Care of Pet Guinea Pigs
Basic advice from the New York State Cavy Fanciers
Fave pets
Guinea pigs, often called cavies by fanciers, and affectionately "piggies", are Cavea porcellus and no longer exist in the wild, although they have many close wild relatives. They are easy care, ideal small pets. Males are called "boars" and females, "sows."
Pigs are (like) people too
Guinea pigs are herbivores and like humans, require a nutritional source of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Their life span is around 4 to 6 or 8 years, but they have a relatively high maternal and infant mortality rate.
Boars weigh around 30 to 45 oz. and achieve puberty at approximately 8 weeks.
Sows weigh around 28 to 35 oz. and achieve puberty at approximately 21 days.
Guinea pigs cycle about every two weeks and right after birthing; sows and boars of any age should not be kept in the same cage.
Their 20 continuously-growing teeth include the visible incisors — two up and two down — and the hard-to-see molars. Any cavy refusing to eat should be vet-checked for broken incisors or overgrown molars, which can quickly trap the tongue and become life-threatening.
Guinea pigs have little paws with four digits on each, and three toes on each back foot. Toenails need clipping every few weeks, and a sharp kitten claw scissors is ideal for this.
Guinea pigs have hairless ears and bald spots behind their ears, perfect for rubbing! They reflexively flip their ears at a sudden sharp sound or when vocalizing. Both boars and sows have a single pair of teats on a hairless area of the abdomen near their back legs. Though tailless, a tail bump can be felt, and an oil gland in the same area may occasionally soil the hair and need gentle cleaning.
A natural prey animal, cavies have eyes meant to see to the sides: they cannot see straight ahead. They depend on nibbling to tell them what's good to eat, so a finger poked straight at their mouths may get nibbled. Young children should always be supervised around guinea pigs. Guinea pigs however have excellent hearing and scenting ability. Quietly eat a banana in same room as a guinea pig: he may not recognize the fruit by sight, but if he doesn't start vocalizing when he hears it peeled, he will as soon as he smells it!
Cavy feces are relatively dry, odorless "beans." The urine is cloudy white and also relatively odorless, but can become dangerously ammoniated in several days' time, so bedding should always be kept dry and clean.
Blue or pink?
Male guinea pigs can be identified by gently applying pressure above the urethral orifice to slightly extrude the penis. This technique will expose the vaginal membrane in females. Testicles in adult boars are subtle but can be seen as a swelling in the rear when the animal is standing. Your guinea pig's breeder can show you how to determine gender. Both sexes make equally good pets.
To sleep, perchance at night
Guinea pigs are very docile, rarely bite, and become placid when accustomed to gentle handling. They are easily alarmed and will often "freeze" or stampede when startled which may result in injury. They should be in an environment protected from unusual sudden movements or loud noises.
Cavies are generally most active around dawn and dusk; they sleep much of the night and nap most of the day. They fit into human schedules better than noctural pets who sleep all day and run on wheels all night. Guinea pigs should never be put into balls or exercise wheels as their anatomy and behavior is not appropriate. They have a relatively stiff spine, and their tendency to not move in unusual situations also makes them impossible to walk on a leash. Unless severely frightened or unusually motivated, guinea pigs in general do not leap or climb and can be kept in single-level open-top cages as low as 14 inches in height, if there are no possible threats. They should always be protected from dogs and cats, and other animals of course.
Cuddle instructions
To pick up a guinea pig one hand should be gently placed over the chest or shoulders and the other hand should be used to support the animal's hindquarters.
After grasping the Guinea pig, securing it by wrapping it in a towel or holding it against your body will lessen a struggle or a scratch by a skittish juvenile. Never attempt to restrain or lift a guinea pig by grasping the skin like a rabbit. The lack of loose skin on Guinea pigs will result in severe pain and damage to the animal.
Cavies like to be scratched between their eyes, around their ears and sometimes under their chins. They do not like their rumps touched and some will protest by squealing or bucking.
A happy cavy is quietly docile and may semi-recline on its side. Youngsters in particular will exercise by running, jumping and bucking, called "popcorning."
