what are guinea pigs like?

Question

i might get one but im not shor what there like.

Answer 1

smelly little rodents!

Answer 2

Well firstly I must warn you - guinea pigs are addictive. At the moment I have 11. The reason I love them so much is because they do not bite (I have had them for 12 years and never been bitten), they make cute noises, they look cute and chubby, and they don't run around when you hold them (unlike hamsters, rabbits and gerbils..etc...) They are also not nocturnal so you can hold them whenever. People often say they are shy, but these guinea pigs aren't handled enough and most that are in petshops aren't kept in a nice way and to end up being very skittish. Mine are all cheeky litter buggers and will do anything for my attention.

Do not get one - they are social animals. Guinea pigs won't be any fun on their own, they will not be as tame and will not relax with you. They need a cagemate.

Answer 3

Apparently they learn the sound of your footsteps so can tell if it's you or someone else walking towards them after a while. I knew a guinea pig called Dumpling..

Answer 4

I know that everyone else has had perfect little rodents, but I bought one [who gave birth to three less than a month later] and they all acted like stuck up snobby cats. No matter how much I handled them, gave them treats, and babied them. I would let them out to play and they would go to their respective corners and clean themselves and ignore me unless I was trying to pick them up, or bribe them with a treat. Unfortunately, I love cats but cannot have any due to my stepfathers 'allergy', so they were kind of like a surrogate.

Answer 5

They are very sweet and they know voices and respond, mine squeels and snorts when I get her food bag out. But they do need maintenence by a vet like getting their nails and teeth trimmed. Also don't use cedar wood chips in it's cage it will make your piggie sick. They like to go outside and run in the grass.Also they like to chew and nibble on wood. Also love fresh veggies. Sometimes tou can get one that likes to bite but in general they don't bite. They just nibble a bit!!

Answer 6

Small furry creatures with no tail.

But have you ever thought
that if a guinea pig had a tail
it would put it's price up from a guinea to thirty bob!

(YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER PRE-DECIMALISATION TO UNDERSTAND )

Answer 7

I hope that this helps :-

This page is by the request of Nicola Phillips, Kent, UK


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Guinea Pigs?

A guinea pig is not a pig at all (shame, throw it off the Oink site) it's a kind of rodent like a mouse, rat, beaver, porcupine or hamster.

Many years ago guinea pigs only lived in south America. The local people used them for food, yes they ate them... Traders visiting South America returned with them and they have since spread all over the world as pets.

Guinea pigs are very shy and will spend a lot of time hiding. They even eat at first and last light when other animals find it harder to see them. In the wild they live in long grass or other animals abandoned burrows. Guinea pigs make very good pets.


Choosing your Guinea Pig

There are many different kinds of guinea pig, Abyssinian, shaggy shelties, silky satins and wavy rexes to name just a few. Forget all that (unless it's very important to you - in which case look at the glossary at the bottom of the page). What you need is a short haired guinea pig. They are easy to look after and just as pretty as their long haired cousins.

Buy at least two guinea pigs. They get lonely on their own. You must get guinea pigs of the same sex (two boys or two girls) or you will very quickly have more guinea pigs than you can handle. If you are going to have more than two then you should get females as males will fight. Kate says "typical". Choose your guinea pigs from a litter that is at least six weaks old.

The puppies (baby guinea pigs) that you choose should be plump and well fed, should have bright eyes and clear ears and nose, and should have shiny, silky fur all over including under the bottom.


A place to live

OK, so you're going to get guinea pigs. But you can't have them running loose around the house (or garden) so get their house ready first.

The first thing to decide is are they going to live indoors or out?. If the answer is indoors (check with mum and dad) then a small cage for sleeping is fine. Maybe one foot (30cm) by one foot for each pig. They will also need a play room for when they are awake. This is a flat wooden tray about 2 feet (60cm) wide by 3 feet (1m) long with a side all around at least 8 inches (20cm) high These can be either bought or made very easily. OR you can buy a special, multi-layer, super stacking, wonder house, with tubes, wheels, bedrooms, and other exciting and very exspensive stuff. If they are going outside then you need a hutch and a wire run. You could also fence off a small patch of your lawn and let them have a play area for when they're not in their hutch.


Stuff To Own

Line the floor of the cage, playroom or hutch with newspaper.
Buy (or get dad or mum to bring home from work) shredded paper for bedding.
Get hold of some dry, fresh hay for nibbling and bedding (optional but nice)
Put in a short piece of a fruit tree branch (6inches) to chew on or buy chews from your pet shop. This will keep their teeth worn down.
A low, heavy food bowl.
A water sipper bottle.
Cardboard tubes, boxes etc. to play with and chew.
A clay pipe, pot or bowl to climb on,in and through.
DON'T put plastic in with your guinea pigs as they will chew it and may choke.

What to feed them.

Guinea Pigs are vegetarians. Don't buy them burgers they'll just waste them. Fresh scraps from the kitchen are fine as are grass (not lawn clippings), dandelions,and clover. They will also like celery, cucumber, sweetcorn (maize), capsicum pepper, carrots and fruit. More convenient and cheaper is dried mix from the pet shop. A large bag will last for ages.



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THE CHILDRENS STOMPING GROUND MAIN PAGE
THE PET INDEX


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GLOSSARY
Abyssinians:- These have longish hair growing in many "clumps" making them look shaggy.
Agouti:- All wild guinea pigs are agouti. Each hair changes colour from tip to root usually from dark root to light tip.
Crowning crests:- These have a crest of hair on their heads.
Non-self:- Have three colours in their coats for example black, brown and white.
Peruvian:- Peruvian guinea pigs have long hair which grows right to the ground. The front covers their eyes unless brushed back. The hair is soft and silky.
Self:- Guinea pigs with a single colour in their coat.
Shaggy Shelties:- These have long hair like a Peruvian but it doesn't cover their eyes.
Short haired:- These have short hair. Really. They do!
Silky Satins:- These have very silky soft fur.
Waxy Rexes:- These have short waxy fur which feels course to the touch.
NOTE: Guinea pigs can be a mix of the above. Non-self agouti rex, self peruvians and non-self crested for example.

Answer 8

There lovely I had one she was so tame I only put her in a cage at night.Her name was connie & she would come running when shouted.

Answer 9

sweet and cute, and need care and gentle homes - no small children and fresh bedding and food and water daily. Regualr handeling and brushing gently

Answer 10

They're like bigger versions of hamsters and incredibly cute.If you do get one it may be better to get another for company.Ps they do squeak a bit

Answer 11

my mom has 4 and they are cute my little sister loves holding them and they are tame and my mom says easy to keep and dont cost much my mom says i should look after them more instead of her