Guinea Pigs can be wonderful pet. Most live between 5 and 7 years. Guinea Pigs are gentle and curious little animals and a good size for a pet for a child. They rarely bite. You will find that they each have a personality of their own, but have much in common....like learning all the sounds before being fed and learning when to squeak out to you for a bit of veggies, fruit or treat.

Guinea Pigs don't just want Guinea pig food, they need it. Rabbit food will not do. Guinea Pig food needs to be bought r=fresh and stored in a dark container. Guinea Pig food is fortified with necessary Vitamin C. If the food is not bought fresh and stored correctly, the Vitamin C will looses it's value.

Guinea Pigs NEED Vitamin C and Timothy Hay daily.

You should have a Guinea Pig water bottle with fresh water in it at all times. I use a small bottle, not the huge ones with the cute picture of a GP on it. Unless you have four or more GPs in a cage they do not need this much water. If it has water in it for the next few days, the average owner will not refill the water. So small bottle = fresh water.

Guinea Pigs must have Vitamin C. Guinea Pigs must have Vitamin C everyday. Can a Guinea Pig get enough Vitamin C from Veggies and Fruit? Probably not in the average home. Buying Guinea Pig food that is Vitamin C fortified is a very good idea. But not only does that food need to be very fresh to still contain the Vitamin, but also stored correctly. Don't buy too much Guinea Pig food all at once, the Vitamin C will not stay potent enough to aid your Guinea Pig.

Unlike Dogs, Cats, Ferrets and some other pets, Guinea Pigs do not need to have shots or to be registered with the State and or County you live in. Most Guinea Pigs, with correct care, will never even see a Veterinarian.

-- The Guinea Pig Agility Team
Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:53:02 -0500