Guinea Pig Behavior – How to Understand Your Pet!
The guinea pig communicates through a combination of sounds and non-verbal cues. By having a basic understanding about guinea pig behavior and communication, you can learn a great deal about your pet such as how they express happiness, friendship, affection, love, fear, their needs, their demands and how they are physically feeling.
It doesn’t need to be stated but I will, the benefits of this type of understanding are huge! Not only will you understand their needs and wants, but through this you’ll be able to develop a close rewarding relationship with your pets. Furthermore it will make caring and training your guinea pigs a heck of a lot easier!
So let take a look at a range of common guinea pig behaviors:
Aggression
Although guinea pigs are generally sociable and friendly, like any animal it is not unusual for them to display signs of aggression, either towards a fellow cavy or (believe it or not) you! Aggressive behavior is pretty obvious, you will notice one or a number of different signs – from your cavy hissing, chattering his or her teeth while showing their teeth with an open mouth to rising up with stiffened legs.
Acts of aggression will largely depend on your pets individual character, however the main reasons for their aggression can range from being in an unfamiliar place, feeling threatened to fighting over territory. While cavies rarely bite humans, it can happen! So the best thing for you to do, is give your pet plenty of space.
If fighting however breaks out between two guinea pigs sharing a cage, you can stop the fight by separating them and placing one in a different cage. The best way to do this without getting bitten yourself is to simply place a towel over one of your guinea pigs and then remove them from the cage.
Coprography
Whenever your cavies are munching on something other than hay or vegetables, you may catch them eating their poop. Although it sounds weird for most humans, coprography is actually a normal cavy behavior.
They tend to eat their soft poops because their digestive systems are not capable of extracting all the vitamins and nutrients from their food right away. Eating the poop of a healthy guinea pig can actually help them acquire the right amount of nutrients they need!
Licking
A guinea pig won’t just lick anyone and if you are licked by your pet you should feel honored and proud of yourself. As this is a sure sign that you have created a close loving relationship with your furry companion.
When your pet licks you it is a sign of affection and love he or her feels towards you. With this said however there are people who will argue that guinea pigs simple love the salty taste of human skin. Though I tend to disagree with this.
Popcorning
Most owners consider popcorning as the most interesting aspect of any guinea pigs behavior. This refers to the event when cavies suddenly start leaping in the air, giving the little bodies a twist. Young guinea pigs usually jump straight up as if they were wearing pogo sticks.
When cavies engage in this behavior, they are trying to show you that they are very happy and contented with their life. Since only healthy cavies exhibit this behavior, you have the right to swell with pride every time your guinea pigs start leaping to the air.
Sadness and depression
Guinea pig can become depressed and frustrated for a number of reasons. One common reason is due to loneliness. This is especially so with new owners who decide to buy only a single guinea pig from a pet shop or backyard breeder.
Generally new owners who are also uneducated on guinea pig care, hold the common misconception that owning a single cavy is the simplest, easiest and cheapest option. But this could not be further from the truth!
Guinea Pigs are social animals who not only need but love company, from their owners but especially from other guinea pigs. And if they don’t get the company they desire they will literally cry (or more to the point wheek) for it, becoming upset. If the situation isn’t changed (e.g. you buy or adopt another little friend) your pet will become depressed, stop eating and has high chance of becoming ill.
Signs of depression or frustration include constant crying out or wheeking, withdrawn behavior – your guinea pig will hunch up in a corner, hide and/or refuse to eat. This therefore means it’s vital that you always buy or adopt guinea pigs in pairs. Also if you even notice your pet refusing to eat or drink, take them to your exotic vet immediately.
Lastly for your knowledge, here are some other guinea pig behaviors and their meanings:
Rises up with legs stiffened: Threatening
Shows teeth with an open mouth: Threatening
Stretches: Comfort and relaxation
Popcorn jumping: High spirits
Stretches head forward: Watchfulness, interest
Grunts, gurgles, squeaks: Contentment, & connection with other cavy’s
Squeals or shrieks: Warning, loneliness, pain, fear
“Wheeting”: Begging for food
Cooing: Reassurance
Rumbles: Warning, dislike
Hisses, teeth chattering: Aggression, threatening
Guinea Pig Food – Tips for a Balance Diet!
