Hagen© XL Rabbit Cage #H-425 Hagen© Lg Rabbit Cage # H-306
approx. 40"L x 21"W x 19" H approx. 25"L x 17"W x 15" H
Super Pet© My First Pet Home
XL Cage 41"L x 18"W x 21"H
Aquariums do not make suitable cages because there is not enough airflow/ ventilation in them .Wire bottomed cages are also a no-no because wire is hard on guinea pigs foot pads & they can get their legs caught in it which may result in breakage (unless wire is 1/2" x 1/2" which I now use for my boars & non-pregnant sows).The cages above are very handy because you can use a small dust pan to clean out bedding 1-3 times weekly depending on season & number of pigs in cage.It is also a good practice to take them outside & hose them out every month or so.You can scrub them with a 1 part bleach to 3 parts water mixture for extra cleanliness.Vinegar can also be used to remove any stubborn calcium deposits from urine,in trays.Whatever you use,just be sure to rinse well with hot water. This also keeps down any urine odor,etc.Guinea Pigs do not jump or climb so no lid or top is necessary unless there are small children or other pets in the household who might try & help them escape,lol.A good cage size is approx. 2ft x 2ft for 1 pig or 2ft x 4ft for 2.If you can afford bigger cages,that is great too as guinea pigs need to be able to exercise in their cage or they can become overweight & this can be an invitation for health problems.
As for bedding,I use a good quality kiln dried,pre-sifted pine bedding.Some people now advise not to use wood shavings because of possible dust that can get into the pigs lungs & cause respiratory problems.I feel that as long as it is not superfine & dust filled,it is ok to use.I have used wood shavings for 16+ years with no problems.I would however recommend NOTusing cedar bedding because of the aromatic oils in it.There are also corn cob beddings & aspen beddings that are ok to use as well.Let your nose be your guide here.Simply smell the bedding & look for one with little to no odors to it.You can layer newspaper beneath the shavings in the cage to make cleanup easier if you'd like.Then you just roll it up with bedding inside & toss in trash.I sprinkle baking soda in the cage tray bottom at each cleaning & then layer bedding.This helps neutralize any odors as well.If you notice,your guinea pigs will most likely have a favorite corner in their cage which they use for their bathroom.You can "spot clean" as I do & simply clean out the corner between cage cleanings & this will keep things cleaner too.I do this daily in warmer,summer months & every other day in cooler weather.
MAINTENENCE
One of the things that make guinea pigs such great pets is that they are very low maintence.You can bathe them from time to time,if you want.For this you can use baby shampoo or one specially made for guinea pigs.They don't seem to like being wet though for very long so you can dry them in a warm towel.I only bathe mine in the warmer months & only if they need it.Some of your longer haired pigs hair tends to look a little "sticky" from dragging through their bedding so this is my usual reason for bathing.Or perhaps you decide to show your piggy,then you might want to bathe him or her before the big show.Some pigs will even let you put bows,etc in their hair :) .If you pig has long hair,you can brush him/her daily if your time permits it.Even short haired guinea pigs appreciate being brushed from time to time.This is a great bonding exercise for both of you.A soft bristled baby brush works great for shorter haired breeds while a comb works best for longer haired ones.Guinea Pigs need their nails trimmed monthly on average & also appreciate having their ears cleaned.You do both of these things much the same as you would for yourself.When clipping nails,be careful not to clip them into the "quick" where it will bleed (blood stop powder or even All Purpose Flour can be used to stop the bleeding if you ever need it).In piggies with white nails,the quick is fairly easy to see.But in ones with dark nails,you must get them in bright light to see it.To be safe,I try & trim about 1/8" away from the quick.Some pigs nails grow faster than others.I've seen some at 1 & 2 years old & their nails will look fine & then I've seen some who at 6 months had really long nails that badly needed clipped.On cleaning their ears,use a cotton swab/Q-Tip & gently clean just the inner folds that you can visibly see.Don't go too far or you can injure your pet.Baby wipes are a great thing to keep for cleaning your piggy too.You can wipe their ears & even their bottoms.They can be a quick fix cleanup for longer haired ones too.
TOYS
Yes,you can even spoil your pigs with toys.I no longer recommend exercise wheels or plastic snap-together exercise balls that you can buy to put your pig in while you clean his/her cage,as I have been informed that Guinea Pigs spines are not meant to do this type of "tumbling".Mine seem to love the little plastic balls with a bell inside that are made for cats & birds.They actually pick them up with their teeth & toss them!You can purchase small animal "playpens" made usually of colorful wire panels to allow your pig more room to exercise & play while you are able to watch.You can layer a few towels so to help keep your floor clean from "accidents".I've even had wire enclosed "runs" for my pigs outside in warmer months.I'd have their cage either connecting to the run or wooden nest houses for shelter.They love the easily accessible grass & freedom to run!!
Guinea pigs need something solid for chewing.This keeps their teeth worn down so that they do not get too long.A piece of wood or a wood toy made especially for guinea pigs is perfect for this purpose.You can fasten it to the wire in their cage & it will stay clean longer ( in other words it won't get urinated on,etc).Also appreciated are "houses" that pigs can hide & sleep in.You can buy commercially made ones that are made of plastic (look like igloos) or wood ones.THere is a nice one out now that is made of tiny sticks that are pieced together to create a hut of sorts.It provides a hiding/resting place as well as something to chew on.You can even give them a small cardboard box with the flaps removed.Simply flip it over & create an entrance hole in the side.They like to hide in these,sleep in them & more.If you use cardboard they are likely to chew it but it will not hurt them to do so.This just means that you'll have to make a new one in time.