Two's company
Compatible sows can be kept together if carefully introduced. Cavy cagemates are best raised together from a young age. Occasionally one sow may be too dominant to accept a cagemate and will bully a younger or less-dominant sow but they rarely hurt each other. Adult boars may fight to injury; young boars are compatible as are a young boar with an older one, again if carefully introduced. Animals used for breeding can be much more temperamental.
Cavies should be introduced in a large neutral area with one structure to hide per pig, plus one more, and at least two food and water areas on separate ends of the cage. They may chase each other but will usually settle down in a couple days once dominance has been established. Never separate an actual fight with your hands — throw a towel over the combatants to separate them.Your breeder can provide more information.
Say what?
Cavies are not a good choice if a quiet pet is desired. They are extremely expressive vocally, with sounds ranging from purrs to squeals. They quickly associate sounds — like the rustle of a produce bag, an opening refrigerator, or a human approaching the cage — with being fed, and will greet these sounds with loud whistles called "wheeks". They squeal to each other in annoyance, purr to express dominance or desire to mate, and "drr" as an alarm to an unusual noise, as a warning when they grab a tasty treat, or sometimes, when petted past the shoulders.
Curls, whorls or shine
There are 13 breeds, characterized mostly by different coat types. The Satin breeds have a sheen to their coats not present in the base breed.
• Abyssinian, Abyssinian Satin: "Abys" have slightly stiff stand-out coats arranged into whorls, or rosettes. They are often considered the most active breed.
• Peruvian, Peruvian satin: a longhaired breed with a soft coat, with rosettes like Abys and short-coated faces, although their hair falls over their faces. They learn to stay calm when gently combed.
• Silkie, Silkie Satin: a flat-haired long-coated breed with soft texture. Their faces are short-coated and the rest of their body grows long hair.
• Coronet: are like silkies with one rosette on their foreheads.
• American, American Satin: have soft, flat, short coats.
• Teddy, Teddy Satin: have short, thick, outstanding kinky coats like bottle brushes.
• Texel: a longhaired breed with a short-haired face whose hair grows in spirals or ringlets, like a Silkie with a relaxed perm. Rather than brushing, any clumps should be picked out before they become mats, or they can be clipped. They tend to be one of the calmer breeds.
• White Crested: similar to an American with a white rosette on its forehead.
• Other: There are also "unofficial" (in the US), hairless breeds and other combinations of curled, short and long hair and rosettes.
Pet cavies come in all colors and patterns, but markings matter only for shows. Breeders often sell less-than-perfectly marked cavies ideal to raise as pets. The breeder can also answer specific questions on care. Rabbit shows, which usually have a cavy section, are a great place to find a breeder and just the right pet.
Location, location
Cages marketed for guinea pigs are usually sufficient, but they like as much room as possible to run around. A top-opening cage makes it easiest to catch a skittish youngster without overly chasing and alarming it. Because of their skinny, naked toes, cavies should never be kept in wire-floored cages meant for rabbits as fractures and ulcers can occur. Aquariums should never be used as cavies have sensitive respiratory systems, output a relatively large amount of urine and require good ventilation.
One guinea pig requires around 2 square feet of cage space but they prefer more. Add an additional square foot of space for every guinea pig that shares the cage space with your first one.
Maximum temperatures are around 55 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit depending on circumstances. Cavies do better in cool rather than hot weather and are extremely prone to heat stroke at 90 degrees or above. A cool room of 65-70 at 50 percent humidity is ideal. Fluctuations should be avoided.
All the comforts of home
Kiln-dried pine shavings, wood pellets, newspaper or newspaper pellets (Yesterday’s News), are all suitable bedding for cavies. Kitty litter and sawdust are unsafe as the small particles can irritate their eyes, and cedar shavings can cause breathing problems.
Most cavies enjoy toys from time to time. Large tubes to crawl through or boxes to hide in are favourites. Many cavies also like small plastic bird toys or cat toys with bells. They will also climb low wooden ramps and will chew on wooden toys and houses.
