Everything You Need to Know About Guinea Pigs

If your looking for a new, fun, and exciting pet to join your family you might want to consider a guinea pig. Guinea pigs make wonderful pets, and are great with children. They are rather affordable, and definitely entertaining. However, like with any animal you need to do a little research. Knowing the pros and cons of a pet before you buy one, can be very helpful in the long run.

The Cage:
Guinea pigs need a open cage to allow fresh air to flow through. Some guinea pigs are keep in tanks but, it is not healthy for them. A wire cage is ideal for housing. If you do not have other pets in the home, you might want to consider a open top cage. Similar to a playpen, a open top cage allows for easy access. Guinea pigs can not climb or jump, so if you choose an open top cage, it only needs to be 10 to 12 inches high depending on their size. You should make sure that your cage has a water bottle, feed dish, and a place for the guinea pig to hide. You can find eatable logs at most pet supply stores, that not only provide your guinea pig with a place to hide, but also aids keeping their teeth healthy. A guinea pigs teeth is always growing, so they will need something to chew on. You will also need some sort of bedding in your cage. Bedding not only keeps the cage enjoyable for the guinea pig, it also absorbs it's waste until you get it trained. You can place a litter pan in the cage, but potty training a guinea pig isn't an easy task. You should be prepared to clean the cage at least every other day regardless. If you do not keep the cage clean several things will happen. First off, it is very unhealthy for a guinea pig to be housed in a dirty cage. A dirty cage will cause it to become very ill, and even death might be an end result. Not only that, but a dirty cage stinks! Guinea pigs can cause your entire house to have a very unpleasant oder if the cage is not cleaned regularly.

Food:
Guinea pigs need to have their water changed daily, even if there is still water in their bottle. You wouldn't want to drink warm water that was left over from the day before, and neither do they. They also need a diet consisting of store bought guinea pig food, as well as fresh food. Guinea pigs love fresh carrots, apples, and lettuce.

Picking Out A Guinea Pig:
Once you have your age set up, it's time to bring home your new family member. You can find guinea pigs at most pet stores. If by chance your local pet store does not have one in stock, try searching for local breeders. You can expect to pay anywhere from $15.00 to $50.00 for a guinea pig, depending on the breed. Most guinea pigs you buy in pet stores are babies. Do not be fooled by their size. A guinea pig on average grows to be between 8 and 10 inches long. You will also find that there are 3 main different types of coats. The smooth haired guinea pig looks like a large hamster. The Peruvian guinea pig has really long hair that drags the ground. And the Abyssinian guinea pig has hair that always looks as if he just got out of bed. Regardless type of hair your guinea pig has, he should be healthy. Healthy guinea pigs will have a shine or gloss to their hair, and their eyes will be bright.

One Or Two Pigs:
Guinea pigs are extremely sociable animals. If you do not plan on playing with the guinea pig several times a day, you might want to consider getting two. Two guinea pigs keep each other company, and they are much happier in pairs. However, if you get two boars or males they will fight one another. If you get a male and a female, they will make babies. So unless you want babies you should get two females.

What's That Again:
Guinea pigs are so sociable that they can talk your ear off. You can expect to hear all sorts of squeals, squeaks, and grunts. Even though a guinea pig is timid by nature, they are big on talking. Once they are used to you, you will hear them chattering every time you walk by.

Will A Guinea Pig Bite?:
Yes, a guinea pig will bite you. However, they very seldom do. A bite from a guinea pig will not require stitches, but it does hurt, and will bleed. If you are bitten, wash the area off immediately with soap and water. then apply a first aid ointment. Almost all guinea pig bites are non serious, and do not require a doctors visit. Most bites happen as a result of not picking the guinea pig up correctly. To correctly pick up your pig grasp one hand around the shoulders and tuck the other hand under it's hindquarters.

My Female Is Having Babies:
It isn't always the owners fault that their guinea pig is expecting babies. From time to time you either get luck or unlucky enough to buy a pregnant female. There is no need to panic. She will more the likely have her you in her cave, or hiding spot. You should keep from handling her during the late days of her pregnancy, until a few weeks after the babies are born. You still need to pet her, and show her you care, just don't pick her up to much. Females are pregnant for a total of 68 days.

Babies! :
The baby guinea pigs will be born with hairs, their eyes open, and all their teeth. A mother guinea pig usually have 2 to 4 babies. She can only feed two of these babies at a time. Within an hour of being born baby guinea pigs are on their feet, and walking around. They eat from their mother the first 3 weeks, then they will start eating on their own. By the time they are 8 weeks old they are ready to leave mother, and find new homes. At 8 weeks old they are also able to start their own families by reproducing even though they are not fully grown until they are 6 months old. Guinea pigs usually live for about 5 years. That equals a ton of babies if you are not careful.

You will find that having a guinea pig means having responsibility. However, the payoff is wonderful. Knowing what you are getting into is half the battle, the rest is easy. Guinea pigs do require care, but it is well worth it in the end.