dropped the ball on that. Long story short they would, sometimes, come up to us if we were holding food to eat and immediately leave after, getting them out of the cage to clean it would stress them out so bad everytime, I always felt bad for them and also one of them got an abscess (or sth, I don't remember) and got euthanized. We didn't have any other pets after that

[@ryanpretchik3431]

Pigs are surprisingly good pets. As a kid I was never impressed with them, but we got them for our kids. They're very nice little animals. Very docile. Skittish at first but they warm up with time. They make all kinds of interesting sounds and respond to interaction well. Not for small kids. Best for kids 10 or older. A bit younger if you have a calm, contentious child.

[@lcoq19]

A lot of people keep a specific towel for when holding their guinea pigs so if they do potty, it won't be on them. I had an albino female for many years name Angel and she never peed on anyone until my friend held her on her lap on a pillow. Angel backed up toward what seemed like a "corner", as she would in her cage, and peed and it got on my friend's lap. She still mentions it like 17 years later. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

[@mMeFlora]

I appreciate the noises the spice girls made at points through the video

[@JeanOlaf]

I saw a clip of a baby Guinea pig yesterday and I thought "I wonder if Clint has a video on them 🤔" Well I'm glad there's one now 😆

[@sassafrassanid5718]

I’ve never had the problem of a fussy pig; usually they were a little too indiscriminate about what they munched on!

[@Obsessedpetlady]

Me either, I've also never had a problem with fussy dogs. I have noticed the same people who have fussy dogs.. have fussy cats, fussy pigs, all their animals are fussy. I dunno what vibes those people are sending but they aren't positive

[@bluerabbit7683]

Clint, I've been watching and enjoying your channel for a while. I hope you see this comment as it comes from a place of genuine care. I really appreciate this video and have been looking forward to it, however I really think it's important that you bring in a professional and not just a random guinea pig owner. It makes me begin to wonder if other videos that I've seen on your channel are less trustworthy than I had previously believed. Before I begin- I am not saying that Jessie is not doing what he should be as a pet owner. Based on what he said, and the way his pigs act, they seem to be very well taken care of. I just don't know if he was the best person to be talking unscripted about care, as things are obviously going to slip the mind. Something like care and diet really ought to be more scripted. Many things said were not necessarily the best things to be saying to people looking into owning guinea pigs. Much more time should be spent on the size of the enclosure, since 8 square feet is the absolute minimum for 1-2 pigs and they hardl touched on that. Not a single pet store cage is suitable for them. Unless you're lucky enough to live near an organization like LA Guinea Pig Rescue, you will need to order a cage online. They are significantly more work than I feel was implied. Hardiness being a 5 is an absolutely bonkers thing to say. Guinea pigs will try everything they can to die. Children are not good guinea pig owners, they require an adult caretaker, or at least an adult who is checking they're being cared for on a daily basis, and is actually willing to step in and care for the animal. Scurvy is very important to mention and I appreciate that you did so, however it's far from the only concern. Upper respiratory infections, heatstroke over 80 degrees, hypothermia under 60 degrees, GI Stasis, impactions, getting their head caught in hay racks, etc. Guinea pigs can survive in terrible situations sometimes, they're determined to live just like us, so please don't use those cases as an excuse to continue to raise piggies poorly in replies to my comment. A well kept guinea pig is also much more expensive than you'd think, not to even mention the vet bills, since they're exotics. However, there are ways to save on this, like buying hay from a feed store/farm instead of bagged from the store, or using fleece like Jessie mentioned. I personally use fleece for 3/4ths of my cage and a litter box for 1/4th which I fill with *kiln dried* pine shavings, eco flake. It's branded towards horses so you get a much larger amount for a more reasonable price than you would buying stuff at the pet store. However, and this is crucial, if you're using pine shavings, they *must* be kiln dried, or the oils will give your pigs an URI. EcoFlake is what LAGPR uses for all of their animals, and they recommend that or fleece. There are lots of things advertised towards guinea pigs and sold at pet stores that are completely unsuitable and sometimes downright dangerous. Please, please, please, look into the conditions guinea pigs and other animals are kept in by the breeders large pet stores buy from, and the conditions they're put in at the store, where they sometimes live their entire short, sick lives. Do not support Petco, Petsmart, or any store that keeps animals in such horrible conditions. If you're looking into adopting, check your local shelters and search to see if there's a guinea pig rescue near you. I really hope you read this and so I've posted it both as a comment and as a reply to your comment. Please look into LAGPR, Squeak Dreams, or any of the other wonderful guinea pig youtubers there are. P.S. One of your editors seems to have used this video uncredited kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJSTm416eLOloKc If I missed the credit I do apologize, but in that case it ought to be easier to find. It seems to be nowhere in the description, google doc, or on screen. In fact, the "links in description" aren't even the products shown on screen, most of which are his own store's products. The channel this was taken from, The Pig Room, also probably wouldn't agree with the way a lot of the things were said in this video. Frustrating that someone took the time to watch videos from a channel (and business) providing proper care, but that research seems to have been done *after* filming the video. Your channel is a very valuable resource to pet owners around the world, please keep it that way.

