Hello friends, today I will share with the main things that I do to take care of a guinea pig. Guinea pigs, also known as domestic cavy, are a small and friendly type of rodents.
A guinea pig lifespan differs from 4 to 6 years as I said before, and up to 8 years when taken good care of.
Aside from being great companions, Guinea pigs are pretty sociable and love interacting with their owners. If you have just re-homed a cavy or looking forward to doing so, then keep reading to find out more about these adorable creatures!
What Should I Buy For My Guinea Pig?
As a cavy owner, one thing is sure, guinea pigs need to feel loved and at home. That is why the first step you should do is make a list of the things you need to buy.
Here is some of the most important and essential stuff:
Guinea Pig Cage
First things first, a cage is must-have equipment for your rodent. Preferably, buy a larger cage, because they don’t like small spaces, they like jumping around and having fun in big spaces. Check out, if you’re interested in quality guinea pigs cage.
Vitamin C
Just like humans, cavies need vitamin C to grow and to avoid getting ill. They need a daily dose of at least 10mg. There are several ways to get vitamin C for your cavy:
Vitamin C + Water
You can mix up vitamin C with water and fill it up in your cavy’s water bottle. The problem is that some rodents don’t like the taste of it and may refuse to drink it. So it may end up with some health issues like dehydration.
Vegetables
Vegetables are a great and 100% healthy way to get a good amount of vitamin C for an average guinea pig.
Vitamin C tablets
Vitamin C tablets are kind of more expensive, but they are a very effective method to get the vitamin C needed. They are available in local stores or online, and they are a highly recommended vitamin C supplement.
Timothy Hay
Timothy Hay is the number one food for guinea pigs, make sure to buy loads of it, because unlike humans, guinea pigs don’t have a specific time to eat, they consume food at any time of the day. If your guinea pig is still little, they can have higher-calorie alfalfa hay. Find on Amazon which kind of Timothy hay I get every week for my puppies.
A Water Bottle
Another essential thing to buy is a water bottle, a chew-proof bottle in preference. Guinea pigs love chewing and will look around in their environment for something to chew, it is their nature. Bottom line is to buy a chew-proof water bottle, not a water bowl.
Nail Scissors
You will be surprised at how fast a cavy’s nails grow. Don’t buy big animals’ nail scissors (like horses or dogs), guinea pigs have sensible nails and need scissors sized especially for them. Get a cheap one on Amazon.
Are Guinea Pigs easy to take care of?
With a lot of responsibilities going on for most adults, taking care of a pet can be exhausting. The good news is: guinea pigs are very easy to take care of!
Cavies don’t need a lot of work to be happy. A large cage, healthy food, good company, and freshwater is more than enough for them.
Don’t forget to chat with them every now and then, they are sociable and love to play and interact with people. Another thing to consider is to make sure to clean up their cage every day to make them more comfortable, and you are good to go. If have a big cage, like me you can do this every 2 or 3 days 8-O!
Every guinea pig has a certain personality. From shy to outgoing, you can find different personalities! So ensure that your rodent’s personality is fitting to you.
Guinea pigs are not hard to take care of, and most of them are very friendly and lovely, that is why they are considered a great pet for children.
Do guinea pigs need to be kept in pairs?
Guinea pigs are social beings who love interacting with other rodents. That is why it is best to keep them in pairs. Just like humans, they need a friend to keep them good company.
You can keep them in groups of the same sex, or of the opposite sex in case you want to have baby cavies running around!
Remember that guinea pigs are herd animals, meaning that they get very lonely when left on their own. They may even die of loneliness, usually when their partner dies.
They need a lot of attention and social interaction, either with their own kind, or humans.
Do guinea pigs need baths?
Guinea pigs, like most of the herd animals, can clean themselves! Meaning that if you continuously clean up their cage, you won’t need to bathe them at all, that is unless they have long hair.
If you own a long-haired pig, you may need to groom them every day, as well as bathing them once in 3 or 4 months to avoid bacterial infection and bad smells.
Your guinea pig may get infected by a parasite, and get ill. If you ever find yourself in this type of situation, you will need to clean and bathe them with a medicated shampoo prescribed by your vet, along with medication.
When it is time for the bath, don’t use just any shampoo.
Due to their tender and sensitive skin, you will need to buy a shampoo for cavies, it is often less dehydrating than normal shampoo.
Try to be as gentle as you can with them and use warm water, not too cold and not too hot. A cavy can get sick in a cold environment, so make sure yours is decently warm during the washing process.
Do You Own A Guinea Pig?
Guinea pigs are very adorable and sweet creatures. Tell us about your experience and your lovely time with your sweet creature down in the comment section!
If you are considering to re-home a guinea pig, I hope this article was useful.
Lydia King is a huge animal lover and has always been fascinated with learning about the animal kingdom. She enjoys writing about anything animal related from scientific information about rare species to animal references in pop culture.
