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Guinea Pig
Keeping Guinea Pigs as Pets
Abigail, the 4 years Guinea Pig.
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Type |
Guinea pigs are in the rodent family
(related to chinchillas and porcupines).
Half of the mammals in the world are rodents. The order is so huge that it had
to be divided into Suborders: Sciuromorpha - squirrel-like rodents, Myomorpha -
mouse-like rodents and Caviomorpha - cavy-like rodents. Guinea pigs are cavy
type rodents. They are warm blooded mammals. Like most cavies, the guinea pig
has short legs, a short neck, a big head and no tail. |
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Temperament |
Entertaining and gentle, the pet
guinea pig is vocal and delightful. They have become very popular pets because
of their docile temperaments, tendency not to bite or scratch when handled,
relatively clean habits and availability. They are sociable animals and enjoy
daily interaction. When their person walks into the room they let out a "bweeep
- uueeeep". as if to say "Hello, got any tasty treats for me today?" A guinea
pig tends to run when you try to pick them up, however a guinea pig who has been
handled since it was weaned will be well-mannered and gentle once you catch
them. Guinea pigs are social animals, like horses and wolves, and are best kept in herds of at least two. On very rare occasions, a guinea pig will not accept another guinea pig. Males must be kept with males away from females, as the smells will drive them to fight. Females must be kept with females. If you have a neutered boar, you may have him with any number of females (But no males). Unlike most rodents, Guinea pigs are some of the few animals where gender does NOT matter in compatiability- males and females fighting is entirely dependant on personality and space. It is best if they're gotten from the same litter, but bonding two guinea pigs from different litters is not as hard as one might think. Try as hard as you can before keeping a solitary guinea pig. Please have an exotic vetrenarian sex both of your guinea pigs before you put them together, to keep breeding from occuring. |
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Size |
Length: About 10-12 inches
(25-30 cm.)
Height: About 5 inches (13 cm.)
Weight: About 2 pounds (.9 kg.) |
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Housing |
Guinea pigs can be housed within
enclosures made of wire, stainless steel, durable plastic, or glass. Keep in
mind the following with each; if using a cage with open wire sides, you should
look for a cage with a solid bottom with sides that come up at least three
inches as the pig will knock pieces of bedding out of the cage. (See photo
below.) Plastic or glass aquarium cages are not recommended because they are less ventilated and breathing
in the fumes from the urine is very bad for the pig. Wire enclosures are prone
to corrosion. Wood and similar materials should not be used in in the
construction of their cage because they are difficult to clean and cannot
withstand gnawing. Wood hide-away-huts are ok, however as long as you know they
will gnaw on them. These huts should be thrown away every month and replaced wit
a new one should urine start to build up along the edges. Guinea housing should
have about 7.5 square feet for one guinea pig, adding 2-4 feet per companion (Please note that boars may need additional room to avoid territorial issues). An open topped enclosure can be
used as long as the sides are at least 10 inches high. Solid floor enclosures
with easy to clean dust free beddings are best for guinea pigs. Your guinea pigs
home should be easy to clean, well lighted, and ventilated. Shredded paper can quickly become soiled beyond use, as it does not absorb well. Wood chips are fine. Corn cob does not absorb well, molds quickly, and expands when wet. Guinea pigs will often eat a nibble, which will expand in their stomach. If they eat too much, they can quickly become fatally impacted. Sawdust should be avoided since it does collect within the external genitalia of males, but it's often VERY dusty and doesn't absorb well. Avoid both cedar and pine shavings, as they both give off phenols which are toxic to the delicate respiratory systems of guinea pigs. (Kiln dried pine does not have this problem and is okay to use). Acceptable beddings: Aspen, fleece, paper-based beddings such as Carefresh. |
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Clean-up |
Cages should be cleaned out at
least every other day even if you use the wire mesh drop through bottom. A wire
mesh drop through bottom is not recommended, as the bottoms of the pigs
feed can become injured. Their feet can get what's called 'bumble foot' (very painful, often infected open sores that form on the bottom of the feet), as well as broken legs and feet. Their nails will often get caught in the mesh, and pulled off. This is painful and takes a long time to heal. Urine must be cleaned from the bottom of the cage ever week using a
disinfectant for animals and vinegar to scrub away crystalline deposits of
urine. |
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Grooming |
Nails should be clipped on a
regular basis. Toe nails that are not clipped will start to curl back around and
grow into the pigs foot. Short and medium haired guinea pigs require less
grooming, but some very long haired guinea pigs need their coats brushed so they
do not get tangled. The coat of the long-hair may be very long, draping all
around, covering the feet and trailing behind it as much as 6 inches. This type
of coat requires regular, careful grooming. Longhaired guinea pigs are often the
types shown in guinea pig shows. Show pigs with hair long enough to sweep the
floor are kept in rollers to reduce tangling and matting with dirt or feces.
