Guinea pigs make fantastic pets - extremely cute, sociable little animals who love to run about whenever they have the chance to. On the flip side of the coin, if you are a very busy person, or have little space to spare, this is not the pet for you. 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. Having enough space is vitally important - they must come out of their cage or house every single day to be able to run around. Although there are some who say one guinea pig needs four square feet or housing space, dedicated guinea pig welfare organisations often argue the absolute minimum should be 7.5 square feet instead.
On average, their lifespan lasts between 5 and 7 years. They'll need adequate housing, exercise space outside their house, specialist food, treats, toys, some grooming and of course, you need to think if you can always afford vets bills. They're a popular pet bought for children - however, their care needs are sophisticated enough to need an adult in charge at all times.
One Guinea Pig Or Two?
Guinea pigs are sociable creatures- two, three or even more guinea pigs can happily co-exist. Male guinea pigs will not necessarily fight other male guinea pigs. Be careful to determine their sex, as they will breed quite prolifically if you leave any male and female in together, even if they're related.
Where To Buy A Guinea Pig - Or Two
You can buy them obviously in pet stores or through classified adverts. However, if you can't inspect the facilities where they were bred, you have no guarantee that they are sold by someone who took care of them properly. This could mean a sick guinea pig- which can obviously be distressing not to mention costly for its new family.
Although people may associate it with purely altruistic ideas of saving needy animals, adopting a rescue centre pet can represent a real advantage for the new owners. Good rescue centres are able to afford vets to assess and monitor their animals. This decreases the likelihood of buying an animal that becomes sick. Of course this can never be guaranteed, no matter where the guinea pig comes from, but at least the health history of the animal is known during its time in the better quality rescue centres, cared for by expert staff. You can also get free ongoing advice on how to care for your pet- an after-sales service not every regular breeder will offer.
Will There Be A Surge In Abandoned Guinea Pigs?
Sadly, the time may never be better to re-home a rescue guinea pig rather than buy one from a regular trader. Animal charities have expressed concern that more guinea pigs will be abandoned in the wake of the Disney film 'G-Force' which features animated guinea pig heroes. This comes following incidents of impulse buying of dalmatian dogs after the release of Disney's '101 Dalmatians', only to dramatically increase the numbers seen at rescue centres a short time later.
IMPORTANT: This article is a general introduction only - if you have any concerns about any guinea pig's health or welfare, consult a knowledgeable vet professional advice. Thank you.