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Guinea Pigs
By peace | November 3, 2005
GUINEA PIGS
Guinea pigs, or cavies, are popular small pet. They’re generally not aggressive and easy to care for. Though much larger than hamsters, guinea pigs are relatively small. They weigh about two pounds when mature and live about five years. They’re calm and responsive, and though they may occasionally nibble at your fingers, they rarely bite with aggression. Guinea pigs are, however, very vocal. Most of the time, they’ll make cute little murmurs, gurgles, grunts and cooing sounds. But beware, when they learn to associate the opening of the refrigerator with their veggies, they’ll let out loud, high-pitched squeals. There are several breeds of guinea pigs.
They come in a variety of colors and coat types, including smooth, rough and long haired. Keep in mind that long haired varieties will need to be groomed. Cavies are social animals, so it’s probably best to have two. Either two females or a male and a female. Of course, if you choose the latter, one of them will need to be spayed or neutered unless you want a lot of baby guineas. Guinea pigs are easy to feed.
But keep in mind, their diet must include vitamin C because they can’t synthesize their own. Their main diet should be fresh hay to keep their digestive system healthy. Timothy hay is best. A commercial guinea pig pelleted diet can also be fed. These should be bought in small quantities and kept in the refrigerator as the added vitamin C degrades over time. Their diet should also include an assortment of fresh vegetables, fruits and other greens. Some good sources of vitamin C are kale, broccoli, parsley, spinach, cabbage and green peppers. Don’t feed them iceburg lettuce or celery.
Ceramic dishes are best; they’re heavy enough to not be easily tipped over. Water should be available at all times. Use a sipper bottle so it won’t get spilled or soiled. Vitamin C can be added to their water, however, you will need to change it daily to maintain the potency of the vitamin.
Cavies should be kept in a cage with at least two square feet of space. Consider an even larger cage if you don’t have time to let them out for exercise each day. The bottom of the cage should be solid, not wire, so they don’t get their feet caught. Shavings or hay (not cedar or pine) can be used as bedding. Soiled bedding should be changed daily and the entire cage cleaned at least once a week.
Guinea pigs are a lot of fun and may be a better children’s pet than some of the smaller animals. Just remember that children must be taught to be gentle and should only handle them with supervision. If you want to learn more about hamsters and guinea pigs, there are some good books available, or visit the Web. You’ll find many Internet sites devoted to them and their care. And you’ll see that many people are just wild about their pocket pets. There are clubs, shows–the whole bit.
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