MovieChat Forums > G-Force (2009) Discussion > If you want a guinea pig

If you want a guinea pig

posted 15 years ago by dartmouthanonymous
35 replies | jump to latest

Please, read this first:

www.guinealynx.info/pdf/GPs_G-Force_UK.pdf
www.guinealynx.info/pdf/GPs_are_great_G-Force_UK.pdf

Please remember:
Guinea pigs can damage their back if you use a ball or wheel for them.
They need a cup of fresh veggies (Romaine lettuce, bell peppers) every day.
The live up to seven years and sometimes longer.
They are NOT a kids' pet.
They need to live in same-gender pairs.
They need a cage at least 7.5 square feet (none of the pet store ones work).
There is a huge overpopulation problem, so please ADOPT!
They are EXPENSIVE to keep!

For more details about care and keeping a guinea pig, go to:

http://guineapigcages.com/forum/index.php
http://guineapigcages.com/
http://www.guinealynx.info/

[–] contreraschz 15 years ago

I want a crocodile

[–] king_boo_2005 15 years ago

If you want a Crocodile please remember:
Crocodiles can damage their back if you use a ball or wheel for them.
They need a cup of fresh veggies (Romaine lettuce, bell peppers) every day.
The live up to seven years and sometimes longer.
They are NOT a kids' pet.
They need to live in same-gender pairs.
They need a cage at least 7.5 square feet (none of the pet store ones work).
There is a huge overpopulation problem, so please ADOPT!
They are EXPENSIVE to keep!

Sorry, I just had to...

[–] ShelbyTMItchell 15 years ago

Crocodiles are more dangerous and harmful than guinea pigs are!
Or ever could be.

[–] Promontorium 15 years ago

I want a chimp.

[–] xenatikkanen-1 15 years ago

Crocodiles kick booty! They are awesome (not as pets of course, and despite the laugh at your satire, no one should own exotic or wild animals as pets such as lions, bears, hyenas, crocs/alligators, cheetahs, tigers, leopards, etc.). Just watching those magnificient ancient predators is a real cool thing to behold! Just not to hold. hehe

[–] Stacehoney72 15 years ago

i have a guinea pig and he is the cutest thing, he is about 2 years and 3 months old and is a real sweetie. :)

[–] kat-286 15 years ago

A few criticisms of your post...
They eat fruit as well, but in moderation. Apple needs to be cut into tiny squares otherwise they can get mouth sores from the acid.
They are a responsible kids pet. I was looking after guinea pigs at age 11.. and well. The novelty will wear off with a lot of kids, so an adult should always check they are doing the job properly everyday.
They can live in boy and girl pairs, but one needs to be neutered.
The petstore cages do WORK but they are are just far too small. Get C&C cages (google it). They are becoming hugely popular and the guinea pigs are much more fun to watch as they are happier and run around the cage due to the amount of space.

[–] SheHangsBrightly 15 years ago

AGREED!! I have four piggies, in a HUGE 6x2 ft CC cage, theyre not easy to take care of.

[–] WRYYYYYY 15 years ago

Not true. You can have a male and a female but they need to be spayed/neutered. And you can't have any more than that, because if you have two males they will fight each other if a female is present.

[–] kat-286 15 years ago

I've already said that WRYYYYYY.

Males are fine if the female is in a different cage. I have 2 boys and 2 girls and the boys never fight even though the girls live right below their cage.

[–] xenatikkanen-1 15 years ago

I've had many fun times with a set up just as you had kat with piggies living next door to each other. They love seeing each other! I had one male who lived with his "wife" and kids, and there was a little brother pig of his "downstairs in a pig bachelor pad" that lived alone because of a medical problem. He used to peek out of his house to see his brother and they used to rub noses and talk to each other. When all the piggies were free range they used to run around and play together and I would supervise to make sure of no unwarranted hanky panky! hehe

One time they were living in houses in which they broke free and roamed from house to house. That was hilarious.

[–] xenatikkanen-1 15 years ago

I was pretty lucky with one family of piggies I had. The papa, mama, and their 3 babies (2 females and one male) lived together for almost their whole lives. The papa and son shared the females and then eventually when there was one last pregnancy I split the females into one home and the two boys lived together for the rest of the papa's life. When the papa passed, the son went back to live with his mom and sisters and later also children. One interesting thing and somewhat sad in one case - I had the 3 pregnant pigs together and one sister gave birth first. The other sister kind of got scared or thought she had to do what her sister did and also gave birth, prematurely and the babies didn't live in her case. It was very sad. That is the only time that has happened. It was many years ago. I have had a huge "palace" of pigs together in which they all gave birth and all were fine on many occasions, in the 70s, 80s, and again in the 90s and 00s.

At any rate, if you're gonna have a harem, it is best with one male and the females, but yes, the males should be neutered if they're going to be together with the females. It keeps them from fighting as much and it actually is smarter to keep from overpopulating the world with "unwanted" piglets, though I can't understand the concept of an "unwanted" piggy myself! hehehe

[–] Royalcourtier 9 years ago

The "unwanted" piglets should be kept until they are big enough to eat. Guinea Pig is delicious roasted. Tastes a little bit like chicken, only rather oily.

[–] nomarch 15 years ago

did they respect you in the morning?

