How to care for your guinea pig.

Guinea pigs, also known as cavies due to thier scientific name, are very social animals and prefer to live in groups of two or more. Always try to keep an even number so that one cavy isn't ignored by the others. Unless you want to breed them it is necessary to keep them in single sex groups. Contrary to popular opinion it is possible to keep two males (boars) together. In fact most breeders have a nanny male who looks after all the baby boars when they are weaned from their mum. There have also been cases where two boars and a sow (female), have lived very happily together without fighting or mating. However cavies from different breeds and different strains have varying attitudes. Some are more docile than others.

When Housing Guinea pigs try to give them at least 2 square foot of space each. Wooden cages are ideal to house them in, as they provide shelter from wind, rain, sun and the local cat. If you are looking to start breeding cavies then it is an idea to purchase a shed to house all your animals in. Make sure that there is plenty of ventilation and no draughts. If you are housing a large number of cavies in the shed it is a good idea to invest in a block of cages such as those in the aristocrat and showman range, which are handmade by Aubrey Smith. These cages are fantastic time savers when it comes to feeding and cleaning, as the large double doors mean that you can put feed into all the cages at once, and the removable litter trays mean that you can just tip the contents into the bin. If you are bringing a cavy inside for a week to get it ready for a show you can also use cardboard boxes and lettuce trays as housing. The advantages of these is that they are cheap and when you want to clean it out you just throw it on your compost heap and get a new box. Bedding should be free from dust, the best beddings to use are woodflakes or shavings, not saw dust as it is too dusty, and hay. You can also use paper based cat litter and shredded paper as long as it isn't printed.

When purchasing food and bedding for guinea pigs try to get the best quality you can. Your new guinea pig will need to be fed vegetables, hay and dry food every day. It is essential that you feed your cavy fresh veg as it contains vitamin C which, like humans, cavies are incapable of producing. Vegetables which can be fed to cavies include carrots, cabage, sweetcorn, spinach, beetroot (be warned if you feed your cavy beetroot it's droppings will turn red!), curly kale, mangolds, parsnips, cubecumber, melon, apple and more. It is best to feed a variety to keep your pet interested in it's food. Hay is an essential food stuff as guinea pigs in the wild are herbivors who spend lots of time eating and foraging. You can feed your guinea pigs a propriety dry food mix or you can give them one made for horses or goats.

Guinea pigs can live for upto 5 years of age or even more if cared for properly. They love to be given the freedom of the garden but make sure that there are no holes in the fence or any prowling cats. Most guinea pigs are very teritorial. Some guinea pigs will even start to chase you up the garden when you have food or will come when you call their name.

You can also show your cavy at a local cavy club. To show them you will need to groom them and bathe them prior to the show. To find out how to do this just visit a local show and ask a friendly looking exhibitor to show you. To find you local club and find out more about the different breeds go to the National Cavy Club website.

Written by J Corfield of Golden Guineas. Copyright 2002 all rights reserved.

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