[@yzettasmith4194]

Good information and I hope Clint does see it.

[@VelvetCamn]

Yeah I noticed that a clip from the KZbin channel, The Pig Room was used but not credited. Hope Clint sees this comment you made!

[@scrubjay93]

yes, I was curious about veterinary care for guinea pigs. I kept rats for many years and the closest expert rat vet was 2 hours away and 3-3.5 hours in traffic. I wouldn't advise anyone getting a rat without FIRST having lined up an exotics vet nearby.

[@IJest]

The noise they make (wheeking) is cute.

[@lcoq19]

Some guinea pigs do need baths. Not just the long-haired ones. I've had some who weren't overly bright who would lie in their pee corner and it would stain their belly and leave them stinky. A quick bath in the sink with a little hypoallergenic baby shampoo, a thorough rub down with a very absorbent towel, and a few minutes of using a blow dryer on a low or heatless setting and they were good as new. I also found that kale was an excellent source of vitamin c and calcium and they really loved it. Definitely avoid iceberg lettuce though. It's very inefficient, nutrient-wise. And not that the average owner will be breeding them, but you forgot to mention one of their coolest qualities: while guinea pigs, unlike most rodents, have long pregnancies (~3 months) and smaller litters (1-3 is most common in my experience- they only have 2 teats and larger litters may result in some babies not getting enough milk), their babies are remarkably well-developed at birth! They are born fully-furred, eyes and ears open, and running around! They look like mini versions of the adults- although their heads, and especially their ears, look too big for their little bodies. 😂 They begin trying to eat solids from day 1 (yep, they are born with fully formed and functional teeth- I don't envy those nursing mamas! Ouch!) and are typically weaned by 3 weeks old! The babies are soo cute and they can be held and interacted with from day one, as long as you don't handle them and separate them from mom too much. As for water, while they will drink from a bowl, they are not the cleanest animals and their short little legs means they often put their paws on and in their bowls, which can lead to them tipping them over, wetting their bedding more frequently and leaving them without water to drink. I absolutely recommend a water bottle over a bowl. The only real downside, cost wise, is vet care. You'll need an exotic vet who has experience with small mammals, preferably rodents/guinea pigs, and those visits cost more than the guinea pig, their cage, and their food/accessories, a lot of times. Unfortunately this leads to people neglecting to provide vet care when needed, finding it "more economical" to replace the guinea pig than get it vet treatment, which is obviously very sad and cruel to let the little creatures suffer. Granted, most of the time, you will not need to take your guinea pig to the vet. They are typically hearty, healthy little guys and they don't need regular/annual check-ups the way your dog or cat might. They only really need to go if they are injured or ill. If they're properly cared for, getting a good diet and kept in a clean environment, they will usually be healthy. Lastly, I also wanted to add that, with regard to keeping them with rabbits, besides the disease aspect, rabbits can not only bully guinea pigs, biting them and the like, but I know of at least one person who cohabbed them and one of their rabbits, who was larger than the guinea pigs, killed one their guinea pigs by kicking it. Just because they're similar in size, behavior, and diet does not mean they can cohabitate.

[@conlon4332]

0:48 It looks so happy with itself haha! Like "Yes, I am the true Guinea Pig." Haha!

[@TodayImMaking]

My rat did not pee or poop on me. He would leave me to do that. They are actually smart and considerate little critters.

