Guinea Pig Information?

Question

I am considering adopting a guinea pig but I have never had one and I don't know very much about them. Can anyone give me some information on the following?
How fragile are they?
How big of a cage is needed?
Are they to be let out of their cage often?
Do they bite?

Any additional info would be helpful also as well as any web-sites that have good, trustworthy information. I have always adopted dogs and rabbits and have two of each at the present time. Thanks ahead for the help. I would appreciate only serious answers.

Answer 1

Guinea Pigs are fragile in the sense that they can hurt themselves fairly easy, but they don't get sick often as long as they are well cared for.
A single Guinea Pig need a cage that is at least 7.5 sq ft but more is preferred.
Guinea Pigs love to be out of their cage, you can put them on the floor in a safe room where getting under things is blocked off and wires are blocked off. Don't get a Guinea Pig size ball though, it can hurt their backs because the ball really isn't big enough for them. And they love to have toys on the floor with them, such as wooden tunnels, wooden houses, wooden chew sticks, small stuff animals, and balls to push around, nothing paper or cardboard as these both contain things that are poisonous to Guinea Pig healthy.
They don't bite in the sense that they are going to draw blood, but they tend to nip at you at first, once they are use to you they'll stop that.
Guinea Pigs don't stink, their pee doesn't stink like many people believe, if it does stink then the Guinea Pig is sick and needs to see a vet immediately as this could be a sign of serious health problems.
When you first get the Guinea Pig your going to need to talk to him/her, pet him/her and take him/her out every day for a an hour or more so he/she get use to your smell and voice. Also if you get only one your going to need to spend more time with it, as they can be depressed and make themselves sick. Your going to need to take it out twice a day for an hour, and talk to it in between those times. They are use to being in large group and are very social.
I would suggest that you pick up the book....Guinea Pig Handbook, it is a really good book with all the information you need and more. Also check out this web site, I find it very trustworthy......www.guinealynx.com
I hope this helps and that everything works out for you.

Answer 2

I have owned 4 guinea pigs in my life.
They are as fragile as a rabbit since you own one.
Just do not drop them from high heights and you will be okay.
Oh yeah the number 1 death for guinea pigs is a cold
So keep them in moderate temperatures without a draft of cold air.
The cage you will need will be about
about 3/4 the size of a rabbit hutch.
27 inches by 18 inches. for 1 or 2 guinea pigs.
Add another 2-4 inches for every guinea pig after that.
let them out as often as you want to. they will not really go anywhere. I had a cage made just for outside.with no bottom.
they love grass and green things and will eat all day.
No, they bite alot less than Rabbits
the only time I was ever bitten by my guinea Pigs is when I had just fed him a part of a carrot and my finger still smelled and I am sure to him looked like a carrot.

Answer 3

Not very fragile, but they can catch colds. They require vitamin C as their bodies cannot manufacture its own.

A 2 foot x 2 foot cage is cramped but sufficient. I built a 2x4 foot.

They can be let out but spread a sheet as they will defecate at will, and often. Also be sure to barricade them as they will run around and under things exploring.

Yes they will bite, but not out of malice. They will chew on anything, in fact, being rodents, they must chew constantly to wear away their teeth. A rodents teeth grow continually their whole life.

Other things worth mentioning:

Keep dry food, Guinea pig pellets, available all the time.

Do not use rabbit pellets, although they are similar, they do not contain the vital vitamin C!

Give them something ''green'' once a day. Carrots are considered green.

Spike thier water bottle with vitamin droplets available at pet stores and some supermarkets.

Use a base of ''litty litter'' covered with cedar chips for maximum absorbtion. They pee a lot! They also tend to be sloppy drinkers so a small heavy saucer or plate under the water bottle is recomended.

The only way to ''sex'' a guinea pig (tell if it's a boy or girl) is to turn it on its back and rub the private area with your forefinger. A penis will appear if it's a male.

Keep small children from handling as they (the children) tend to be too rough with small animals.

Never place your guinea pig on high surfaces such as tables and the like as thay will be injured when they jump off.

Keep your eyes on his claws, when they get too long they will angle to the side and should be trimmed. Never cut off more than an 1/8 of an inch and use regular nailclippers. Be sure to turn the clippers so you are cutting from each side of the nail and not the top and bottom! His nails should always be at least 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long, never shorter!

Grom with a brush and comb and very rarely a bath. Keep him warm untill he is dry. Use a Blow dryer on low setting only and hold it far enough away, it doesn't take much to overheat the little guys.

I bred Peruvian Guinea Pigs for ten years and I think I gave you most of what I learned, GOOD LUCK and have fun!

Answer 4

Hi there! There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet about guinea pigs and their care. As a rescuer (who deals with many miskept guinea pigs), and owner of 6 guinea pigs myself, I personally feel like the following websites have the BEST information available on guinea pig care.

http://www.guinealynx.info - Best dietary info, and best medical info. I use their forum as does our exotics vet for case studies on guinea pig health problems.

http://www.cavycages.com - How to build a cheap cage that's big enough for guinea pigs, as there are no pet store cages that are adequate.

http://www.cavyspirit.com - Great social information and general care information from one of the top rescues in the country.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I have had 3 guinea pigs. They are not so fragile that you cannot handle them, A rather large cage is good, don't put them in a hamster cage. I never locked mine in a cage often, I even let them outside to roam around the neighbourhood and they always came home, never got harmed or anything. They can bite when they are young, but Its not a hard bite and should not penetrate your skin, once they are a few months old the biting should stop completely.

Answer 6

Guinea pigs are soo cute. I love them. They are pretty fragile. Their cage is medium to large size. They love excersize. You can put them out in a ball thats Guinea Pig size. Some bite it depends. They can bite when irritated, scared, or smell food on your hands. Usually Guinea Pigs are sweet and lovable.

Answer 7

i have a guinnea pig. had it about 2 years almost now. great small animal for children. mine is nervous around ppl though. he has bit my daughter once. i wouldnt say they r very fragile. right now, he is in an aquairium from walmart but i wanna get a bigger one.if ya have any other questions, just im me..

Answer 8

guinea pigs pee all over the place all the time. unless you like the smell of pee, like snuggling up with a pee soaked animal and like cleaning up pee, i wouldn't get one.

Answer 9

google.com

Answer 10

LAZY