Deciding to purchase a guinea pig is an important decision, and it is essential that you take some time to make sure this type of pet suits you, before you go through with it. These 3 considerations are some of the most important things that you should think about before buying one, and will help ensure that you and your animal will suit each other:
How Many Should You Get?
In the wild, cavies tend to live in packs, and they must live this way in captivity too. If you buy one on its own, it will become very lonely, so you should always keep them with at least one other guinea pig, to provide them with a bit of company. Naturally, this will affect things like the cost of ownership and how easy it is to play with them, so bear this in mind when choosing guinea pigs.
Where Should You Keep Them?
You should keep your animals inside if at all possible. This protects them from the elements, and also makes them feel like part of the family. It will encourage you to get your guinea pigs out of their cage and spend time with them more regularly, which is good for both of you. An ideal way to do this is to buy a playpen to allow them to exercise. If you have to keep your guinea pigs outdoors, it is important that you don't use the same sort of cage that you would use inside - get a purpose-built hutch and give your animals lots of cosy bedding to protect them from the cold and wind.
Do You Have Time To Spend Time With Them Frequently?
Because they are such sociable creatures, guinea pigs require lots of attention. This will help to keep them stimulated and exercised. In turn, this will make your pets more lively and more satisfying to own. If you have a very busy life and cannot find the time to play with your animals daily, you should consider choosing a different pet which doesn't take up as much of your time.
Friday 5 February 2010
How To Properly Care For Your Pet Guinea Pigs
To help keep your cavies free from diseases, you must regularly check them over for any signs of illness or disease. By including this as part of your daily routine, you give yourself a much better change of being able to pick up any problems early. This gives you time to treat them before they get out of hand. In particular, you should keep an eye on these 3 things:
1. Illness
Guinea pigs naturally try to cover up any problems they have. Sadly, this means that it is not uncommon for them to be harbouring a serious ailment without you noticing.
Guinea pigs' nose, ears,, and eyes are particularly prone to getting infected. You should examine them on a regular basis, ideally on a daily basis, to make sure that they are clear and clean. If you spot anything unusual, take them to see a professional immediately.
2. Dental Care
Guinea pigs' teeth continue to grow throughout their lives, so they need a way to wear them down, so that they don't get too long and make eating difficult and painful.
When living in the wild, cavies keep their teeth trimmed by using twigs and hay to wear them down. You must provide similar objects for your pet guinea pig. You should make sure that they have plenty of fresh hay, and you can also buy them hard chew sticks to aid the process.
3. Cleaning Them
It is important to wash your pet from time to time, to help get rid of any ingrained dirt. Besides the fact that this reduces the danger of your cavy catching a disease, it also gets rid of any smalls they have picked up over time.
You should bathe your pet straight after bringing him home from the pet shop. This will help to remove any ticks that he may have caught. Then you should clean him whenever he needs it - roughly once every three or four months is usually sufficient.
1. Illness
Guinea pigs naturally try to cover up any problems they have. Sadly, this means that it is not uncommon for them to be harbouring a serious ailment without you noticing.
Guinea pigs' nose, ears,, and eyes are particularly prone to getting infected. You should examine them on a regular basis, ideally on a daily basis, to make sure that they are clear and clean. If you spot anything unusual, take them to see a professional immediately.
2. Dental Care
Guinea pigs' teeth continue to grow throughout their lives, so they need a way to wear them down, so that they don't get too long and make eating difficult and painful.
When living in the wild, cavies keep their teeth trimmed by using twigs and hay to wear them down. You must provide similar objects for your pet guinea pig. You should make sure that they have plenty of fresh hay, and you can also buy them hard chew sticks to aid the process.
3. Cleaning Them
It is important to wash your pet from time to time, to help get rid of any ingrained dirt. Besides the fact that this reduces the danger of your cavy catching a disease, it also gets rid of any smalls they have picked up over time.
You should bathe your pet straight after bringing him home from the pet shop. This will help to remove any ticks that he may have caught. Then you should clean him whenever he needs it - roughly once every three or four months is usually sufficient.
3 Essential Bits Of Advice For Exercising Your Pet Guinea Pigs
As with most pets, guinea pigs need to stay healthy and active. The best way to provide this exercise is simply to let them scurry about unrestricted in a large, open space. This area can be indoors or outdoors, but either way it's important to follow these tips to unsure the safety of your pets:
1. Make Sure They Are Contained
Guinea pigs can get very excitable when let loose to explore, and they will often attempt to find their way inside all sorts of nooks, crannies, and gaps that they find. In fact, if you aren't paying attention, you might discover that your cavies have disappeared inside a sofa, behind a bookcase, or under your television!
