There are so many options for pets these days from dogs and cats to more exotic creatures. One ideal option for people with less living space is the guinea pig. Keeping guinea pigs as pets can be fun and enjoyable and guinea pigs can give you much entertainment throughout their lives.
A guinea pig is a small mammal. It is a rodent whose Latin name is Cavia porcellus. They usually measure about ten inches in length and normally weigh about two to three pounds. Like most rodents they tend to be nocturnal. This means they are most active at night although many will adapt to the activity cycles around them and become more active during the day.
Guinea pigs are often quite friendly and outgoing. They are vocal and communicate frequently. If a guinea pig has been handled from when it was a baby they can be quite comfortable around humans. They may show some excitement if they are in a new situation or place but they will often calm down quickly and love to explore new situations. If you are deciding whether a particular guinea pig would make a good pet give it a few minutes to relax and become used to you before evaluating its? personality.
Where They Sleep and What They Eat
Guinea pigs are larger than many other rodents and they need a pen that is also larger than that used for a gerbil, hamster or mouse. A home-made pen will work but you should keep in mind that guinea pigs are rodents and do need to chew. Frequently, they will chew on their cages even if given other items to wear down their teeth on. This could mean that they are able to make holes in their cages very quickly if it happens to be made of wood or other such materials.
Since guinea pigs are very social creatures it can be a good idea to keep a pair instead of a single pig. If you opt to do so you should make sure that they are both the same gender. Two males can sometimes fight. Keeping one of each sex will result in baby guinea pigs once the adults become mature enough to mate and bear young.
Guinea pigs enjoy being kept in pairs although you need to be careful when allowing two guinea pigs to live together. If a same-sex pair is kept it may be a good idea to keep a pair of females so that they don?t fight like males can. If you do choose to keep a male and a female you should be aware that the female can begin to bear young at four months of age.
Food is also something to consider. All guinea pigs should be fed a base diet of good quality guinea pig pellets. Food for other rodents can often have ingredients in the wrong proportions for good guinea pig health or even be missing some important nutrients which can make your pig ill. Guinea pigs love treats of fresh fruits and vegetables. It is better to offer fruit very sparingly since guinea pigs do have a sweet tooth. Wooden chew toys to wear down the teeth are good as are specially formulated rodent treats that are designed for guinea pigs. Leafy greens are an excellent treat but be careful not to feed them too much or they can end up with soft stools. This can lead to health problems.
Guinea pigs as pets are wonderful creatures. They can be affectionate and, with a few key pointers, easy to take care of. If you do, you can have a good friend for years to come. - 29953
A guinea pig is a small mammal. It is a rodent whose Latin name is Cavia porcellus. They usually measure about ten inches in length and normally weigh about two to three pounds. Like most rodents they tend to be nocturnal. This means they are most active at night although many will adapt to the activity cycles around them and become more active during the day.
Guinea pigs are often quite friendly and outgoing. They are vocal and communicate frequently. If a guinea pig has been handled from when it was a baby they can be quite comfortable around humans. They may show some excitement if they are in a new situation or place but they will often calm down quickly and love to explore new situations. If you are deciding whether a particular guinea pig would make a good pet give it a few minutes to relax and become used to you before evaluating its? personality.
Where They Sleep and What They Eat
Guinea pigs are larger than many other rodents and they need a pen that is also larger than that used for a gerbil, hamster or mouse. A home-made pen will work but you should keep in mind that guinea pigs are rodents and do need to chew. Frequently, they will chew on their cages even if given other items to wear down their teeth on. This could mean that they are able to make holes in their cages very quickly if it happens to be made of wood or other such materials.
Since guinea pigs are very social creatures it can be a good idea to keep a pair instead of a single pig. If you opt to do so you should make sure that they are both the same gender. Two males can sometimes fight. Keeping one of each sex will result in baby guinea pigs once the adults become mature enough to mate and bear young.
Guinea pigs enjoy being kept in pairs although you need to be careful when allowing two guinea pigs to live together. If a same-sex pair is kept it may be a good idea to keep a pair of females so that they don?t fight like males can. If you do choose to keep a male and a female you should be aware that the female can begin to bear young at four months of age.
Food is also something to consider. All guinea pigs should be fed a base diet of good quality guinea pig pellets. Food for other rodents can often have ingredients in the wrong proportions for good guinea pig health or even be missing some important nutrients which can make your pig ill. Guinea pigs love treats of fresh fruits and vegetables. It is better to offer fruit very sparingly since guinea pigs do have a sweet tooth. Wooden chew toys to wear down the teeth are good as are specially formulated rodent treats that are designed for guinea pigs. Leafy greens are an excellent treat but be careful not to feed them too much or they can end up with soft stools. This can lead to health problems.
Guinea pigs as pets are wonderful creatures. They can be affectionate and, with a few key pointers, easy to take care of. If you do, you can have a good friend for years to come. - 29953
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Just after taking your guinea pig back to your house, what do you do about Keeping guinea pigs as pigs
