Buying a Guinea Pig? Save a Life Instead!

After reading "Buying a Guinea Pig: A Pet Guide" by Lina E., I realized that many myths about pet stores, breeders, and shelters are still out there. I noticed quite a few large errors in this article and felt the need to write a counterpoint to show people interested in guinea pigs what they really need to know about acquiring their pets (and caring for them once they have them).

Many people are under the impression that if you want a specific breed of guinea pig, you absolutely must go to a breeder. This simply is not true. I have been rescuing guinea pigs from shelters since 2002. Since then, I have seen Americans, satins, peruvians, silkies, crested, texels, skinnies, and more come through my home. Exactly what breed of guinea pig you can't find in a rescue or a shelter, I'd really love to know. Other than a baldwin, there isn't a breed of guinea pig I haven't fostered. I have seen a baldwin in a shelter once though, so I can't even say that they aren't available (although, I personally would not recommend the hairless breeds).

Others are under the impression that a pedigree actually means something. Papers just mean that the parents were purebred. So what? If you aren't subjecting your animal to shows, this doesn't matter one bit. Guinea pig breeders rarely (if ever) breed for health reasons rather than for hair types and colors. A guinea pig from a breeder isn't going to magically be a better pet just because it has papers.

In our society, people are always wanting everything new. We can't buy second hand clothes, used cars are often looked down upon, and you certainly don't want a pre-owned pet! But did you ever stop to think about where exactly the pet store got their guinea pigs? I have personally talked to two former employees of the pet mill that supplied Southern California Petcos previously. These employees described to me conditions of absolute filth that the animals were bred and living in. With such horrible conditions, it comes as no surprise that guinea pigs from pet stores are often sick with upper respiratory infections, fungal and parasitic infestations, and worse. You probably wouldn't buy a pet store puppy because they come from pet mills, so why would you want to buy a small animal from a pet mill? You don't want to start out with hundreds of dollars in vet bills awaiting you immediately after you purchase your new pet.

You may have never heard of guinea pigs being in need of homes. In fact, there are many guinea pigs in nearly every location looking for homes. Just browse www.petfinder.com or www.petharbor.com sometime and look for guinea pigs for adoption near you. There are basically three options for rescuing a guinea pig (or preferably, a pair). You can adopt a pair of guinea pigs directly from your local animal shelter, you may have a local guinea pig rescue near you, or you can also adopt a guinea pig being rehomed by a private party. Many people choose to adopt their guinea pigs directly from a local shelter to save lives directly. Shelter workers generally have a very limited knowledge of the history of the guinea pigs you wish to adopt, but I would still highly recommend adopting directly from a shelter if you wish to do so. I'd recommend quaranting your new pet(s) away from existing guinea pigs or other pets for 2 weeks minimum (preferably 3 weeks) before introducing them. Since guinea pigs in animal shelters come from unknown sources (breeder dumps, owner surrenders, etc.), you don't want to risk passing illnesses onto existing animals. But incase you thought quarantining new animals was something unique to shelter animals, don't be fooled! If you were to buy an animal from a pet store, I would strongly recommend quarantine as well, as those animals were exposed to several diseases at the pet mill, and were stressed out along the trip to the pet store (sometimes they travel over many state lines). If you are adopting guinea pigs from a private party (that is, guinea pig owners who decide that for one reason or another, they can no longer care for their pets), you'll be able to find out more information about them from their current owner. I would personally still recommend quarantining new animals from a private home.

If you are adopting a pair of guinea pigs from a rescue, quarantine will have already been completed for you. Any illnesses will have already been treated. The rescue should also have many knowledgeable volunteers able to answer any questions you may have about guinea pig care. Rescues are generally the safest bet for those wishing to adopt healthy animals from the start. Foster homes will also be able to tell you about the individual guinea pigs to see which pair best matches your family. In addition, when you adopt a pair of guinea pigs from a cavy rescue, this gives the rescue an open spot in which to foster more guinea pigs from a shelter.

So now that the myths of breeders, pet stores, and adoption options have been cleared up, it's time to clear up a couple of care guidelines from the article.

- Guinea pigs do need a cage. Four square feet might be considered a minimum for a single guinea pig, but for a pair you will want at least six square feet, and preferably, closer to nine square feet. See www.cavycages.com for resources on how to build your own cage.

- Guinea pigs need plenty of bedding, but the type of bedding is important. Cedar is dangerous due to phenols, as is pine that has not been kiln-dried. Kitty litter is not a good choice because it may be ingested and cause impaction (not to mention how sore it will make your poor cavy's feet!). Good bedding options include: CareFresh, aspen, and kiln-dried pine.

- A good diet for guinea pigs consists of mainly hay (grass hays such as timothy hay or orchard grass should be the staple). The next most important part of the diet are safe vegetables high in vitamin C. Pellets should only be a small portion of the diet. Think of pellets as a side dish. See www.guinealynx.info for more information on safe vegetables and proper cavy nutrition.

- A wooden chew toy is really not necessary for guinea pigs. Most will not use it. A chew toy also is only going to be effective at trimming down the incisors. Hay will wear down the guinea pig's molars in an animal with proper alignment and no existing dental problems.

- A salt lick is also unnecessary, especially if you are feeding pellets, as they already contain sodium.

- Some type of hiding house in the cage is a necessity for guinea pigs, as they are prey animals.

There are a couple things to consider when choosing your pet guinea pigs. If you are buying/adopting from some unknown source (such as a petstore or shelter), you'll want to pay especially close to signs that the cavy may already be ill. Look for discharge around the eyes, nose, and ears. Check for signs of parasites, such as dandruff (which generally indicates the presence of mites or fungus, depending on the location of the dandruff). If there are other guinea pigs housed with the cavy you are considering, watch their interaction. A guinea pig who is sitting in a corner is likely sick. When you go to pick up nearly any guinea pig, they will run, as they are prey animals after all. When you have firmly grasped your potential pet, look them over again. Do you notice any drooling? Drooling can be a sign of dental problems. Can you hear breathing? If breathing sounds are pronounced, you could be dealing with an upper respiratory infection. Check for staining around the anal area as well as diarrhea can be very serious. If you notice anything wrong and you are going to adopt the guinea pig and save their life anyway, make sure to get to a vet as soon as possible. With guinea pigs, any sign of illness is serious as they try very hard to hide illness. When you notice something, you need to act very quickly. Good luck getting any financial assistance if you bought a sick animal from a pet store, their priority is making money, which means the cheapest thing for them to do is give you a new animal and send yours back to the gas chamber at the pet mill. If you aren't prepared for a sick animal, do not bring one home. But please remember that no guinea pig is going to stay healthy their entire life. If you aren't prepared to take your pet to a veterinarian, you don't need a guinea pig.

Doing your research ahead of time is the best advice I can give to new guinea pig owners. Most rescues will help you out immensely in telling you everything that you need to know before you bring your new pets home. If at all possible, please save the life of a homeless guinea pig rather than supporting the pet mill industry. When you have set up the proper environment and done your research, your guinea pigs will thrive in your care and make excellent pets.