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How big should it be?

They key to it all is space. Guinea pigs need to be able to really run about to properly exercise and stay healthy – imagine housing a mini-athlete. You theoretically could construct an indoor run using modular Cubes and Coroplast (C&C) caging. C&C cages are made from modular grids, which you need to connect together to make the enclosure using cable ties rather than connectors. The grids are sold in many standard outlets in the US but be aware that the square spaces on the inner grids must not be more than 1.5 inches. This is vitally important as one expert author warns guinea pigs have died after becoming trapped in grids with larger spaces (1). We think you’d need a fair amount of grids to make it ‘worthwhile’ – bigger than the house so they can really zoom about. One guinea pig rescue organisation has an entire site devoted to guinea pig housing and recommends Sue’s C&C cages (2), with some of the profits from the sale going to support the rescue work.

Make sure the square spaces are less than 1.5 inches across

One of Sue's C&C coroplast enclosure bottoms

One of Sue's C&C Cages assembled

Some tips

If you construct a large modular space for them to run in, be aware of potential hazards. The floor should not be wire. For other types of run, whether you buy one from a pet store or build on yourself, check for:

Sharp edges (cut wires, splinters, etc)

Treated wood – chemicals could be harmful if ingested

Small enough wire or mesh ‘spaces’ – could feet, or noses etc become caught? Could the guinea pig become trapped in anyway?

Some of the runs we’ve seen in pet stores are simply not big enough – the idea is to have the freedom to exercise outside the house and if the run isn’t big enough, in essence you just wasted your money. Buy the biggest size possible – experts seem to recommend a minimum living space of 7.5 square feet, for which they will need a bigger space to have floor time to exercise in.

Never place the run over or near to electrical wires or sockets or appliance wires, there is a real risk of electrocution. Guinea pigs are chewers and they will literally chew through electrical cables. Check the area under the run for anything that could cause injury, and don’t place it over freshly shampooed carpets as chemicals may cause harm. You may want to invest in a dedicated cheap rug to place underneath it, which you can keep clean just by popping in the washing machine. Droppings are not a huge issue with guinea pigs but they may leave some from time to time plus a little urine, so you may want to pop plastic bin liners under the rug – but make sure they can’t get to it to chew it as plastic can be harmful.

Some household substances and houseplants are poisons for pets (3,4). Easiest policy =  no houseplants plants at all in, on or touching the run, or anywhere a piggie could get to!

Think about who is around in the home. Pet dogs and cats do live peacefully alongside guinea pigs but should always be supervised, for the following reasons:

Pet dogs – no matter how well behaved, they may have an uncontrollable instinct to chase! Even if your dog seems ‘normally ok’ with your guinea pig, never leave them alone together. Should some canine instinct overtake your well-mannered dog, a hyped-up, excited dog will break into an indoor run, even if only ‘playing’. Could they poke an inquisitive nose or paw through a grid, mesh or wire space?

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Pet cats – again, no matter how normally well they seem to get along with your guinea pig, ultimately, both are animals. Pet cats may just want to ‘play’ but this can still seriously hurt a defenceless guinea pig. Do not leave them alone together and again, be careful that their  paws could not swipe into the run through the grid, mesh or wire spaces.

And of course, we’re sure we don’t need to tell more exotic pet owners about the dangers of leaving snakes, ferrets, rats, etc unsupervised.

If you have other pets, the bottom line is the run needs a roof and to be both escape proof to keep the guinea pig in and ‘predator proof’ to keep the other guys out.

Be aware especially of children, well, just being children. Younger children quite naturally express affection for their teddies, toys, mummies and daddies by hugging and cuddling. And they will not be able to realise that their enthusiastic ‘cuddles’ can hurt the guinea pig. They may also want to ‘feed the nice piggie’ inappropriate items (5), or attract its attention by banging on the run, or making other loud and unfortunately traumatic, scary noises for their new found friends in the run. Always supervise children and gradually teach them good careful handling skills.

Hidey Places

Guinea pigs like to be able to hide to make them feel secure, so placing something they can safely hide in into the run is going to make them a whole lot happier. Pet stores do sell hidey ‘toys’ and some owners have simply opted for durable plastic ‘stools’ – the low-level type you might use to stand on to reach a high shelf. The space between the stools legs is great for hiding out in.

