Guinea Pigs: Family Friendly Pets

September 15, 2014

Guinea Pigs: Family Friendly Pets

Guinea pigs are a highly underrated family pet. They have big personalities packed into their little bodies. For a small house pet, they are extremely clean with low odor. They are also fairly simple to care for once a good routine is in place — though like any pet, they do need daily attention: fresh hay, fresh vegetables, clean water, and a tidy cage every day.

Personality

Guinea pigs are adorable, gentle little fur animals with individual personalities. Guineas do not just sit in a box and eat all day! They are a lot of fun and can learn to do tricks just like a dog.

Guineas have a unique squeak language which they use to communicate with other pigs and with their humans. Often guineas wheek and purr when they get excited because they know it’s dinner time or play time. Many guineas learn to come when they are called. They will sometimes sit up and beg for treats or do circles!

Being highly social animals, guineas need attention and handling. For their best quality of life, keep at least two guineas. A pig left alone will become bored and lonely.

Guinea pigs are very gentle and will almost never bite except in rare cases by accident or if they are in pain. They become very tame when socialized from an early age. This is one reason why they are so great with children. Always supervise your kids with a guinea pig, though, and teach them proper handling and playing techniques.

Health

Guineas are generally healthy and have great temperaments. The most common problems are vitamin C deficiency, dental trouble, digestive upsets, and skin disorders. A good diet built around hay (more on that below) prevents most of these, and a yearly check-up with a vet who sees guinea pigs helps catch anything early.

One thing every guinea pig owner should know: a guinea pig that stops eating or stops producing droppings is not just being picky — their digestive system needs to keep moving, and it is widely accepted veterinary advice to treat this as urgent. Call your vet the same day rather than waiting to see if it passes.

Grooming

Brushing your guinea and clipping their toenails is the extent of routine maintenance for your guinea. If they have short hair, once or twice a week brushing is enough. Longhaired pigs may require daily brushing, especially for mats. You can trim the hair to keep it out of their eyes. Regular brushing also gives you a chance to spot skin problems early — if you notice scratching, bald patches, scabs, or anything that looks like mites or lice, brushing alone will not fix it; those need proper treatment from your veterinarian.

Clipping your guinea’s toenails may be the most difficult part of grooming. Once it is part of the regular routine, it will take only a few minutes. Clip with small pet nail clippers about once a month, taking care to avoid the quick. If you are unsure, ask your vet or a groomer to show you the first time. Regular trims keep your guinea’s feet from getting sore and swollen.

Guinea pigs rarely if ever need to be bathed. They do not really take to baths, and unless their hair becomes very soiled from urine or food, you may not ever have to bathe your pig.

Food

The foundation of a guinea pig’s diet is not pellets — it is hay. Unlimited fresh grass hay (timothy is the classic choice for adults) should be available around the clock. It is the general veterinary consensus that hay does two jobs nothing else can: it keeps their sensitive digestive system moving, and the constant chewing wears down their teeth, which grow continuously their whole lives. A guinea pig without hay is headed for dental and digestive problems.

Alongside all that hay, offer a small daily measure of plain guinea-pig pellets and a daily helping of fresh vegetables — the guineas go crazy for them! Veggies matter for more than fun: guinea pigs, like humans, cannot make their own vitamin C, so they must get it from their food every single day. Vitamin-C-rich choices such as bell peppers and leafy greens are ideal, and good-quality guinea pig pellets are fortified with vitamin C as well. Without enough vitamin C, guineas can develop scurvy, with rough coats, sore joints, and poor healing. If you think your pig may need a vitamin C supplement on top of a good diet, ask your veterinarian rather than guessing at products or amounts — and skip drops added to the water bottle, since the vitamin breaks down quickly and can put pigs off drinking.

Fruit is fine as a treat — a small piece of apple, berry, or melon now and then is a favorite for many pigs. Because fruit is sugary, keep it to small, occasional portions rather than a daily staple. Do not feed sweets, human snacks, or starchy junk food to a guinea, as these can upset their stomachs.

Environment

By far the largest need and greatest initial investment for your guineas is their cage. Pet store cages are almost entirely too small. Please do not keep your guineas cramped in these. Guinea pig welfare groups generally recommend at least 6–8 square feet of cage for a single guinea and 9–10 or more for a couple — and bigger is always better. These little guys need room to move. They do jump and run, but with sides of at least 18 inches, you will most likely not need a cage roof.

You can go online to buy larger guinea pig cages or build one yourself. Rabbit hutches may work. Just do not use a metal wire cage floor, or your guineas’ feet will suffer. Remember that hay, not toys, is what keeps their teeth worn down — but safe chew toys are still a nice extra for gnawing and boredom. If your guinea’s teeth ever look overgrown or they struggle to eat, that is a job for your veterinarian, who can assess and trim them safely.

Guineas need time out of their cage to run around the house or a secure patch of yard. Make sure they are supervised, as they love to taste everything. Wires, houseplants, and anything toxic especially need to be put away, and outdoor grass should be free of pesticides and chemicals. This can be the best time of the day for your guinea and you as a new guinea pig parent.