Guinea Pig Care

GUINEA PIGS

Pigs (Cavies) are very popular, low cost, low maintenance pets. They are clean and generally very hardy as long as they are fed and cared for properly.

Guinea pigs come in many colour variations and coat lengths. The longer haired varieties will need a regular brushing. You can buy shampoo specifically designed for Guinea Pigs.

HOUSING

Your rodents cage should be made from glass or wire and should be long and wide rather than high. Wire cages provide better ventilation than glass cages.

They can be kept indoors or outdoors. They can be a little nervous initially, but as they are social animals they soon get used to handling as long as the holder is gentle.

Guinea pigs need a secure housing environment so that they are safe from predators such as dogs and cats and birds such as hawks.

Outdoor hutches should be waterproof with a sheltered area for sleeping and hiding in. The base of the open area should be made from a wire mesh so that they can graze on grass.

There are several types of cages for indoor use. Bedding for indoors can be wood shavings or a similar material. Some people choose to let their guinea pig graze outside during the day and bring them in at night. This is a good idea if you have a lot of cats and dogs that wander your neighbourhood.

Hutches need to he fully cleaned on a weekly basis, however it is a good idea to check the hutch on a daily basis and remove old food and droppings and refresh the water.

We suggest AVISAFE as this is not harmful to animals and is easy to use. The food and water dishes can be washed in 'Avisafe' also.

DIET

Guinea Pigs are vegetarian. Ideally they should be fed a Guinea Pig mix or Pellet plus daily green food and crunchy food such as carrots, apples, capsicum, chopped and de-stringed celery, cucumber, pumpkin, tomato and a small amount of lettuce. You can also feed a variety of grasses to guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs do not store Vitamin C in their bodies so it is essential that they are give foods that are rich in Vitamin C on a regular basis. Tomatoes and capsicum are good sources of Vitamin C. If you cannot feed these to them regularly, you can buy a Vitamin C Supplement in a pellet form. Without Vitamin C, Guinea Pigs will become very sick.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Provide a warm secure hutch for your guinea pigs
• Do not feed beans, rhubarb, apple seeds, potato peels or grasses/plants that have sap in them.
• If you do not want to breed, keep males and females separate as they can breed from 6 weeks of age.
• Worm your guinea pig at 3 monthly intervals.
• Provide a source of Vitamin C in their diet.
• Handle your guinea pig regularly.
• Check regularly for mites and lice and if necessary treat by using a good preventative spray.
• For more detailed information buy a book on Guinea Pigs from the Mackay Pet Superstore!