The guinea pig we know and love today was domesticated between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago from highland colonies
in South America. They have become popular as a show and pet animal,
particularly for children.
Despite looking quite different from their wild cousins, domestic guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) still behave in much the same way. Like lots of pet animal species, however, they are much more docile, friendly and inquisitive towards people. They also come in a huge variety of both colours and coat types and live for between 5 and 7 years.
Fundamentally, guinea pigs are a prey species, and many of their physical and behavioural traits
have evolved to help them avoid predators. They hear well at high frequencies and use the burrows
of other animals to live in and flee to when threatened. Key to avoiding predators is their dependence
on living in a large group of between 6 – 10 individuals, usually a boar (male), one or more sows (females)
and their offspring. Within the groups they build very complex and long lasting relationships.
Baby guinea pigs are calls pups and they are born fully furred with their eyes open. They can eat and run around within 24 hours of birth and can be weaned at 3 days if necessary. Usually however they will stay with their mother until around 3 weeks and can be rehomed at this time. Pups that are used to the presence of people and that have experienced gentle handling will be more able to accept it happily when in their new home.
Males are known as boars and females are called sows. Guinea pigs need company of their own kind and can be kept in same sex groups or in pairs. However, if you are planning to keep a male and female together, it is essential that the male be neutered to avoid unwanted babies. It takes approximately four weeks for a male to become sterile after being neutered. It is advisable to phone around to find a vet who has experience of neutering small pets like guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs don’t have a huge range of body postures that they can use for communication – no wagging tails or large ears. Instead they have a wide range of vocalisations. These include ‘wheeks’, ‘purrs’, ‘growls’, and many variations in between. Your guinea pigs will display these towards each other and you!
Guinea pigs are curious and like to see what is going on, so they can be kept either indoors or out. However, they have sensitive hearing so, unless your home is quiet, they are usually happiest outdoors. They need a large predator-proof wooden hutch and run. Each hutch should have a separate sleeping area where the guinea pigs can retreat out of sight to get some peace and quiet. The hutch and run should be housed out of direct sunlight in a weatherproof, draught-proof shed, as guinea pigs are susceptible to all extremes of weather. Do not keep guinea pigs – or any other animals – in a garage that is used to house vehicles, as vehicle fumes can kill. Extra shelter and bedding must be provided during the winter months. The best form of bedding is bagged, pet shop straw (un-bagged straw may contain mange mites). If you use wood shavings they must be dust-free and you should avoid cedar shavings as they can cause health problems. Never use fluffy bedding as it can get wrapped around limbs and injure your guinea pig. It will also not dissolve if eaten.
Try to replicate natural environments by providing tunnels, straw and hay for burrowing, upturned boxes, nesting areas and many different levels. Adding rocks, bushes, leaves and occasionally moving the furniture about will provide further variety and mental stimulation.
A thorough clean out of your guinea pig hutch will need to be done very regularly, guinea pigs produce large amounts of faeces and urine – and they are not particular about where they leave it. Your guinea pigs may well hide when you first open the cage. Rather than chasing and catching them individually encourage them into a particular nesting box, pigloo or tunnel and take out the whole thing, ensuring that they can’t fall out of any open ends or doors. Place it in the holding area you have chosen and when finished replace it and allow your pets to come out at their leisure.
Place food in earthenware bowls (which are hard to tip over), or stainless steel bowls that clip on to the front of the hutch. Clean, fresh water from a gravity bottle must be available at all times and changed on a daily basis. Do not feed rabbit food to guinea pigs, as guinea pigs have different nutritional requirements to rabbits. Guinea pigs can become obese if fed too much food or treats.
All guinea pigs will need at least a daily exercise session to keep them healthy and happy. Choose an open room in the house that can be sealed off and make sure there are no loose cables or electrical wires at guinea pig height. Fill open spaces with tunnels, bricks, pieces of hollow log, pot plants (check to make sure they are non-toxic) and upside down tissue boxes or small cardboard boxes for them to hide in and around.
Next, provide them with toys like toilet rolls stuffed with timothy hay, carrots suspended from a string above, cat balls with bells, scattered pellet food for foraging and any other guinea pig toys that you can find. Spend some time in the room allowing your guinea pigs to come to you in their own time and rewarding them with treats and strokes when they do.
Initially, allow your pet to settle into the new environment for 24 hours with food, water, toys and hiding places.
Make sure before handling to rub your hands in their bedding so that you smell slightly familiar. As with many small
mammals that we keep as pets, letting them control interactions is much more likely to result in a cooperative pet
than chasing them around the cage each and every time and forcing them to sit on your lap for a stroking session afterwards.
Have you ever stopped to think that your hand looming in to catch your pet resembles the silhouette that they might
expect from a bird of prey? Some tasty veggies and a towel to transfer them securely from hutch to lap will be much
more effective – and the towel will even protect you from any accidents should they happen. Remember that whilst
guinea pigs make great children’s pets they must be supervised at ALL times.
They are quite capable of nipping people or injuring themselves by engaging in large leaps to escape if they feel
threatened. Over-boisterous handling of the squeezing type is likely to cause this, or the much more serious
problem of internal damage to the pet.
Like all our pets, guinea pigs need regular health checks. Register with your vet and they will give you the best guidance with regards to the many aspects of your pet’s health. If your guinea pig is unwell then it may also need prompt attention. On a daily basis observe your pet: its eyes should be clean and bright, its behaviour should be lively and inquisitive, it should be eating and drinking and there should be no changes in dropping consistency or colour. If you are at all concerned contact your vet. It is probably better to seek veterinary advice sooner rather than later.
When you do take your guinea pig to the vet, remember the following;
Not many people are able to keep guinea pigs in normal groupings of between 6 and 10 animals! However, a pair or group of three will allow them to engage in natural social behaviours and gives them group security. Make sure that introductions are done on neutral territory with some toys, hiding places and food scattered. Although it is not always the case that males will fight with other males, it is always safer to keep to a male and female pair, or a male and several females, to avoid having to rehome one if they don’t get along. Your male guinea pig can be castrated at the vet to avoid you ending up with a pregnant sow – males are sexually mature between 3 and 5 weeks, and females at around 6 weeks so this needs to be done as soon as possible.