Rat
Rescue :: Guide
to Guinea Pigs
Guide to Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs make lovely pets, they are easy to handle and will
become quite tame. They will live for 4 - 5 years, and some
may live as long as 8 or 9 years.
Guinea pigs are sociable creatures and love company - that
of humans and as well as other piggies. Females can be kept
together or in groups, and two males may also live together.
An adult male can be introduced to a very young male i.e. 4
- 10 weeks, but you cannot put together two adult males of a
similar age, as they will fight for dominance.
A male and female will obviously produce more guinea pigs,
however males can be castrated from 5 months of age, and then
they can be kept with females.
Housing
Guinea pigs usually live in hutches outside, but can be kept
in indoor cages. Those that live indoors tend to be friendlier
as they are more integrated into the family. If the Guinea pigs
are housed outside over the winter period the hutch must have
plenty of hay for them to burrow in, and it will be necessary
to cover the hutch at night to keep it warmer.
In the summer the guinea pigs can be put out in runs on the
lawn as they make excellent lawn mowers! (However, if you have
treated your grass recently, your guinea could ingest poisons,
so do be aware).
Do not put them out if the grass is damp or the weather is
unfavourable. Inside the hutch we usually put a layer of biodegradable
litter such as Biocatolet or supreme carefresh, (DO NOT use
Wood shavings as this can lead to respiratory problems and ultimately
death) and cover with a good quality hay, which should be shaken
to remove the seeds. Hay is preferable to straw as straw can
injure their eyes.
Never house Guinea pigs with rabbits. While you may see them
together in pet shops, this is not a good idea. When the rabbit
is mature it will try and mate the Guinea pig regardless of
the rabbit's sex. We have seen piggies with broken pelvises
as a result of living with a rabbit as well as ones that have
died from shock due to being kicked or mounted by a rabbit.
Also, if it feels threatened, the Guinea pig will inevitably
bite the Rabbit causing abscesses. There are many cases of rabbits
killing or seriously injuring guinea pigs if they live together.
So please do not consider this an option
Supplies for your Guinea Pig
Diet
Guinea pigs are never happier than when they are eating! They
can eat a wide variety of food. They should be given good quality
hay to wear their teeth down and fresh food preferably twice
a day. This is because they cannot produce their own vitamin
C. Guinea pigs will eat almost any fruit or vegetable, if the
Guinea doesn't eat a particular food remove it and do not feed
this again.
A Guinea pig will rarely eat food that is harmful to it. Potato
should not be given; and lettuce and apples should only be given
in small quantities. Apples can cause ulcers in the mouth, lettuce
can cause diarrhoea.
Guinea pigs also enjoy a variety of wild plants, the commonest
being dandelions, shepherd's purse, plantain and chickweed -
and of course grass.
Any fruit or vegetable should be clean and fresh. Grass clippings
from the mower should not be fed as they rapidly heat up and
ferment.
While there are a number of guinea pig foods on the market,
do try and limit our piggies intake to once every other day.
Hay should from 80% of their diet, fresh fruit and grass 15%
and then dried food just 5%. This is because they can suffer
from overgrown back teeth if they do not get enough wear (which
will lead to death) and also kidney problems.
Supplies for your Guinea Pig
Health
If kept in clean, warm hutches, and fed a good diet, guinea
pigs rarely become ill. They do not need any vaccinations but
they may need their nails cut occasionally. Also it is important
to look at their coats regularly, as mange (caused by a burrowing
mite) is very common. This looks first like scruffiness, and
loss of hair, and then the guinea pig develops open itchy sores.
The sooner this is treated the better. Long coated breeds need
regular grooming at least once a day. It is advisable to have
your Guinea pig shampooed and conditioned one a month during
the summer months to prevent mites from laying eggs and to keep
the coat nice and healthy.
At cavyrescue, we have been gifted by Peter Gurney for allowing
us to reproduce his advice on guinea pig health. Peter is a
much respected Guinea Guru and if he doesn't know it then you
probably don't either. Always check these pages for tips and
advice if you piggie is ill.
To select a topic in the health guide please click
here.