Jules Hanson

IMPORTANT:

None of this information is intended to replace the advice of a knowledgeable professional vet on guinea pig care. These articles are intended as a general introduction to the topics only. Every single animal has different needs – so whilst efforts have been made to provide helpful information, we respectfully advise you to check with your vet to accommodate your individual pet’s needs. Thank you.

Useful resources

1. Guinea Lynx [online] Housing for Health and Happiness.

http://www.guinealynx.info/housing.html

2. Guinea Pig Cages [online] – site provided by  Cavy Spirit guinea pig rescue [online].

Your Guinea Pig’s Home.

http://www.guineapigcages.com

3. Guinea Lynx [online] Poisonous Plants.

http://www.guinealynx.info/forages_poisonous.html

4. ASPCA [online] Animal  Poison Control Centre

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/

5. ASPCA [online] A Poison Safe Home

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/a-poison-safe-home.html

6. ASPCA [online] People Foods To Avoid Feeding Your Pets

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/people-foods.html

General indoor run information:

Guinea Pig Cages [online] – site provided by  Cavy Spirit guinea pig rescue [online] Floor Time

http://www.guineapigcages.com/floortime.htm

Photo Credits – meet the artist at:

1. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/lieke 2. http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=profile&l=sue_r_b

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If you’re thinking about getting a guinea pig, read on. Guinea pigs are sociable rather than solitary creatures – they thrive in the company of other guinea pigs (and humans!). Two or three guinea pigs can happily co-exist. Unlike some other species of small animals, male guinea pigs will not necessarily fight other male guinea pigs. One thing to be aware of though is male and female guinea pigs will produce litters with surprising speed that has caught many a surprised owner out.

They make fantastic pets but they do need regular care – teeth, nails, coats, weight, eyes, ears, noses, breathing, droppings and urine and even their rear ends* all need monitoring and attention. As you may have gathered from reading these pages, having the available space to house them is important. They live between 5 and 7 years on average, so think carefully about the long-term future for them, and whether you can afford to care for their needs space-wise and financially (including any vets bills). Finally, although they are often bought for children’s pets, the responsibility must lie with an adult – and that’s a lot of cleaning and care to take on board in a busy household.

Sadly, guinea pigs are often abandoned. The Humane Society of Canada issued a warning to families to strongly consider whether they can truly accommodate a guinea pigs needs following the release of a recent Disney film release, ‘G Force’. The film features lovable animated guinea pigs – which the Society fears could prompt a surge in ‘impulse’ purchases of real guinea pigs by people who later find they cannot (or do not want to) take care of them. The warning came following similar problems with dalmatian dogs after the release of Disney’s animated ‘101 Dalmatians’ (1).

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Rescue centres have a tremendous number of guinea pigs to rehome, and this is a fantastic way to welcome them into your home if you’re sure you can manage their needs. Another way to look at it is, a good rescue centre will go through with you what they need and their staff input can help you know whether it’s the right pet for you.

Guinea pigs in good rescue centres should have received health care and monitoring, whereas the health of a guinea pig sold for profit may not always be so easy to determine. In the worst cases, there may have been no health care or monitoring at all, or indiscriminate breeding resulting in a higher rate of inherited health problems. Be aware if you’re looking for a rescue guinea pig, some regular traders describe their animals as ‘adoptable’, or’ adoption’ guinea pigs – but are simply straightforward breeders, not genuine rescue centres.

In the UK:

RSPCA rescue centres do rehome guinea pigs (1).

Guinea Pig Rehome (2) and Guinea Pig Rescue (3) websites are devoted to rehoming guinea pigs including care advice and a list of rescue centres. Wherever you live, try searching online for regional local rescues – there are plenty out there specialising in guinea pigs.

In the USA:

Petfinder has a website with guinea pig adoptions (4)

The excellent Cavy Spirit guinea pig rescue has a website and tons of resources on care (5)

In Canada:

Canada Rescue and Adoption website has a list of local rescue centres (7)

The Humane Society of Canada has a website with rescue centre details (8)

In Spain:

Spain’s Animal Adoption Network website (9) co-ordinates local rescues throughout the country

In France:

Sauver Proteger Aimer has a website co-ordinating animal rescue centres (10)

In other countries:

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has a searchable database of animal welfare groups on its website – these may have websites in the language of the relevant country (11)

(*Please see the Outdoor Run section for information on flystrike, which can affect the bottom area, with longer haired guinea pigs especially vulnerable.)