[@CompanionBeans]

Adorable piggies and great info! If you don't have a shop vac, cleanup with fleece lining is still quite simple- I gather all the "do" in one section by pulling the lining at the corners, then I use a litter scoop and a dust pan to remove everything. I also recommend washable pads in spots where the piggies hang out most (around food/water and hay areas) that can be changed out every few days/as needed.

[@tisfortessa]

i miss having a guinea pig. my sweet girl winnie i rescued in oregon and brought her back with me to utah where she lived her final years as a queen. she HATED other guinea pigs (animals in general) tho. she was a badass and i miss her everyday. had to take time off work after she passed. such an amazing girl

[@geekbabe100]

Seeing your cheerful face always makes my day Clint ❤ I have a friend from Peru & they do indeed eat Guinea Pigs, cultures are different but I couldn’t do it

[@wesleyp3024]

i just make my guinea pig enclosure floor out of bricks (rubber lining under the bricks). the bricks absorb all the pee and wear down their nails so they dont need clipped. i also have plant beds filled with edible plants and grass in their enclosure that can be changed out when they are eaten. the shop vac takes care of all the droppings. i change out the bricks and clean them every 3-4 months, but the fuzzy guys stay nice n dry with this setup and there is no annoying fleece or bedding. they seem to love it, especially the plants.

[@nathanielreichert4638]

yup, so technically its, "Guinea Pig's', the best pet mammals." back in middle school, mine were so much happier as groups of 3-4, and frankly, it made me happy too.

[@methanbreather]

try group of 10. It is really cute. But no touching.

[@jordanbabcock9349]

No, it is not "Guinea Pig's' " Not close.

[@bungeetoons]

In what nation is the plural English of a non-possessive context noun: 's' it looks clunky.😑

[@ettinakitten5047]

No, "Pig's" means belong to Pig. "Pigs" means more than one Pig.

[@BrazenSolar]

I had just one guinea pig and he lived to about 7-8 years old. I realise he was probably not as happy as he should have been, but I like to think the fact he lived such a long life was a good sign. He was on the living room table so people were always walking past, interacting etc.

[@notoriousresearcher]

I remember when I had my pigs I always kept a couple of old towels around for handling so that I could shake the poop out in the garden 😂 They also seemed to really enjoy being in a towel burrito

[@elianawilson3190]

I had two piggies for a while, they both passed in the last year and a half, i always find myself missing them when I'm reminded just how darn cute guinea pigs are

[@loonloonlikemoonmoon1577]

I'd love for a video on pigeons! One of the most underrated pets

[@scrubjay93]

Good idea! I also kept a pair of tiny ornamental chickens in my house at one time.

[@Keichimaru]

I have three girls of my own. I never had any real interest in guinea pigs, but then my autistic son got REALLY into guinea pig videos on youtube and became obsessed. We decided to get him some for christmas, and he was over the moon. I always thought they were little more than giant hamsters, but I was so very very wrong. It didn't take long for me to fall in love, and now I can't imagine my life without piggies in it. They each have such unique personalities and quirks, and are all such wonderful little critters in their own little ways.

[@therandompineapple3805]

You know having owned guinea pigs, they're honestly pretty good. And I don't know. I guess mine must have been freakishly neat because it only ever pooped in one side of its enclosure

[@yzettasmith4194]

In my experience, they do tend to have a main corner, but mine also had oops! poops other places in their cage.

[@lilitharam44]

We rescued a guinea pig from someone just coming up to us in a parking lot, older teenager, and said "Hey do you want a guinea pig?" We told him that we couldn't keep him permanently but we'd find him another home because I knew he needed at least one friend. He came with the laundry basket he was living in, Hay, pellets, and treats. We kept him for about a month before finding a good rescue that could take him. During that time we found out that my husband is Very Allergic to guinea pigs and had to use an inhaler the entire time we had him. He was really a good Boi and we loved him the short time we had him but we're glad he's in a good forever home with a friend to talk to now. I had them growing up. You should always house them with the same gender because they will, like rabbits, reproduce if given the chance.

[@paganshaz]

Yes you can get Guinea Pigs in Australia. Often in rescues smiles.

