If you happen to’re excited about adopting a guinea pig, right here’s what you wish to have to find out about guinea pig diet, housing and extra!
Cautious attention prior to adopting, together with analysis and making plans, plus quite a few love, persistence and a way of humour, will foster a robust and loving dating that can assist you uncover the enjoyment of guinea pigs, and make you buddies for existence!
Diet
A whole day-to-day guinea pig nutrition is composed of a vast provide of Timothy hay, quite a few recent greens, a small quantity of guinea pig pellets enriched with diet C, and a small portion of fruit. Guinea pigs increase person meals personal tastes, however some not unusual favourites come with:
- Snap peas
- Apple
- Carrots
- Cilantro
- Cucumber
- Romaine lettuce
- Broccoli
- Grapes
Contemporary water will have to at all times be to be had and is very best supplied in a sipper bottle at the aspect in their enclosure.
Well being
Along with excellent diet, guinea pigs receive advantages a great deal from supervised workout outdoor in their number one enclosure. This house will have to be in a secure, well-secured room with out a get admission to to cords, wires, stairs or open vents. Supply your puppy with toys to play with and a different position to cover.
The enamel of guinea pigs repeatedly develop, which means that that chewing pieces are very important for his or her dental well being. Hay, company greens and non-toxic picket chews are nice additions to their enclosures for this function.
Men will also be neutered by means of veterinarians who’re very acquainted with guinea pig surgical operation. By way of neutering men, they are able to be paired with women whilst fighting undesirable pregnancies. Different pairings that paintings nicely are women in combination and men who had been raised in combination.
Dealing with
Permit your guinea pig to smell your hand and use his or her favorite meals to achieve their accept as true with. As soon as they’re at ease, pick out them up gently and slowly. Gently position one hand in the back of their entrance legs, cupping their chest, whilst the use of the opposite hand to toughen their hind finish and again toes all the time. Guinea pigs are maximum at ease when horizontal and as regards to your frame or to your lap.
Leaping down could cause critical harm to guinea pigs, so dealing with them whilst sitting at the flooring is most secure. Guinea pigs will have to now not be picked up or carried by means of small children, as they are able to simply unfastened themselves from a kid’s take hold of.
Grooming
Nail cutting will have to be carried out per 30 days and will also be simply demonstrated by means of a veterinarian or an RVT. Each lengthy and short-haired guinea pigs can even want common brushing, with a cushy child brush.
Housing
Cages will have to be as massive as you’ll be able to accommodate. The minimal dimension for a cage for one or two guinea pigs is 7.5 sq. toes, however the greater you’ll be able to accommodate the easier. The most efficient location to your guinea pig’s enclosure is in a shared a part of your house the place your guinea pig will also be a part of the circle of relatives and monitored carefully, out of direct daylight, off the ground safe from different circle of relatives pets.
Enclosures will have to have forged bottoms to forestall foot accidents and be coated with shredded newspaper, grass hay, aspen or hardwood shavings. Take away dirty shavings day-to-day and provides the enclosure a radical cleansing every week.
As guinea pigs are startled simply, a hiding position will have to be supplied. They will have to have get admission to to a hiding position all the time, for when they want some quiet time. To advertise the well being of your guinea pig, pieces equivalent to toys, hammocks and platforms with ramps will have to be added to their enclosure. The record of toys is never-ending, however some very reasonably priced pieces come with:
- Paper luggage filled with hay
- Ping pong balls
- Paper towel rolls (lower lengthwise)
- Shoeboxes
Behaviour
Guinea pigs are very social animals and are happiest when they’ve some other guinea pig significant other, and a focus from their human members of the family. Even well-socialized guinea pigs might nip if startled, which is why it’s beneficial that they be treated by means of adults and older youngsters.
Guinea pigs have excellent color imaginative and prescient and nice listening to, enabling them to learn how to reply to precise sounds. With some persistence and endurance, they are able to also be educated to make use of muddle containers!
Issues to steer clear of
Keep away from the next possible hazards to supply your puppy guinea pig with a secure surroundings:
- Sawdust, cedar, pine and corn-cob bedding could cause sickness and toxicity
- Workout balls and working wheels that don’t seem to be designed for guinea pigs can lead to critical accidents
- Get admission to to handled or painted picket
- Unsupervised time with small children, open air or free-roaming in the home
- Toxic meals equivalent to rhubarb, chocolate, potato, seeds and nuts
- Striking the cage in consistent direct daylight, a storage or a laundry room
- Offering grass, clover or dandelions from a backyard handled with insecticides or fertilizers
Undertake
Guinea pigs reside, on moderate, 4 to 8 years so make sure you’re in a position for the dedication prior to adopting. Some guinea pigs might reside so long as 10 years!
If you happen to’re considering adopting a guinea pig, stay your eye at the Ontario SPCA adoption web page to stay up for guinea pigs in search of a loving house.