Getting to Grips with Guinea Pigs
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 Getting to grips with guinea pigs is delightfully simple. Their size and shape make them easy to handle. What is more, they are ideal children's pets - being docile, gentle, inquisitive and very vocal, chattering away in loud squeaks. There are a few simple rules for keeping guinea pigs happy and healthy, as explained in this article
Did you know that guinea pigs are also known as cavies? The name comes from their origins in South America, where they live in caves, rock crevices and abandoned burrows high in the Andes mountains. There are several species of wild guinea pig living in South America today. They can be found in the Peruvian grasslands, where they spend up to six hours a day roaming and grazing. Because of the constant threat of predators, it is safest for them to live in colonies. They have little means of defence from their predators, other than running and hiding - so it is no wonder they can move so fast.
Breeds
Guinea pigs were introduced to Europe by the Spanish conquerors in the 16th century and the domestic guinea pigs we keep today are very similar to their Peruvian cousins. There are over 25 types of guinea pig, which fall into three main groups: smooth shorthaired, roughhaired (with rosetted fur, known as Abyssinian) and silky long-haired.
Lone means lonely
Guinea pigs are sociable animals. A lone guinea pig will be lonely and unhappy. It is best to keep at least two guinea pigs together but, remember, a mixed pair will breed.
You can keep any number of females together, although males (boars) are best kept in pairs. To do this either introduce young males after weaning or a young male to an older male after weaning. Just make sure there is a hidey hole where the young one can retreat to, alone.
Beware of bunnies
It is not advisable to keep a guinea pig with a rabbit. Rabbits can become very aggressive towards guinea pigs, often with disastrous - and sometimes fatal - consequences for the guinea pig.
Housing
The type of hutch your guinea pigs need depends on whether they are kept indoors or out. The hutch should be large enough to allow your guinea pigs to stand up on their hindlegs without their heads touching the roof.
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a large group of females in an indoor hutch |
Ideally the hutch should have an enclosed section for sleeping in, to recreate the security of a cave or burrow, and a mesh-fronted section for daytime and eating.
A plywood hutch is fine for indoors, but outdoor hutches should be made of strong timber. The roof should be sloping, with an overhang at the front to provide additional protection from bad weather, and covered with roofing felt, to prevent leaking.
The hutch should be sited somewhere dry and light, and raised off the ground. Choose a quiet spot that's sheltered from draughts and not positioned in direct sunlight.
Room to roam
Your guinea pigs will need a run or enclosure in which they are free to roam, graze and explore in safety. This doesn't need a high fence or walls, as guinea pigs don't climb. However, it is important that when they are out of the hutch your pets are safe from other animals.
One option is a tent-shaped run or ark, which can be moved around the garden. This safely contains your guinea pigs, and allows them to graze. Never let them graze on chemically treated grass. Position the ark in the shade, and make sure that one end is enclosed to provide extra shade.
Cold weather comforts
In the very cold winter months, guinea pigs should be brought indoors. Position the hutch in a quiet spot, away from draughts, direct sunlight, radiators, fireplaces and televisions or radios, and somewhere where your guinea pig won't be bothered by other pets, such as a cat or dog. Do not put the hutch into the garage because exhaust fumes are toxic to guinea pigs.
Indoor exercise
Your guinea pigs need plenty of exercise, so why not make them an indoor playground using a large wooden crate or some big cardboard boxes. Provide a small box in which they can shelter if frightened.
Feeding
The correct diet is essential to the wellbeing of your pets. In the wild, guinea pigs feed on leaves, stems, grasses, plants and seeds. You can try to recreate this diet for your pet guinea pigs but caution is needed, as some plants growing in this country are poisonous to cavies. It is also important that you only offer plants which are fresh and which you know haven't been treated with chemicals or fertilisers.
It is therefore easier - and safer - to give your guinea pigs a prepared mix. There are many varieties available from your pet shop or vet, and it can be difficult to know which to choose.
Complete or complementary
Petfoods fall into two categories: complementary and complete. Complementary foods require some form of supplementation - often vitamin C or hay in the case of guinea pigs. A complete food is exactly that - nutritionally complete - so that all the goodness your pet needs is in the one bag. Always make sure fresh drinking water is readily available.
Guinea pigs are rodents
Did you know that cavies are members of the rodent family? All rodents have chisel-like incisor teeth which grow continually and are kept to a uniform length by lots and lots of gnawing each day. It is important your guinea pig's diet includes plenty of food to chew on. To help this process and to give your guinea pig an interesting, appealing diet, choose a mix with a variety of textures and flavours.
Give your guinea pigs guinea pig food
This may sound obvious, but some owners have been known to give their guinea pigs rabbit foods, many of which contain an anti-coccidiostat (a form of medication) which is toxic to guinea pigs. Also, rabbit foods don't contain sufficient vitamin C for cavies.
Vitamin C
Guinea pigs are one of the few creatures - like humans - who cannot make their own vitamin C, so it is vital that they have adequate vitamin C in their diet to prevent illness. Look out for a guinea pig food with added vitamin C.
Treats
Just like you, your guinea pigs will enjoy an occasional treat. Your pet shop or vet will stock a good range of these. Make sure you give treats made from vegetables, cereals or seeds. These will give your guinea pigs plenty to chew on and are much better for your pets than some of the high sugar treats available. Alternatively you can offer small amounts of freshly washed green or root vegetables and some handfuls of hay for them to chew on.
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A young patient at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children enjoys the company of guinea pigs. Peter Gurney who runs a guinea pig refuge spends one morning a week with some of his guinea pigs cheering up young patients at the hospital |
Further reading
What's My Guinea Pig? A guide to guinea pig breeds, by Peter Gurney, is published by TFH/Kingdom Books, price £5.95. (ISBN 185279034-2)
The Proper Care of Guinea Pigs, by Peter Gurney is published by TFH Publications, price £10.95.
(ISBN 086622 1956)
How to Look After Your Pet Guinea Pigs. A practical guide to caring for your guinea pigs, by Mark Evans, is published by Dorling Kindersley, price £3.99. (ISBN 0-7513-5399-X)
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