Guinea Pigs 101

Guinea Pigs - Separating Fact From Fiction
By Amanda Toop

The release of Disney's new 3D animated feature film, "G-Force", is likely to result in a large increase guinea pigs and guinea pig ownership. Before you decide to add a furry friend to your family make sure that you know the REAL facts.

Prevent Injury

Part of what makes the guinea pigs in G-Force so exciting is that they can do a lot of cool tricks like parachute, drive cars, and do martial arts. In real life they are actually easily injured. Small children should not carry guinea pigs or hold them without supervision. Falls from relatively short distances can result in broken limbs and even death. Make sure that you do not try to pick up a guinea pig by its limbs - this can also result in injury.

Large Cages Not Fish Tanks

The guinea pigs in G-Force live with other animals in a fish tank. In real life your furry friend needs a large (at least 7.5 square feet for a single pet) well ventilated cage. If a cage is not properly ventilated the bedding will stay wet causing odor and illness. Avoid pine and cedar bedding as both contain resinous oils that can cause serious respiratory problems. Look for other options like Carefresh, fleece, or Timothy hay.

Guinea pigs also need friends, but these should be other guinea pigs not rats, mice, hamsters, or rabbits. Rabbits in particular can be quite dangerous and cause numerous injuries. Make sure that you do not accidentally house male and female together as pregnancies can be very risky and average litter size can range from four to eight puppies.

No Running in Plastic Balls

Why? Guinea Pigs lack the spinal flexibility to conform to the shape of the ball and they can become injured. For the same reason avoid rodent wheels. Instead clear an enclosed space in your home and allow your furry friend to run free and play at least once per day.

Greens and Veggies!

Your guinea pig will want to be fed at least one cup of tasty green leafy veggies every day. Your furry friend is also unable to make their own vitamin C, so save money on vitamin drops and provide parsley, kale, and red pepper. Also avoid offering additional types of foods like seeds and dried fruits. Seeds are not digestible and dried fruit contains too much sugar. The only other food your pet needs other than food pellets is fresh Timothy hay. Like other rodents, guinea pigs have teeth that grow continuously. If let without abrasive food to eat, teeth can overgrow leading to serious health problems.

Amanda is a lifelong guinea pig lover. For more great guinea pig information, visit http://www.guineapigresource.com

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