Newpiggymom, do you plan on keeping Terrance and getting him another friend?
Whatever you decide, keep a close eye on Terrance. Guinea pigs are social animals and form close attachments to others. While Terrance is alone, be sure he is eating, drinking and behaving normally. They grieve and some can, depending on personality, go downhill very quickly.
Spend extra time with him. Talk to him and sing to him. Let him know he is not alone; pay extra attention to him and make sure he holds weight.
Advice and care for broken ribs
Thank you so much everyone for your kind words. Much appreciated. Feeling so horrible about the whole thing.
We're definitely keeping Terrance. Wouldn't abandon him now. He's still eating, drinking water, getting lots of attention. I do plan to get him a friend but I was going to wait until after Christmas when things are calmer and I make a bigger cage setup. And of course that everything in our home is safe so nothing ever happens like this again.
We're definitely keeping Terrance. Wouldn't abandon him now. He's still eating, drinking water, getting lots of attention. I do plan to get him a friend but I was going to wait until after Christmas when things are calmer and I make a bigger cage setup. And of course that everything in our home is safe so nothing ever happens like this again.
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Talishan
- You can quote me
Weigh Terrance regularly. Some pigs can act fine but grieve "inside". The first indication you'll often have of anything going amiss is weight loss. Guinea pigs are the reverse of humans; they lose weight easily and can have a hard time putting it back on.
https://www.guinealynx.info/weigh.html
Some dogs have a high prey drive; many are better rodent-catchers than cats. While that's not their fault, here are some ideas for other-pet-proof cages:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/g ... ofing.html
(I hope that looks better to you than it does on my phone. If you're just getting thumbnails try it on a desktop or laptop.)
Actually the entire site may be helpful to you in cage planning. You can make a bigger cage than you can buy for lots less money:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/
https://www.guinealynx.info/weigh.html
Some dogs have a high prey drive; many are better rodent-catchers than cats. While that's not their fault, here are some ideas for other-pet-proof cages:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/g ... ofing.html
(I hope that looks better to you than it does on my phone. If you're just getting thumbnails try it on a desktop or laptop.)
Actually the entire site may be helpful to you in cage planning. You can make a bigger cage than you can buy for lots less money:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/
I know you feel awful about what happened. There are ways to have dogs, cats, and guinea pigs coexist safely in the same house, but it does take oversight and care.
We have two beagles who are very rodent-driven. Our cage is a C&C with lid, and when the guinea pigs are out, we usually have the dogs either in their crates or outside in the backyard. Under no circumstances do they run free in the same room with the piggies. Our cat, on the other hand, can't stand our piggies and wants nothing whatsoever to do with them. If we are holding them and the cat jumps up onto our laps for a cuddle, she will get a look of disgust on her face and jump back down. Then punish us by turning her back to us, lol.
When we first got the piggies, the cat was very curious and sat and stared at them in the cage. The first time we had them out on the floor, however, she decided they were scary and ran away. She is not scared of them anymore, but doesn't want to be around them. Totally ignores them in the cage now, too.
We have two beagles who are very rodent-driven. Our cage is a C&C with lid, and when the guinea pigs are out, we usually have the dogs either in their crates or outside in the backyard. Under no circumstances do they run free in the same room with the piggies. Our cat, on the other hand, can't stand our piggies and wants nothing whatsoever to do with them. If we are holding them and the cat jumps up onto our laps for a cuddle, she will get a look of disgust on her face and jump back down. Then punish us by turning her back to us, lol.
When we first got the piggies, the cat was very curious and sat and stared at them in the cage. The first time we had them out on the floor, however, she decided they were scary and ran away. She is not scared of them anymore, but doesn't want to be around them. Totally ignores them in the cage now, too.
Never imagined my dog would do anything like this. She's 10 years old and has never hurt anyone. She's mothered small kittens before. She watches squirrels run by with no reaction. She's a very well behaved sweet dog. We did an introduction and let her meet and sniff the guinea pigs and she was fine. But she is after all, a dog! I feel like she was just trying to play with Wally but she's a big dog and it was too much. Very very sad.
The c & c cages look great but I also have two cats. I need it to have a top. One cat is completely uninterested and he takes one look at the guinea pig and turns and walks away. The other one is only a year old and he's very curious. He keeps sticking his paw through the bars, so I need to figure out how to put something to keep his paws out! I saw a clear plastic cage but I worry about air circulation?
The c & c cages look great but I also have two cats. I need it to have a top. One cat is completely uninterested and he takes one look at the guinea pig and turns and walks away. The other one is only a year old and he's very curious. He keeps sticking his paw through the bars, so I need to figure out how to put something to keep his paws out! I saw a clear plastic cage but I worry about air circulation?
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GrannyJu1
- Supporter in '21
We made a double lid for our 2X6 cage. We can open either, or both, ends at the same time, but don't yet trust the cats (a little over a year old) so keep the lids closed and the cats lay on top watching the pigs. Fairly often one cat or the other will reach through a grid, never fast enough to catch the pig, but still... Our old cats 14 & 19 watched the pigs but never chased them, even during floor time. The oldest would sometimes go for the hay, and I found one of the pigs sniffing under her belly around the legs. The cat just ignored her.
Anyway, it IS possible to build lids for the cage.
Anyway, it IS possible to build lids for the cage.
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bpatters
- And got the T-shirt
You don't even need to build them. Closet shelving comes in different widths, so it's easy to find two pieces that span the depth of the cage. You can cut them to length at the store you buy them from. I just lay mine on top of the cage, and the only thing I do to them is clip them down with a carabiner if I have a visiting big dog. Speaking of which, I will have one for Christmas, so I need to find a couple of clips.
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Talishan
- You can quote me
You can offset grids using zip ties to make the grid spacing smaller without restricting air flow, at least until the younger cat loses interest.
Look at the GPC site for "babyproofing". It gives suggestions for making grid spacing smaller.
If you use zip ties, clip the ends off, on the outside of the cage, so the pigs can't chew them or poke an eye.
Look at the GPC site for "babyproofing". It gives suggestions for making grid spacing smaller.
If you use zip ties, clip the ends off, on the outside of the cage, so the pigs can't chew them or poke an eye.
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Catie Cavy
- Supporter 2011-2020
Here is a picture of my cage which is a C&C with a closet shelving lid. The lid is very sturdy and elevating the cage on grids or a table prevents little kitties from being able to poke their paws in:
SHOP AMAZON