Guinea pigs make good companions!
A guinea pig needs
- To be with other guinea pigs (all female or pair of males)
- Fresh food, fresh clean water every day and something to gnaw on (like untreated apple branches or wood chews from your local pet shop)
- A large hutch to live in, with a room for sleeping
- A home to be kept clean and tidy (cleaned every day)
- To be groomed every day if it has long hair
- Newspaper and Fresh hay (not straw) for bedding
- A mixture of hay, guinea pig mix and washed fruit and fresh vegetables for vitamin C (like parsley,broccoli,tomatoes, cucumbers, carrot) daily, guinea pigs can tolerate more greens than rabbits
- Have nails checked and clipped if needed every 6 weeks (your local small animal vet can show you how)
- A sturdy hutch to be kept in the house or a warm shed, as guinea pigs are less hardy than rabbits, and to be kept in the shade when it is hot and sunny, they love tubes and tunnels
- To be looked after at holiday times
- To be handled with care
- To be bathed every 3 or 4 months (a cat litter tray in the sink would do) with kitten shampoo or shampoo especially made for guinea pigs
Guinea pigs should not be kept with rabbits as they have different dietary needs and a kick from a rabbit can serious hurt or kill a guinea pig
Ailments
Guinea pigs can suffer from skin problems like mange and fungal infections, please see the Peter Gurney Guide to Guinea Pig Health for further information.
Long nails can be caught in gaps and injure or break tiny toes.
Note: Pets are a great way of teaching children to care about other creatures and give a lot of joy however all children should be supervised with small pets and parents should always check that pets are being properly cleaned and fed
Remember if your pet is showing unusual symptoms bring it to your local vet!
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