[–] FrankusBoothius 15 years ago

they were all broken in the morning.

[–] Promontorium 15 years ago

Well then the problem solved itself. As long as you help keep the population down.

[–] nomarch 15 years ago

i hope you got some photos.

[–] GirlwonderReturns 15 years ago

Who said guinea pigs aren't kids' pets? That's just silly; they're probably the best of the cute little furries for younger kids. Let's look at some other small pets: rabbits make terrible pets for small kids, being delicate, territorial, and much feistier than most people imagine; hamsters are more likely to bite than any other small mammal; rats require more attention and a bigger emotional commitment than any other rodent; ferrets can be quite nippy and also require a great deal of personal attention; mice are extremely delicate. Guineas are docile, sturdy, and reasonably easy to care for compared to rabbits, ferrets, or rats. My friend's two kids, ages 8 and 11, have a guinea that they care for completely on their own, and he's fine and frisky at about 6 years old. The only other small pet I would consider recommending for younger kids would be gerbils, and kids should be supervised with them.

Mind you, I am totally against people rushing out to buy their kids a guinea because of this movie, just as I was/am against people rushing out for rats because of "Ratatouille", dalmatians because of "101 Dalmatians", and rabbits and chicks every freaking year at Easter time. But to say that guineas don't make good pets for children is simply not true. Like any other pet, people just need to do their research to make sure that it's the best idea both for them and for the animal.

Let us take the risks of peace upon our lives, not impose the risks of war upon the world.

[–] highschool_hellcat 15 years ago

I think what the OP means, and what many of us mean, is that children are NOT meant to be primary caregivers for guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs are a lot of time, effort and money. For many children it can be hard for them to remember morning and evening veggies, daily floor time, health monitoring(including weekly weigh ins), not to mention cleaning the large cages(atleast 7.5 sq ft) can be difficult for a child.
Guinea pigs are wonderful animals, and many children adore them, but the parent MUST to be the primary care giver, not the child.

Also, I know it's been said, but I think it needs to continue to be said.
There are thousands of homeless guinea pigs, many are being euthanized because there are no homes for them. Please don't breed and buy while shelter animals die.
http://www.guineapigcages.com
http://www.guinealynx.info
http://www.petfinder.com

Edit to add - Please check out this website also, especially if G-Force has sparked your curiosity in caring for guinea pigs.
http://www.guinealynx.info/g-force.html

[–] tsw453 15 years ago

I need Guinea Pigs to feed my Crocodile with! Someone please donate!

[–] GirlwonderReturns 15 years ago

I think what the OP means, and what many of us mean, is that children are NOT meant to be primary caregivers for guinea pigs.

Well, let's be honest - children should not be the primary caregivers for ANY pet, be it guinea pig, dog, cat, bird, fish, rat, whatever. Children under a certain age are simply not responsible enough to be trusted to provide everything an animal needs. Kids have short attention spans - they forget. I think that's the biggest mistake parents make - they want their kids to "learn responsibility", so they get a child a pet and expect the child to be 100% responsible for it. That's simply not realistic, and if the pet is neglected, it's the parent who is to blame, not the child.

I also see a lot of people here saying stuff along the lines of "guinea pigs are not feed-and-forget pets". Pray tell - what IS a feed-and-forget pet? What animal is it OK to do nothing for other than provide food? Fish and reptiles are not, with a few exceptions, highly interactive pets, but even they need attention beyond simple food and water. What's the point in having a pet anyway if you're just going to dump food in a dish for it and then forget about it? I have 5 rats and a rabbit and I can tell you, they all require attention and affection in addition to the basic essentials of life. Just wanted to point that out. Pets require attention - ALL pets.

Let us take the risks of peace upon our lives, not impose the risks of war upon the world.

[–] dashmaul 15 years ago

I bought A LOT of guinea pigs after seeing this movie.
And I have to agree with the other guy earlier: they get boring (and annoying) FAST.
So I bought some more(!), thinking I could skin them and make a fur coat.
AND IT WORKED OUT BETTER THEN I COULD HAVE IMAGINED!
I love the coat, can't wait for winter to kick in.

Check out pictures of the coat on: www.mynewguineapigthreadzzz.com

Cheers!

[–] Grimmy283 15 years ago

BEWARE! Guinea Pigs eat and drink alot, as a result, piss and sh*t ALOT! They are eating machines! Be prepared to clean their cage every few days or so. But they are cute animals if you look past all that.

[–] StoogeFan325 15 years ago

well i have owned guinea pigs since i was younger and the people who say they are hard to take care of must not have owned many other animals in their lifetime. for me my guinea pig is the easiest animal that I own ( i won a green cheek conure, two cockatiels and an elderly cat)yeah they can be a bit demanding with their food but they are fun little animals that any responsible kid or adult can take care of. Key word their is responsible.

[–] xenatikkanen-1 15 years ago

Now birds are a frickin load to take care of and way expensive; you are very admirable! Piggies can be expensive, though not to the magnitude of birds or dogs or cats. My pigs always ate me out of house and home. Guinea pigs really live up to their name but they are the best on earth. Their little noises and personalities and activities are not for everyone but are as cool as can be to me. They are hilarious and crazy critters that I have loved for over 34+ years!