[@AbrasiveScotsman]

Here in the UK we traditionally house our Guinea Pigs outdoors. We've kept them for years. They live outside in weather proof hutches and live on a bedding of (from bottom to top) of newspapers, wood shavings and a thick layer of hay. In inclement weather we have tarps we drape over their hutches. When the temperature drops below freezing we give them microwavable heat pads to sit on. I worry about them in the cold but it genuinely doesn't seem to bother them even down to -5C. I suppose the Andes can be cold. You'll sometimes see them sitting on the landing of their hutch watching storms. Summer can be a whole other story. On the rare occasions that the UK gets above 26C, they do seem to suffer. Then we freeze plastic bottles of water for them to lean up against and try to provide them with lots of shade. Spring and summer they get out in a run most days - I haven't mowed the lawn in years. I just move the run around the garden. This care regimen seems to suit them. I've had two guinea pigs that lived to be over 10 years old which my vet tells me is a local record. The common belief that Guinea Pigs only live 4-6 years is (I think) connected with them being seen as "Kids Pets" and they often don't get the best care. Some of mine have died at that age, but they were unwell. I think 7-8 years is pretty achievable with good care. They really are very hardy. I've had relatives that left their pet guinea pigs shivering on damp pieces of newspaper - it made me angry but the pigs did survive, although maybe not to a ripe old age... One last thing - as a prey animal they don't give you many signals they are ill. Regularly weighing them is about the only way to detect that your pig is going downhill.

[@Blanche-ranch]

Thank you for doing this. I work at a pet store but I work over in the plant department. I don’t know a lot about Guinea pig care but this helped me out a lot!

[@conlon4332]

Not long ago I was searching your channel for Guinea Pigs and was disappointed to find you didn't have a video on them. I'm so glad you do now! I've been considering getting them since watching The Pig Room and seeing how lovely they are. Thank you for the informative video, it gives me confidence that I know what I'm getting into and will know how to look after them if I do get them.

[@garg4531]

Oh hey I’ve been waiting for this!^^ I recently started researching various “beginner” pets and in my opinion guinea pigs seem like a really great option, at least much better than hamsters in terms of handling and being child-friendly, but I’ve been wanting to hear your advice and opinion to see if they can truly be considered one of the best pet mammals Edit: Gosh, Pepper and Cinnamon are *so* cute 😍

[@nckojita]

personally i’ve always thought the best “beginner” pets will always be cats (assuming you’re prepared to care for them for the better part of two decades at least) closely followed by rats. i feel like a lot of people rarely consider the former just bc they’re very misinformed about cat behavior and don’t understand their body language well - most well-socialized cats do amazing with children, esp if the kid knows how to be gentle with them! i’ve even seen cats who generally dislike most people let kids dress them up, carry them around, put them in strollers and play with like a baby doll etc lol it’s cute. they seem to understand human children as being “kittens” and thus treat them as such by being super tolerant of them. and rats are basically tiny dogs behavior wise so they’re very fun to interact with, it’s just a shame they don’t tend to live very long. guinea pigs are a little more complex imo but if you do the research i feel like they’re also probably a pretty good option. the problem w them tho is the poop like it’s soooo much 😭

[@garg4531]

@@nckojita Yeah Guinea pigs sure sound like a lot of work, and definitely agree with cats They’re very independent but affectionate, and no where near as much work as a dog Another option I feel would be great are betta fish: very easy to house and care for (especially compared to goldfish!), plus they’re beautiful and interactive

[@antoniobarbaro3499]

Guinea pigs take a fair bit of work and hide illness very well. They're not cheap and they need a good cavy savvy vet. There is no such thing as a 'beginner pet' but there are a lot of very good rescues who can provide excellent advice

[@nckojita]

@@garg4531 betta fish are definitely a great choice! i usually only recommend them for someone who’s a little older (like 10-12+ at least) just bc fish in general can be a bit complex due to water changes and stuff, you gotta have the right personality for it. even tho they are relatively easy ik for sure i as an adult could never cos i’m just too damn forgetful 😩 i’d probably look up how often water changes are required and do a couple months to a year of a practice run sort of thing just to be sure it’s something you’re able to handle just cos fish can be really hard to rehome if you end up needing to which sucks :(

[@garg4531]

@@nckojita I suppose that’s true Though I feel any exotic pet can be difficult to house and care for if you aren’t prepared to set up and maintain their enclosure, so it’s important to make sure you’re invested in whatever type of animal you’re going to get and do plenty of research on them

