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Are Guinea Pigs the Right Companion Animal for You?

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As we mentioned previously, Guinea pigs make wonderful family pets, but they are not the right pet for everyone. 

If you are looking for a pet for small children that is easier than a dog or cat or meant to teach responsibilities, this is not the right animal for you.

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We tell parents, do not get guinea pigs for the kids. If YOU the parent don't absolutely love them and want to care for them, just don't do it!

 

They are marketed as "great starter pets for children" by big box pet stores, and we strongly disagree with this statement.

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To put it as bluntly as we can, they require a lot of daily care by the adult, they have very expensive vet bills, they run when you try to pick them up so that isn't ideal for someone wanting a cuddly pet they can "play" with.

Judging by the numbers of unwanted guinea pigs filling up our shelters, abandoned outdoors and the multitudes of emails and messages we, and every other rescue receive daily, we know that once they are purchased, consumers are finding they have been misinformed.

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It is our goal to fully inform. We have high standards for their care, if you can't commit to the amount of square footage they need for their habitat, or you think the vet costs are too high, they are not the right pet for you.

If you are unsure about making the commitment,  you are welcome to try fostering first.

The Time Commitment

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Guinea pigs are time consuming and they need specialized care. They live approximately eight to ten years and  require about a minimum of 30 minutes a day. They need the following every single day:

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Feeding: Unlimited fresh hay - Healthy pellets - One cup of fresh vegetables - Vitamin C Supplement - Refilling water bottles as needed

Cage Spot Cleaning: 15 to 30 minutes - replacing wet soiled bedding and sweeping out poop if using fleece

Attention & Enrichment: Guinea pigs are social animals; they get depressed and bored with little interaction.

Weekly Deep Cleaning: Laundering fleece bedding once a week (one to two hours ) or 100% replacement of paper bedding, disinfecting liners, washing water bowls and bottles.

Weekly Weighing: Weigh once a week to make sure your pig is not losing weight. Weight loss is the first sign something is wrong. Record weight with our printable weight tracker.

Monthly: Nail trims and boar cleanings.

Other Tasks: Shopping for, washing and prepping vegetables. Picking up hay at the feed store and storing, or ordering online. 

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Sample Schedule

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DAILY:

  • Refill pellets, hay and water   *hay must be available at ALL times

  • Provide Vitamin C supplement 

  • Provide about 1 cup to cup and a half of fresh veggies PER PIG (healthy & toxic veggies list) You can break this up and feed half veggies in morning and half in evening if you like. **please note, this amount doesn't have to be exactly 1 cup, its ok to go a little over or under.

  • Spot clean habitat

  • Give lots of love, lap time, enrichment, floor time

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WEEKLY:

  • Check weight & visual overall health inspection (Weighing is very important)

  • Thoroughly clean cage, water bottles (including spout with q-tip), food dishes

  • Launder fleece if using

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MONTHLY​​:

  • Trim nails

  • Boar cleaning

  • Gently clean ears

  • Hair Trims for long hair piggies

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EVERY TWO MONTHS OR AS NEEDED

  • Anti-fungal bath

  • Preventative ivermectin

Still Here Reading?

If you have decided that you have time for daily, weekly and monthly care and cleaning, if you have the means to provide veterinary care, if you have the space to provide plenty of room for a spacious cage, if you don't mind cleaning up lots of guinea pig poop and loose hay, if you don't mind a pet who will likely never let you easily pick them up, then congratulations, you might just be a crazy guinea pig person like the rest of us.

For those of us who have embraced the cavy chaos, these are the most special little animals to love and bring into our lives. We would be thrilled to have you take a look at our adoptable piggies and help us change their lives!

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