A well-balanced guinea pig diet can affect the physiological, psychological, and social growth of your pet. Without the right diet, you will never be able to cultivate a healthy relationship between you and your cavy. If you do not know how to feed him or her well, then it’s highly likely they’ become more susceptible to life-threatening health problems. In fact, a clean environment and a healthy diet are the key elements in raising a happy and healthy guinea pig.
Importance of a Balanced Diet
It should be pretty obvious, but a direct relationship exists between your pet’s health and the food they eat. Since guinea pigs are more susceptible to illnesses than any of their fellow critters are, you have to pay extra attention to what your guinea pig consumes. This way, you can make sure that he or she is getting all the nutrients and minerals needed for a healthier and stronger body.
I really want to stress a fact here, and it’s that guinea pigs like humans cannot produce vitamin c for their bodies. So it’s important that adequate sources of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) are supplemented into your cavy’s diet every day.
Feeding your piggies with a good selection of fresh fruits and veggies daily is probably one of the best ways to supplement their diet with vitamin C. Guinea pig pellets can also help you ensure that your pet’s vitamin C requirements are being met.
Without a diet rich in ascorbic acid, your cavy will become susceptible to scurvy. Drastic loss of weight, eye discharge, unhealthy flesh condition, and stiff limbs are only some of the symptoms related to this condition. To help prevent your guinea pig from every experiencing these painful conditions, make sure that they receive 100mg of vitamin c every day. It’s best from a combination of fruit, vegetables and pellets!
It is quite common for guinea pigs to become susceptible to respiratory problems and allergies as a direct result of a poor or unhealthy diet, lacking in the necessary vitamins and minerals. Constant coughing, continuous sneezing, skin allergies, and infection may lead to pneumonia, a serious illness that can put the life of your precious pet at risk. By simply maintaining a healthy diet, feeding your guinea pig with the right foods, you can prevent him or her from developing illnesses that can lead to death and other serious consequences.
Essential Elements of a Healthy Diet
Learning how to feed your guinea pig properly will be so much easier if you know the essential elements of a healthy diet. So far we have established that – No matter how young or old your guinea pig is, he or she will still need the right amount of nutrients and vitamins to help prevent him or her from acquiring numerous diseases and illnesses.
Vitamin C is an important element in a proper guinea pig diet, that can be acquired from fresh fruits, vegetables, and pellets (Important: only EVER buy pellets that are stabilized with vitamin C) to help boost your pet’s immune system and prevent him from acquiring major illnesses like scurvy. You can also supplement your guinea pigs diet by sprinkling crushed vitamin C tablets on their food.
While alfalfa pellets are best for young guinea pigs, hay-based pellets are best for adult cavies. Avoid choosing pellets with corn products, nuts, animal by-products, and other fillers, they are not safe and will be harmful to your pets health. You should feed your cavies fresh pellets every day in order to prevent him from developing ascorbic acid deficiencies, and before feeding these fresh pellets make sure you clean out the old ones.
Hay is also an important element in your cavy’s diet, it actually makes up the bulk of their diet. Give your pet something to snack on by providing him or her with fresh supplies of orchard grass and timothy hay. For nursing and growing guinea pigs, alfalfa hay is better because of its high calcium content. Make sure that they have a steady supply of hay, not only does it make up an important ingredient of a balanced diet but it means your cavies have something to nibble throughout the day which will help to wear their teeth down.
Your cavy needs fresh vegetables and fruits every day. Feed him large amounts of leafy greens and offer other vegetables and no more than a cup of fruit each day. Spinach, parsley, turnip greens, and dandelion greens are only some of the most nutritious vegetables included in a well-balanced guinea pig diet. Avoid feeding him too much collards, cauliflower, and cabbage because this can abnormally increase their gas production. Moderate amounts of blueberries, bananas, oranges, and apples can also be included in his diet.
Developing the Right Feeding Schedule
Now that you already know what to feed your guinea pig, you can already start developing the perfect feeding schedule for him. A clear and well-defined feeding schedule can help your cavy develop a healthy daily routine. It will also make it easier for you to train your pet and to prevent him from developing nasty behavioral problems.