Jules Hanson

IMPORTANT:

None of this information is intended to replace the advice of a knowledgeable professional vet on guinea pig care. These articles are intended as a general introduction to the topics only. Every single animal has different needs – so whilst efforts have been made to provide helpful information, we respectfully advise you to check with your vet to accommodate your individual pet’s needs. Thank you.

Useful resources – information on guinea pig rehoming

1. Humane Society of Canada

http://www.humanesociety.com/news-releases/1056-disney-g-force-movie-think-first-before-adopting-guinea-pig-asks-the-humane-society-of-canada-hsc.html

2. RSPCA

http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=rehoming

3. Guinea Pig Rehome

http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/

4. Guinea Pig Rescue

http://www.guineapigrescue.co.uk/index.htm

5. Petfinder

http://www.petfinder.com/pet-adoption

6.  Cavy Spirit Guinea Pig rescue

http://www.cavyspirit.com/

http://www.theguineapigrescue.com/photo.htm

7. Canada Rescue and Adoption

http://www.pgaa.com/canada.html

8. Humane Society of Canada

http://www.humanesociety.com/pets/shelters.html

9. Spain’s Animal Adoption Network

http://www.spanimal.org/

10. Sauver Proteger Aimer – Refuges Animaux

http://refuges.animaux.ws/

11. World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)

http://www.wspa.org.uk/members/findmember/Default.aspx

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Photo Credits – fantastic photos by:

1. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/huppakee 2. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/therysma 3. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/lokaltog

All breeds needs a decent sized guinea pig run, but did you know the real story of how the guinea pig came to be one of the most popular small pets today? If you’ve ever wondered where they came from, why they can look so different and which might make a good pet for your home, read on. By the time you’ve read this, you’ll have a five minute guide to understanding the history and breeds of guinea pigs.

Tschudi Guinea Pig - a wild cousin of pet guinea pigs

The domestic guinea pig cava porcellus comes originally from South America, but they’re obviously not a type of pig at all, and have no connection to New Guinea). From this confusing start, their origins are disputed, as it is speculated they are descended from the fourteen wild versions. They were domesticated probably by the Inca civilisation, who unfortunately chose to use them in sacrificial rituals. Not good news for the guinea pigs, but better times came from the 1500s, when the Europeans defeated the Incas and exported them to Europe as pets. The guinea pig has ever since become a firm favourite pet, contrasting sharply with its status in some parts of South America whereit has more of a livestock status and may be seen as a food animal rather than a pet. For pet lovers today, there are many breeds to choose from, each with a distinctive cute appearance.

Abyssinian Satin Guinea Pig breed

Some breeds have a coat which moves in swirls and tufts, even cresting as a mini-mohican (like Hurley, one of the animated stars of the Disney G-Force movie). This type of coat is described as “rosettes”, and is found on the Abyssinian, Abyssinian Satin and Coronet breeds, plus only on the head as one white rosette on the White Crested Guinea Pig breed. The long-haired guinea pig breeds are the Peruvian, Peruvian Satin, and Sheltie/Silkie. Then there’s the Teddy breed, which look, well, like a teddy bear, and the Texel, which has a coat with curls all over its body. All are beautiful and all should make a good pet provided they have come from a reputable source and have been properly socialised.

Teddy Satin Guinea Pig breed

Peruvian Satin Guinea Pig breed

Young children need to be taught to properly handle animals – their role model otherwise is their cuddle toys, and of course, animals are not toys! Loving cuddles can easily frighten, hurt or even injure small pets, so its vital teach children not to handle them in the same way they would give their teddy a loving squeeze! Small pets which are frightened may bite, simply because they are afraid or in pain, and sadly inadequate parental supervision can lead to guinea pigs ending up in shelters as they bit one of the children. Whilst the guinea pig may be labelled by unknowing parents as ‘bad-tempered’, this may not be the case at all…

So whilst all species of guinea pigs are great as pets, its vital to take some time to find out about their needs and educate the kids to create a long-lasting, rewarding experience with this most wonderful of pets. Your local vet can give you advice, or if you’re rehoming a ‘piggie’ from a shelter, the workers at any good centre should be delighted to assist you learning about your new pet. So now you know their history, the names of the different breeds, and ways to create a good relationship with them. Hopefully this will inspire you further create your guinea pig run as an enriching environment, where your contented, happy guinea pigs have the time of their lives doing that hilarious pop corning and making happy “wheeking” noises of joy.

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