Buying a guinea pig is not like buying a toy. There is a lot to consider when purchasing and remember in advance that there are fixed recurring costs involved. If you choose a guinea pig, you choose a friendly, soft and cuddly animal that you can have a lot of fun with. In this article you can read tips about the guinea pig.
Purchasing a guinea pig
It is best to buy a guinea pig through a hobby breeder, a rescue center or a pet store. They can also provide the best information about the guinea pigs, health and supplies. The price of a guinea pig varies between 8 and 20 euros. The price depends on where you buy the guinea pig and what kind it is. During the purchase you can pay attention to the following things with the guinea pig:
- Are the eyes clear.
- Are the reflexes working properly – by moving your hand towards his eye.
- Are the ears clean – please note that a guinea pig can develop ear scabs due to stress after transport.
- Is the nose clean.
- The legs look good.
- What do the teeth look like – they should not grow crooked and not grow too long.
- Is the butt clean?
- Shines the coat.
It is quite a list, but if these points are enough, the chances are greater that the guinea pig will be healthy.
Guinea pigs are group animals by nature. It is therefore important that you take a mate for the guinea pig. Two females often go together most easily. Males are more likely to fight and if you take a male and female together, the female may become pregnant.
Different coat types
Some guinea pig coats require a lot of maintenance. Often the hairy guinea pigs look funnier, but guinea pigs do not always work easily during a brush. In this article you can find information about the different coat types: Guinea pig coat types.
One-time necessities
- A guinea pig cage – Best is one with plastic top instead of bars. Guinea pigs can gnaw on bars and when they run everything flies out of the cage. Make sure you have a place in front of the cage where there is not too much draft, but also not too much sun.
- A drinking bottle – Make sure you clean it well from time to time. This can be done, for example, by putting in a chain from a bath plug and filling it with water, then shake the bottle and most of the algae will be removed.
- A food bowl – Made of stone so that they cannot bite it, not too high so that they can eat everything.
- Nail clippers – Guinea pigs’ nails continue to grow just like humans. If the nails are white / transparent, you can see life well so you can easily cut them yourself.
Recurring costs
- Feed – No mixed feed. Guinea pigs will then select their food and maybe leave the food with vitamin C while vitamin C is very important for guinea pigs.
- Hay
- Ground cover – This can be sawdust, but for people with asthma, for example, litter box wood pellets can be a great solution.
Entertainment
Even though you keep the guinea pigs in a pair, life in a cage is still not a challenge. Of course you can let the guinea pigs out and let them run free, but keep an eye on them they can be faster than you think. There are also some things you can use to entertain them in the loft:
- A toilet roll – can fill you with hay, won’t hurt if they eat some of it
- Willow branch
- A special hanging bed for guinea pigs, you may not expect it but they will really jump on it
- A hay ball
There are also sticks for sale with seeds, which you can hang in a place so that the guinea pigs can just reach them. For example, the Guinea pigs have to make some effort to get hold of the treat.
