How much does a Guinea Pig Cost at a Pet Store? Are the Guinea Pigs Healthy When You Get Them From A PetStore?
I’ve decided that I’m actually going to get 10 guinea pigs but I do have a lot of questions. 1) How much does a guinea pig cost at a pet store. 2) Are the guinea pigs healthy when you get them from a pet store? I have some care sheets that I printed off of the computer about guinea pigs and they all said that guinea pigs can live free range but they need litter boxes if they’re going to live free range. My third question is): can guinea pigs sleep in dog beds? Just curious about that one because I’ve seen a couple of guinea pigs sleep in dog beds. My fourth question is): what kind of fruits and vegetables can guinea pigs eat? 5) how often do guinea pigs use the litter boxes that they have? 6) do guinea pigs enjoy being cuddled with? 7) do guinea pigs enjoy being petted? 
can guinea pigs eat grass that comes from outdoors? 9) what brand of food should I feed my guinea pigs?
$25
I do not own a Guinea Pig, but I have wanted one for a long time. I know alot about them! This is what I can tell you, hope I help!
Ten Guinea Pigs? Um..That will get expensive and do you have the time? I had two hamsters and whoah. They arn’t difficult to care for, but they need time! Guinea Pigs sometimes arn’t healthy when you get them from the pet store. You have to look for the healthy ones. If they are bright-eyed,perky and don’t look thin, and shaky then they will be fine. Alos make sure they don’t have goup around their eyes or rear. That is a sign of bad care and sickness. Guinea Pigs could sleep in dog beds…I suppose. But if your thinking they are going to run loose in your house, think again. They need cages. Which can be costly. I’ve read they like apples,carrots, and lettuce. I’ve never read anything about them using litter boxes. They are cuddly animals! But it all depends on their personality. I’d get the Meijer brand of pet food.
I have no idea how much guinea pigs cost in pet stores, I haven’t purchased one in years. If you can house and afford 10 pigs, please adopt. You’ll be saving so many lives.
This website will explain further on the importance of adoption:
http://www.cavyspirit.com/
For convience on my part, I’m going to answer your questions numbered.. (can’t phrase that right, heh).
Yes, guinea pigs can eat forages. Grass can be fed daily, as long as it’s free of pesticides and no other pets(like dogs) use the yard as their toilet. You’ll find this information on the GPCages Diet stickies.
2) It’s highly unlikely guinea pigs from pet stores are going to be healthy. They’re commonly ill, or pregnant.
3) Sort of. Cat beds are usually a better size, or Cuddle Cups and Snuggle Sacks, which are specially made for guinea pigs.
4) Guinea pigs can eat a wide variety of vegetables. Fruits should be limited to 2-3 times a week because of how high in sugar they are.
This link has an excellent color coded nutritional chart on all the food guinea pigs can eat, and how often:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet-nutrition/22156-everything-you-need-know-about-cavys-diet-read-me-nutrition-charts-info.html
On the GPcages website, there is a diet forum. They have very informative sticky threads, and you can ask these questions in the forum.
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet-nutrition/
5) Litter training can be difficult. They usually go to the bathroom where their hay racks are.They’ll also go to the bathroom where they sleep. With litter training, you’ll always have accidents. Most people find success in making a hay box, where they’ll go to the bathroom the most. You can find more info on the GPCage website, and better free range ideas in their photogallery(my free range set up is in the photogallery, too!).
6) Most of the time, guinea pigs really enjoy snuggles. Some don’t though. It really depends on their personality.
7) Same answer as number 6.
9) Oxbow Hay, and KleenMama’s Hayloft. These are the best guinea pig food and hay. Commercial pellets(kaytee, hagen, etc) are full of disgusting preservatives, sugars, and harmful additives. Commercial hay is usually not fresh. You can get Oxbow food at your exotics veterinarian, and some pet shops. KM’s is ordered online, and they have the worlds best hay!
http://www.oxbowhay.com/
http://www.kmshayloft.com/
You can also inexpensively buy fresh hay from farmers, by the bale. It costs around $5 for a bale, including delivery. With such a large herd, that would be the route I’d go.
For future reference, and tons of good answers, I suggest asking your questions at the GuineaPig Cages website forum.
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/
Goodluck. Such a large guinea pig herd will be wonderful.
Be sure to adopt!
Hm…. 10 guinea pigs? I recomend getting only two or three to start with if you have never owned one before!
1. Guinea pigs typically cost 25-30 dollars from petstores
2. Er… typically not. Many petstore pigs have mites. If you get one from there, you MUST (repeat must) have them checked out by a vet!
3. A small bed, perhaps. but a large one could be stress full. Also, do not use a USED bed.
4. Guinea pigs can have carrots, oranges, grapes, cantelope, strawberries(basically any fruit) and most veggies. However, no ICEBERG lettuce.
5. It’s hard to fully train a guinea pig. how often they use it depends on the pig!
6. Not at first, but after a little while, they will LOVE it!
7. Yup! in fact, some pigs like it better than cuddles!
8. Yes, but make sure it hasn’t been treated recently!!!
9. I feed my pig “Hartz Select” not only does it have pellets, but some other goodies. Also, make sure to feed them fresh fruit AND timothy hay. Alfalfa can be difficult to digest.
Note: Giving a pig free range is hard. You have to proof many areas, and keep your house super clean. There is also a hazard of stepping on the poor thing! Enjoy ur pigs!
Why not start out with 2 guinea pigs in a large cage and see how it goes? You can’t just turn 10 guinea pigs loose in your house and expect them to use litter boxes. They have to be trained to do that and they will chew on everything so you’d have to have nothing on the floor that they could get hurt with such as electric cords.
Since you have no knowledge of their needs or care you need to start slow instead of having 10 creatures in your care that you may end up killing or hating.
My purebred Abbysinian costed $60. Yes, Pet Co. or Petsmart pigs are always healthy but dont get on from some small store with a bunch a pigs in a cage. Sometimes if you get a girl, it would be pregnant when you gt it. Which isnt good because piggies have a hard time giving birth. Yes! They LOVE cuddles!! I hope I helped!
1. They cost about $30 but it is about half that if you adopt.
2. They are not always well when you get them from a pet store and if there is something wrong they dont ussually tell you.
3. They can sleep in dog beds but u would have to clean it a lot because it would start to smell. I would sugest you put store bought beddind in the beds if you are going to do this.
4. Guineas love almost evry type of veggie and most fruits.
5. I really wouldn’t know
6. They love being cuddled with in fact if you don’t they might become depressed.
7. yes
8. No it might have fertillizer on it and they could die!
9. it doesn’t really matter what brand they all have the same stuff just make sure you feed them fruits and veggies, Timothy hay, and pellets.
A few tips….
1. Make sure you are going to be with the piggies full time.
2. Make sure they are all girls. Gils don’t smell as bad as the boys and if you don’t have all girls pretty soon you won’t have ten you will have a !00!
3. Do you really want ten. You’ll have to dedicate your life to these guys. Mabe just get 5 or less.