[@skypaver989]

I had 4 guinea pigs for 9 years. They're such sweet and lively pets. They're good at recognizing food sounds and being super loud. Fridge sounds, veggies being cut, bags being rustled, if they hear it they will squeak

[@Aleera616]

My childhood best friends mom had a guinea pig addiction and it escalated so quickly. The conditions they were kept in were actually surprisingly good but she got overwhelmed and didn't manage to seperate female and male animals before someone was pregnant AGAIN and then everything went downhill. Which ultimately resulted in some guinea pig on guinea pig violence and sadly some deaths and illness. She is now guinea pig free luckily and we are currently trying to figure out if a guinea pig birthday card for her would be appropriate or if it would trigger some flashbacks lol. This in combination with my personal horrible childhood experiences with rabbits left me with a deep respect for rodents and the people who keep them with proper care. It also left me angry at pet shops and society marketing guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters etc as easy pets. I am happy with my cat these days

[@toddtanner95]

Couple of notes: guinea pigs are actually potty trainable and after a bit avoid pooping and peeing on their people pretty reliably. Also, I was shocked at the high hardiness score because if they do get sick, it's most likely a death sentence. Pine (either shavings or houses/other structures) will cause upper respiratory infections that they probably won't recover from, and I had a pig once with an impacted tooth, and she pretty much just slowly wasted away even after veterinary care. That being said, they are extremely conversational and personable and a very fun pet to keep.

[@antoniobarbaro3499]

Been waiting for this one. I will say I don't think guinea pig poop is that bug of a deal, like hard, brown jelly beans. They do produce caecotrophs as well, though, but they eat those. And a good rescue is always better than a shop or breeder, a lot of pigs need good homes

[@Kosukie]

I potty trained my piggies the best they could. They still had accidents, but kept a fairly poop free area. They couldn't help tinkling when startled by something like a bird flying by which is understandable. I loved my piggies and miss them. They lived a full happy life. I'm pretty allergic to fur now so I've since switched to reptiles, but one day I'd like to have some again when my allergies allow it again. ^^ They LOVED getting a pumpkin at Halloween and a Veggie Tree at Christmas.

[@chenjung407ad]

Many mammal pets are available quite readily in Australia. Just in pet shops, I've seen mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, dog, cats, ferrets. You need a license for most reptiles and native mammals, but I don't think you require one for any non-native mammals.

[@rubyy.7374]

A nice bonus to getting guinea pigs is that they encourage you to buy/eat more veggies so you can feed them your leftovers!

[@IvyLupusXKariCatta]

I have a herd of three piggies: Susanoo (Sassy), Inari, and Kit (Kitsune). They are amazing, and I love them to death. Sassy is our oldest girl, and she definetly rules the roost

[@latieplolo]

Fold a towel on your lap for poo and you're covered for cuddles! We had these my entire childhood and I'll definitely find it difficult to say no if my kids ever start asking for some. I had no idea about the diseases from rabbits! We kept ours next to each other and they had frequent supervised play dates, I guess we got lucky!

[@jacobwalls1686]

Having worked with crazy animals like gibbons and alligators to common pets like dogs, cats and Clint’s favorite the corn snake I have always said Guinea pigs are the best pets you can get. They are low enough maintenance that they are reasonable for most people yet are super affectionate and will actually be happy to see you unlike many lower maintenance animals.

[@YashaVatrushka]

I love guinea pigs. We had two when I was a kid and they were the cutest little things. I miss them, their little noises are incredibly cute

[@cassielfsw3815]

Fun fact. At the end of the video, when they're talking about cooking cuy, you can see Cinnamon helping herself to some poop snacks. If you see a piggy stick their head between their legs like that, that's what they're doing. 😂

[@moonyfruit]

Piggies and Rabbits and their poo snacks!! :'D

[@Amy-il7mq]

Yes! I've been waiting for this video! I keep guinea pigs and they are wonderful little creatures. They are certainly not low maintenance pets, but they're so sweet if you work with them young and let them warm up to you. They're definitely worth the space, money, and time they will require.

