First-time guinea pig owner questions? Answer please! :]?

 
First-time guinea pig owner questions? Answer please! :]?
Okay, so not this Saturday, but the next, I'm getting two guinea pigs, and I have a load of questions. I am a first time owner, so, you'd really be helping me out. :D
1. Female/female, male/male or female/male? ("/" means "+")
2. Where should I keep the cage, in my room on my glass table or somewhere else in the house? :\
3. Can I put them on the counter while I cut veggies for them? Or should I give them floor time in my room? (Also, can they watch me do homework while out of the cage? :|)
4. Do they like to cuddle? Like, in my lap? Or on my chest? ;]
5. Can they be let out in the free grass outdoors (with my supervision of course)?
6. Can you train them?
7. Are they docile?
8. How long do they live?
9. What is a good sized cage for them? (Other than c&c) pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
10. Do they like to be kissed on the head? Or while they nip at you?
Thanksss! :D
1: I'd get two females.
2: I'd keep it somewhere the family tends to hang out.
3: I wouldn't put a pig up on a counter, no. Not without someone standing right there to keep them away from the edges.
4: It depends on the pig. They tend to be fairly skittish at first and may not like a lot of holding to start off with.
5: I wouldn't. They can be fast, if something startles one it could bolt. You might try an open-bottomed cage outside, but be careful if you have predators like hawks or dogs running around town.
6: I haven't heard of a trained guinea pig, but I have no idea, haha.
7: Yup, they're sweet little guys :3
8: About 5.5 years.
9: Bigger is better, but I've heard about 10 square feet for 2 pigs is good.
10: Haha, I think that's going to depend on the pig. But they don't usually bite unless they're terrified or trying to see if your finger is a treat.
I am the owner of two guinea pigs so I could help you out. I have a male and a female one - but if you get the opposite sex you MUST get one of them neutered or spayed or you will get the female pregnant which can be very dangerous for her. Keep the cage somewhere where there will be a lot of people, away from a window, away from a vent, somewhere that the temperate stays the same - not too cold and not to hot. My guinea pig cage is in our hall upstairs outside my bedroom - during the day we bring them downstairs and let them walk around in our living room while we are sitting there as a family. Do not put them on the counter as they could walk off of it and fall down and get hurt. What i do is spread a sheet on the floor in a closed room and let them walk around, this way your floor won't get any pee or poo on it and they will have time to roam around freely. My guinea pigs like when I lay down and put them on my chest. Just keep them very close to your body and make sure they feel very secure so they are comfortable. If you want to let them be in the grass outside it is fine, but make sure that they are in a closed area. I took my guinea pigs out in my backyard and one of them almost ran through the fence, once they start running it is very hard to catch them. The best thing you could do is get a playpen that you can put them in while they are outside. They love to eat grass but make sure that they you keep them where there is just grass, leaves are very poisonous to them. If you try really hard you can train them, but they are not dogs, what surprised me is that my male guinea pig goes back into his cage to pee when I let him walk around my room, he is basically potty trained its so amazing. They are smarter than they seem. Again, they are not dogs, they do not understand what you are saying half the time and they do their own thing, you can use actions with food, for example, if I want my guinea pig to go somewhere, I lead them there with a carrot or piece of lettuce. Guinea pigs live 5-7 years so be ready to make a commitment! I have a big, huge rabbit cage for them. However, since I have a female and male guinea pig I had to separate them after the female got pregnant. They both stay in big rabbit cages, this way they can run around and have a lot of room to themselves, that is the healthiest environment for them. They don;t like to be kissed but they LOVE to lick your fingers or skin, they just can't get enough of it. pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

Here are a few other tips:
Make sure you change their water everyday - they need two separate water bottles
Make sure that they have good quality pellets
They are unable to make their own Vitamin C so make sure you give them a lot of food high in Vitamin C such as red bell peppers
Its good to get a guinea pig shampoo from the pet store to bathe them once a month
You should change their bedding every 3-4 days as they need a clean environment to live in