Care Guide

 

Contents

One or Two Guinea Pigs?
Quarantine
Housing
Diet

Exercise

Grooming

Taming your Guinea Pig

Breeding

Sexing Guinea Pigs (Are they Male or Female?)

Veterinary Care

Introduction

Guinea Pigs can be some of the most cute, funny and wonderful pets (I have especially benefited from their company). They may live as long as 10 years, however it is far more common for them to live between 5 and 7 years. Therefore, the decision to bring one of these furballs under your care must be made carefully. You'll be responsible for the Health, Diet (e.g. Veggies, Main Food, etc), Access to water, companionship and a place to sleep. This page is a basic outline of how to care for Guinea Pigs. If you're a new to caring for a Guinea Pig, this should therefore be extremely helpful. Hopefully, this page will help you give your pig/s a health and happy start, so you can enjoy each other's company for years to come.

One or Two Guinea Pigs?

Cavies (Guinea Pigs) are extremely social animals which naturally thrive in herds or in company of another Guinea Pig. If you're going to be away for a large portion of the day, For example: Work or School, consider getting Two Guinea Pigs. Unless you want thousands of little furballs, make sure you're getting two that are of the same sex (gender). You should also check local laws about keeping animals as pets to make sure (if you are purchasing a new friend) that you're allowed to buy only one (if that's what you want to do) as in some countries like Sweden, you cannot purchase only one, unless you already have a Guinea Pig.

Compatibility: A common misconception about two male Cavies are always going to fight against each other. This is far from the truth. The compatibility between to Guinea Pigs is depicted by their personalities of the individual furballs, rather than gender. Sometimes, Guinea Pigs will fight will any pug you try to pair with them, however the most of the time, they would flourish when housed with others with their own kind, and delight in having another cage companion.

When getting Guinea Pigs for the first time, I would personally recommend that you get 2 babies or a baby and an adult guinea pig as they would bond easier. Introductions should be done in a large-ish open area. Make sure they can't escape and watch closely for an hour or so. I personally would watch them for a second or third hour to make sure they're getting along and not fighting. If they do start fighting, immediately separate them with a towel to avoid getting bitten yourself.

Quarantine

You should always quarantine any new guinea pig you bring into your home for 2-3 weeks, and wait a minimum of 24-48 hours before picking them up, so that they're used to their new home. Wash hands, and arms in-between handling the new Guinea Pig/s and consider changing your shirt, or wearing an apron in case of a communicable illness (passable illness). This should help insure that your new Guinea Pig/s don't introduce any illnesses or parasites to any piggies you may already have. You should also consider getting your Guinea Pigs checked-over by a vet as soon as possible to rule out any illnesses or disabilities your piggies may have.

Housing

You should select a smooth-bottomed cage (It isn't recommended to get a non-wire bottom, with ramps or shelves which the could hurt their feet on). You should also provide a covered house or box inside your cage to provide a sense of protection and a comfy place to sleep, including various places to hide if they feel scared or in danger. If you have other pets such as dogs or cats, make sure you have a lid or roof to any housing, especially if it is an out-side hutch. Make sure there's no way for them to escape and get lost too.

Not Recommended: Aquariums and plastic tubs are far too small, and have little to no ventilation. This specific type of housing is very bad for Guinea Pigs as it isolates the pig from it's surroundings by limiting things such as: Sight, sound and smell.

Things to consider:

• 
  Cage/Hutch Size: The bigger the better. Guinea pigs need quite a lot of space to run around, explore and to generally be social in. Generally, people have a 7.5 Square Ft as a minimum for their cages. The preferred size is 10.5 Square feet or more. Sometimes people add 2-4 extra Square Feet to their cages to fit in extra bits and bobs such as toys, tunnels, etc.
  
• The location of their housing: You should select a bright draft-free area/room with a stable temperature range between 18 Degrees C and 23 Degrees C. It should be out of the direct sunlight and close to household activities e.g. in a bedroom.
  
  Warning: Never leave your furballs alone within the presence of another household pet such as a dog, cat, ferret or any other such predatory animal. They could think your Guinea Pigs are a snack!
  
  
• Bedding: You should cover the hutch/cage's floor with around 1-2 inches of fresh or a previous day's news paper, aspen shavings, kiln-dried pine, etc. You can use certain types of fleeces too, but make sure to wash them frequently. If you're going with most other safe options, you should clean the cage every 3-4 days. This will prevent bacteria and prevent smelly odors. This would therefore promote positive effects in your Guinea Pig's health.
  
  Sometimes, Guinea Pig owners purchase some high-quality soft grass or hay and they cover the shavings with up to a few inches of it. They therefore remove wet hay and replace it daily.
  
  Not Recommended: Cedar and raw pine shavings which have not been kiln-dried mostly contain some aromatic oils (phenols) which can have negative affects to your pig's respiratory system.
  
  
• Accessories or addons to their home/cage: It's always required for them to have water (pet owners usually do this with a bottle), a heavy (yet small) bowl for pellets (which should be untippable) and a hayrack or similar system for giving them their daily hunk of hay. I have personally found that my piggies love hammocks as they hide under them and sleep on top. 
  