Set feeding routines to make your cavy understand what he needs to expect every day. You can choose particular times of the day that are convenient for you and your cavy. Provide them with fresh sources of hay twenty-four hours a day and give them unlimited access to clean water. Unless your cavy is already showing signs of obesity, you can keep his dish full of nutritious pellets at all times. No matter how healthy a guinea pig diet is, it will remain useless without the right feeding schedule.
You’ll be amazed a just how simple life is for all involved, once you have established a well-balanced diet with a regular feeding schedule. Not only will you be rewarded with less veterinary bills and more quality time with your precious furry companions but you’ll also discover that you will start to forge even stronger bonds with your pets… you will literally win you way to their hearts and loyalty!
By the way…
If you would like additional information of how to feed your guinea pig a well-balanced diet, including learning exactly what foods you can and cannot feed your guinea pigs. As well as discover a whole range of cool tip on what to feed your cavies including the recommended daily amounts of each food group or where you can buy different foods for less.
Plus if you want a load of tips on how to provide your pet with better care… then then sign up for my mini-email course! It doesn’t cost anything and all you need to do it enter your name and email address in the form above to receive the first installment instantly.
Guinea Pigs Care – 3 Simple Tips to Do It Right
Providing your guinea pigs with suitable housing is what you could describe as the foundations of good guinea pigs care (My article titled “The most basic element of good guinea pig care goes into detail on this). Housing by itself however is not enough. Any experienced cavy keeper can tell you that there are a number of other factors which are also critical. These factors include dieting, feeding schedules, feeding programs, handling, grooming, teeth and nail care, hygiene, health care, understanding behavior and sounds, companionship and mating… and that’s just to name a few.
Today, we’re going to take a look at food & vitamins, companions & mates and grooming & hygiene. And you will discover just how important having an understanding of these three areas are to providing your pets with the best care possible.
Food and Vitamins
The most important part of complete guinea pig care involves feeding your pet a balanced healthy diet. Your pets good health, the number of time you visit the vet and your cavies overall happiness will largely depend on the feeding schedule you establish and the foods you feed. If you feed too much of a certain food group, not enough or you feed a food group which will for example create digestive problems… then your guinea pig could become very unwell.
This is why you must understand everything there is to know about the right guinea pig diet. Guinea pigs need regular hay, which will make up the basis of their diet. This should be supported by pellets, a regular serving of treats from the right vegetables and fruits.
Your pet should also be given a constant fresh supply of non-contaminated drinking water. Make sure that they also get their daily 100mg dose of vitamin C, guinea pigs cannot naturally produce vitamin c therefore they need to obtain it from their diet. Without this daily requirement of vitamin c they can become extremely sick with scurvy!
Companions and Mates
Guinea Pigs need the company of companions. You need to remember that they are a herd animal meaning they naturally live in groups, making them social creatures that constantly need attention, something that you cannot give everyday. Any reputable pet provider will never let you buy or adopt a single guinea pig. Unless they know you already have another guinea pig at home waiting for a new friend.
Guinea pigs living on their own will become upset and distressed easily. This in turn can lead to them becoming withdrawn, they will stop eating and become sick. This is why it’s important they have other guinea pigs to keep them company. And not other animals like your dog or pet rabbit, these pets even though friendly could accidentally injury or kill your guinea pig.
Ideally, guinea pigs live well with companions of the same sex but there are times when fight breaks out especially among two males. But this will largely depend on their personalities. You should really only mix cavies of the opposite sex if you want baby guinea pigs as they tend to breed extremely easily. Otherwise it would be smart to get your boar or sow de-sexed.
Grooming and Hygiene
Guinea pig care also involves giving your pet’s proper hygiene, cleaning and grooming. Guinea pigs do not require frequent bathing and should only be showered when their fur gets too soiled, in such a case use a shampoo that is soft on the skin formulated for guinea pigs alone. If you can’t find any, then a ultra mild shampoo used for kittens or babies will do.