[@Topazzzzzz]

I love them. I've had guinea pigs all my life and theyre such delightful little guys with such varied and fun personalities. Unfortunately theyre often caught in hoarding situations because theyre so easily available and cheap and breed like crazy if not neutered appropriately. A lot of people consider them easily replaceable and discardable because of it. Over here theyre probably among the pets that gets gifted to kids at christmas and then sent off to shelters (if theyre lucky) in an awful state because they were forgotten about the most, alongside hamsters. Theyre also, in my opinion, not the kind of pet to keep around very young children. They dont handle stress very well and small kids tend to be kind of rough with them. To those worried about the poops: its really not as bad as youd think if they have a proper diet. Their poop also doesnt really smell like anything. Put a towel on your lap before putting a guinea pig on there and youre 100% fine. Rabbits have NEVER been an issue for our guinea pigs. We've had rabbits with out guinea pigs in the different enclosures we've had for as long as I can remember. We're currently keeping five guinea pigs and two rabbits in an enclosure outside (year round unless it gets SUPER cold because guinea pigs have naked feet and i dont want them to freeze their toes off; moisture can also be an issue with them in cold weather) and they get along just fine. Keeping a single rabbit and one guinea pig together is a big nono obviously but generally they do get along. If you let your rabbits carry diseases around maybe thats on you for not regularly having them checked out at the vet... Another good option for vitamin c is fresh spinach btw. Some guinea pigs may not be used to dripper bottles Thank you for mentioning that guinea pigs clean themselves just fine unless theyre old or covered in something they shouldnt ingest. Those viral videos online where people just bathe their guinea pigs bc its "cute" "haha spa day" make me so ill. The only spa related thing a healthy short-haired guinea pig will ever need is nail clipping if they dont have anything on the floor that keeps their claws short.

[@scrubjay93]

There is a disease called Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease that began to really spread rapidly in 2020 in some US states. Might be worth just reading up on it to see if it is in your area. It has devastated rabbits in some areas.

[@Topazzzzzz]

@@scrubjay93 I dont live in the US but RHD is a thing here too - my rabbits are vaccinated

[@stellabelikiewicz1523]

I’m very excited for that vitamin c video! If I’m understanding correctly, our discovery of information about vitamin c deficiency via the study of Guinea pigs was one of those insanely unlikely science coincidences that sometimes happen, where we completely unknowingly decided to study one of the VERY few other mammals that has the same physiology that we do in this one area. Wild and unlikely and awesome!

[@SuperSmashDolls]

Even wilder is the fact that we had already learned that citrus stops scurvy over a hundred years ago, then *un*learned it. The British Empire had made lemon juice on ships mandatory, but then replaced it with a cheaper fruit that does not have vitamin C in it, and then when scurvy rates went back up, assumed the original advice was wrong and that citrus had nothing to do with scurvy.

[@stellabelikiewicz1523]

@@SuperSmashDolls ooh, that’s awesome! Well, awesomely interesting, not so awesome for sailors who came along at just the wrong time 😀!

[@RomulusTheWild6693]

Growing up I had two of these little sweetheart Oreo, and Chesnut they will steal your heart and unlike hamsters they won't bite you for no reason

[@joanfregapane8683]

Really enjoyed this episode! My brother and I had a pair of Guinea Pigs back in the early 1960’s. They were wonderful pets.

[@petitwallaby]

I have a scientist question: Is it possible to have a guinea pig in front of you and resist constantly petting it? I know I couldn't! LOL

[@SilverDragonJay]

I love how content they are to just sit there and accept pets.

[@Zach0451]

They honestly taste pretty good. I highly recommend the Guinea Pig!

[@Grimm-Gaming]

I'm down to try. Rabbits delicious too afterall despite them being cute as heck n having owned a few as pets.

[@Zach0451]

@@Grimm-Gaming they taste pretty similar

[@johnmonahan4377]

If you are doing any type of composting, their used bedding works wonderfully.

[@israfel00]

XD I have one comment to make concerning handleability with both rats and guinea pigs. They do not poop or pee on you as frequent as you think. I had 2 male guinea pigs, I handled them for up to an hour with not a single drop of urine or poop on me, the same can be said with my rats, I had 3 males and 3 females. What I learned raising guinea pigs and rats is they will not pee and poop on you if they trust you. They will do it frequently if they are afraid of you. It seems to be a defense mechanism.

[@gjmottet]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Both will hold it and run to their corner as soon as they get back to their cage. Rats I find are more indiscriminate and will only hold things in for 10-15 minutes, but pigs can normally be handled for an hour or so before bodily functions become a problem.