In order to prevent your pets wriggling their way into one of these tiny spaces, and possibly getting themselves into a dangerous place, you should watch them closely while they are playing. Better still, you could put them in a specially designed run, which is a bit like a big cage, to make sure they don't escape.
2. Make Sure They Are Comfortable
Although we sometimes don't realise it, the carpets and rugs of our homes can actually be fairly dangerous to guinea pigs. Things such as loose stones, which we barely notice, can be quite painful when walked over with guinea pigs' soft paws, and can also be very dangerous if they pick them up and chew on them.
Before you let your pets out to scurry around, you should give their exercise space a thorough once over to make sure it is clear of spiky objects. Then lay a cloth or some newspaper on the surface for them to run on. This helps by providing a soft surface, and also soaks up any little accidents they might have while running around!
3. Keep Them Away From Potential Hazards
Ask most pet lovers, and they will be able to tell you of a time when one of their animals ate its way through an electrical cable. Besides the fact that this can be very inconvenient to you, it can also be potentially hazardous to your guinea pig. Clear your pets' running space of all wires and cables before you let them out.
Other animals can be a big hazard to guinea pigs. If you do own another pet, such as a cat or dog, it is essential to keep them in a different room whilst your pigs are exercising.
1. Make Sure They Are Contained
Guinea pigs can get very excitable when let loose to explore, and they will often attempt to find their way inside all sorts of nooks, crannies, and gaps that they find. In fact, if you aren't paying attention, you might discover that your cavies have disappeared inside a sofa, behind a bookcase, or under your television!
In order to prevent your pets wriggling their way into one of these tiny spaces, and possibly getting themselves into a dangerous place, you should watch them closely while they are playing. Better still, you could put them in a specially designed run, which is a bit like a big cage, to make sure they don't escape.
2. Make Sure They Are Comfortable
Although we sometimes don't realise it, the carpets and rugs of our homes can actually be fairly dangerous to guinea pigs. Things such as loose stones, which we barely notice, can be quite painful when walked over with guinea pigs' soft paws, and can also be very dangerous if they pick them up and chew on them.
Before you let your pets out to scurry around, you should give their exercise space a thorough once over to make sure it is clear of spiky objects. Then lay a cloth or some newspaper on the surface for them to run on. This helps by providing a soft surface, and also soaks up any little accidents they might have while running around!
3. Keep Them Away From Potential Hazards
Ask most pet lovers, and they will be able to tell you of a time when one of their animals ate its way through an electrical cable. Besides the fact that this can be very inconvenient to you, it can also be potentially hazardous to your guinea pig. Clear your pets' running space of all wires and cables before you let them out.
Other animals can be a big hazard to guinea pigs. If you do own another pet, such as a cat or dog, it is essential to keep them in a different room whilst your pigs are exercising.
Cavies - 3 Important Tips For Handling Guinea Pigs
Not many animals are as easy and fun to own as cavies. They really love to be petted and handled, which makes them ideal for children and adults looking for a responsive, affectionate animal.
Below you will find 3 pieces of important advice that you must bear in mind whenever playing with your pets:
1. Keep Them Safe
A great thing about cavies is that they are much more content to sit still than many other small pets such as hamsters and mice. Having said that, sometimes they might attempt to jump out of your hands, and this can lead to you dropping them. Obviously, this could potentially be harmful to your pet's fragile body.
In order to minimise this danger, you should hold your guinea pigs above a soft surface, such as carpet, your lap, or a table with a towel on it. That way if they do fall, they shouldn't be harmed.
2. Don't Let Children Handle Them Alone
Guinea pigs are relatively big animals, which can make them more awkward to hold than other, smaller pets. Children especially can find them tricky to hold, and may be more likely to drop them.
If your children have guinea pigs but cannot handle them easily, it is a good idea if you handle their animal for them, and let them pet it. This allows your kids to spend quality time with their cavies until they are big enough to handle them alone.
3. Put Them Back When They're Tired
Cavies are on the whole quite calm creatures, and are perfectly happy to saty put on your lap being petted for long periods of time. However, they will eventually become worn out and want to return to their cage to have some time to themselves.
