Guinea Pigs
Welcome to my Guinea Pig page.
I became a “Piggy” owner by accident, after looking after my next door neighbour’s Black and White guinea pig called Guinness whilst they were on holiday. After having him for two weeks, when it was time for him to go home I missed his company, but children will be children and eventually he came to live with me on a more permanent basis and I never looked back.
He is a “house” piggy and has lots of floor time in my lounge and is generally a very happy, healthy guinea pig
(although a little on the large side) with an extremely beautiful shiny coat. He is very affectionate and likes nothing more that having
a cuddle on the sofa in front of the T.V. where he will make the most gorgeous happy noises and then nods off to sleep.
This page has been set up to offer basic advice to new guinea pig owners, taken from hands on experience from an also new guinea pig owner.
Housing & Bedding
As my piggies live indoors with me, I can only comment on indoor hutches.
I originally housed Guinness in a 30” x 20” indoor cage with a plastic pig igloo for him to sleep in and thought at the time my little boy was quite content. All guinea pigs require company, and I was advised to acquire a friend for him. As Guinness was and is a little long in the tooth, a local vet advised me to find a very young boar or a female, but not wanting to put Guinness through any unnecessary surgical procedures such as neutering at his age, I settled on a 13 week old boar named “Nibbler”. Not long after their introduction it was obvious that there simply was not enough room and the two would just sit staring at each other from their separate igloos looking bored and depressed.
I then purchased a Marchioro indoor hutch which is 47” x 23” and although it now dominates my living room, the benefits to my two little piggies outweighs the lack of floor space. They now play, run, have lots of nose to nose time, make little chirps, squeaks and a lot of “popcorning” takes place, a good sign that they are happy.
So my only advise is that if you are going to be out most of the day and can’t give them the floor time they need, you must buy the largest cage within your budget and space available, as it makes a huge difference to their well being.
With regard to bedding, I use a vacuum packed sawdust called “Chippets” to cover the floor space (approx 1-2 inches deep). I have used supermarket brands, but they seem to be inferior and in fact caused a nasal and respiratory problem with Guinness – he sneezed continuously.
I buy a large bag of dried grass/hay each week, this is used for filling their igloos, they like to sleep on it and eat it. Also supply a separate hay holder (they usually come with the cage) which you fill and make sure it stays filled, this keeps fresh hay away from the floor and they love to climb up it and eat.
Bathing and Grooming
Some guinea pigs like a bath, others hate it, but with boars it is necessary from time to time, as their grease gland near their bottom can become quite messy.
Use only a medicated animal shampoo (never use human or baby shampoo!) and use your bath or a plastic bowl, but nothing to high, as they will struggle and if they fall from the height of a sink, they can break bones or worse. Never leave them unattended.
The water should only be 1 – 1.5 inches deep and barely covering their tummies. Shampoo well but avoiding the eyes and ears and then rinse as thoroughly as you can, making sure all soap suds are gone.
Have two old towels at hand, one for mopping most of the water from their coat and another fresh dry one to sit cuddling him/her until they are completely dry.
Some guinea pigs will accept being dried by a hairdryer, but if they do, make sure it is on the coolest setting and never put a guinea pig back in its cage (indoors or out) before it is thoroughly dry.
Brushing is a must, especially for the longer haired variety, and just like dogs they do moult and they usually love this activity because it means they are receiving cuddles and attention.
Diet
Guinea pigs need fresh fruit and vegetables daily and at least twice a day, they are grazers naturally so are constantly eating.
They love routine and will generally let you know when feeding time is by “weeping” at you and in Guinness’ case,
running up and down at the front of the cage like a mad thing and then standing on his hind legs making eye contact with me.
My daily routine is as follows:-
Remove all uneaten food every morning and generally spring clean (remove piggie poo)
Morning
Fresh water and hay
Top up dried food (you will need a dried food with added calcium – this is a must)
I then prepare a bowl of freshly cut and washed carrot, cucumber and celery.
Midday
A handful of washed curly kale
Early Evening
A large piece of apple (each) and a handful of greens
Bedtime (Guinness has learned this word, along with may others)
A large selection of greens, my boys favourites are curly kale, spinach and cabbage.
Foods to AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Chocolate
Caffeine
Cheese, milk etc..
If it’s not plain water (tap or still mineral) do not give it to your guinea pig.
Lettuce (some lettuces, especially Iceberg can make them very ill)
Meat
Anything in the “hot” department, i.e. peppers, garlic or onions
Mushrooms
Fish
Bird seed or sunflower seeds and nuts
If you are in doubt, always ask your vet, this is very important, as some foods can cause serious harm.
Cleaning
Apart from their daily spring clean, I completely clean my babies out twice a week
Wash all items, including toys, igloos, food bowls and water bottles in the hottest water you can bear as this will kill most germs.
If using an animal disinfectant, ALWAYS make sure that these are rinsed well before drying and reintroducing to their environment.
Give the bottom of the case a complete scrub and remove all wee and poo stains, if this is done properly there should be no residue left whatsoever. You would be surprised how many cages I have seen with large brown stains completely burned into the plastic. Yuck!
Playtime
Guinea pigs like to run and “Popcorn” (jumping on the spot with a slight wiggle) so make as much time as you can for your guinea pigs to come out of their cage and run around. Make sure they are safe and block off areas which they can squeeze behind, especially where you have hidden wires as this can be very dangerous for them. They will chew anything and everything, so beware.
Cuddly toys, balls, big tubes to run through and even an old cardboard toilet roll holder stuffed with their favourite food or hay makes
a great toy.
Health and General Maintenance
When brushing always feel along the whole of your guinea pig looking for little lumps or scabs, which if found should be inspected immediately by a good vet.
If your guinea pig is scratching more than usual, this could be an indication of mites and should be treated as soon as possible.
Always make sure their eyes are bright and clear and make sure their noses are clear from runny discharge as this would indicate
a respiratory condition.
As my guinea pigs are indoor piggies, they need regular and routine visits to the vet to have their nails trimmed as they don’t have
the opportunity to wear them down naturally.
And that’s it really, most of it is common sense, but I hope my web site is of use and here are my two little guinea pigs, from left
to right, Nibbler and Guinness.
JIMMY’S FARM
If you want to see guinea pigs having great fun and see them running at their full potential, then if you are in the area, please visit Jimmy’s Farm (as seen on TV) which is based in Essex. They have a “Guinea Pig Village” – enjoy.
Visit the web site: http://www.jimmysfarm.com
G-FORCE
A great film for children ( and adults if they admit it ) – I can recommend it!
Visit the web site: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/gforce/
GOODBYE!