New Guinea Pig checklist

So you're going to adopt a Guinea Pig, eh? First of all, congratulations!
Now down to buisness-
Below you will find a checklist of items that you should have before you adopt your Guinea Pig, and the things that you should consider buying later on.
But first, let's go over a few things, just to make sure you are ready for the new Piggie.

Are you ready to devote alot of your time to your new Guinea Pig?
Guinea Pigs take lots of time, so make sure you will be able to spend time with your Piggie. They need time with you to play, be groomed, and to be taken good care of. The more time you spend with your Guinea Pig, the more sociable they will become.


Do you have a proper area to place your Guinea Pig's cage?
Hidden in a closet, or sitting on the floor in a messy room are not suitable places for your Guinea Pig's cage. Place the cage somewhere open, with easy access to where ever you plan on cleaning it. The place where you decide to put the cage should also be an area where the Guinea Pig can get light. Like I said, hidden in a dark closet with no light will not be a good choice.


Do you have any other pets that could possibly harm your Guinea Pig?
If you do have any pets, such as dogs or cats, or even reptiles, that could cause any harm to your Guinea Pig, but still want to adopt one, make sure that where you put the Guinea Pig's cage is out of the way and out of the reach of any other pets. And also make sure that the cage is dog/cat/reptile-proofed. No other animal should be able to get in, and your Guinea Pig should not be able to get out.


Are you adopting a Guinea Pig for the right reasons?
If you are adopting a Guinea Pig for you child's birthday/holiday gift, make sure that he/she is willing-and able-to take care of it for the rest of its life. A Guinea Pig is not just a little one-time present that you play with, get bored with, and forget about. It is a commitment that will last for several years.

Hopefully you will consider these things before adopting your Guinea Pig.

Now, let's move on to our checklist!
Here are the things you should have before you adopt your Guinea Pig.

A cage or hutch:
Whether you get a cage or a hutch to house your Guinea Pig really depends on if you want to keep it indoors or outdoors. If you want to keep your Piggie indoors, then a hutch is out of the question, but if you are planning on keeping him/her outside, a hutch is the best housing. Most pet store cages are way too small for a Guinea Pig to live in, even if they say that they are "Specially designed for Guinea Pigs". I live in a great cage that Kieran bought for me. She had it all set up and everything when she first brought me home. She ordered it from this site:http://www.guineapigcages.com/index.htm

A water bottle:
Most Guinea Pigs prefer a water bottle instead of a water bowl. I certainly do. It's easier for Piggies to drink from a water bottle than a bowl, too.

Bedding:
There are many different types of bedding that you can use for your Piggie's cage, so you can experiment to see which ones your Guinea Pig likes best. Kieran uses Aspen bedding for my cage. The bedding types that you should avoid are Cedar, Pine, Kitty Litter, Straw, and the Corn-Cob bedding. The smart thing to do would be to place a layer of newspaper underneath the bedding, to further prevent any leakage to the bottom of the cage.


A food bowl:
We Guinea Pigs like to stand on the edges of our food bowls, so make sure that the food bowl you have won't tip over when your Piggie does this.


Things to buy later on:

A brush:
A brush is just a very helpful thing to have around, especially if you have a long-haired Guinea Pig.

Nail clippers:
Guinea Pig nails grow constantly, and therefore need to be clipped every few weeks, depending on how fast your Piggie's nails grow.