General Information 

Guinea Pigs are a very sociable animal, they really need company of their own kind as well as becoming very attached to their owners. It is always easiest to get 2 from the littermates of the same sex, however, it is usually not too hard to introduce them to each other as long astime and patience are employed. They should always be given enough sleeping areas for each pig.

Guinea Pigs are more delicate than a lot of people think. They should not be left living outside in the winter, the best way to keep them is mainly indoor with facilities for outdoor grazing in fine weather. It is also important to make sure they will not get too warm in the summer.

Lifespan is usuall between 5 and 7 years, but can vary widely.

Housing

It is essential that you provide an adequate size home for your guinea pigs. There are far too many hutches and cages on the market labeled as suitable for them that are just way too small. The very minimum cage that is suitable for pigs is like the Fop Cavia Super . The bigger the cage you can get for them the better. They should also be given as much time out of the cage as possible.

Cages with wire bottoms are not good as they can cause callouses on their feet which can develop into bumblefoot.

You should provide hidey holes for each pig, wooden homes like the Bjork house are ideal. Sisal hideouts are also good for variety

Bedding

The best kind of bedding to use is either Carefresh bedding or newspaper can also work quite well, just a bit smellier.

Pine shavings can realease phenols that can be harmful to the health of a guinea pig over a long period. Cedar shavings should never be used.

Feeding 

Hay, hay, more hay and grass are the best foods for guinea pigs. Timothy hay is the best if you can get it, I am currently in the process of trying to source it and will update when I get some in. If you can't get Timothy hay good quality meadow hay or Supa Forage Hay. There are 2 reasons why it is so important for guinea pigs to have plenty of hay, eating hay helps to keep their teeth worn down and also helps to keep their digestive system running smoothly.

A good quality Guinea Pig food should be given in small quantities each day. The best one is the Supa Guinea Excel, it is a pellet only food so the pigs cannot pick and choose the bits they like only to eat. Another good quality food is Prestige Cavia Nature, but it must be fed with care as the pigs can choose to only eat certain parts and therefore will not be getting a balanced diet, so feed in small amounts making sure it is all eaten.

Fresh vegetables can be fed as well. Broccoli, carrots, curly kale, basil, parsley are some of the best. Iceberg lettuce should not be fed, it has very little nutritional value, romaine lettuce is ok. They do enjoy a little bit of fruit too, but best not to give them too much fruit as it can be high in sugar.

Guinea Pigs cannot manufacture vitamin c and it should be supplemented. Chewable vitamin c tablets can be useful for this or water soluble tablets like rubex, but you must make sure they are drinking the water if you use these ones. Be careful about using drops in the water as it can sometimes make the water taste bad and reduce the water intake.

Health

Guinea Pigs are quite prone to fungal infections, which is one of the main reasons for keeping them inside in the winter as the damp weather increases the risk. Sometimes they can have bald patches, but sometimes it can be a greasy, grittiness in the coat. If you find anything you are not sure about on your pigs skin or coat you should take it to the vet.

You can give your pig a bath from time to time which can help you to keep an eye on the condition of the skin and hair.

Teeth should be checked regularly to make sure they are not growing incorrectly, if they are not wearing down you should take them to a vet.

Handling

Guinea Pigs can be quite skittish when they are not used to being handled or do not know the person doing the handling. They should always be handled gently, making sure to support their bottom as well as the front. When they are getting used to you take it gently, find out what their favorite treat is and try coaxing them to you.

Remember when you first get them they may not be used to much handling so take it slowly with short periods to start with. As they get used to you you can increase the handling periods.