A Guide to Guinea Pig Care

Guinea pigs can be aggressive if they don’t have a proper cage or the proper resources in their cage. Aggression between guinea pigs might be a sign that your guinea pigs don’t have enough space in their cage or are fighting over resources. Guinea pigs show aggression if there is not enough food, hay, or water for them to share equally, for this I would suggest a big cage with two water bottles, two food bowls, and a huge spot for hay.

The diet of guinea pigs is very sensitive as they are herbivores and cannot digest meat. Guinea pigs need to have their pellets as the pellets Support healthy digestion, help the guinea pig get vitamin C and antioxidants, have prebiotics and probiotics in them and encourage natural foraging to keep the guinea pig healthy and happy. There are plenty of things guinea pigs should only eat once or twice per month such as; radishes, pumpkin leaves, pumpkin, peppermint, and many other things. Guinea pig foods that should be given almost daily are; lettuce, radicchio, raspberry leaves, Swiss chard, and zucchini.

Hay is the most important part of your guinea pigs’ diet as hay is important for their digestive systems to function properly, guinea pigs’ teeth are always growing, so eating hay helps grind the teeth down to keep them at the correct length as well as the correct shape. Guinea pigs who have the wrong diet have been found to have serious dental diseases while guinea pigs with the proper diet are more healthy inside their mouths. When you pick out a hay brand for your guinea pigs you have to be careful in your choices as some hay brands are poor quality and are unhealthy in the long run for your little friends. The best hay brands to go after are most of the brands that contain Timothy hay though some don’t have Timothy hay that are still a good choice for your guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs are prey animals and need places to hide away from anything that scares them. If your guinea pig runs away from you when you try to pet them, don’t chase them with your hands when they run it means they are scared and don’t wish to be touched. Being prey animals, guinea pigs need plenty of areas to hide to feel safe in their environment. Plastic houses and even beds work for a guinea pig hide. There are even some options that allow your guinea pig to chew the hide without getting hurt in any way such as safe wood tunnels and anything made out of guinea pig-safe materials. If your guinea pig ever eats something that they should not be eating, keep a close eye on them and bring them to the vet if necessary. Guinea pigs may make expensive pets and get easily startled but if you treat them correctly in the end you will have a loving little pet.