Tammy, is there any way to make this a sticky? We've all given this information to the newbies so many times, it would be easier if we could just refer them to a sticky thread on basic pig care.
Thinking about getting a new guinea pig (cavy)?
First of all, please adopt your pigs from a rescue or shelter. Do NOT purchase your pigs from a pet store. Pet store pigs are often sick, missexed, or pregnant. Rescue and shelter pigs desperately need homes. Thousands of guinea pigs are euthanized each year in North America- please save just one from that fate. All ages and breeds of pigs are available- most rescues also have baby pigs.
Guinea pigs are herd animals- they are not happy alone. There are very rare exceptions, but most pigs will love a same-sex buddy. Contrary to popular belief, males can live together if properly introduced and given enough space. Please get at least a same-sex pair if adopting guinea pigs.
If you're thinking about breeding- DON'T. As said before, thousands of pigs are euthanized each year because there just aren't enough homes. If you want more pigs, please adopt them instead. As well, sows are at extremely high risk of pregnancy complications. The American Cavy Breeder's Association published a statistic that 1 in 5 sows will die as a direct result of being bred. Please don't risk your sow's life- read breeding.
Gone to the pet store and looked at cages? They're all too small. A pair of guinea pigs needs at least 10.5 square feet of space, and the bigger, the better. You can build a wonderful cage that can be cat proofed if necessary, for much less than you'd pay at a store. Cavy Cages explains how to build it and where to find the materials. My 6x3 cage took less than 20 minutes to build, and cost me $50 CDN. Should you decide to purchase a pet store cage (not recommended), do not get a cage with a wire floors as they are dangerous- they can cause leg and foot fractures, as well as bumblefoot. They are extremely painful for guinea pigs.
On to food. Guinea pigs need timothy (or other grass hay- not alfalfa, which is a legume) hay available at all times to wear their teeth and keep their digestion moving. You can order wonderful hay from Kleenmama on GL for an excellent price.
All pellets are not created equal. Some pellets, such as Hartz, include animal byproducts in their pellets, which is awful for vegetarian cavies. Some pellets are full of filler instead of healthy vitamins and minerals. The best pellets you can buy are from Oxbow. Cavy Performance is an alfalfa pellet and is suitable for cavies under one year old. Cavy Cuisine is a timothy based pellet and is designed for cavies over one year old. Oxbow is one of the only manufacturers that sells timothy pellets. If you cannot get Oxbow, Kaytee Forti-Diet is sold in most pet stores and is a reasonable second choice. It is alfalfa based. Do not feed pellets with fruits, nuts, coloured bits, or seeds. Plain pellets only. The Ferret Store carries Oxbow products, and offers free shipping in the USA with a purchase of $35 or more.
Each pig needs 1 cup of fresh vegetables daily, and they need a variety. For example, I feed my pigs a mixture of green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, romaine, cilantro, parsley, cucumber, tomato, red and green bell peppers, and radicchio. Fruits may be given in moderation as treats. Read nutrition for lists of vegetables and fruits that are acceptable to feed. As pigs grow older, look for vegetables with lower calcium contents.
Pet stores sell many products for our pigs that are dangerous. It's shameful, but pet stores are in it for the money. Do not buy wheels or running balls for your cavy- pigs' backs do not bend like that and they can suffer fractures.
As for bedding, pet stores sell several kinds that are dangerous. Cedar shavings have been conclusively linked to respiratory failure in small animals- do not use them. Raw pine shavings can be harmful as well. Kiln dried pine, aspen shavings, or Carefresh are all good choices. Yesterday's News and other paper litters are also acceptable. Do not use corn cob bedding (it molds), or clay based kitty litters (dangerous for pigs' digestive tracts if ingested). Some people also use fleece or towels as bedding, with corner litter pans. Do not use just plain newspaper as bedding.
Guinea pigs cannot manufacture their own vitamin C. Pet stores often sell multivitamins or vitamin C supplements which they tell you to put in the water- don't use them. The multivitamins can cause a chemical imbalance as some vitamins are fat-soluble and will overdose. Vitamin C is water soluble, and it dissolves quickly in water. For this reason, you never know how much C your cavy is getting. Pigs are also inclined to drink less if something is added to their water. Never add anything to a pig's water. If you wish to supplement with extra vitamin C, buy pure liquid C or tablets and dose them directly to your pig. 25mg daily is a good supplementary dose. Most guinea pigs will get enough C from their veggies, however.
Last but not least, vet care is an important part of owning a pet. When you get a pet, you have made a commitment to it. That includes giving it the best possible care and providing adequate medical attention. If you cannot afford vet care for an animal, then you should not get the pet. Guinea pigs are prey animals and go downhill very quickly- if you notice something is wrong, such as lethargy, not eating/drinking, squeaking while peeing, diarrhea, bloody urine, heavy breathing or wheezing, gunky eyes or nose etc, rush the pig to a competent exotic vet immediately. Not any vet can handle guinea pigs- exotic vets are specially trained to properly care for pigs. For example, some antibiotics are toxic to guinea pigs. Make sure you have a vet before you need one!
Guinea pigs are wonderful, talkative, cuddly little creatures, but they are not for everyone. Their cages need daily spot cleaning and weekly changings. They are not low maintenance pets, and they are much more expensive on an annual basis than cats or dogs. Between bedding, veggies, pellets, and hay, most people find they spend about $1000 US per year to properly care for a pair of guinea pigs. This estimate is before any necessary vet care. Please make sure you can afford to properly care for pigs before you choose to get them. At some point, almost every pig will require vet care, and it's not cheap.
Please consider all these factors when deciding if a guinea pig is the right pet for you. Guinea pigs live 5-7 years on average, so they are a big commitment. If you do decide to adopt a pair of guinea pigs, I wish you all the best with your new family members. They don't call it cavy slavedom for nothing!
