How to Take Care of Your Pet Guinea Pig: A Youngster’s Tutorial

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Advantages of Keeping Guinea Pigs

• They are really affordable to maintain.
• They live for longer than most rodent pets.
• Their pet-related mess is contained in and around their cages, so there isn’t a lot of cleaning up to do.
• They’re very easy to look after and do not require specialist care.
• They don’t need walks.
• They don’t need their bedding completely changed every day.
• They become domesticated (tame) very quickly.
• They’re awake when you are, unlike hamsters and rats.
• They don’t mind living outdoors as long as their cage is waterproofed.
• Feeding them is easy. Packaged food is sold readily and fresh vegetables can come from your own kitchen.

Disadvantages

• They live outdoors for most of the year so you have to go out to see them.
• In the winter, you have to move them and their home if it gets too cold.
• Guinea pigs who are strangers fight each with other, especially the boys.
• They only live for about six years (but this is much longer than hamsters do).
• You will need to learn new skills in order to clean and feed them.
• Guinea pigs have a limit to how much handling they can stand. This you’ll find out after you’ve had them a while.
• You have to be careful to keep the boys and girls apart. Guinea pigs can have dozens of babies every year, even the very young ones.
• They’re prone to illness if neglected. They can get sad, depressed and unwell if you don’t play with them often.

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Questions to Consider Before Bringing Home Your Guinea Pig

• What type do you want?
• Where will it live?
• Have you got enough space in your garden?
• Can you manage two pets of that size?
• Will you have enough time to play with them to keep them tame and well?
• Do you have enough space in your house/garage/shed/porch/conservatory, to keep them warm when the cold winter sets in?

Preparing for Your Guinea Pig

• Once your decision is made, choose a cage that’s suitable for your pets. The home has to let in a lot of light and be big enough for them to run around and play in.
• Make sure that you have enough space in your garden to place the cage in a sheltered spot away from strong winds and glaring sunlight.
• Guinea pigs don’t like living alone, so make sure they have a companion.
• Each guinea pig has to have a separate sleeping area. They like a bit of privacy.
• You also need a meshed cover to keep them safe when you let them play in the grass.
• Your guinea pig has to have lots of toys to keep them active. Make sure they have gnawing (biting) toys which will help keep their teeth at a reasonable length.
• Purchase a cage with hiding areas so that your guinea pigs could tuck in to sleep when they need to.
• Your pet shop would know the kind of food your guinea pigs like to eat. Make sure that they have the right sort.
• If you’re keeping them in the garden, make sure the cage has legs to keep it off the ground. Guinea pigs don’t like living in a damp house.

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Caring for Your Guinea Pig

• Change the water at least every other day and thoroughly wash out the water containers every week.
• Feed according to your pet shop’s instructions. Include lots of fresh food and some clean hay.
• If their hair is long, brush and untangle it twice a week.
• Make sure they’re getting lots of exercise.
• Move their home to the shed, garage or porch if the winters are cold where you live.
• It’s best to clean out the visible droppings every day to keep the cage fresh and healthy. No need to change the entire bedding until the end of the week.
• Make regular checks to ensure there’re lots to chew on otherwise your guinea pig’s teeth will grow too long. Long teeth prevent them from feeding properly.
• It’s important to handle them often and make sure you add vitamin C to their diets.

If these are your first guinea pigs, you may want to start off with the short haired variety because there isn’t that much grooming involved. Have fun taking care of your guinea pigs.