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Pet Guinea Pigs - Information |
| By Ellen Brown |
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Description: These attractive and lively rodents, also known as the Domestic Cavy, have a long history of domestication. Native to South America, the domestic Guinea Pig comes in an ever-increasing range of colors, patterns and coat lengths and makes an ideal pet for children.
Size: Most Guinea Pigs weigh somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5 to 4 pounds. The boars (males) are usually larger than the sows (females).
Compatibility: Guinea Pigs enjoy being housed together if done so at an early age. Boars can be aggressive toward each other and sows are generally more tolerant. Guinea Pigs can also be housed with smaller breeds of rabbits. Large rabbits can accidentally injure them and are not suitable housemates.
Appeal: Guinea Pigs can be kept either indoors or outdoors if properly housed. If handled from an early age they can become quite tame and even affectionate. They are easy to pick up and handle, and will feed out of your hand. Short haired varieties have minimal grooming requirements.
Drawbacks: They are more expensive than other types of rodents. They require more room than smaller rodents. It is difficult to tell the age of Guinea Pigs when buying them from a store. Long-haired varieties require daily grooming.
Diet: Commercially produced Guinea Pig food, green foods, root vegetables and hay. In sort, a diet very similar to that of a rabbit.
Problems & Health Issues: These animals are especially susceptible to mites and other skin problems, many times the result of a vitamin C deficiency.
Lifespan: Healthy Guinea Pigs can live from 5-8 years.
Interesting Facts: Guinea Pigs, as the second part of their name suggests, are somewhat pig-like in appearance and make a distinctive "oinking" and squealing noises. There are several thoughts regarding the "Guinea" part of their name. One suggests that they were bought and sold for the price of a guinea (a British coin from the 1600-1700s).
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Thoughts after owning a guinea pig
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Post By Josh (Guest Post)
(11/12/2008)
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A guinea pig was my first pet! I loved owning them. Unfortunately, I forgot to check one at the pet-store to see if she was unhealthy, so she ended up getting blind and had bald patches.
Wonderful pets though. Very loud and obnoxious when they get excited for FOOD.
They weren't very active in any way shape or form ( unless it involved food). All in all, they were great pets, and I loved them.
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Pet Guinea Pigs - Information
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Post By tisha (Guest Post)
(09/30/2008)
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I would like to get a guinea pig but I live in the Caribbean and I have no idea if I could travel from the US with it or what documents I would need if I could. If you have information please help.
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Guinea Pigs
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Post By andy(girl) (Guest Post)
(07/11/2008)
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Yeah, I am finally getting a guinea pig. First I had wanted a hamster. But after I saw this website, I started to begging my for a guinea pig. And she finally said "yes"!
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RE: Pet Guinea Pigs - Information
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Post By Mily (Guest Post)
(07/02/2008)
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I want a Guinea pig so so so bad but my mom keeps say if we have 2 terrier dog we can't have a pig b/c they were breed to hunt rodents!
man! I will get one some hoe though!
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YAY I am about to get my first Guinea pig soon!
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Post By Kristy (Guest Post)
(06/17/2008)
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I have been begging my parents for the last 12 years to get me a guinea pig, and my 19th birthday is tomorrow and on Friday (a couple more days) they are FINALLY taking me to get my very second one, lol. I had one male one named Robbie for like a week before he died when I was 7, my cousin killed him by accident and they said they wouldn't get me another one because they were stinky.
I am SO happy to be getting one after so long, I am like a first time owner because it was so long ago and I only had him for such a short time. I'm excited and learning everything I can, I still have to think of a name for it... it depends on what gender I get, I want a female, but I don't know.
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RE: Pet Guinea Pigs - Information
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Post By Keenah (Guest Post)
(05/30/2008)
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*SNIFFS* my Eight year old guinea pig is dying. She isn't interested in carrots or food, water, attention. I'm so sad. What do I do? How can I deal with it?
Editor's Note: So sorry to hear this Kennah but Guinea Pigs lifespans are only 4-7 years so for yours to be 8 years old mean she's very old indeed. Try to make her as comfortable as you can. Death is part of life, we can't stop it but we can make it as easy as possible.
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RE: Pet Guinea Pigs - Information
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Post By :) (Guest Post)
(05/18/2008)
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I LOVE guinea pigs but my mom thinks they are rodents with ugly feet. She is WRONG!
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I love guinea pigs
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Post By romina (Guest Post)
(02/06/2008)
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I used to have two guinea pigs I lost one last couple years ago and the other yesterday. I am gonna miss them.
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RE: Pet Guinea Pigs - Information
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Post By DOG (Guest Post)
(01/16/2008)
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I LOVE guinea pigs
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RE: Pet Guinea Pigs - Information
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Post By haley (Guest Post)
(07/06/2007)
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i think this website is a great set-up and should definately be recommended to others! also i do think it should have a little more info about other "little" things people have trouble wiith, just a suggestion though. but yeah this was very helpful to me i want to get a guinea pig but i didnt know all that much and this page helped me out a lot i will definately tell others and use it more often! thanks for all your help!
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Cindylou
Good question Cindylou, I posted it as a new request here:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52310885.tip.html
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RE: Pet Guinea Pigs - Information
for the vitamin C issue give the pigs vegs with extra C in them. Also some oranges, a little piece ( 1/4) and that helps. Or you can add oj to the water bottle every other day, half water and half oj. Keep them very clean. I do small pet grooming and to see a 'piggy' with feces stuck to their feet is just AWFUL.
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What about litter control?
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Post By Cindylou (Guest Post)
(03/28/2006)
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Can they be litterbox trained? Do they give off strong urine odor? I would like to get several for my grand daighters, and they would have to stay at my house, so I would like to know about caring for them and cleaning up after them. Thanks....
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RE: Pet Guinea Pigs - Information
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Post By Tracy (Guest Post)
(03/27/2006)
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When my sons were growing up we always had several guinea pigs. Got them their first ones at ages 4 and 6. At one time we had 2 females that had babies at once and had a steady stream of kids coming by to choose their new baby. You cant have 2 males together, my male babies started to fight befor they were old enough to leave their mom. My sons are now both in their 20s and dont live at home, I still have one guinea pig though! The amazing thing about them is that they are born with eyes open, lots of fur and running around eating hay or veggies within the hour.
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