2 year old bonded female guinea pigs

Burlington VT

Description

We have had dogs, cats, gerbils, hamsters, and rats, and have found guinea pigs to be the most demanding pets that we have. They are not a small responsibility by any means, they need to be kept warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and have access to fresh food and water all day and night. We’re not giving them up easily, we love them to death but since I have become disabled it has become far too difficult to take care of them in the way that they deserve. The biggest undertaking with them is cleaning the cage, as most of the other upkeep is checking their food and hay. They are also not the cheapest, their food runs at around $8 a bag which last around 2 months, and a bag of hay that lasts at least a month is around $15. We use a mixture of paper shavings, bagged recycled paper bedding ($15 a bag), and aspen shavings (it’s very important to buy aspen, other wood chips contain toxic oils that could kill them if ingested, the bag is around $15 at walmart). Because we use this mixture, we only need to restock every 3 months. I’m overestimating here, but I’d hazard that we shell out around $60 every 4 months or so for them. Gin is blind due to a respiratory infection that both pigs were treated for when they were around 4 months old (being blind doesn’t affect her at all, she seems to have some light sensitivity and guinea pigs are notoriously so good at hiding blindness that it often goes unnoticed). They had to be quarantined at the vet for around 4 months, and because of this we have had trouble encouraging them to be social. They are reactive and attentive, and are content to be held once out of the cage, but they are not overly fond of being handled in the cage. Because of Gin’s blindness, she sometimes bites out of fear if you don’t let her know you’re there. Other than that, they really don’t bite and are happy to sit in your lap for around 15 minutes. Any longer and they might have an accident, but they tend to be pretty good about waiting until you put them back in the cage. Bike is somewhat scruffy, she is mostly orange with tan and white stripes. She usually follows along with whatever Gin is doing, but will occasionally scream if Gin gets too up in her face. Gin is the more adventurous and mischievous one, and would frequently attempt to stage escapes when she was young. She is mostly white and very silky, and she sheds like a golden retriever. These days, they’re both too large to get into much of anything! They’re healthy girls, both perfect weights and sizes. They live in an extended open cage, and are fairly indifferent to our rescue dog who sniffs them through the side. They have been around kids, but seem to prefer being handled by steadier adults rather than kids who hold them like toys. They’re very sweet, lovable girls who wheek every time they hear a bag open and popcorn around their cage when they know kale is coming. We’d prefer experienced rodent owners, but if you think you can undertake the responsibility we’d be happy to further explain their care! We are placing a small price on the girls themselves, but everything else that they have will come with them for free. This includes the cage, cage extension, some toys, a leash and a costume, nail clippers, and waterless shampoo. We’re asking for a $20-30 rehoming fee, whatever you think is fair, just to cover the costs of deep cleaning everything we’re sending them with. (This fee is negotiable, we’re not giving away our girls to make money we just care that they’re happy and well loved) Thanks!