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Email Guinea Pigs! if you have questions not covered here. I usually get back in less than 24 hours. Please use the words Guinea Pigs! in the subject line of your email so I can get to it faster. My wife and I are epecting our first human at the end of October so I will still be answering questions, but I cant guarantee 24 hour turnaround.
1. How do I house guinea pigs?
A. Most any house is ok, but I would allow a house of at least 3 feet by 2 feet for every pig you house. Please do not use an aquarium! Think about how you would feel if you were locked in your bathroom all day! I make my houses out of clean cardboard boxes I get for free at the grocery store and build creative houses for them. I line them with paper and put in pine chips, carefresh and cell-sorb, (don?t use cedar chips as it is VERY bad for their resperatory system!). I get pine chips from K-mart in a huge bale and it is very inexpensive. I change their house about twice a week. Make sure the house is not in a draft. Make sure you cover part of the area with a towel or blanket so they can hide and feel safe!
2. What do they eat?
A. Most fruits and vegetables. They also need to eat guinea pig chow (pellets) available at the pet store. They MUST be guinea pig pellets as it contains vitamin C which guinea pigs, unlike rodents and rabbits, do not produce naturally. It is best to check out my food page. It is important they have water and chow at all times! Guinea pigs stomachs are different from ours in that if they dont have food their stomach fills with gas and piggy dies a VERY painful death!
If you make your houses out of cardboard like I do the piggies will eat that too. This is good because it wears down their teeth which grow throughout their lifetime.
3. How do guinea pigs get along with my other pets?
A. Typically not too well. There are exceptions. Guinea pigs are small and defenseless and can easily be killed by dogs, birds and cats. They get along very well with rabbits. Our dog dosent bother with the piggies, but often steals the food from their cage.
4. What should I look for in a guinea pig?
A. Clear eyes, a clean coat, and ask the pet store owner who is knowledgeably to see if the teeth are straight. I find it best to observe the guinea pig selection and choose the most "laid back" pig. Pick up the guinea pig (scoop them up with both hands under their feet and hold like a baby in your arms) and see how tame she is. Supervise children and stress that if the guinea pig is dropped it is likely to break its back and die. (sorry for sounding negative but many piggies die this way) I find it best to start with a tame piggy. Choose a great personality because you will fall in love with them no matter how they look. Find a veterinarian BEFORE there is an emergency as many vets don?t know a thing about guinea pigs and when something is wrong it happens fast!
5. Should I get more than one?
Guinea pigs are very social animals and if you can spare the space it is best to get two of the same sex. Unless of course you want LOTS of babies. Never get two males when even one female is present or there will be nasty fights. You can get males neutered if you want to experience a few litters. Excessive pregnancy will shorten a females lifespan.
6. My piggy scratches all the time.
A. I have found that most guinea pigs that come from a pet shop have skin mites that cause the itching. A drug called Ivermectin does the trick. Many vets don't realize this can be given orally with the same results and saves the piggy the trauma of a shot. Their skin is very thick.
7. I want to give my guinea pig exercise.
A. GREAT! Spending some floor time with a guinea pig is the best way to realize how much fun they can be. Most piggies don't like to run on smooth surfaces like tile, so a carpeted area works best. I have a few old towels that i put down and a ?litter box? for them to go to the bathroom in. (see potty training on the information page) I make sure ALL electrical cords are up where they cant reach because one bite can kill piggy and start a fire! Make sure nothing is around that can eat them and be careful of anyone walking as they have a tendency to get underfoot. Guinea pigs love to hide under furniture and other heavy, hard to move items. Block entrances off with cardboard. My piggies like it best under the dinning room table where they can run around the chair legs and feel safe with their heads covered.
8. How much do guinea pigs cost to own?
A. I have seen guinea pigs in pet stores go for $9 to $25. We got Otto for $0.50!! If you use my housing system it will cost you about $5 - $10 per month for two piggies. Water bottles and bowls, typically one time expenses, will cost about $10. I spoil my piggies with fresh produce and fruit that costs about $0.50 a day. I always count on one vet visit in the first 3 months due to skin problems which will run $30 - $ 65 with medicine. If you buy two pigs at the same time these costs are just about the same! You will also need to buy a nail clipper (for cats) and clip their nails every 6 weeks.
Not bad considering my neighbor bought a purebred dog for $600 and vet work for another $600 in the first month!
9. My guinea pig runs away from me.
A. Don't worry this is normal for an animal that has only one real defense which is to run. I find guinea pigs become more tame and trusting if, when you feed them, you make your best guinea pig squeek or you can make ?kissing? sounds before you give them the food. The piggies respond to that and in a few days and will come out from hiding to see you. Petting them softly (they are small!) while they are in their house eating will also tame them. Training them to do simple tricks like standing up for their food not only seems to help tame them it makes them smarter. Holding them often also helps, but be sure to watch for warnings as most piggies will give warnings before they have to pee, but if they do don't get mad at them. Next time hold them in an old towel until you learn their language. (remember you are the smart one and need to learn their language). My piggies will tug on my shirt or do a bit of a dance with their hind feet.
10. What are the dangers of owning a guinea pig?
A. Most diseases are species specific, so even if you have a piggie with skin mites, lice, pneumonia, etc. you wont get them. The other thing is allergies. If you suspect you have allergies hold the piggy in the store for as long as you can and see if you get a runny nose or puffy eyes. I am allergic to most mammals, but because guinea pigs are small and don't live in my bedroom I do ok. The biggest danger is becoming too addicted and find yourself going from 2 to 4 to 8 to 16 to 32.........guinea pigs!
11. At the pet store there are guinea pigs with all different kinds of fur... what's the difference?
A. They are just different breeds of guinea pigs. Not only are their different breeds (just like dogs) there are mutts too (mixed breeds). For your first pigs go for personality first! My only words of caution is to find out if the piggy is a ?Peruvian or silky? breed. While my two favoritest guinea pigs have been ?Peruvian? they can be a little more work because they will need haircuts to keep their hair clean, and might need the occasional bath. Another breed, ?abisinian?, looks like it is having a ?bad hair day?. Because of this they can be more difficult to pet, but lots of people love them.
12. My guinea pig bites!
A. Most guinea pigs out grow this at two to three months. Guinea pigs primary source of information is with their nose and mouth so like a human child they explore with their mouths. Elsie was a biter but after a few weeks she started licking me instead of biting. When a guinea pig bites gently push their nose down and say in a firm voice "NO". Hitting them or dropping them dosent work and will only make them afraid of you. In all my years i have only had one guinea pig bite hard enough to break the skin (at a pet shop) so dont be afraid of their mouths because you might have a "licker" and there is nothing like a guinea pig tongue on your fingers!
13. How do I get my Guinea Pig to learn its name?
A. What I have found is that Guinea Pigs with longer names seem to learn their names better than those with shorter names. I think it is due to the more consistant singing voice used with a longer name. For example, Ravenhawk, has learned his name as I always have a consistant melody (sing songy voice) to say his name and I also use the same melody when I greet him "there he is.." Combining the phrase with petting and food he has learned his name. The strange thing is his housemate Elsie dosent always respond to her name but is learning the "there he is..." phrase which is why I think the three sylable melody is important.
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