Hello! Today I will share some tips for taking care of your guinea pig and for helping you out if you are you having trouble understanding your guinea pigs quirky behavior.
Either way, knowing how to care for your guinea pig is definitely the best route for their happiness, health, and safety.
The fact of the matter is that if you have never kept a guinea pig, then it is possible that you have many misconceptions about these loving rodents.
If you have kept guineas, however, then you’re probably aware of how much these little fur balls have to offer. Nonetheless, learning how to care for your new or existing pet is absolutely necessary, so read on to learn more!
Are guinea pigs easy to take care of?
First things first, if you have previously kept a pet, such as a cat or a dog, then from my experience you’ll find taking care of your guinea pig is a lot less hectic and time-consuming.
However, if you are new to the whole pet-owner world of bonds and relationships, then you might find it can be challenging at times. Luckily, guinea pigs are one of the easiest pets to have, which is why they make for great first pets for children!
Although guinea pigs are easy to take care of, you do need to be aware of their behavior since these furry rodents can harm themselves if left unattended for too long. It is also important to be present when a young child is handling your guinea pig, as with all other pets.
How to take care of a guinea pig?
Guinea pigs are interactive creatures and they love to play around, even if they can be shy sometimes. They are generally adorable rodents and love to be around human beings – specifically their owners.
If you’re lucky, you might even find your guinea celebrating your welcome by jumping up and down! Nonetheless, knowing how to take care of your rodent is crucial to their wellbeing:
Comfortable Residence for Your Guinea:
The first thing that you should focus on is making sure your guinea has a comfortable and happy residence. I recommend you try this one on Amazon — it’s nice, inexpensive, and it can be used for two pigs. If you have more than two, try out this one here. Ideally, the cage should have more than enough space for your rodent to move around and exercise. Sometimes, I leave my guinea pigs to play with my kids using this Playpen, which is a great secondary environment for them.
Fresh Water:
The digestive system of your guinea pig relies heavily on water, as does its immune system. Clean, fresh water should always be provided and checked regularly. Many people prefer to give their guineas water by hanging a bottle within the cage, but you can also use a bowl.
Food Dish:
Your guinea pig might spill over a lot of food throughout the day, so you must make sure that their food bowl is clean. You should always have clean and fresh hay hanging within their cage. Keep checking the grass or hay to make sure it does not dip into waste.
Provide Comfortable Bedding:
Bedding is crucial since guinea pigs genuinely love sleeping and resting, despite their restless demeanor. You have a variety of beddings to choose from for your furry friend, but the best option is paper-based bedding as it offers the most comfort.
Be Cautious with Their Diet:
Guinea pigs love to nibble and chew, and this is just one of the many reasons why you should always make sure that your guinea has a variety of options available. Hay, straw, and grass are favorites and should be fed regularly. Pellets are the same and offer a lot of nutrition to your little rodent. A diet rich in Vitamin C and fiber is highly recommended.
Separating males and Females Is Important:
If you have a male and a female guinea pig living in the same cage, chances are that pretty soon you’ll have a lot more guinea pigs – given how fast these rodents reproduce! To save yourself the hassle, opt for separate cages for males and females. If your guinea pigs are the same sex, they are fine living together as they are friendly and never fight amongst themselves.
Can you cuddle with your guinea pig?
If your guinea pig panics as soon as you pick it up, you are not alone. Some guinea pigs do not like to be picked up because of their primal instinct – regardless of how many years they have been domesticated since.
But once your guinea pig forms a bond with you, other guinea pigs will love being cuddled and held.
This all depends greatly on the personality of your guinea pig. Some guinea pigs are shy, so for cuddles and love you should opt for a friendly one! Before taking a new guinea pig home from the store, spend adequate time observing them make sure you and your pet make a good match.
Do guinea pigs need companionship?
Yes. Guinea pigs love to be around other guineas as well as the humans that they are familiar with. Many people opt to buy their guineas in pairs, but this has its own disadvantages.
As we talked about earlier, it is always recommended that you separate the male guineas from the females before they are even a month old because of how fast they reproduce!
Even though you might feel like your guinea pig is lonely and needs a partner, they can do very well on their own. So make sure the only time you place your male and female guineas are in the same cage is when you want to have an entire army of miniature guinea pigs :-D.
However, you should always pay attention to the needs of your furry friend since they can become lonely or even harm themselves when alone for too long.
Conclusion:
Whether you are already the proud owner of a guinea pig family or are planning to buy a guinea pig in the near future, I hope this care guide helped you.
To stay updated on more tips and tricks on how to care for your beloved pets, subscribe to my newsletter to get routine updates and notifications. Feel free to share any advice and your experiences with your guinea pigs too in the comment below!
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.
