Guinea Pigs are very sociable and lively little animals that if handled and cared for properly can live to be 12 years old (5 years being average). Is the guinea pig right for you?!
Before buying--
- One or a pair? It depends on how much time you have to give your piggy. Same sex groups of either sex usually get along fine if they're given enough room, however, females tend to do better in this situation.
- Male or female? Either one can make a wonderful pet if handled properly.
- Different kinds or colors: Different breeds are the American (smooth-coated), Abbyssinian (short-haired but have whorls/rosettes in the coat), Peruvian (long hair, parted down the back), Silky which is also called Sheltie (long haired), Teddy (short, thick coat with kinked hair without ridges or rosettes), and the American Crested (short hair with a rosette of contrasting color on the forehead). Varieties include the selfs (black, white, chocolate, beige, cream, golden, lilac, red, blue), agouti (silver, golden, cinnamon, chocolate), himalayan (white coat with black or chocolate ears and feet), dutch (bodies are self or agouti with a white "saddle" across the back and around the belly, there is also a white blaze on the forehead), roan (black body with even mixing of white hairs throughout--head and feet have solid black hairs; some are red/white or red/black/white), tortoiseshell and tortoiseshell with white (ideal markings consist of red and black [and white] evenly spaced across the body).
- Tips on purchasing: You can obtain a piggy from a pet store, breeder, animal shelter or from someone who's guinea pig has just had a litter. Beware of buying females housed with males as they can get pregnant as early as 4 weeks old. Steer clear of animals that have diarrhea because it can be a symptom of a bacterial infection. The eyes and nose should be clear of discharge. The guinea pigs should run away from your hand if you put it in the cage--if it does not it could be sick. Examine the coat for bald spots or skin ailments. Listen to the breathing--wheezing could be a sign of respiratory problems.
Basic Needs--
- Cages: Each guinea pig should have a minimum of 2 square feet in it's cage. **Never use a wire mesh bottomed cage, as the piggy could get a foot stuck in the mesh** Try to find a cage with a removeable bottom and a hinged top. Aquariums can be used however the large size can be cumbersome to move and clean. **Do not use cedar shavings for bedding** Aspen or pine shavings, and carefresh or yesterday's news make for great bedding. However, the aspen shavings must be changed more often because it doesn't control odor very well.
- Food: A heavy earthenware dish should be purchased for dispensing food, as it cannot be tipped. A hay rack that can be mounted outside the cage should be purchased. A water bottle with a stainless steel tube should be used for dispensing water because piggies tend to chew on the tube when drinking. Timothy hay is the best hay to feed, although any grass hay will do. Guinea pig pellets are necessary and can be purchased at pet stores. Adult piggies will eat one-two ounces of pellets per day on average. Try to feed at the same time each day as piggies like routine. Remove the food that isn't eaten otherwise you'll end up with a chubby piggy. Hay should be offered at all times. Avoid commercial mixes with seeds, nuts and dried fruits as these are high in fat. Plus nuts or seeds still in their shells (such as peanuts and sunflower seeds) can cause your piggy to choke. It's extrememly important that your piggy receives enough vitamin C as they can not make it on their own. Adult guinea pigs need 10 mg (each of these are 10 mg of vitamin C: 1 ¼ apple with skin, 1 banana, 1 cup of carrots) of vitamin C a day. **Foods to avoid: long celery stalks (cut into small pieces), iceberg lettuce, raw beans, rhubarb, any dairy products (piggies are lactose intolerant)**
- Toys: PVC Pipes (4 inches in diameter, Ts work well), branches and parrot toys for gnawing, all make great toys. However, you will be your piggy's main toy.
Training--
- Acclimation: Have everything in its place before you bring your piggy home. Place the cage away from the center of activity...when your piggy is settled into its environment you can move it to a more active part of the house. Allow the piggy to explore, rearrange, and mark its territory the first week (you can speak to it softly during this time). After that put your hand in the cage to allow the piggy to sniff. Offer small bits of food so that it will asociate you with things that are good.
- Handling: Lift by placing a hand underneath the belly and supporting the rest of the body with the other hand so you don't drop the guinea pig. Put it on your chest or lap and support the shoulders and rump. They might urinate on you in the beginning so it's a good idea to have a towel available.
- Dangers of being on the loose: They love to chew and anything is fair game, including electrical cords. Open doors, windows, and holes are also dangerous, as are aggressive pets.
- Other animals and children: If handled properly piggies can make great pets for children. While I suppose they could get along well with some cats and dogs, I don't recommend leaving them unsupervised.
Health--
- Illness: Lameness can indicate a vitamin C deficiency or an injury. A sick guinea pig is apathetic and can have the following symptoms: discharge from the eyes and/or nose, sneezing, diarrhea, no appetite, changes in the amount of frequency of drinking and unusual odor or quantity of urine. Guinea pigs are happiest in temperatures of 64-68 degrees F.
- Cleaning: Scoop out the dirty bedding every day or every other day and replace it with fresh bedding. Remove all bedding and scrub the cage every week. Piggies need some special grooming such as nail trimming and combing (especially if you have a long-haired piggy).
- Sex determination: The distance between the anus and the genitalia is larger in the male than the female.
- Breeding: Guinea pigs reach sexual maturity at 4-6 weeks of age. Average litter size is 3. Weaning occurs around 3 weeks. Males can be left in with the female and babies but be prepared to separate the father from his daughters when they reach 4 weeks of age, same goes for the males from their mother. Also if you don't want the mother to get pregnant right after giving birth to her litter you'll want to remove the father. Pregnant/nursing females need more food than normal and should receive 20 mg of vitamin C a day. As your female guinea pig gets older her hips fuse a certain way and if she gets pregnant chances are she'll have to have a c-section.
- Now in my own opinion I don't recommend breeding for the average pet owner. There are just too many animals out there looking for homes already.
For more information check out my pet resource page!
Holly
Harper
last updated 2001
A great big thanks goes out to Lucy at I love Guinea Pigs for helping me get in touch with Yang-Yang and to Yang-Yang for letting me use the picture of her adorable piggies Chocolate and Snowball!!
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