Thinking about getting a new guinea pig (cavy)?
First of all, please adopt your pigs from a rescue or shelter. Do NOT purchase your pigs from a pet store. Pet store pigs are often sick, missexed, or pregnant. Rescue and shelter pigs desperately need homes. Thousands of guinea pigs are euthanized each year in North America- please save just one from that fate. All ages and breeds of pigs are available- most rescues also have baby pigs.
Guinea pigs are herd animals- they are not happy alone. There are very rare exceptions, but most pigs will love a same-sex buddy. Contrary to popular belief, males can live together if properly introduced and given enough space. Please get at least a same-sex pair if adopting guinea pigs.
If you're thinking about breeding- DON'T. As said before, thousands of pigs are euthanized each year because there just aren't enough homes. If you want more pigs, please adopt them instead. As well, sows are at extremely high risk of pregnancy complications. The American Cavy Breeder's Association published a statistic that 1 in 5 sows will die as a direct result of being bred. Please don't risk your sow's life- read breeding.
Gone to the pet store and looked at cages? They're all too small. A pair of guinea pigs needs at least 10.5 square feet of space, and the bigger, the better. You can build a wonderful cage that can be cat proofed if necessary, for much less than you'd pay at a store. Cavy Cages explains how to build it and where to find the materials. My 6x3 cage took less than 20 minutes to build, and cost me $50 CDN. Should you decide to purchase a pet store cage (not recommended), do not get a cage with a wire floors as they are dangerous- they can cause leg and foot fractures, as well as bumblefoot. They are extremely painful for guinea pigs.
On to food. Guinea pigs need timothy (or other grass hay- not alfalfa, which is a legume) hay available at all times to wear their teeth and keep their digestion moving. You can order wonderful hay from Kleenmama on GL for an excellent price.
All pellets are not created equal. Some pellets, such as Hartz, include animal byproducts in their pellets, which is awful for vegetarian cavies. Some pellets are full of filler instead of healthy vitamins and minerals. The best pellets you can buy are from Oxbow. Cavy Performance is an alfalfa pellet and is suitable for cavies under one year old. Cavy Cuisine is a timothy based pellet and is designed for cavies over one year old. Oxbow is one of the only manufacturers that sells timothy pellets. If you cannot get Oxbow, Kaytee Forti-Diet is sold in most pet stores and is a reasonable second choice. It is alfalfa based. Do not feed pellets with fruits, nuts, coloured bits, or seeds. Plain pellets only. The Ferret Store carries Oxbow products, and offers free shipping in the USA with a purchase of $35 or more.
Each pig needs 1 cup of fresh vegetables daily, and they need a variety. For example, I feed my pigs a mixture of green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, romaine, cilantro, parsley, cucumber, tomato, red and green bell peppers, and radicchio. Fruits may be given in moderation as treats. Read nutrition for lists of vegetables and fruits that are acceptable to feed. As pigs grow older, look for vegetables with lower calcium contents.
Pet stores sell many products for our pigs that are dangerous. It's shameful, but pet stores are in it for the money. Do not buy wheels or running balls for your cavy- pigs' backs do not bend like that and they can suffer fractures.
As for bedding, pet stores sell several kinds that are dangerous. Cedar shavings have been conclusively linked to respiratory failure in small animals- do not use them. Raw pine shavings can be harmful as well. Kiln dried pine, aspen shavings, or Carefresh are all good choices. Yesterday's News and other paper litters are also acceptable. Do not use corn cob bedding (it molds), or clay based kitty litters (dangerous for pigs' digestive tracts if ingested). Some people also use fleece or towels as bedding, with corner litter pans. Do not use just plain newspaper as bedding.
Guinea pigs cannot manufacture their own vitamin C. Pet stores often sell multivitamins or vitamin C supplements which they tell you to put in the water- don't use them. The multivitamins can cause a chemical imbalance as some vitamins are fat-soluble and will overdose. Vitamin C is water soluble, and it dissolves quickly in water. For this reason, you never know how much C your cavy is getting. Pigs are also inclined to drink less if something is added to their water. Never add anything to a pig's water. If you wish to supplement with extra vitamin C, buy pure liquid C or tablets and dose them directly to your pig. 25mg daily is a good supplementary dose. Most guinea pigs will get enough C from their veggies, however.
Last but not least, vet care is an important part of owning a pet. When you get a pet, you have made a commitment to it. That includes giving it the best possible care and providing adequate medical attention. If you cannot afford vet care for an animal, then you should not get the pet. Guinea pigs are prey animals and go downhill very quickly- if you notice something is wrong, such as lethargy, not eating/drinking, squeaking while peeing, diarrhea, bloody urine, heavy breathing or wheezing, gunky eyes or nose etc, rush the pig to a competent exotic vet immediately. Not any vet can handle guinea pigs- exotic vets are specially trained to properly care for pigs. For example, some antibiotics are toxic to guinea pigs. Make sure you have a vet before you need one!
Guinea pigs are wonderful, talkative, cuddly little creatures, but they are not for everyone. Their cages need daily spot cleaning and weekly changings. They are not low maintenance pets, and they are much more expensive on an annual basis than cats or dogs. Between bedding, veggies, pellets, and hay, most people find they spend about $1000 US per year to properly care for a pair of guinea pigs. This estimate is before any necessary vet care. Please make sure you can afford to properly care for pigs before you choose to get them. At some point, almost every pig will require vet care, and it's not cheap.
Please consider all these factors when deciding if a guinea pig is the right pet for you. Guinea pigs live 5-7 years on average, so they are a big commitment. If you do decide to adopt a pair of guinea pigs, I wish you all the best with your new family members. They don't call it cavy slavedom for nothing!