Long haired guinea pigs are not found in the wild but is a mutation that was
bred into captive guinea pigs. The hair on longhaired guinea pigs never stops
growing much in the same way has humans and horse tails. Most other mammal hair
reaches a certain length and then stops until the root either falls out or is
pulled from the follicle. Guinea pigs do not require regular baths but may need
one if they are extremely dirty or have had diarrhea. Show guinea pigs are
usually not bathed at all if it can be helped because bathing removes the oils
in the coat. Guinea pigs like to groom themselves and those around them. If a
guinea pig is sitting on your lap they may start to groom the human. Stroking
the pig or one-finger scratching behind the ear will often elicit grooming. Be
careful when a guinea pig starts to groom your skin as even a scrape from their
sharp rodent teeth can result in a pinch that can hurt. Long-haired pigs who aren't in showing are often trimmed to aide in keeping poo and such from gathering in their fur. |
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Feeding |
All cavies are herbivores
(vegetarians) They eat a variety of fruits and vegetables along with green
pellets with vitamin C, plus green grasses. Gnawing
on grasses and hay keeps their teeth filed down. Guinea pigs who are not nursing, pregnant, or under 7 months of age should not eat alfalfa, as it is too high in calcium and causes stones. They are only acceptable as very occasional treats. Alfalfa pellets should only be fed to guinea pigs under 7 months of age, and a timothy-hay based pellet to 7+ months of age pigs. They need about 30 mg of Vit. C per day. Like humans, guinea pigs do not make their own vitamin
C, so they must always eat foods high in vitamin C and should have some kind of
vitamin supplement which you can pick up at just about any pet store. Note that
rabbit pellets and guinea pig pellets are different. Guinea pig pellets have
added vitamin C in them where as rabbit pellets do not, however keep in mind,
pellets older than 6 weeks loose over half of their added vitamin C. Guinea pigs
take in small amounts of food all day long. You can feed your guinea pig pellets
and fresh fruit and veggies twice a day and leave hay for him
to munch on when you are away. Keep watch that your pig is not putting on too
much weight. Any fresh food fed should be thoroughly washed before feeding.
Water should be available and fed in a gravity driven hanging bottle at all
times. These bottles can be found in your local pet store. Guinea Pigs like to
gnaw on things. They have front teeth that never stop growing so it is important
to provide things for the guinea pig to gnaw on to keep these teeth filed down.
If the teeth grow too long they will not be able to eat. If your guinea pigs
teeth appear to be getting too long take it to the vet, the vet can file the
teeth down to normal size. |
| Exercise |
Guinea pigs will enjoy being
taken out of their cage for some freedom. Since they are bigger and slower than
hamsters they are easier to monitor. A guinea proof enclosure should be set up.
Be sure there is nothing you do not wish for them to chew in reach such as wires
or potted plants and that there are no other pets around that can harm them. |
| Life Expectancy |
About 6-9 years, some have been
known to live up to 10 years. The oldest guinea pig on record is a pig named Snowball who died at age 14. |
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Health Problems |
Prone to intestinal infections,
heat stress/heat stroke, foot conditions, pneumonia, malocclusion of premolar
teeth cancer and scurvy/vitamin C deficiency. A vitamin C deficiency is common
among domestic guinea pigs. Too little vitamin C can kill a guinea pig and too
much can also do the same. There are vitamin C supplements you can give your
pig. Consult your vet about giving him supplements, what type to feed and how
much to give. Guineas are also prone to some skin problems such as fungal growth
and mites. If your guinea pig appears to be scratching and or loosing its coat,
consult your vet. |
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Gestation |
Guinea pigs are bred in the
summer months. Gestation is nine weeks, a long time compared to other rodents.
Unlike mice and rabbits, guinea pigs are born with fur and their eyes open. They
look like little miniature versions of their parents when they are born. They
nurse right away and will even start eating solid food 2 or 3 days after they
are born, however they will nurse for 2-3 weeks. They usually have litters of
1-4 young. Sexual maturity is reached at about 60-70 days. They will continue to
grow for several more months. Males left with the females in captivity will try
to drive young guineas away soon after weaning. |
| Origin |
In America Guinea pigs are
called Cavies. Guinea pigs came from South America, where they were domesticated
by the Incas in 2000 B.C. and appeared in Europe in the 1500's. The Incas used
to farm them for food as a source of protein. In fact even today you can still
order a fried Guinea pig in South America. Wild guinea pigs still live in parts
of South America, they inhabit grassland and rocky regions from Peru to North
Argentina. Wild guinea pigs live in family groups and occupy underground burrows
deserted by other animals. They are active at dawn and dusk and feed on grass
and leaves. They live in groups of 5-10. A
young Guinea pig can run when it is only three hours old! Some species of wild
Cavy can be as long as a meter. Some say they are called guinea pigs because
they were brought to Europe by Spanish sailors from a country called Dutch
Guiana in South America; while others say it was because in England they were
sold for a guinea, which is a coin. Guinea pigs are often used for medical
research. That's where we get the term "Guinea Pig" to describe somebody who
volunteers to go first. |
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A Guinea Pig's nails should be clipped on a
regular basis. Toe nails that are not clipped will start to curl back around and
grow into the pigs foot. (Ouch!)
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Abigail is our guinea pig and is about 4 years old she is
such a great pet to have as she doesn't bite. She loves being petted & purrs
when you stroke her. She lives in a cage in our house & likes to get out in
the good weather to munch on the grass'.
Abigail, the 4 years Guinea Pig.
.Guinea Pig Pictures 1
Guinea Pig Pictures 2
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