HEALTH & COMMON ILLNESSES
Guinea pigs are pretty healthy pets & as long as you provide them with the care that they need,there aren't too many illnesses that you need worry about.The most common ailment for them are upper respiratory infections.Using the proper bedding aids in the prevention of this as does keeping their cages clean (prevents Ammonia build up).Also,drafts are not good for guinea pigs.If you must use a fan or open a window to keep them cool during summer months,be sure & keep your piggy out of the draft.A few things to keep check on are toenails (mentioned above) & teeth.Teeth grow overtime too & if they should start to look like they are overlapping,you might want to have either an experienced breeder or a vet check them out for you.Guinea pigs also have what's known as a "grease spot".This is a grease gland located on their rump.It's secretions are used in scenting their territory such as cages & even other pigs.This may require cleaning if you see an accumulation that looks like a ball of hard,smelly wax.You can just bathe them with a little soap & a washcloth here.
Some male piggys may get anal impactions as they age.This sounds grosser than it really is.Males have an anal sac & especially in breeder males,they tend to drag their bottom through the shavings,etc & it may accumulate in this sac along with feeces,causing the impaction.I will be posting pics on here in the near future to give you a better idea of what to look for.For impactions,you can take some mineral oil or vaseline & gently grease the inner part of the anal sac.If there is a large clump present,you will need to remove it.Most importantly,be gentle & if in doubt or if you need help,you may take your piggy to a vet & they can show you what to do.The major "signs" of illness to watch for are: lack of appetite,low water consumption,less than usual stools produced,not much urine/wetness in "bathroom corners",hunched appearance,ruffled look to hair/coat,eyes looking sunk in,crusting of eyes,etc.In any of these cases you'd want to keep a watchful eye & contact a vet who specializes in exotic animals to include guinea pigs.Be aware that antibiotics are not good for guinea pigs.There are only a few that they can safely take.Many of them are unsafe because they "break down" a guinea pigs immune system.The 2 that are most known for their use in guinea pigs are Baytril & Bactrim.All penicillin based antibiotics are a no-no.Watch here for a more complete list of what can be used & what cannot.
BREEDING
I do not personally recommend breeding guinea pigs unless you are knowledgeable in this area & are prepared to deal with the end results (AKA lots of babies).I love guinea pigs & have raised 1000's over the years but even with my experience,I too have had a few "problems" crop up.Males can breed as early as 3 weeks of age & females at 4 weeks.This can happen even though they are not fully grown & fully mature enough. Many times people purchase what is supposed to be 2 females or 2 males but instead they end up with a pair (this often happens in pet stores where workers are not properly taught how to sex them or where males & females are not housed seperate).Needless to say,regardless of their ages,they will produce babies soon.Gestation time ( length of time it takes for a mom to "carry" her young) is 63-71 days.Moms can have anywhere from 1-6 babies with 2-3 being the average.I've had as many as 9 born in 1 litter (none of which survived) & I have had several litters of 6 born where all lived.
The young are born fully furred with eyes open & can walk around quite well within minutes to an hour or so. They eat feed within hours (some babies may not eat a whole lot for the first few days though,especailly smaller babies) & can be weaned in as little as 2 weeks (I like to wait until atleast 3 weeks though).Females come back in heat & can become pregnant again in the first 24 hours after delivering her babies so it's best to remove the male before this happens.It is now being said that if a female has not had her first litter by the time she is 10 months old,she should never be bred. Because it is possible that by this time their pelvic bones have fused together & will no longer allow unborn babies to pass through & be born without a c-section.I always recommend keeping guinea pigs in same sex pairs.This is best done if you purchase young pigs that have either came from the same litter or if they have been caged together.
My best advice to people wanting to breed,read up as much as you possibly can & talk to experienced breeders FIRST. There are many wonderful websites on the net & plenty of good books at libraries, etc.You will want to read up on Roan's & Dalmation's (2 seperate color varieties) which when bred together,can create "lethal" or microthalmic babies. These babies are born with various deformities including blindness,deafness & few to no teeth.They are always born white with red eyes & do not normally live full & productive lives although depending on the degree of their disabilities,can make good pets when taken care of properly.They do require more time.Below you can se our pet Lethal,Damian who will turn 1 year old on 10/24/06.I have to clip his one & only front tooth weekly and he loves having a buddy for companionship.
"Damian" our pet lethal with his cage buddy,DooDad
INTERESTING FACTS
Males are referred to as boars & females as sows (just like in pigs).Babies are called "pups"
The average life expectancy is 4-5 years but, with the proper care guinea pigs can live to be 8-10 yrs old (I've personally seen this happen)
The average baby guinea pig weighs 2.6 ounces at birth (the smallest I've ever personally seen was 1.5oz & did not survive & the biggest was 5.5oz & did live)
A mommy pig almost doubles her weight when pregnant (poor thing :( )
If 2 or more sows are left together,when their "pups" are born they'll often share nursing duties.
Guinea pigs do something called coprophagy, (fancy way of saying that they eat their own droppings on a regular basis). It is important for a first time owner to know that this is completely normal for them; in fact, it is an essential source of protein for them.Theie stools are rich in Vitamin K & various B vitamins too.This is a result of bacterial fermentation in their "hind gut".So please don't think that, because they eat their own droppings, the animals are sick or dirty; they do not eat old,dry droppings from the cage floor,but instead pull moist ones directly from the a special sack in their rectum (but they might occasionally drop these on their cage floor, then eat them before they dry out).
One pig can produce up to 150 caecotrophes each day! (the soft,edible stools described above)
Guinea pigs are the #2 most popular pet in the world (Rabbits come in #1)