You should only ever use a medicated shampoo when advised by your exotic vet. Make sure that you clean their ears and eyes. Dry them off and brush their hair so that it remains shiny. Clip your guinea pigs nails at least once a month, the more regularly you do this the easier it will be for you and for them. When doing this be careful to not cut too close to the quick or your guinea pig will start bleeding.
Guinea Pig Care – 3 Important Secrets for Perfect Care
Have you recently adopted your very own guinea pig? Or are you about to get one? Then, congratulations as you have indeed made a great choice for a home pet. These adorable furry creatures are great companions not only for children but for teenagers and adults as well. They are playful, good company and lots of fun too!
Guinea pigs are very easy pets to take care of, especially if you know how to provide them with the right care. And by providing a suitable environment with all the correct elements you’ll never have a problem getting them settled in anywhere for a long healthy, happy life.
Being an affectionate and fragile creature, the first important elements of ‘good’ guinea pig care is giving loads of love and attention. But that’s definitely not all! Today I am going to discuss one of the most basic but critical elements of guinea pig care, and that’s housing!
Housing or Caging
The first thing that you need to consider in guinea pig care is the housing or caging. Before you can bring your new pet’s home, you need to make sure that they have a great place to sleep and play in. They need to have a friendly environment that will serve as their sanctuary, the one place that they can stay and feel safe in.
There are a number of factors you need to consider when buying or building your pet home, these include:
Cage size
A common misconception many cavy keepers have when getting a cage for their pigs is the… size! They think that since their pets are small, they can have a smaller cage.
But this couldn’t be further from the truth!
If you house your piggies in a small cage, there is a greater chance they will become overweight, depressed and ill. It’s important that you provide large spaces where they can roam around and be active especially if they have companions.
You must be able to provide enough space for them to play with their friends and at the same time be able to establish their own spot away from company if they want rest. If you don’t do this, especially amongst males, problems will occur as your males start fighting for territory.
So how big does their cage have to be?
Well, it all depends on the number of guinea pigs you wish to adopt or buy. But as a general rule of thumb…
A 7 square foot (0.7 square meters) cage must be the absolute smallest size two guinea pigs are housed in. Though, 10.5 square feet or larger would be preferable!
Bedding
Providing appropriate bedding is an essential component of caring for your guinea pigs. Not only does the bedding provide suitable cover for your pet to play, run and sleep on. But it also acts as a toilet, soaking up any urine and poop. You want to use a safe bedding which controls your pet’s bathroom odors. Keeping away from any dangerous bedding’s containing materials like pine shavings as they will cause serious respiratory problems.
My favorite bedding is timothy hay. It’s not only odor controlling and safe but because it’s hay. It is actually an important part of your pet’s diet. This means your guinea pig will always have large amounts of hay to nibble on.
It is important that you frequently change the entire cage bedding at least a couple of times a week, every day you should check the cage and remove any soiled areas. Keeping your little friends bedding clean at all times is important in order to prevent foul smells and to keep your guinea pigs away from possible illnesses.
Cage Accessories
There are a number of cage accessories that your guinea pig will love you for. They’ll make your pets home much more enjoyable, fun, comfortable and reassuring for them. Guinea pigs are very playful, active and sometime timid animals and their cage accessories will encourage them to play, be physically active and give them places to hide in.
The benefits of this are a no-brainer… helping to keep your little furry companion from becoming overweight and obese.
A number of accessories you should consider getting include houses, tunnels and pigloos made from either wood or plastic. You can buy these from your local pet store or on the internet. Just make sure they are big enough for your cavy to fit through safely and they contain no sharp edges which could cut him or her.
You can also make your own using common household equipment like cardboard tubes, brown paper bags, cardboard boxes or PVC piping. Importantly never put exercise wheels in your guinea pigs cage, as they will cause injury and back problems.
Apart from housing there are lots of other things that are important you get right if you are to provide your guinea pigs with good basic care. These include feeding the right food & vitamins, giving companionship, grooming and hygiene.
If you would like to learn more about these topics and get loads of tips on every important topic of guinea pig care including selection (buy or adopting), dieting, handling, guinea pig behavior & sounds, breeding and much more – then sign up for my mini-email course! It doesn’t cost anything and all you need to do it enter your name and email address in the form above to receive the first installment instantly.