Everything You Need to Know About Guinea Pigs

If your looking for a new, fun, and exciting pet to join your family you might want to consider a guinea pig. Guinea pigs make wonderful pets, and are great with children. They are rather affordable, and definitely entertaining. However, like with any animal you need to do a little research. Knowing the pros and cons of a pet before you buy one, can be very helpful in the long run.

The Cage:
Guinea pigs need a open cage to allow fresh air to flow through. Some guinea pigs are keep in tanks but, it is not healthy for them. A wire cage is ideal for housing. If you do not have other pets in the home, you might want to consider a open top cage. Similar to a playpen, a open top cage allows for easy access. Guinea pigs can not climb or jump, so if you choose an open top cage, it only needs to be 10 to 12 inches high depending on their size. You should make sure that your cage has a water bottle, feed dish, and a place for the guinea pig to hide. You can find eatable logs at most pet supply stores, that not only provide your guinea pig with a place to hide, but also aids keeping their teeth healthy. A guinea pigs teeth is always growing, so they will need something to chew on. You will also need some sort of bedding in your cage. Bedding not only keeps the cage enjoyable for the guinea pig, it also absorbs it's waste until you get it trained. You can place a litter pan in the cage, but potty training a guinea pig isn't an easy task. You should be prepared to clean the cage at least every other day regardless. If you do not keep the cage clean several things will happen. First off, it is very unhealthy for a guinea pig to be housed in a dirty cage. A dirty cage will cause it to become very ill, and even death might be an end result. Not only that, but a dirty cage stinks! Guinea pigs can cause your entire house to have a very unpleasant oder if the cage is not cleaned regularly.