Guinea Pigs: THE ULTIMATE HANDBOOK

Why Guinea Pigs Are Perfect for You

Guinea pigs are small little beings full of life and joy. In this chapter you will be able to see if a guinea pig is the perfect pet for you or not. 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE GETTING A GUINEA PIG

Getting a pet is of course nothing you do every single day. That's why it's important to make it as good as possible, both for you and your guinea pig. There are certainly a few things you should know before going to the store to buy your new friends. 

- Guinea pigs are herd animals: they need a friend in their cage. When you buy guinea pigs you need at least two of them. They are very social animals, both towards humans and other guinea pigs. Piggies that don't get a friend often feel lonely and are less active than guinea pigs that live in pairs. You could almost say that only having one guinea pig requires more work than getting two; that's because the lonely guinea pig will need much more attention from you and several hours a day of caring. Two guinea pigs usually only need 1 hour of attention every day (excluding feeding and cleaning). 

- NO BATHS: you read it, guinea pigs never need a bath. Bathing their feet only is OK, but never shower them full-body unless your vet says so. Usually guinea pigs that need baths have certain skin disease that needs a lot of cleaning. Healthy guinea pigs don't require any baths at all. 

- Patience: a big part of keeping guinea pigs, especially in the beginning, is having patience. Your guinea pigs will surely run away and not come close to you the first few months. It's best not to pet them or try to touch them before they're comfortable with you. (More about taming will be in another manual for taming.)

- Hay, hay everywhere: yep... it's true. It may not be fun all the time, but sweeping up hay from the floor will become a big part of your life as an owner. Hay will get stuck on your piggies' fur and when it walks on the floor the hay spreads. When pouring hay into the hay holder, at times it will fall out. You might also find hay stuck on your clothes and bed sheets if unlucky... but it does pay off. It's really worth it. 

- Cleaning the cage: this should be pretty obvious, but apart from picking up their poop every day, their cage should be thoroughly cleaned every week. This includes emptying the cage from straw, toys and chips and brushing and washing the cage base in the shower or bath tub. Pee stains will also have to be removed. Washing the dishes (water bowl, water bottle, food bowl) is also required. 

As you can see, it is a lot of work and it'll not always be fun. But if you're really up to the job and the responsibility, go for it!