Home Rodents Guinea Pigs Guinea Pigs: Tips for Purchase And Care

Guinea Pigs: Tips for Purchase And Care

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Himalayan Guinea Pig
From Joerim

Guinea pigs have excellent hearing, they recognize their owner and quickly build a relationship with them. If one takes into account their needs, they turn out to be lively companions. They are usually compatible with each other, frictions in the group are rare. Under no circumstances should they be kept alone, as they have a pronounced social behavior. Guinea pigs are twilight-active, which means that they move mainly in the morning and evening. Does it all sound like guinea pigs are perfect pets for you? In the following sections, you will find tips on what requirements the lively rodents have and how you can meet them.

What responsibility do you have?

Guinea pigs need a lot of care and attention. With the purchase, you assume responsibility as a keeper for several years. Please be aware of this before buying them. They live an average of six to eight years, in some cases even more than ten years. Are you ready to take care of them for so long? A guinea pig also makes financial demands. The running maintenance costs are comparatively low, but the initial equipment for a species-appropriate keeping is quite expensive. And these rodents can get sick too. Expenditures for veterinarians and medication can add up quickly, depending on the type of illness. You should also include the money factor in your considerations before purchasing.

Digging and raving guinea pigs. The litter flies through the apartment. There is also a certain odor level, even with the most careful cleanliness. Can you handle it well? Last but not least, guinea pigs are very curious and are looking for intellectual challenges. Can you keep the animals busy and give them time?

Before the guinea pigs are accepted into the family, you must also clarify the following points: Is someone allergic to animal hair in the household? Are there other pets that are not compatible with the new housemates? Who takes care of the animals on vacation or sickness?

Setting up their home

Did you know that they are originally from South America? There, the small rodents were domesticated as food animals thousands of years ago. They came to Europe with seafarers, which gave them their name and initiated their triumphal march as pets. Depending on the breed and gender, the rodents have a body length of 25 to 35 centimeters and weigh 800 to 1400 grams. This is not a lot, but guinea pigs still need a lot of space because they want to run and jump. Accordingly, you need a large, varied and appropriately equipped cage or better still: an enclosure

The pet rodent home should have a minimum area of ​​0.5 square meters per housed animal, but at least 1.40 meters long. For each animal, the cage includes a wooden shelter with two sufficiently large exits, a ceramic water bowl that the animals cannot knock over, an outside drinker and a hay rack if necessary. Fresh bedding in the cage is also important. Please make sure that no plastic material is accessible to the guinea pigs. As rodents, they test everything for edibility and can seriously injure themselves when nibbling on plastic. Guinea pigs need at least four hours of supervised free walking daily. In addition to the cage, you need an outlet grille or folding enclosure.

What should Guinea Pigs eat?

The basic food consists of hay, it is important for digestion and must be constantly available to the animals. They also grind their constantly growing teeth as they nibble on the stalks. There are also grain mixtures that are specially tailored to your needs, as well as fresh feed in the form of grass, herbs, dandelions, and wild herbs. Leaves of apple, pear, and hazelnut trees are also gratefully accepted. Please provide your guinea pigs with at least 10 percent of their body weight as fresh food, but slowly get used to it, because they usually don’t get anything fresh in the pet store.

What should Guinea Pigs NOT eat?

Make sure that your guinea pig is not allowed to feed. All types of stone fruit and exotic fruits are taboo. In general, only a little fruit should be fed as a treat. The less acid a fruit variety contains, the better, that is: apples, strawberries, and melons are fine in small quantities. Citrus fruits and kiwi, on the other hand, can cause severe skin irritation. For vegetables, legumes, and onions, eggplants and cabbage are taboo. However, carrots, celery, and fennel are proper guinea pig foods contrasted to the taboo examples listed before. Caution with all salads and leafy greens: due to the nitrate content, the pet rodent can only tolerate small amounts. Guinea pigs attach great importance to fresh food at all times of the day. It’s best to schedule four meals for the guinea pig.

How much work do guinea pigs do?

The most important thing is the daily mucking out of urine sites. Once or twice a week there is a complete cleaning of the cage with changing litter and once a month cleaning with hot water. Please do not use harsh detergents. Guinea pigs, who cannot wear their claws enough, occasionally need a manicure with special claw scissors, breeds with long fur every now and then a new haircut. A good relationship of trust between humans and animals is very valuable, especially for such campaigns or visits to the vet, where touching the animal is inevitable. A calm, careful behavior and “bribes” in the form of treats can work miracles here.

The Guinea Pig Group

These creatures live in nature in small groups of three to ten animals, the only way they feel comfortable. Keeping them on their own is cruelty to animals, and keeping them together with rabbits is anything but species-appropriate: the two animal species speak completely different languages. In order to meet the needs of the animals, keep at least two, better several guinea pigs. It is important to pay attention to the gender composition: with a pure gang of girls or several females with a castrated buck prevent unwanted offspring. Many experienced guinea pig keepers do not recommend the association of several goats, as there are often territorial fights, even if the animals are neutered.

Does my guinea pig want to cuddle?

Contrary to popular belief, they are not cuddly toys, even if they can be very tame if they trust their owner. The small rodents often fall prey to birds of prey or predators in nature. They are typical escape animals. It is therefore very stressful for guinea pigs to be taken in hand. They are only very suitable as a pet for small children who want to have something to pet. Some like to be touched after a while, but this has to be done voluntarily without taking the animal out of the enclosure.

Where do I get guinea pigs from?

You can get them from shops and breeders. Even in animal shelters, many of the small rodents are waiting for a loved one who offers them a great new home.

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