Common Questions Asked About Guinea Pigs

So I have covered earlier in the website what guinea pigs can eat but the most important thing to know and understand about is what can your little fluffy pets not eat. There are a several types of foods that you should avoid giving your guinea pig, for various reasons. Some foods can be poisonous, some are too high in fat or sugar, some are a choking hazard, some have no nutritional value, some can cause gas and some can cause bloat. 

A short list of the foods to avoid feeding your guinea pig includes:

• Chocolate (or anything else containing caffeine)
• Onions
• Garlic
• Mushrooms
• Iceberg lettuce (covered under things they can eat section why this is not a good veg to give)
• Avocados
• Nuts
• Potatoes
• Seeds
• Corn kernels
• Peanut butter
• Rhubarb
• Bok choy
• Dairy products
• Bread
• Meat
• Tomato stems or leaves

If in any doubt, you can refer to books on guinea pig care or reputable websites (such as the ASPCA), but ideally, you should consult an exotic animal veterinarian or a veterinarian that specializes in small animals for nutritional guidelines.

Guinea Pigs like temperatures of between 18 to 23 degrees Celsius. If it drops below 15 degrees your piggy can get chilled. If it gets hotter than 26 degrees, your piggy could get heatstroke.

When a Guinea Pig is cold the blood flow to the skin reduces to conserve heat. If they’re hot, the flow to the skin increases to cool them down. Guinea Pig’s cannot sweat, because they don’t have any eccrine sweat glands on their body. It’s up to you to make sure your piggy doesn’t get too cold or hot.

The RSPCA advise that temperatures below 15 degrees are too cold for Guinea Pigs, and that they should be kept indoors.

Therefore, if you choose to let your Guinea Pig live outside in the winter, you should make a few changes to his hutch and environment to keep him warm and happy.

• If your Guinea Pig is going to spend the winter outside ensure that his hutch is well insulated, and out of the path of high wind.
• You can insulate your Guinea Pig’s hutch by covering the roof and exterior walls with blanket, tarpaulin or carpet. Try nailing it down to keep it in place. However, don't forget to make sure that the hutch still has ventilation. I have used thermo insulation from tool station that works really well and very reasonably priced and in combination with a rain cover keeps the hutch warm and dry.
• Try moving the hutch to a shed or outbuilding, as this will reduce exposure to the wind and rain. Don't put the hutch into a garage where there are likely to be car fumes. Car fumes can be very toxic to our furry friends.
• Provide lots of extra hay for your piggy to snuggle into.  If you've got a large enough hutch try adding in a box or even a cat carrier, with lots of warm hay in it. This will give your Guinea Pig somewhere extra to snuggle into.
• Make sure your piggy's water doesn't freeze over. You can buy bottle covers, however it's often the cold metal spout that leads to the water being frozen, so you'll still need to keep an eye on it.
• Check your Guinea Pig's water before you go to bed, and first thing in the morning.
• Consider buying a Snuggle Pad. These are pads that can be popped into the microwave to warm them up. Your Guinea Pig can snuggle up to it to keep warm. They usually come with a cover. You can buy Snuggle Pads from Pets at Home. 
• Make sure any wet areas inside your Guinea Pig's hutch area are cleaned up quickly, as they will soon get cold and damp. Not only could this lead to your piggy getting chilled, but they'll also attract slugs, and other insects.
• Finally, avoid putting your Guinea Pig down on the ground, whether its concrete or grass. The cold and damp could give him a chill.

In the summer a Guinea Pig will happily live outside, as it gives him a chance to get lots of exercise – they need around 3 – 4 hours of playing daily. If you’ve got more than one Guinea Pig, looking after them outside will also be easier and cleaner. In extremely warm weather you should be aware of your piggy getting heatstroke. Guinea Pigs need to be able to stretch out fully, run, and stand up on their hind legs. A garden run is the ideal place to do this - Guinea Pigs love to play, when playing in the run, you should provide him with places to hide. This is because Guinea Pigs don’t like to graze in the open. Hiding places can include: tunnels, boxes and houses. You can also try hiding his hay and other food in these places for them to find. You should ensure that you keep your Guinea Pig is in a predator proof hutch and run, that’s in a shady area of your garden. Guinea Pigs are vulnerable to extremes of temperature, so you should bare this in mind when finding a suitable location.

