Caring for Your Pet Guinea Pig
The guinea pig (also called a Cavy or Cavies) is originally from South America and remains one of the most popular pets for over 400 years. They can be discovered in natural settings in a few South American nations including Brazil and Argentina. While there are over 60 breeds, most domestic pet Guinea Pigs are either English, Abyssinian and Peruvian. Each breed has unique characteristics based mostly on hair length (short or long), The animals can also be differentiated by color or rosettes, which are circular swirls of hair. Many Guinea Pigs are cross-bred making for even more color variations. They eat easy to prepare foodstuffs and are the perfect pet for every rodent lover.
Guinea Pigs as Pets
The pet lives a median of 5 years and make excellent pets. They're mild non-aggressive creatures that seldom bite. The animals are very social with other Guinea Pigs. They will make some noise, though not so loud as to be a problem. Cavies don't leap or jump, so no cage lids or tops are needed.
Cages and Bedding
Any enclosure must be about 200 square inches. The animals can be messy since they like to shred any bedding material. Bedding can be shredded newspaper or recycled paper. Cage walls should be at least 10 inches high. The cage should be cleaned everyday since the animals often urinate and defecate.
Feeding and Supplements
Cavies are simple to care for and require a simple diet. The most basic requirement is a sipper type water bottle. Fresh water should be supplied each day and the bottle should be washed 4 times a month. Vitamin C enriched Timothy Food pellets produced specifically for Guinea Pigs should be supplied. Also provide green, not brown or tan, Timothy, grass or oat hay. Avoid Alfalfa since it contains too much calcium. Also provide your Guinea Pig green leafy vegetables in small portions.
As soon as you bring a Cavy home, get him used to eating a many types of foods. The patterns you set while they're young will stay the same for the life of your pet. It is hard to introduce new foods later in life. Suggested vegetables that are full of the required vitamin c incude:
- Turnip greens
- ,Mustard greens
- Dandelion greens
- Kale
- Brussell sprouts
Only provide fruits as an occasional treat. Fruits such as grapes, apples and orange slices (one per day for vitamin c is ok) can be provided. Fruit must not comprise more than 5% of a Guinea Pig's diet. Cavies need 10-30 mg of vitamin C daily. There are tablets available for sale that may be sprinkled onto fresh veggies. Do not add a vitamin c supplement to water since the value of the supplement lessens after adding it to water.
Health Care
Like cats and dogs, Guinea Pigs should be checked by a Veterinarian each year. Catching illnesses early is key to helping your pet live a long and active life.
Guinea Pigs as Pets
The pet lives a median of 5 years and make excellent pets. They're mild non-aggressive creatures that seldom bite. The animals are very social with other Guinea Pigs. They will make some noise, though not so loud as to be a problem. Cavies don't leap or jump, so no cage lids or tops are needed.
Cages and Bedding
Any enclosure must be about 200 square inches. The animals can be messy since they like to shred any bedding material. Bedding can be shredded newspaper or recycled paper. Cage walls should be at least 10 inches high. The cage should be cleaned everyday since the animals often urinate and defecate.
Feeding and Supplements
Cavies are simple to care for and require a simple diet. The most basic requirement is a sipper type water bottle. Fresh water should be supplied each day and the bottle should be washed 4 times a month. Vitamin C enriched Timothy Food pellets produced specifically for Guinea Pigs should be supplied. Also provide green, not brown or tan, Timothy, grass or oat hay. Avoid Alfalfa since it contains too much calcium. Also provide your Guinea Pig green leafy vegetables in small portions.
As soon as you bring a Cavy home, get him used to eating a many types of foods. The patterns you set while they're young will stay the same for the life of your pet. It is hard to introduce new foods later in life. Suggested vegetables that are full of the required vitamin c incude:
- Turnip greens
- ,Mustard greens
- Dandelion greens
- Kale
- Brussell sprouts
Only provide fruits as an occasional treat. Fruits such as grapes, apples and orange slices (one per day for vitamin c is ok) can be provided. Fruit must not comprise more than 5% of a Guinea Pig's diet. Cavies need 10-30 mg of vitamin C daily. There are tablets available for sale that may be sprinkled onto fresh veggies. Do not add a vitamin c supplement to water since the value of the supplement lessens after adding it to water.
Health Care
Like cats and dogs, Guinea Pigs should be checked by a Veterinarian each year. Catching illnesses early is key to helping your pet live a long and active life.
About the Author:
Cathy Doggins is the author of lots of Guinea Pig articles like this one. In addition to her work with Guinea Pigs, Cathy is a frequent speaker on pet health. When not talking about pets, Cathy can be found at home caring for her dogs, cats and of course, Guinea Pigs.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment