We all know that guinea pigs make good pets. They are the best if you love adopting smaller pets. In case you are planning to buy one, you may be wondering, “Are guinea pigs expensive pets?”
No, guinea pigs are not expensive to buy compared to other pets.
On average, it would cost you about $10-$50 to buy a guinea pig depending on whether you buy it from a pet shop, local breeder, or online store.
Nonetheless, the price of purchasing a guinea pig may change depending on the breed.
For example, some breeds of guinea pigs like skinny guinea pigs cost around $50-$100.
Although it’s not that expensive to buy a guinea pig, the monthly cost of taking care of guinea pigs can be a bit expensive.
Now that you know it’s not super expensive to buy guinea pigs, you might be wondering, how much does it cost to have a guinea pig as a pet?
Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
How Much Does It Cost to Have a Pet Guinea Pig?
Although it costs somewhere around $10 to $50 to purchase a guinea pig, there are other things that you need to take into account including food, shelter, and vaccination.
So, let’s look at the bigger picture!
| Different Expenses | Cost | How Frequent |
| Buy a Guinea Pig | $20-$25 or more depending on the breed | One-time purchase |
| Food | ||
| Hay | $10 | Twice a Month |
| Fruits and Veggies | $7-$10 | Weekly |
| Pellet Food | $16-$25 | Twice a Month |
| Water | – | – |
| Vitamins | $7 | Monthly |
| Healthcare | ||
| Vet Visits | $50-$100 | Monthly or Yearly Checkups |
| Vaccines | Depends | Optional |
| Medication | Depends | When Required |
| Shelter | ||
| Cages | $25-$300 | One Time |
| Cage Accessories | ||
| Bedding | $2-$30 | One Time |
| Food Bowl | $1-$10 | One Time |
| Water Bottle | $4-$43 | One Time |
| Hay Feeder Bag | $5-$25 | One Time |
| Cleaning supplies | $4-$25 | One Time |
| TOTAL: | $250-610 approximately (*price may vary due to location) |
Apart from the cost of buying a guinea pig, keep in mind the following expenses:
Food
The cost of food for guinea pigs largely depends on the type of food you are buying. When buying guinea pig food, you should ensure to get the foods that have high nutrients.
Foods that are of good nutrients are listed below:
Hay
Hay is generally beneficial for the health of guinea pigs, especially their digestive and dental health. Ensure the hay is green, fresh, and soft.
The best hay to get is Timothy hay and it is preferred by most guinea pig owners.
On average, your furry pet requires 1oz (28g) of hay per day. A 60 oz (3.7lbs) bag of good hay costs about 10$ and will last up to two months. Therefore, hay will cost you about $5 monthly.
A variety of fruits and vegetables
Another source of food for guinea pigs is fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are great for guinea pigs but ensure you include a mixture of different vegetables for more nutrients.
A good mixture of fruits and vegetables are carrots, bell peppers, apples, celery, cucumber.
Please ensure they are fresh vegetables and fruits. A bunch of these vegetables should cost $7 to $10 per week and $36 to $40 monthly.
Pellet food
Pellet food should be included in a guinea pig’s diet. Make sure you buy pellets that contain good amounts of protein, fiber, and Vitamin C as these nutrients are essential for their growth.
A guinea pig requires 16-30 grams of pellets per day. It means a 5-pound pellet bag would be enough for your pet for two months and it would cost you about $16-$25.
So, the monthly cost of pellet supply for your pet will turn out to be $8-$13 approximately.
Water
We all know that water is important, therefore they should have clean water in their bottles every day.
The bottle should be cleaned two to three times weekly to avoid germs and bacteria. It doesn’t add up to any extra cost.
Vitamin C Supplements
Guinea pigs do not produce Vitamin C and the absence of this supplement can make them fall sick. Therefore, you should also get Vitamin C Supplements for them.
The price of Vitamin C supplements for guinea pigs varies depending on the quantity and brand.
On average, the monthly expense of Vitamin C supplements for guinea pigs is about $7.
Healthcare
This is an important area to consider when calculating the cost of keeping a guinea pig.
Veterinary Visits
Taking your guinea pigs to the veterinary should be a habit to prevent illness and keep them healthy. Generally, veterinary visits usually cost $50-$100.
