Caring for your
pets
Housing guinea
pigs
Guinea pigs can
be housed in a large plastic indoor cage or a wooden outdoor hutch, which needs
to be about four foot long. Personally I like to keep them in cages inside the
shed out of the cold.
They need to be
housed together if possible, you can usually put quite a few girls together and
they will not fight. With boys you need to be more careful because they will
sometimes want to live on their own.
If you decide to put 2 boys together
you need to watch them, if they start to fight you should separate them immediately. It is easier if
you get the boys when they are 5 or 6 weeks old as you can put them together
easier without them fighting . You can’t
have more than 2 males living together.
Ginea pigs
should NOT be housed with rabbits as guinea pigs need more vitamin C than
rabbits, also the rabbit tends to eat it all and will leave the guinea pig with
a very unhealthy diet. Also rabbits have very strong back legs and could kick
out and seriously injure or even kill your guinea pig.
Questions and
answers
I want a guinea
pig but I am confused, what do all the different breeds mean?
All the
different breeds mean is what they look like, if you are just looking for a
guinea pig as a family pet then there are beautiful mixed breeds available.
Do satins have
a shorter life expectancy than other breeds of guinea pig?
Yes they do,
there is some new research to show that there is a genetic problem with satins
and they would die at about 3-4 years.
What is the average life expectancy for a
guinea pig?
What is the
average amount of babies born in a litter of guinea pigs?
The average
amount of babies in each litter is 2-4, but of course this varies.
How old does a
guinea pig need to be to breed from for its first litter.
I have heard
that guinea pigs and rabbits are related is this true.
What are
Dalmatian guinea pigs?
Like a
Dalmatian dog with either black or liver coloured spots.
What plants can guinea pigs eat?
Sow thistle,
cow parsley and vetch.
Are guinea pigs
nocturnal?
No, guinea pigs
are not nocturnal.
Are guinea pigs
rodents?
Yes, guinea
pigs are rodents.
How often
should guinea pigs cage be cleaned out?
Guinea pigs
should be cleaned out at least twice a week.
Who is it best
to buy a guinea pig from?
A recommended
breeder
What is the
best age to buy a guinea pig?
When they are
6-12 weeks of age as they are easier to tame.
Do guinea pigs
bite?
No, most guinea
pigs don’t bite, this make them a great pet for children.
My guinea pig
won’t eat what should I do?
It may be
pregnant but if not, you should take it to a vet as soon as possible.
My guinea pig won’t
live with another guinea pig, I am thinking about buying a rabbit as a
companion for it, is this ok?
No definitely
not, they eat different food and the rabbit could kick the guinea pig and hurt
or kill it.
Are cavies
guinea pigs?
Yes.
What are skinny
pigs?
Skinny pigs are
a type of guinea pig with no fur.
What guinea
pigs eat
Guinea pigs need vitamin C, some people give it to them in their water, but
I prefer to give them fresh fruit and veggies.
My Piggies like
to eat these veggies
Celery
Cucumber (their favorite)
Apple
Broccoli
Greens (not spinach as it can harm guinea pigs)
Cabbage
Grass
Curly leaf kale
corm on the cob
Carrots (feed in moderation)
Never feed your Piggies these
x
x Spinach
x Ice burg lettuce
x Bananas
x Potatoes or the peelings
x Tomatoes or the skins
Guinea pigs
must always have a plentiful supply of water and fresh hay as well as guinea
pig food, my guinea pigs favorite food is Gertie guinea pig which you can get
from lots of different pet stores. They also need wood shavings (sawdust is too
fine.)
Breeding
The female has
to be at least 5 months and under 1 year for her first pregnancy. Any amount of females can go with one male
for a pregnancy but not more than one male with any amount of females.
It takes about
10 weeks (62days) for the litter to be born. The female will only get pregnant
when she is in heat which is about 16 days per month so the exact date is not
always accurate.
Remove the boy
when you know for sure the girl is pregnant otherwise she will get pregnant
again as the girl comes into heat straight after birth. The babies are born
fully formed and can eat straight away.
If there are any dead babies move them out of the cage straight away, if
the whole litter is dead it is best to put the boy back in with the girl to
stop her being upset and mourning. Make sure the girls stay with their mum for
5-6 weeks and the boys only 3-4 weeks otherwise the boys will mate with their
mum and you will get an unwanted litter which might be deformed.
Different
breeds of guinea pigs
Abyssinian guinea pigs
Pure bred
Abyssinian guinea pigs should have ten rosettes four on the hindquarters, four around the 'saddle' and one on each shoulder.
They come in come in lots of different colours the most common is tort and
white but you can get them in self’s and other mixed colours.
American crested guinea pig
A pure bred red American crested
should have broad shoulders and its eye colouring should match the colour of
its fur, and its ears should be
slightly droopy. They come in black, red and other colours too.
Coronet guinea pigs
A pure bred coronet should have long
fur with a large full crest on its head. They can come in an array of colours
the one above is chocolate and cream. Coronets in general have a very laid back
temperament but of course it depends on the actual guinea pig.
Dutch guinea pigs
Merino guinea pig
A Merino guinea pig should have
curly fur, shorter than the coronet but longer than the short hairs. They are very laid back and come in an
assortment of colours.
