Guinea Pigs As Pets
Cavies or Guinea Pigs as they are better known is originally from South America and believe it or not has been a popular pet for over 400 years. They can be found in natural habitats in several South American countries including Venezuela and Paguay. While there are over 60 breeds, most domestic pet Guinea Pigs are either English, Abyssinian and Peruvian. Each breed has unique characteristics based mostly on hair length (short or long), The animals can also be differentiated by color or rosettes, which are round swirls of hair. Many Guinea Pigs are cross-bred making for even more color variations. They eat easy to prepare diets and are the perfect pet for every rodent lover.
Guinea Pigs, the Perfect Pets
The pet lives a median of 5 years and make glorious pets. They're delicate non-aggressive creatures that rarely bite. The animals are very social with other Guinea Pigs. They will make some noise, though not so loud as to be a problem. Cavies don’t leap or jump, so no cage lids or tops are needed.
Guinea Pig Bedding and Cages
Any enclosure must be about 4 feet x 4 feet. The animals can be sloppy since they like to shred any bedding material. Bedding can berecycled paper or shredded newspaper. Cage walls should be at least 10 inches high. The cage should be cleaned everyday since the animals frequently piss and defecate.
Feeding and Supplements
Guinea pigs are simple to care for and require an easy to prepare diet. The most basic requirement is a sipper water bottle. Fresh water should be provided every day and the water bottle should be washed 4 times a month. Vitamin C enriched Timothy Food pellets produced specifically for Guinea Pigs should be provided. Cages should also include green Timothy, grass or oat hay. Avoid Alfalfa since it has too much calcium. Also provide your Cavy green leafy vegetables.
As soon as you bring a Cavy home, get him or her used to eating a wide variety of foods. The patterns you set while they are young will stay the same for the life of your pet. It is difficult to introduce new foods later in life. Recommended veggies that are full of the required vitamin c incude:
- Turnip greens
- ,Mustard greens
- Dandelion greens
- Kale
- Brussell sprouts
Do not give your Guinea Pig too much fruit. Fruits like grapes, apples and orange slices can be provided. Fruit must not comprise more than 5% of a Cavies diet. Cavies need 10-30 mg of vitamin C daily. There are tablets available for buying that can be crushed into fresh veggies. Do not add a vitamin c supplement to water since the potency of the supplement lessens after adding it to water.
Health Care
Like dogs and cats, Guinea Pigs should be checked by a Vet every year. Catching problems early is key to helping your pet live a long and healthy life.
Cathy Doggins is the writer of tons of Guinea Pig articles like this one. In addition to her work with pets, Cathy is a frequent speaker on small animal wellness. When not speaking about pets, Cathy can be found at home caring for her dogs, cats and of course, Guinea Pigs.
