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Guinea PigsGuinea Pigs are intelligent little animals who often bond to their owners, greeting them with chirps, squeaks, purrs and whistles. The more you handle them, the tamer they get. Guinea pigs are active and like to play with toys and will often play chasing games with each other. They are very social and will establish a male dominated pecking order. General InformationGuinea Pigs reach sexual maturity at 2-3 months of age for females and 3-4 months for males. Consult your veterinarian for proper sex determination of your pet. Average life span is 5 years. Guinea pigs are not designed to handle a lot of stress or loud noises, so to keep your pet happy and healthy minimize exposure to children, other pets and loud noises. Nails and teeth should be checked and trimmed regularly. Feeding your Guinea PigClean fresh water should be available at all times through a water bottle. It is very important that your guinea pig gets vitamin C daily to prevent scurvy (which can be fatal if not treated). Consult you veterinarian for a dosage. Specially formulated guinea pig pellets should be offered daily as well as a treat of veggies (no Iceberg lettuce), or fruit. Timothy hay or grass hay should be available daily as well. HousingGuinea Pigs cages should never have a wire flooring, because they can get their feet caught in the wire. A cage with dust free bedding such as wood shavings (no cedar shavings), or shredded newspaper is appreciated. Guinea Pigs live up to their name, and their cages need to be routinely cleaned and bedding replaced. A box or hiding tunnel is needed to reduce stress. The cage should have ambient temperature of 55-90 degrees. Offer them the opportunity for sunlight while also providing shade in case it gets to hot. Include some chewing items to pass time as well as wear down the teeth Prevent access to these items for safety
Prevention is the Key to Health. Follow these Tips
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