Care of Guiena Pigs Tips

Guinea pigs are actually rodents and have nothing at all to do with pigs. Guinea pigs make great pets for children because they very rarely ever bite and are easy to handle. They still need a lot of care, and a parent should not buy one for a child if they aren't willing to be responsible for the Guinea pigs. The parent can teach the child how to care for the Guinea pig, but should always check to make sure the Guinea pig is well cared for.

  1. Cages

    • Do not purchase a guinea pig if you only have room in your home for a small cage. Guinea pigs need plenty of room to be active. You need the cage to be at least 7.5 square feet or larger. You should also not purchase an aquarium as a cage because it does not provide enough air circulation. Another type of cage you want to stay away from is a cage with a wire flooring. This will hurt the Guinea pig's feet.

    Flooring

    • You will need to line the floor of your cage to provide the Guinea pig with a place to sleep and go to the bathroom. You can shred paper as long as it does not contain any ink. You will also want to lay down some hay and keep it in the cage at all times. Guinea pigs need hay to both lay on and to eat as a snack. You should make sure you use a good quality hay such as Timothy Hay. One important thing you should note about flooring is that cedar chips, pine chips and sawdust will cause breathing problems for your Guinea pig. Do not use them.

    Food

    • Guinea pigs need more than just the Timothy Hay and the standard Guinea pig food purchased from a pet store. Guinea pigs actually require fresh fruits and vegetables just like we do. Dark green vegetables are great because they contain vitamin C. For example, romaine lettuce would be a better choice than iceberg lettuce because of its higher vitamin content. You will also want to give your Guinea pigs some apples and melon slices. Just make sure that you remove all seeds before you give the fruit to your pet.

      Your Guinea pig's food should be placed in a heavy bowl that won't tip over easy. You will also want to install a water bottle with a sipper tube.

    Toys

    • Start saving your empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls. Your Guinea pig will love to crawl through them, and they can also munch on them to help file down their teeth. You can then add some toys that allow your Guinea pig to do some climbing. You may even want to purchase a Guinea pig house so the Guinea pig has a place to run and hide. If you want, you can place a ping pong ball in the cage so the Guinea pig has something to push around. The only warning is to stay away from exercise balls. These are dangerous for Guinea pigs.

    Cleaning Up

    • Your Guinea pig will need to you to clean the flooring once each day. You will need to remove the soiled areas and replace them with fresh paper and/or hay. Once per week you will want to take everything out and give the cage a scrub. The food and water dishes should be cleaned daily so that no bacteria has a chance to grow and make your Guinea pig sick.

      The Guinea pig cleans itself much the same way a cat does, but it will still need to be brushed daily if it has long hair.

    Love

    • Your Guinea pig will also need love. One way to show your Guinea pig love is to give it some floor time. This gives the Guinea pig a chance to get some exercise. Make sure that you have blocked off a room and that there are no wires or plugs sticking out in that room. Guinea pigs like to chew and can get shocked if they chew on a live wire. Other than floor time you can spend some time each day petting your Guinea pig in your lap. Your Guinea pig will feel secure and you can even take this time to brush his or her fur.