Caring for Your Pet Guinea Pig
The guinea pig (also called a Cavy or Cavies) is originally from South America and has been a favorite pet for over 400 years. They can be found in natural habitats in 1 or 2 South American nations including Peru and Brazil. While there are more than 60 breeds, most domestic pet Guinea Pigs are either Peruvian, Abyssinian and English. Each breed has unique traits based on hair length (short or long), The animals may also be differentiated by coloring or rosettes, which are round swirls of hair. Many Guinea Pigs are cross-bred creating for even more color ccmbinations. They eat easy to prepare foods formulated for Guinea Pigs and are the perfect pet for every rodent lover.
Guinea Pigs as Pets
The pet lives a mean of 5 years and make glorious pets. They are delicate non-aggressive creatures that rarely bite. The animals are very social with other Guinea Pigs. They will make some noise, although not so loud as to be an issue. Cavies don't leap or jump, so no cage lids or tops are needed.
Cages and Bedding
Any enclosure must be about 4 feet x 4 feet. The animals can be untidy since they like to shred any bedding material. Bedding can be shredded newspaper or recycled paper. Cage walls should be at least 10 inches high. The cage should be cleaned everyday since the animals frequently urinate and defecate.
Supplements and Feeding
Guinea pigs are easy to care for and require an easy to prepare and maintain diet. The most basic accessory is a sipper water bottle fastened to the side of the cage. Water should be supplied each day and the bottle should be washed every 7 days. Vitamin C enriched Timothy Food pellets formulated for Cavies should be provided. Also purchase green, not brown or tan, Timothy, grass or oat hay. Avoid Alfalfa since it contains too much calcium. Also provide your Cavy a small portion of green vegetables.
As soon as you bring a Guinea Pig home, get him or her used to eating a variety of foods. The patterns you set while they're young will stay the same for the lifetime of the pet. It is difficult to introduce new foods later in life. Recommended veggies that are full of the required vitamin c incude:
- Turnip greens
- ,Mustard greens
- Dandelion greens
- Kale
- Brussell sprouts
Fruits are only to be used as treats. Fruits like grapes, apples and orange slices (one per day for vitamin c is ok) can be provided. Fruit shouldn't comprise more than 5% of a Guinea Pig's diet. Cavies require 10-30 mg of vitamin C daily. There are tablets available for sale that may be sprinkled onto fresh veggies. Don't add a vitamin c supplement to water since the value of the supplement reduces after adding it to water.
Health Care
Like cats and dogs, cavies should be examined by a Vet each year. Catching illnesses early is key to helping your pet live a long and healthy life.
Guinea Pigs as Pets
The pet lives a mean of 5 years and make glorious pets. They are delicate non-aggressive creatures that rarely bite. The animals are very social with other Guinea Pigs. They will make some noise, although not so loud as to be an issue. Cavies don't leap or jump, so no cage lids or tops are needed.
Cages and Bedding
Any enclosure must be about 4 feet x 4 feet. The animals can be untidy since they like to shred any bedding material. Bedding can be shredded newspaper or recycled paper. Cage walls should be at least 10 inches high. The cage should be cleaned everyday since the animals frequently urinate and defecate.
Supplements and Feeding
Guinea pigs are easy to care for and require an easy to prepare and maintain diet. The most basic accessory is a sipper water bottle fastened to the side of the cage. Water should be supplied each day and the bottle should be washed every 7 days. Vitamin C enriched Timothy Food pellets formulated for Cavies should be provided. Also purchase green, not brown or tan, Timothy, grass or oat hay. Avoid Alfalfa since it contains too much calcium. Also provide your Cavy a small portion of green vegetables.
As soon as you bring a Guinea Pig home, get him or her used to eating a variety of foods. The patterns you set while they're young will stay the same for the lifetime of the pet. It is difficult to introduce new foods later in life. Recommended veggies that are full of the required vitamin c incude:
- Turnip greens
- ,Mustard greens
- Dandelion greens
- Kale
- Brussell sprouts
Fruits are only to be used as treats. Fruits like grapes, apples and orange slices (one per day for vitamin c is ok) can be provided. Fruit shouldn't comprise more than 5% of a Guinea Pig's diet. Cavies require 10-30 mg of vitamin C daily. There are tablets available for sale that may be sprinkled onto fresh veggies. Don't add a vitamin c supplement to water since the value of the supplement reduces after adding it to water.
Health Care
Like cats and dogs, cavies should be examined by a Vet each year. Catching illnesses early is key to helping your pet live a long and healthy life.
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