Black tan guinea pig
Sheltie guinea pig
Same as the coronet guinea pig
without the crest.
Handling guinea pigs
Guinea pigs, once they get to know
you are very sociable friendly little animals and love to be held.
To build your trust with them you
need to put your hand in the cage and gently try to stroke them if they run
away from you just get them used to your hand being in the cage and as they are
very inquisitive they will come over to investigate and they should let you
stroke them, if they run away just keep on trying you will get there in the
end.
When you hold them you need to put your hand
under the back of their body to support them do that they feel secure and put
your hand under and over then front of their body and put them close to your
chest and stroke them gently.
Showing guinea pigs
Showing guinea pigs can take up a
lot of time. It is best to start by showing in the pet section because you
don’t have to worry about their markings. If you do decide to show in the pure
bred section it is best to start with Abyssinians and rexes as you do not have
to bath them. If you decide to show longhairs you need to put some of their
hair into wraps.
You need to make sure you give them a bath
before the show so that their coat is clean also their toenails need to be trimmed.
You need to make sure they have any matted fur cut off otherwise it is counted
against the guinea pig.
It is very rewarding to win any
prizes even if it is only third as you know the judges like your Piggies and
that they are good quality.
Grooming guinea pigs
All long haired guinea pigs need to
be brushed daily as their fur will become matted quickly and could hurt them.
Also if young children do it they need to be supervised. As the may brush them
too hard and could hurt them.
Are guinea pigs suitable for young
children?
They are suitable for young children
as they are very friendly don’t tend to bite and love to be held. Also they are
ok to be left alone as long as they have another guinea pig as a companion so
they don’t get lonely whilst the child is at school.
You need to make sure the child will
be gentle with the guinea pig and makes sure they clean it out and that it is
given fresh water and fed daily.
Exercise
Guinea pigs
need exercise and a good way to give it to them is to put a large run on the
grass and let them run about in it for a couple of hours.
Make sure they can’t
get to any poisonous things like ivy or toadstools. Make sure the grass is dry
otherwise it can harm their digestive system and make them unwell.
Helpful Hints
Instead of
using the wire from a bunny bottle cut a piece of curtain wire and put some
curtain hooks in each end.
Next time you
clean out your guinea pigs or rabbits add the soiled bedding to your compost
bin.
To clean out
your water bottle use cotton buds as it is not harmful to guinea pigs and
cleans them very well.
When you clean
out your guinea pig cage spray the plastic base with a hose to get the last bits of dirt out
and leave it outside to dry before adding the bedding and putting the guinea
pigs back inside,
With a hutch
spray the inside with animal friendly cage cleaner (disinfectant) then scrub it
and leave to dry before adding their bedding and putting the Piggies inside.
You can use the
wire indoor cage tops as runs for guinea pigs when you are cleaning out their
cage.
Health
If your guinea
pig is unwell the signs usually are that it isn’t eating, not moving around
much, the eyes are not bright and it doesn’t like to be held, this could be
that the animal is unwell or in pain and needs to be taken to the vet.
If your guinea
pig has had a litter of babies and they are all dead. You should keep an eye on
her and if she doesn’t seem her normal self you should take her to your vet as
soon as possible as it could be pregnancy toxemia and they may be able to save
her.
Exercising
guinea pigs indoors
If the weather
is too bad to let your guinea pig out is a run it is a good idea to make a
large enclosure so the guinea pig can still get some exercise and enjoy it.
It is not very good to keep a guinea pig in a
hutch all the time as they get bored so during the winter it is the perfect
solution.
Life expectancy
of a guinea pig
Guinea pigs
usually live for about 4- 7 years so you must make sure you are committed to
looking after a guinea pig for that long and that it gets the proper care and
that you don’t just get bored of it.
Guinea pigs
teeth
Guinea pigs are
part of the rodent family so their teeth are always growing, if you don’t give
them any hard blocks of wood to chew their teeth may get very long and could
get chipped and seriously injure you guinea pig. Also it wouldn’t be able to
eat and would die from starvation.
If guinea pigs teeth are long you should take
them to a vet as they will be able to trim them for you.
Guinea pigs
eyes
Guinea pigs can
get hay or wood shavings in their eyes, they should be checked every day
because if it went right into the eye it could infect it but also it could cause
the guinea pig to get its eye pierced and have to have it removed
How to
transport your guinea pig
It is best to
transport your guinea pig in a small cat carrier so that it doesn’t get to
nervous.
Baby guinea
pigs
Baby guinea
pigs are amazing, they are born with their eyes fully open and they are very
furry. Here are some babies about 5 minutes after they were born
Is it good to buy a guinea pig from a pet
shop?
Normally yes
but sometimes they can get the sex wrong so you should always check it
yourself. Also the pet shops could make
a mistake and put the girls with a boy this would mean the girls could get
pregnant.
What is best a
male or a female?
Males tend to
be better pets as they are generally more placid than females but with males
you can normally keep only two together
or they sometimes fight in bigger groups.
Sexing Guinea
pigs
Male and female
guinea pigs both have two teats so the only way you can sex them is by the
shape of their genital openings the female has a y shaped opening and the male
has a round opening.