 You should:

• Make sure the hutch and run are in a shady part of the garden, and not exposed to any direct sunlight.
• If you have a north or east facing garden, then these areas are good for your piggy as they don't get the sun all day.
• Make sure you refresh his water regularly. You can try putting a couple of ice cubes in the water to cool it down.
• Don't keep your Guinea Pig in a shed or garage, as there's poor air circulation, meaning the area can get too hot.
• You can make ice packs, and place them in the hutch, wrapped in a cloth. Your piggy can sit on these when he’s feeling hot. I find filling old water bottles and freezing these are a great quick cheap way to get them feeling a bit cooler and can rotate bottles to keep them cool during. the hottest part of the day
• If the weather is very hot, consider bringing your piggy indoors.
• If your piggy's indoors, draw the curtains to help block out the heat. It'll really help to cool the room down.
• Use a fan or air conditioning if you have it. However, make sure the air flow is pointing away from your Guinea Pig as draughts aren't good for them.
• Provide your piggy with food and fruit with a high water content, such as cucumber and fruit like watermelon are great to re-hydrate them.
• Place a pan filled with ice cubes near your Guinea Pig. He can move near to it to keep cool. Keep a lid on the pan though, or you may find your nosy piggy goes exploring and falls in! This can become messy so would recommend the use of the frozen water bottles otherwise you maybe cleaning out the hutch at  the end of the day of all the wet sawdust and hay.
• Brush your piggy to remove excess fur. You could also trim his fur to help him feel lighter. I know its crazy but guinea pigs seem to chew each others hair in winter when you think they would want long hair but tend to leave it alone in summertime and so if long haired tend to have a mass of hair keeping them very hot like walking around wrapped in a duvet.

Guinea Pig’s can eat the grass outside, as it forms an important part of their diet. However you should ensure a few things before you settle on a spot for your piggy.

• You shouldn't feed grass cuttings to your piggy – the act of ‘cutting the grass’ can cause the grass to ferment. This can cause bloating in your piggy’s tummy. Therefore, if you’ve just cut the grass, clear the cuttings away from the spot where your piggy is playing.
• The grass shouldn’t be wet
• The grass should be free from dog or cat poo – as this can contain parasites
• If there are any weeds or plants nearby, you should ensure they’re safe for Guinea Pigs to eat, just in case he decides to take a munch
• You should avoid grass that’s likely to have been polluted with car fumes, or any other pollutants
• You should avoid grass that’s been treated with herbicides or pesticides

Remember, although grass is great for your Piggy, hay is always best. It should still make up the majority of your Guinea Pig's diet, even if he’s being kept outside.

 Yes, they can. However, if you’re going to keep your Guinea Pig indoors, you should remember to:

• Provide your Guinea Pig with a large enough hutch.
• Your Guinea Pig will need lots of exercise – between 3-4 hours day. You’ll need to provide a safe place away from other pets and dangers.
• Locate the hutch away from draughts and direct sunlight
• Guinea Pigs have sensitive hearing, so locate your Guinea Pig away from loud noises. Eg: The television.
• If you're keeping you Guinea Pig indoors during the winter, then avoid putting him outside during the day. This is because the impact of the cold weather, after the warmth of your centrally heated house could be a shock!

You  can take your indoor piggy outdoors to live during the summer, when the days are warmer. That way your piggy shouldn’t get too cold and not have a big temperature change to deal with that could cause shock.

If you’re very worried, try building up the time spent outside gradually. However, as long as his hutch is well insulated if its cold and wet, your Guinea Pig should be fine. remember Guinea Pigs like temperatures of between 18 to 23 degrees Celsius and fit a rain proof cover if possible to stop driving rain going into the hutch making the sawdust/hay wet for the guinea pig to walk around in.

Guinea pigs rarely bite, but they may nibble. If your guinea pig nibbles you while in your hands, it can be an indicator that they need to urinate. A nibble could also mean that your guinea pig is uncertain or afraid. Try putting your guinea pig down and observing his behavior. If the biting continues or escalates, you may want to consult with your vet as it could indicate something is wrong.  

Yes, guinea pig nails are like newborn babies nails, forever growing. When trimming their nails be careful to not cut too high because it  can bleed and cause tremendous pain. Make sure you are aware of the pinkish part of the nail and do not cut above or on it.  I do find some breeds of guinea pigs nails grow more than others and just like grass once you have done it once they grow quicker so hold back until they need doing and if unsure consult the web, breeder or vet.

Personally I have never used a heat pad but reading up on them a lot of guinea pig owners have good comments regarding using a pet-safe heating pads. Heat these pads in the microwave, then place them in your guinea pigs' cage. The heating pads will stay warm for up to 8 hours, and your guinea pigs can snuggle up against them safely.

• You can find these online or at pet stores.
• If you don't want to purchase a heating pad, try pouring warm water into bottles and then wrapping them in towels for your guinea pigs. Make sure the water is not boiling.