You might find that your animal's attitude changes from docile and relaxed to slightly jumpy. For example, they may attempt to escape your arms or jump onto the ground. When they get like this it is important to put them back in their cage.
Below you will find 3 pieces of important advice that you must bear in mind whenever playing with your pets:
1. Keep Them Safe
A great thing about cavies is that they are much more content to sit still than many other small pets such as hamsters and mice. Having said that, sometimes they might attempt to jump out of your hands, and this can lead to you dropping them. Obviously, this could potentially be harmful to your pet's fragile body.
In order to minimise this danger, you should hold your guinea pigs above a soft surface, such as carpet, your lap, or a table with a towel on it. That way if they do fall, they shouldn't be harmed.
2. Don't Let Children Handle Them Alone
Guinea pigs are relatively big animals, which can make them more awkward to hold than other, smaller pets. Children especially can find them tricky to hold, and may be more likely to drop them.
If your children have guinea pigs but cannot handle them easily, it is a good idea if you handle their animal for them, and let them pet it. This allows your kids to spend quality time with their cavies until they are big enough to handle them alone.
3. Put Them Back When They're Tired
Cavies are on the whole quite calm creatures, and are perfectly happy to saty put on your lap being petted for long periods of time. However, they will eventually become worn out and want to return to their cage to have some time to themselves.
You might find that your animal's attitude changes from docile and relaxed to slightly jumpy. For example, they may attempt to escape your arms or jump onto the ground. When they get like this it is important to put them back in their cage.
Cavies - What To Feed Your Guinea Pig
Guinea pigs require a range of important nutrients to make sure that they stay healthy. These nutrients must be provided by you through a mixed diet.
It is your job to give your furry friends this varied diet through careful selection of the foods you give them. It is even better if you can also give them a variety of foods, so that they don't get bored of being fed the same old meals day in day out.
1. Food Mix
Most pet shops stock several varieties of dried food mix. This is just a mixture of different foods, such as fruit, nuts, and seeds. Together, they give your animals the vast majority of the nutrients they require. Because of this, food mix is an essential part of their diet.
2. Fresh Fruit And Vegetables
Cavies absolutely love to munch on some fresh fruit and veg occasionally. A brilliant way to provide this is to feed them a small piece of fresh fruit or veg daily. They are especially keen on cucumber, cauliflower leaves, and melon. However, you should make sure that you don't give them too much fruit and vegetables, as it can make them ill.
3. Tasty Treats
Although we don't always like to admit it, we humans have a weakness for sweet treats, and love to munch on things like cake, chocolate, and biscuits as a treat once in a while. Cavies are exactly the same, and because of this fact there are lots of tasty snacks that you can buy, which are designed especially for these animals. These include small chocolates, jellied fruits, and chew bars - just be sure not to buy them too often or your animals may begin to get rather overweight!
Feeding your guinea pigs doesn't need to be hard, but it is important that you make a commitment to treat it seriously to make sure that you provide them with all the nutrients they require to stay healthy, happy, and active.
As thanks for your effort, you'll find that your pets are more lively and alert, making them even more fun to own.
It is your job to give your furry friends this varied diet through careful selection of the foods you give them. It is even better if you can also give them a variety of foods, so that they don't get bored of being fed the same old meals day in day out.
1. Food Mix
Most pet shops stock several varieties of dried food mix. This is just a mixture of different foods, such as fruit, nuts, and seeds. Together, they give your animals the vast majority of the nutrients they require. Because of this, food mix is an essential part of their diet.
2. Fresh Fruit And Vegetables
Cavies absolutely love to munch on some fresh fruit and veg occasionally. A brilliant way to provide this is to feed them a small piece of fresh fruit or veg daily. They are especially keen on cucumber, cauliflower leaves, and melon. However, you should make sure that you don't give them too much fruit and vegetables, as it can make them ill.
3. Tasty Treats
Although we don't always like to admit it, we humans have a weakness for sweet treats, and love to munch on things like cake, chocolate, and biscuits as a treat once in a while. Cavies are exactly the same, and because of this fact there are lots of tasty snacks that you can buy, which are designed especially for these animals. These include small chocolates, jellied fruits, and chew bars - just be sure not to buy them too often or your animals may begin to get rather overweight!
Feeding your guinea pigs doesn't need to be hard, but it is important that you make a commitment to treat it seriously to make sure that you provide them with all the nutrients they require to stay healthy, happy, and active.
As thanks for your effort, you'll find that your pets are more lively and alert, making them even more fun to own.
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