Guinea Pig Care Guide

Whether you are thinking about buying a guinea pig or already own one, there are some things you may not know about them. Guinea pigs are fragile and can be prone to illness if they are not properly cared for. One of the most important aspects of guinea pig care is proper cage setup. Proper cage setup can go a long way towards raising a healthy guinea pig. If you have a guinea pig who is ill, chances are good that the problem lies in the guinea pig cage setup. Of course you can't expect to setup the cage properly at the start and sit back. Guinea pig cage maintenance is just as important proper cage setup. It may sound like a lot of hard work to raise a healthy guinea pig, but I'm going to give you some quick tips to get you started.

- When it comes to setting up your guinea pigs cage, go large. This is one of the most important factors of guinea pig care.

- When possible, allow your guinea pigs ample outdoor time. Do monitor them during this time, and make sure they stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible.

-Surround your guinea pig with an enjoyable area. Tunnels, and lofts in a cage will entertain, and exercise your guinea pig.

-Guinea pigs are social animals. If you are going to adopt a guinea pig, you should be thinking in terms of adopting at least two.

When it comes to guinea pig care, many people are misinformed about guinea pigs' diets. Like any living thing, what you feed your guinea pig will go a long way in determining whether you raise a healthy guinea pig with a long life (up to 10 years) or not. Besides an unlimited supply of Timothy hay (a type of hay, not a brand), and pellets (made specifically for guinea pigs), there are many other foods you should feed your guinea pigs, and also many treats you can give them occasionally. Here is a list of some of these things.

Guinea Pigs need 1 cup of certain vegetables every day, here are some appropriate veggies.

-Lettuce, all types except iceberg
-Coriander
-Zucchini

Here are some treats to give your guinea pig every second day.

-Parsley
-Cucumber
-Green beans

These foods should be limited to once or twice per week.

-Dandelion greens
-Asparagus
-Cauliflower

There are many other foods you can incorporate into your guinea pigs diet. A good guinea pig care guide can give you many more suggestions.

Just like dogs and cats there are different breeds of guinea pigs to choose from. It is up to the individual to determine which breed is right for them. No matter which breed you choose though, learning how to choose a healthy guinea pig should be a high priority. The first thing to consider when choosing to purchase a guinea pig is do not go to a pet store. Often times guinea pigs at pet stores are sick due to improper care. You are much better off going to a shelter or a local rescue program for guinea pigs. Buying from a pet store also promotes breeding for profit. Many breeders will put females at risk by breeding them too quickly, and too often. It is very common for females to have irreversible complications during birth. When choosing a pair of guinea pigs you may want to be versed in sexing (identifying the sex) them. If you do go to a pet store, many employees are not professionals. Many people have brought home their brand new boy guinea pigs, only to be surprised by a brand new litter in a couple of weeks. When it comes to choosing breeds I'll divide them into short haired and long haired for simplicity's sake. As stated above, breed is usually a matter of personal preference. In general, a long haired guinea pig's initial cost may be a bit higher. Long haired guinea pigs may also require a bit more maintenance, as in bathing and trimming.

Hopefully you are on the path to determining whether or not a guinea pig is the right pet for you. If this is the first resource you've read about guinea pigs then you've started in the right direction, but you still have a lot to learn. Here are some sites and products I can recommend.

Guineapigcages.com is an excellent forum to get started at. They discuss everything from cages, to feeding, and everything in between.

This is an amazing guide dedicated to guinea pig care. It is the book that made me decide that guinea pigs were the right pets for me and they give you some great bonuses also. Click the link to get it. Guinea Pig Care Guide

Here is an interesting page that discusses guinea pig aspects such as herd life, dominance issues, and guinea pig communication methods. www.aracnet.com

Finally, here are some more tips for brand new guinea pig care owners. Click Here