[@walrusdestruction6845]

FINALLY HOLY MOLY I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS FOR LIKE A YEAR

[@billyr2904]

The part about how guinea pigs do not produce vitamin C, is the most surprising thing I have learned from this entire video. I was also surprised when 2 years ago I discovered that guinea pigs are related to the most beloved mammal on the Internet... capybaras.

[@WolfieDawn]

Capybaras are Guinea Bigs lol

[@tisfortessa]

such a good video. this made me cry. i love guinea pigs. my heart can’t take their short lifespans tho

[@togsweightlossvlog2719]

I call mine the little poop monsters. I will say at least to the poop doesn't smell that bad it mostly smells like hay and it dries out quickly so easy to clean. I also have a hamster and her poop smells absolutely costic. I have a 4 foot by 4 foot enclosure for my 3 piggies. I change out the bedding daily and just stick them in a bag you wash horse blankets in, otherwise your washing machine will be full of hay. Never use wood chips as bedding that isn't marketed for guinea pigs. They can develop respiratory infections from some wood shavings. I would also say if you have the room buy your hay by the bale. They eat insane amounts of hay. If you can try and rescue them I got one of my girls from my local pound. They are always being abandoned. I personally own a 90 gallon goldfish tank a bearded dragon and a hamster out of all those pets I find the guinea pigs the most rewarding. The beardy is a close second.

[@brendabrenda413]

We had one years ago and had a litter box for him. He did most of his business in there. We used shaving that we bought in a compressed bale for about $7. He was the cutest little guy.

[@gjmottet]

Where did you get the information that rabbits and cavies can't be kept together? I have never heard that and have been an ARBA breeder of rabbits for over 20 years and foster both regularly from our local animal shelter and have a close relationship with the local small animal vet. I have read extensively on care requirements of both since I was in 4H as a teen and have owned over 20 cavies and about 100 rabbits over the years. I have never once come across that information and mixing of the two species is common at shows and rescues. There are a few diseases that can be spread both ways, but if anything the direction would be toward the rabbits which are generally a bit more sensitive. The issue is easily solved with quarantine and keeping a clean environment. There were a few other inaccuracies in the video that were more minor, but that comment about mixing rabbits and cavies was glaringly incorrect (or at least needed a citation). Using hay as bedding is cheaper and easier than felt pads and fixes the aspen/care fresh issue. Your guest must have some strange piggies, I have never had a picky eater they are called pigs for a reason. They are for sure one of my favorite pets out there.

[@wraith1320]

I’m really glad you mentioned this… Growing up, my brother bred and showed rabbits. We had a couple of copies of ARBA’s Standard of Perfection, and I used to browse the cavy section in the back. Anytime I saw them in an exhibition setting, they would be right there with the rabbits. I’d never heard anything about it being dangerous to keep them together. 🤷‍♀️

[@aprilmeowmeow]

informational, easy to follow without insulting our intelligence, and clearly made by caring and knowledgeable people ❤

[@gus-gusandozzy]

Hi guinea pig owner here!!! Let me tell you they learn where food comes from and when the fridge opens. A few corrections: Pigs have poop beans, hold there shape, and leave no residue! Also, No citrus (maybe very VERY rarely and a tiny amount) NO BROCCOLI Fruit no more than once a week

[@Candice-l8d]

I miss my guinea pigs. 😢 i was always complaining about how much work they were, and then when they left... i felt a huge hole in my heart. I didn't realize how attached i became... but it was for the best. Im now kind of homeless, so im happy they have a home.

[@erikekdahl6233]

We can get them in Australia, but you're right there are other animals like hamsters and any non Australian reptile that are not allowed

[@ThKiwi]

I often foster Guinea pigs or rabbits over the cooler months when there is lower need for kitten foster homes. GPs are my favorite fosters, their vocalizations are so adorable and they get so excited to see me after just a few days of bringing them veggies in a routine. ❤❤ I also have never been peed on by a GP, and I never felt like they pooped on me a ton unless I had them out for long periods of time. They’re not super potty trainable, but they do seem to get the idea a little bit. 😊😊😊 I’m currently fostering a bunny, and she’s fine, but I miss the excitement a GP shows when I enter the room.