11 Tips to keep your Guinea Pigs happy and Healthy

Guinea pigs are very sensitive to many different things such as the temperature, sounds, and more. I have decided to compile a few tips on 11 Tips to keep your Guinea Pigs happy and Healthy

1. Leads/Leashes are never a good idea as it can hurt a cavy’s spine and it restricts movement.
2. Hamster Wheels should never be used, and your Guinea Pigs wont look very cute when their spine isn’ in one piece. Guinea pigs don’t have the flexibility of a Hamster, therefore a wheel is just a waste of money.
3. Only having one guinea pig wont be much fun for you or the Guinea pig. They’re social animals and usually live in herds or pairs. When there’s only one of them, they’ll be lonely, and possibly become depressed.
4. Direct sunlight won’t help them much either. Long-haired Guinea Pigs are far more susceptible to heat-stroke as they have longer hair, but that doesn’t mean that if your Guinea Pig has short hair you can leave them in Direct Sunlight either. Piggies need to be kept at around 18 Degrees C.
5. Improper diets can make your piggies bellies rumble as they need a range of foods and nutrients. Burgers won’t do much good to your Guinea Pigs.
6. A small therefore unsuitable cage won’t benefit then too, as they cannot exercise or explore. This is another way for them to become depressed.
7. Not enough water or hay is highly dangerous as all animals need water, yet hay is needed (among other safe foods) to wear down their ever-growing teeth. If they don’t wear it down fast enough, Malocclusion may therefore be the result.
8. Wire-mesh cage flooring such as bare C&C cages, or any other for that matter could harm your Guinea Pig’s feet!
9. Not enough Vitamin C within the food they eat and/or their generic diet. They should be getting enough Vitamin C in their food. 
10. Artificial Food additives aren’t too great either as it could possibly be toxic! Especially if it is in their water, so avoid carbonated water (sparkling) and other such additions. For example, never add salt or Vitamin C as they should already be getting enough from their diet.
11. Rarely cleaning your Guinea Pig’s cage will firstly produce ewy smells, bacteria will also take over, mould will thrive, etc. So, I personally wouldn’t want to live in that situation.