Vaccine
Most veterinary doctors are unlikely to offer vaccinations to guinea pigs because they don’t need to be protected from diseases like myxomatosis.
But, Guinea pigs can be immunized against lymphocytic choriomeningitis by 2 or 3 injections to protect them from it.
Apart from vaccination, you should always take them for a check-up regularly.
Medication
There are several types of medication for treating illness in Guinea pigs. A veterinary doctor will prescribe the required medicines and determine the price.
Overall, your pet’s healthcare can cost you anywhere between $50-$200 monthly.
Besides the ongoing expenses, you should also keep in mind important one-time expenses.
Shelter
Apart from their food diet, another essential area for caring for guinea pigs is sheltering. The shelter must be kept clean, spacious, and safe.
To ensure you have the right information on shelter for guinea pigs, below are the items you should get.
Cages
Cages are where the guinea pigs are housed. It must be clean, safe, and spacious.
For a single guinea pig, it is advised that you go for 7 square feet of space while a standard size to house more guinea pigs is a cage height of 18 inches (46cm).
A large space gives room for good ventilation and healthy life. Cages can be made in plastic, metal, wire, glass.
Keep your guinea pigs away from direct sunshine and away from heavy moisture.
Guinea pig cages should not be close to rabbit cages and they should not be kept together because of transmission of germs and infections.
The price of a guinea pig cage varies due to factors like size, brand, etc. But, on average, the price is from $25 and goes up to around $300.
Cage Accessories
There are many cage accessories for guinea pigs. Below are the essential ones.
Beddings
Keeping the bedding clean is important to the health of your guinea pigs. There are several bedding options you can choose from when buying or making beddings for guinea pigs.
But, you should go for Aspen wood shaving, paper bedding, blends, fleece.
The cost of bedding is from $2 to $30.
Food Bowl
A food bowl is essential for serving food to guinea pigs. They come in different sizes depending on your need for them. The price ranges from $1 to $10.
Water Bottle
To function well, guinea pigs need water to survive. On average, they need about 1.7 oz (50 ml) to 3.5 oz (100 ml) of water daily and a water bottle that is attached to their cage serves as a way to provide them.
Water bottles for guinea pigs come in different shapes and sizes, ensure you go for one with good quality. The price is from $4 to $43.
Hay Feeder Bag
This is where hay is placed for the guinea pig to feed on them. There are different sizes and shapes. They are relatively affordable and the price could be from $5 to $25.
Mini Broom and Dustpan
To keep the cage clean, a mini broom and dustpan are needed. The price is from $4 to $25 depending on the size and brand.
How Much Do Guinea Pigs Cost Monthly?
The first-month cost of petting a guinea pig would include the cost of purchasing, ongoing costs, and one-time expenses.
Keeping in mind everything, it will cost you somewhere around $200-$350 for the first month of taking care of a guinea pig.
Thereafter, you have to spend just on the ongoing costs like food and healthcare.
Hence, after the first month, you will be required to spend somewhere around $100-$200 on your pet.
How Much Does a Teddy Guinea Pig Cost?
Teddy Guinea pigs cost less as compared to other guinea pig breeds. You can get a teddy guinea pig for $10-$30, depending on its health condition, size, and the place from where you plan to purchase it.
Are Guinea Pigs More Expensive than Dogs?
No, they are not. Dogs are quite expensive to purchase and take care of than guinea pigs.
The minimum cost of purchasing a dog is $200 and it can go up to $2000 or more depending on the breed.
Besides, the monthly cost of petting a dog can be anywhere between $100-$200 or even more depending on the breed and the size.
FAQ
How Much Are Guinea Pigs at Petco?
At Petco, you can get a guinea pig for about $35. However, you can get a guinea pig at a discounted price during a sale or if you have a member’s saving card.
How Much are Guinea Pigs at Petsmart?
At PetSmart, the price of a guinea pig depends on its breed, size, color, and gender. Usually, you can get a guinea for about $30 to $40 at Petsmart.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we have estimated the monthly cost of taking care of guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are not only adorable pets and easy to care for, but also less expensive to maintain compared to pets like dogs.
Although the setting up cost of a guinea pig is about $200-$350, its monthly maintenance cost can be anywhere from $100-$200.
In case you are planning to pet a guinea pig and want to know everything related to the expenses of taking care of it, this article is a great place to get started.
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