Guinea Pigs as Pets

People who live in apartments, which is in fact the majority, cannot keep dogs and cats as pets. Not only because of the space problem, but also because of the extensive care that is to be provided to them. Apart from the food and shelter, these pets also need to be exercised a lot, which is not easily possible in apartments. So pets which do not require much of personal attention can be opted for by apartment owners. As stated earlier, guinea pigs can prove to be an ideal pet for such people. There are also many guinea pig breeds, so you can always choose the best one for you.

Keeping Guinea Pigs as Pets

The average life span of a guinea pig is of about 3-6 years and a healthy guinea pig weighs about 1kg. The basic things that are compulsory for proper care of guinea pigs are as follows.

Housing: Guinea pigs can be kept in cages, in fact it is best to keep them in cages as they love to nibble and gnaw stuff! There are special cages for guinea pigs, which are readily available in pet shops. You will find a large variety of cages, and it can be daunting task on deciding which is the best for your pet. So while deciding on the accommodation for the guinea pig, you should keep in mind that guinea pigs require a lot of space to run around, hide and rest. If you are bringing two guinea pigs, the space obviously needs to be doubled. For a single guinea pig, a cage of about 7.5 feet is ideal, and for two guinea pigs 10.5 feet cage is perfect. Bedding is also an important part. You do not need to spend much on their bedding, easily available hay or paper bedding can work just fine. Aspen shavings are also a good option. What you should never use as bedding is cedar shavings as they are toxic. Also avoid pine shavings.

Diet: Though we take it for granted that guinea pigs can consume anything, especially chicken and stuff, we are completely mistaken. Guinea pigs are pure vegetarians! So remember to keep the guinea pig food simple. The things that you can feed your pet are pellets, hay, fresh vegetables and fruits, etc. Vitamin C is very important for guinea pigs, the lack for vitamin C can make them fall ill, so try to include foods containing vitamin C in their diet. Food stuff like pellets do contain vitamin C and so guinea pigs should be fed with pellets everyday. Fresh veggies like spinach, bok choy, cauliflower, kale and fruits like oranges, tomatoes, strawberries carrots, bananas etc. are rich in vitamin C.

Grooming: Not much of grooming is required for guinea pigs, however it differs from breed to breed. Guinea pigs with short coat require brushing just once a day, however if it is suffering from shedding (hair loss), brush every alternate day. For long haired guinea pig breeds everyday brushing is quite necessary. You do not require to bathe your guinea pig, unless it is suffering from the problem of lice.

Keeping Them Entertained: Just like us, guinea pigs also need to be kept entertained. Talking about guinea pig temperament, guinea pigs are extremely social animals! Though they do not seek constant attention, they do need frequent pampering! So if you are thinking of bringing guinea pigs as pets for children, you do not need to think twice, as the children and the guinea pigs will entertain themselves! Though guinea pigs do not need long exercise hours like dogs, they do need exercise. Simply keep them outside for the cage for an hour, and that will be their exercise. You can also get some guinea pig toys, with which these animals can keep themselves busy.

Tips to Choose Guinea Pigs

• Look for a healthy guinea pig. A healthy guinea pig will be active and there will be no discharge from its eyes or nose.
• You can buy a guinea pig from a pet store, guinea pig breeder and rescuers.
• Take your piggy for regular checkups to a vet.
• If you are planning to buy two guinea pigs at a time, then buy the same sex as their litter interval is of just 96 days or less!

You must have realized that there are more pros than cons, if pros and cons of guinea pigs as pets are to be considered. So get ready to bring a active little animal at your home!