  Warning about Salt-Licks: Your Guinea Pigs should already be getting enough salt from their food, therefore purchasing a salt lick for your Guinea Pigs can be dangerous as too much salt can kill them.

Diet

Every guinea pig needs the following every day:

• Vitamin C: Guinea pigs are unable to create their own Vitamin C, and they therefore require around 10-30 mg/kg every day to prevent scurvy. In order to ensure your piggies get the correct amount of Vitamin C, you can give them a quarter of a 100 mg chewable or plain tablet, or provide a small amount of Vitamin C in liquid form drops though a pipette. Remember: Young, ill and nursing/pregnant piggies require extra Vitamin C.
  
  There can also sometimes be enough in the food you provide for them. E.g. through veggies, pellets (or nuggets), etc.
  
  
• Water: This should be fresh, changed every day and should also be cold, as everyone knows: warm water just isn't very nice to drink. Avoid distilled water, you should also avoid water high in minerals, especially if it is high in calcium.
  
  
• Pellets/Nuggets: Each guinea pig will eat an estimated 1/8 cup of pellets/nuggets a day when also fed with veggies, hay, etc. You should purchase these pellets in small quantities (unless you have lots of piggies to feed) and you should also try to store them in a dry, cool and dark place to preserve the Vitamin C. Always avoid pellets which use animal byproducts and ones which primary ingredient is corn.
  
  
• Vegetables: Every day you need to provide small amounts of fresh vegetables (around a cup full) and are a very important additional source of Vitamin C and other such nutrients. Parsley, Romaine lettuce, a small piece of carrot, tomato, some sliced green or red pepper, spinach and  cantaloupe are some very popular choices. And if you're giving them fresh grass, make sure its not wet, pesticide-free and has not been weed on or pooed on by any other pets such as dogs or cats or even wild foxes.
  
  Remember to introduce new veggies to your guinea pigs slowly as to not upset their stomach. Variety is the key to keeping their health to a good standard, plus if you're the one feeding them, they'll therefore associate you with snacks, and whenever you enter the room, they may run up to you and squeak loudly :)
  
  
• Grass Hay: You should provide easy access to hay for your Guinea Pigs no matter their age. I have found that Timothy and Orchard Grass hays are quite popular. Hay keeps your Guinea Pig's digestive system going by providing fibers for their poo, and can also help to prevent their teeth from over growing. Some pet owners place it in a wire rack off the floor to keep they hay clean.

Exercise

Guniea Pigs need to exercise and move about just like us. Sometimes if you have floor time when you have an enclosed and safe area where they can roam freely with hidden veggies for them to sniff out and find. Make sure to include a few hiding places so that they feel protected and have a place to hide if they feel scared. Guinea Pigs love to chew on things such as cardboard (e.g. from toilet rolls or delivery packages, remember to remove all tape from delivery boxes if that's what you're using). You can also include a few rocks or bricks as obstacles to run over (this can be a useful way to wear down their nails if you don't like cutting them yourself or if they're scared of it). Make sure to have water and food (which they should have normally) brought with them to where ever they are running around.

Warning: Never purchase exercise wheels or balls. These are not good for Guinea pigs as it would injure their spines, legs or feet. They aren't as flexible as hamsters!

Taming your Pet

Guinea pigs make great pets for children over the age of 6. Most piggies become tame and loving pets who enjoy cuddles. But remember: on their first day arriving to their new home, they'll appreciate being left alone for 24-48 hours so they can get used to their new environment. They may not like being picked up at first, and will most likely run around the cage trying to avoid them. One way to get the interested is to hold veggies up to them so they get used to you feeding them by hand, and your company.

Guinea pigs hate loud noises and sudden movements, so make sure to move slowly (not as if you're a turtle though), and make sure not to shout near them, etc. When lifting and carrying your Guinea Pig, make sure to support the whole body with two hands. They are easily injured if dropped, and may nip or bite you if you're not properly handling them.

Note: I would not recommend that small children to pick up and carry a Guinea Pig around. In my personal opinion, they should be supervised when holding a Guinea Pig, to prevent unintentional injury. Children are children after all.

Grooming

• Brushing: Daily brushing with a soft brush will help to get rid of loose hair and lessen the shedding of the Guinea Pig's hair. If you have a long-haired guinea pig, you should brush them far more often than you would with shorter-haired Guinea Pigs.
  
  
• Clipping Nails: This should be done monthly, which would allow the Guinea Pig to move far more freely and not get their feet caught on items such as clothing, bowls, etc. You can take your Guinea Pig to the vet, or find tutorial videos online about clipping your Guinea Pig's nails.
  
  
• Bathing: It's highly recommended to bathe your Guinea Pigs to remove un-wanted bacteria and odours. Never use human shampoo, only use small-animal or special Guinea Pig shampoo as it will help to avoid their skin having less moisture than it should. Avoid getting water in their ears, nose, mouth and eyes. Use a shallow bowl of warm water, rinse and dry to avoid chills (as water can make you very cold if you don't get dry in time)/