| Special
needs
New Guinea Pig owners are often surprised by the range of calls that Guinea Pigs (GPs) can emit in fact they have often been compared to bird calls. This is one reason that Guinea Pigs make such lovely pets, as more often than not you will be welcomed, particularly if you are carrying their dinner, with chirrups and squeaks.
GPs are not difficult to keep, but do have some special needs. They are gregarious and do need to have a partner of the same sex, or one neutered to prevent even more unwanted GPs. Some have been successfully paired with rabbits, but it is safer to keep GPs with their own kind.
Living quarters
They are happy to be kept outside with a good amount of sawdust and hay for bedding, and with a weatherproof and fox-proof hutch. They must be protected from severe weather and when the temperature drops to near freezing it is best, if possible, to bring them into the house, or warmer outbuilding.
When the weather is right, GPs adore to be put out in a run on the grass. If you introduce some small lengths of pipe and perhaps some boxes to the run, this will give the GPs extra stimulation, although their main interest will be the grass.
Feeding
GPs have good appetites and enjoy all vegetables, including carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, spring greens (full of Vitamin C) and courgette, but
never lettuce. Apple is a treat, but should be kept to a minimum because of the high degree of sugar content.
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Proper feeding is crucial as GPs, like us, do not create Vitamin C and need to have it added to their drinking water as well as receiving it in their hard food and vegetables. A mineral lick is also appreciated.
Handling
GPs will probably always seem reluctant to be picked up, but if they are handled often and confidently, they settle very quickly and are very happy to be cuddled and stroked. Young children should be supervised when handling GPs as, although they look quite tough, if dropped, there is a chance that a leg fracture could occur.
Grooming
Remember to check your GPs' eyes, ears, and teeth regularly. Regular grooming of longhaired varieties, although not particularly appreciated by most GPs, is necessary to keep the hair from becoming tangled: this is more important in males as they secrete a slightly greasy substance around their rear end.
GPs also will need their claws clipped on occasion. This is probably best done by your vet as a vein runs for some distance through the claw and it is not always easy to see where it stops. |