Your New Pet Guinea Pig - What You’ll Need to Take Care of It

September 21st, 2009 · 1 Comment

by Terri White

When it comes to choosing your pet it’s important to weigh up how much responsibility you want to take on vs how rewarding that pet will be. The good news is that a pet guinea pig can give you the best of both worlds - they’re extremely friendly, need a reasonable degree of space, but don’t come with the huge responsibility of say a dog or a cat. This article is a brief guide to what you can expect when you bring your new pet home.

Getting Your Supplies Ready

Your new pet guinea pig is a responsibility, and may live between 5 to 7 years. This is why it’s important to get everything ready for them before you bring them home. Their cage will need to be spacious and include bedding, a water bottle, a covered sleeping area and food. It’s also a good idea to give them a chew toy to play with.

Your Pet Guinea Pig is Part of the Family!

Just like people, guinea pigs need their own space to move around, to eat their food and to rest. The general guideline is to give your pet at least 2 square feet of space. Since guinea pigs love company, it’s generally a good idea to get a bigger cage if possible. This gives them the necessary space to roam, as well as to feel at home. Not to mention the fact that they won’t try to escape if you keep them happy!

Guinea pigs will also need the space to hide away - especially if you have more than one. Give them a covered area to sleep and hide and they’ll be happy.

Learning to Interact With Your New Pet

It’s a well-known fact that guinea pigs are easily scared. This just means you need to give them time to get used to you. In order to show them that you aren’t a predator, make sure you never lean over their cage to watch them. Instead, kneel down to show them you’re friendly.

In order to strengthen the bond with your new pet, always be gentle when it comes to stroking them. Once they get used to you it’s ok to pick them up and hold them. Just make sure to remember how delicate they can be, and always support their whole bodies.

Guinea pigs won’t bite, which makes them great creatures to get close to. Just remember that it can take time, but once you have that bond it will never be broken!

About the Author:

Terri has had pet guinea pigs for years, and enjoys taking care of them. Learn how to look after your new pet guinea pig by visiting her guinea pig tips blog for more care information, reviews and tips. You’ll be able to find lots of free tips, including how to decipher that guinea pig language, as well as a guide to buying guinea pig cages.

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