They Are Not an "Easy Starter Pet" for Kids

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Guinea pigs require a bit more care than a lot of other pets. They are small, but they are not a low maintenance pet. They are exotic animals that require consistent daily cleaning, a specialized diet, large habitats, daily attention and enrichment. This can make them a less than ideal pet for busy families, or individuals who are gone the majority of the time.

 

They are prey animals and that means they are naturally skittish and fearful of bigger animals and humans. It takes time and patience to build up trust. They will always run when you try to pick them up, which frustrates children and many adults that are looking for a "cuddly" pet.

You have to work with them slowly on their terms, they are very much a "you get out what you put in" type of pet.

Being a prey animal also means they hide illnesses, these illnesses can come on quickly and can require a costly trip to a special exotics vet. Not getting them immediate medical care can be deadly. Because they hide illness, they need an attentive caregiver that will notice small things that are out of character, things like not finishing favorite foods, or being quieter or lower energy than usual. This is another reason why we insist an adult be the primary caregiver. 

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They Need Unlimited Hay

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Hay makes up 80% of their diet and helps keep their GI tract healthy. It also keeps teeth from overgrowing. Make sure guinea pigs have a constant supply of timothy hay, orchard hay, or orchard timothy blended hay. If under 6 months old, pregnant or nursing, feed alfalfa too. 

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They Need a  Same Sex Friend 

Guinea Pigs are a herd animals and should NOT be kept as solo guinea pigs. Having a friend is important to their health and well being. They won't bond with every pig though, so go through a rescue to make sure to get a good match! Most rescues will have single adoptable guinea pigs looking for a buddy, they can host a bonding session to make sure that the guinea pigs get along. If they don't want to share a cage, getting a grid mate is a great option! PLEASE do not house opposite sex guinea pigs together, we have more than enough unwanted guinea pigs out there. So many need homes, please adopt, don't shop!

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​​They need large spacious indoor cages

 

A guinea pig's physiology is completely different than a rabbit or a rat and their habitat should be designed exclusively for their needs. They spend almost their entire lives in their cage, please choose one that is best suited to the unique creatures that they are.

STANDARD PET STORE CAGES AREN'T BIG ENOUGH. Do not use aquariums or rabbit hutches.

They need at least 8 to 14 horizontal square feet of space. This gives guinea pigs plenty of room to exercise and helps keep them healthy and happy. C&C cages are ideal, light and bright with great ventilation. Again, we can't stress this enough, pet store cages are too small.

Guinea pigs housed in small cages are at risk of developing health issues like bumble foot, urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections and arthritis. Rabbit hutches, aquariums and multi level rodent cages are not suitable for guinea pigs.

 

 

 

 

They Have Specific Dietary Needs

Please note that due to the very specific and detailed nature of a piggies diet, we have now moved the information to its own page

 

 

 

 

 

GUINEA PIGS NEED AN EXOTICS VET AND THEIR VET BILLS ARE EXPENSIVE! 

Not every vet can treat exotics, you'll need to find a special small animal exotic vet to treat your piggy. Piggies hide illness so please don't wait until it's too late to choose a suitable veterinarian for them. Veterinary care for a guinea pig is on par with dog or cat care. You can expect to spend around $1,000 for something like treating an upper respiratory infection. This requires a vet visit, x-rays, medication and often multiple follow up visits with more x-rays to monitor treatment. If your guinea pig needs more costly care like a surgery for an abscess removal or urinary stone, these procedures can cost between $3,000 and $5,000 dollars. We do want to be transparent about these costs. Not many people have a bottomless fund for vet expenses, but if the condition is treatable, you'll want to be able to provide that treatment and make sure there is no pain or suffering. You can also get pet insurance for guinea pigs.

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Breeding is dangerous, don't do it!​​ 

Please don’t house guinea pigs of opposite sex together unless one or both of them has been spayed or neutered.

There are so many guinea pigs in need of homes throughout Southern California and intentionally breeding is irresponsible and contributes to the problem.​ 

Pregnancies are very risky for female guinea pigs. 

Female pigs can get pregnant as early as 3 weeks of age (and also immediately after giving birth), and male pigs can father litters at 3 weeks old.

Separating pups at 3 weeks of age is critical in preventing unwanted pregnancies. A vet (or your local rescue) can help you determine gender.

Spay/neuter surgeries for pigs are high risk, they often result in death and should only be considered under life-threatening circumstances, or performed by an extremely experienced qualified cavy vet.​​​

 

 

 

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