Just like all animals, guinea pigs require daily care and attention; however, they do make great beginner pets. Guinea pigs are hardy, intelligent, easy to care for, love attention, and can live up to 8 years.  Guinea pigs are also in the top 5 of pets to keep ...so we cant all be wrong.

Spot clean your guinea pig bedding throughout the week to remove waste and replace all of the bedding a minimum of once per week. Fleece bedding (indoor use mainly to save sawdust going everywhere) will need replaced more frequently. If using hay for bedding try and use a hay rack so that some of the hay is kept clean for them to eat.

Guinea pigs clean themselves regularly and rarely need to be given a bath. I have never had to bath mine although some of the all white piggies I have tend to get a bit dirty around the backside but a good trim and brush gets them looking good again. If you do bathe your guinea pigs make sure they are warm after and not allowed to dry in the open air as they could catch a chill and I was always told, if you bathe one guinea pig, you should bath all the piggies within that cage as they come back with a different smell which can start bickering and fighting inside the hutch/cage.

Bathe your guinea pig only on an "as needed" basis. Don't bathe a guinea pig unless its coat is dirty or oily. Bathing removes natural oils in the skin and will dry out the coat. That said, if you must bathe your guinea pig, it's best to use a small dishpan or bathroom sink with a washcloth in the bottom and warm, shallow water. Use a very mild shampoo such as baby or kitten shampoo, and work a small amount into the coat. If your guinea pig struggles, hold it gently. Keep your guinea pig's head out of the water, especially the ears and nose. Rinse well, and dry thoroughly. Use a hair dryer on a warm setting, not hot,  to help dry the pig. Wet guinea pigs are very susceptible to colds, so keep them warm until they are completely dry. A vegetable treat is always good after a bath. 

The easy answer is Yes, you can get just one; however, guinea pigs are social animals and will do best when kept together with a same-sex. Some breeders might not sell just the one guinea pig unless you have another piggy for them to go with. Most guinea pigs will have been in a group since birth and so sometimes taking them away from that environment and placing them on their own can lead to depression no matter how many times you take them out for cuddles and play time. I would always say where possible buy two or ideally three just in case you lose one and then still have a pair for company until you can find a new hutch friend to join the gang. 

I tend to get asked this question a lot . I normally say go for what guinea pig you like the look of irrespective of its sex as both sexes are lovely to have and keep.  Both male and female guinea pigs make great pets so don't pick your guinea pigs by their sex. Male guinea pigs can be more active, and they grow larger. They also carry an outgoing personality; thus, males bond quickly and are easier to train. However, they do need a larger cage, more maintenance as they tend to be more messy, and can get aggressive sometimes and this is why people then tend to go for females however they can also be aggressive to one another.  Male guinea pigs have a longer lifespan. Typically a male guinea pig lives longer than a female guinea pig, don't ask me why?, but it totally depends upon the diet and care provided to them.  Female guinea pigs do not have a dominant nature as compared to male guinea pigs. They are quite calm and friendly towards their cage mates.  Sows are a little less active and tend to be shy and loves to hide around. As long as the guinea pig you decide on is healthy, happy and friendly, you won't go wrong choosing either a boy or a girl guinea pig.

Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of dry stalks of wheat, rice, oats, or barley. Being readily available at an economical price, people often wonder if they can use straw as bedding material in their guinea pig’s cage.  Straw doesn’t absorb the urine well, and as a result, it doesn’t reduce odor nor keeps the guinea pig’s feet dry. Hard and pointy stalks of straw can poke into your guinea pig’s eye resulting in eye injury. Thus, it would be best if you did not use straw in a guinea pig’s cage.

I know it can be challenging to choose the correct bedding for your guinea pigs. But bear in mind, if you choose it wrong, your guinea pig may suffer from health problems, and that is something all guinea pig parents want to avoid.

If you plan to use straw as the only bedding for your guinea pig, it might not work out well for you and your guinea pigs. As straw doesn’t hold the moisture well, and as a result, your guinea pig feet will remain wet, resulting in health issues like bumblefoot.  

Apart from that, you are also likely to experience a strong odor of guinea pig urine and poop as the bedding layer cannot trap the liquid well. If you are looking for cheaper alternative bedding, then hay and wood-shaving might be a better alternative and one that I use.  Another reason why I go for hay is that guinea pigs cannot eat straw as it doesn’t contain the right balance of nutrients needed by our guinea pigs. The texture of the straw is hard and rough, which makes it unsuitable for your guinea pigs. Where as hay is eaten as soon as you put that in the hutch or cage , soft to use for bedding and also cheap and easy to find and buy.