Vegetarian, please
Cavies drink a relatively large amount of water in comparison to other small pets. They should have continual access to a clean bottle of water — a 16 oz. size per cavy is great — which should be checked and changed at least daily. Some guinea pigs learn to play with the water bottle and can drain the bottle into the cage. Beads in the tube can become stuck and should always be cleaned with a pipe cleaner or similar.
Guinea pig pellets should be 18 to 20 percent crude protein and 10 to 16 percent fiber and contain needed vitamins and minerals. Pelleted feeds with colored bits, seeds or corn kernels should be avoided. Because of the Vitamin C, guinea pig chow is has a shorter shelf life (up to 90 days in an ideal cool dry environment) than standard rodent or rabbit chow and is manufactured and labeled specifically for guinea pigs. Feeds like Cavy-lets from Nutritional Resource Associates are shipped right after milling, while some feed store pellets can sit for months. Guinea pigs can only be fed rabbit pellets if Vitamin C is supplemented.
Fiber in hay keeps the gut working properly, keeps the teeth ground down and, as originally grassland animals, cavies consider it the ultimate fun to burrow in. They should be provided a continual supply of hay. Timothy or other grass hay is ideal; alfalfa hay is stemmy, has a high calcium content and is best avoided for adult pigs. Treats in the form of vegetables or fruit should be given sparingly daily — approximately one baby carrot-sized treat or a leaf of Romaine lettuce per day is sufficient. Cavies do enjoy what humans discard: strawberry tops, melon rinds, cucumber peelings, etc. Stay away from any form of potatoes and anything cooked; go very easy on cabbage relatives, corn, iceberg lettuce, apples and fruits. Never feed anything spoiled or moldy. Fresh (untreated) grass and dandelion leaves are a favorite supplement.
All but perfect
Cavies are sensitive to several antibiotics, so consult an experienced exotic pets vet if it appears ill. It is unusual for pet cavies to get external parasites such as lice or mites. Should your animal show signs of external parasites (hair loss, scratching or spots on the hair shaft), you may use a flea shampoo or spray designed for kittens, and consult your breeder or vet.
Puttin' on the ritz
Your longhaired guinea pig can be gently brushed or combed on a regular basis. It may need a trim in the rear if the coat gets long enough to drag on the ground. Guinea pigs don't usually need baths and don't care for them, but if one becomes soiled it can be bathed in the sink in warm water, using shampoo for babies or kittens. After toweling it dry, a blow dryer may be used on the low, cool setting. Guinea pig toenails need regular clipping. A kitten nail clipper is ideal. Be careful not to clip into the quick (the blood filled core of the nail). If you do, dip the nail in "quick stop" (from pet stores) or alum or baking powder. Your breeder can give you a demonstration and other valuable tips on grooming.
Don't try this at home
Breeding should be left to experienced guinea pig breeders who also show their animals. Shows are like beauty contests to prove the animals' quality for breeding. Breeding should not be performed as a school or science project or to allow children to witness the miracle of birth. Too many guinea pigs end up neglected or given to humane associations. Breeding can also be dangerous for your pet; best not to risk shortening its life.
Before you buy your child a guinea pig, be sure there is an adult who will supervise its care and feeding and take over ownership if the child loses interest. Remember that adopting a guinea pig is an up to six- or eight- year commitment that should not be entered into lightly.
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Harkness JE, and Wagner JE. The Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents, 3rd Edition. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, 1989.
Wagner JE, and Manner PJ. 1976, The Biology of the Guinea Pig. New York: Academic Press, 1976.
Banks, Ron. The Guinea Pig: Biology, Care, Identification, Nomenclature, Breeding and Genetics, USAMRIID Seminar Series 17, 1989.
Rappaport, Jon, DVM. (chairman of the board, CEO and founder of Pet Place). July 2009 <http:PetPlace.com>
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New York State Cavy Fanciers is a group of breeders and exhibitors dedicated to the promotion and betterment of guinea pigs and the education of future fanciers through exhibition and services.