Guinea pigs are charming creatures that need the right space and company (of other guinea pigs) for a happy healthy life. Their care is very different to looking after rabbits.
Guinea Pigs Should Live with Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs are often sold (alone) in pet shops, showing stores have no idea on welfare. Social guinea pigs need to live with their own kind (neuter males to avoid fighting). Unless already happily living together (in which case offer private hiding places and neuter males), guinea pigs should not be housed with rabbits. Rabbits and guinea pigs communicate differently and startled rabbits may kick smaller guinea pigs. Rabbits can also pass on a bacteria, that gives guinea pigs respiratory disease.
Blue Cross has good advice on guinea pig welfare, plus places to find rescues (to avoid supporting the pet shop industry). Ensure guinea pigs have companions (females live well with a male, as long as he is neutered – or go for a male and female together).
Understanding Guinea Pig Needs
Guinea pigs need spacious cages to groom, play and explore. Hutches should be big enough for roaming each day for at least a couple of hours to stretch their legs and safely explore. Ensure hutches are weatherproof and raised off the ground, with clean bedding and access to a large secure exercise area. Use a quality wooden hutch (plastic could overheat).
Guinea pigs can’t sweat, so site the hutch away from damp and strong sun, and avoid them running on wet grass. In summer, ensure cooling hutch covers do not prevent air flow. Don’t house guinea pigs in conservatories.
In severe heat or cold, you may have to bring them indoors for a while. Wood Green has info on safely bringing guinea pigs indoors.
Social Interaction
Guinea pigs thrive on companionship and can become lonely if left alone for long periods. Ideally, you should keep them in pairs or small groups. When they have a friend, they are more likely to engage in playful activities, which reduces stress and promotes happiness.
If you opt for one guinea pig, consider spending extra time with them each day. However, two or more is always better. They can cuddle, chat, and groom each other, creating a lively and affectionate atmosphere.
Long-haired guinea pigs need regular grooming (use a water mister to gently dampen fur in heat). Also keep an eye out for fly strike (keep hutches clean, and regularly check bottoms and call vet if you see maggots). Older guinea pigs are more at risk, as they are less able to groom themselves.
Diet and Nutrition for a Happy Habitat
Guinea pigs have a different diet to other small furries. Around 10% of food (after quality hay and pellets) needs to be fresh produce, to give vitamin C. Wood Green has a good info on sheet of toxic foods and plants to avoid. And a page on what to feed guinea pigs.
In winter, check drip-feed bottles to ensure they are not blocked or frozen.
Avoiding Harmful Foods
Not everything is suitable for guinea pigs. Some foods can be harmful or even toxic. To keep your pets safe and healthy, refrain from giving them potatoes, onions, garlic or sugary treats.
Maintaining a Clean Environment
Clean litter boxes daily to remove soiled bedding and droppings, and weekly clean the hutch with boiled water, to prevent harmful bacteria. Leave to air-dry, before allowing guinea pigs back inside.
Related to the World’s Largest Rodents!
Guinea pigs are not pigs, they are actually rodents, and their official name is ‘cavia porcellus’, as they belong to the family of South American rodents, headed up by capybaras, the world’s largest rodent (incidentally, the world’s second largest rodents are native beavers, which are helping to prevent floods nationwide in rewilding projects).
These highly social herbivores are known as ‘nature’s ottamons’, as they let other creatures (from birds to monkeys to rabbits) hitch rides on their heads and backs! In fact, they are so friendly to other beings that their only known predator is man.
