The High Cost of Guinea Pigs

Anyone contemplating the purchase of guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, rats, or (in our case) a hedgehog should consider the surprising costs associated with keeping a happy and healthy caged rodent in a house or apartment that does not smell like the monkey cage in a bad zoo.

We first caved in to our daughter's request for a guinea pig. But guinea pigs are communal, so we agreed to buy two. Later, our son wanted one, but guinea pigs are communal, so we had to buy two more, only he really wanted a female one, so we ended up with five. During this period, we also found ourselves with a hamster and two mice, but because of their small size, they don't account for too much of the expense except for a few vet visits and the initial costs of their cages. No, the main
expense associated with guinea pigs is their bedding.

Because they are not easily litter trained, they basically pee and poop where they eat, only with some discretion. That is, they usually leave one corner of the cage as their designated toilet, but they're not perfect, so turds end up pretty much all over. This is especially true of younger guinea pigs on account of their skittishness. As Johnny Cochrane might have said, if you say boo, they will poo.

Cage-lining material comes in a variety of colors and styles. Why anyone would want green-dyed fluff in a guinea pig cage is beyond me. It's not only ugly but is also dangerous for the pets on account of the chemicals. So we stick with the untreated stuff. Purchased at the local Agway, it's about $25 for a large bag. Thankfully, they only had the dyed versions, so I drove to a PetSmart in Kingston, and it was well worth the trip. They charge less than $20 for a large bag and also have a discount card. Nonetheless, it turns out that we're spending about $100 a month to keep the piggies in fresh cages, which comes to about
$240 per guinea pig per year.

Food is less pricy by far. I'd guess we spend no more than $200 a year for our brood, or about $40 a year per pig. And they love your leftover carrots and celery, so that healthy part of their diet is practically free.

Vet visits are not essential, and even when they are, some owners will neglect their responsibilities. We try to do right by our pets, and I'd guess $20 a year would seem a good guess, on average.

Here is the breakdown:

Startup costs: $75 (piggy, cage, toys)
Food, annual: $40-80
Vet: $20
Bedding: $240
Total = $300-340 per year. PER GUINEA PIG!