There are many factors to consider when looking for guinea pig bedding. Of course, the main factor is how comfortable the bedding will be for your guinea pigs. Guinea pigs have very sensitive feet, and a rough bedding can be quite irritating and can cause their paws to become sore and painful over time. They are also quite sensitive to strong smells and lingering particles in the air, so it’s important to find a bedding that has minimal odours and  dust.

Thankfully, baby guinea pigs don’t have any specific needs or requirements that you must see to. They are almost fully independent from their first day in the big wide world! Their only requirement is that they must be kept close to their mother as they will need to nurse from her. Guinea pig milk is full of healthy fats, vitamins, and antibodies to help the babies grow big and strong.

We are rapidly approaching the end of the year, and as we creep closer to October, Halloween feels just around the corner. Halloween is a great time for people to dress up, decorate their house with some spooky decorations and take the little ones trick-o-treating. However, who’s to say Halloween is just for humans? Guinea pigs certainly are an animal that can enjoy the holiday too! There are many great ways to include your furry friends in the spooky spirit.

When it comes to setting up an indoor guinea pig cage, there are some things that you need to consider. You may be tempted to pop it down as close to you as possible, so you always have your piggies by your side, but this isn’t necessarily what’s best for them. Guinea pigs can be sensitive animals and can become highly stressed from factors in their environment.

Much of the ease of guinea pig litter training comes from the fact guinea pigs can be completely litter trained in only a few days! Guinea pigs are intelligent animals and will thrive off of the safety and stability a litter box can bring. You may have noticed your piggies tend to pee and poop in the same few areas anyway, so adding a litter tray to their routine will be straightforward.

If you’re looking for a new animal, one of the main factors you should always consider is their ease of care. If you’re a busy individual who spends most of their days going out and about, getting an animal with high care needs certainly wouldn’t be the ideal option. Luckily for you, both hamsters and guinea pigs are fairly simplistic when it comes to their care.

Traditionally, sawdust was the go-to bedding for guinea pigs until owners and researchers noticed that guinea pigs were frequently developing respiratory conditions. It was quickly discovered the source of this was the sawdust, as it was extremely fine and far too easy for a piggy to inhale. Their bodies aren’t able to effectively filter out the dust, so it remains inside and can lead to discomfort and infections.

No guinea pig owner likes the idea of their precious guinea pigs falling ill, but sadly it is something that is bound to happen at some point in time. In the meantime, it’s always a great idea to learn about the common signs and symptoms of sickness, so you know exactly what to look for if you suspect your guinea pig is getting sick.

Guinea pigs are extremely interesting animals, with a plethora of wonderful traits and quirks. Most people have a basic knowledge of guinea pigs, but there is so much more to them that we would love to share. They are an animal that has evolved and survived for millions of years, and throughout that time have developed some amazing features. So, let us share with you 5 must-know facts about guinea pigs.

There are a wide variety of considerations that go into choosing the right guinea pig. Introducing an animal into your home is a huge commitment and responsibility, so it’s absolutely vital that you fully think about all the factors that can influence the guinea pig’s suitability to you. We all want to find the right animal for us, but it’s also important to make sure we are right for the animal.

Just like with any animal, the different breeds within the species can come with great variety in their physical appearance. For the most part, the changes from breed to breed in guinea pigs are mainly differences in their fur colours, patterns and length. However, there are some breeds that get a little bigger than others.

Helping your piggies live a long and fulfilling life is certainly any owner’s biggest goal. The main way of ensuring your guinea pigs live to their old guinea pig age is maintaining their health. Keeping their environment sanitary through daily cleaning, keeping their diet balanced with veggies, pellets and hay and providing them with plenty of toys, tunnels and hutches.

Chemical cleaners are highly effective at ensuring your guinea pig’s cage is clean, but these can be difficult to use due to their strong scents and potential for irritating the skin. Luckily, there are some natural alternatives that can get the job done too.

The most popular natural pet cleaning products contain distilled white vinegar. Creating a 1:1 ratio of white vinegar to water is super effective at removing bacteria and keeping surfaces nice and clean. Following on from the vinegar, you’ll want to make sure you go over with warm water and a dry cloth to remove any lingering smells.

Another option is simply using a mild unscented soap and water. Liquid soaps are made to remove bacteria and other pathogens and when used with water and dried correctly, it’s perfectly safe for your piggies.

Bringing a new animal into your home is a big decision to make, and one that should be given great thought and care. While most people will opt for the typical dog or cat, buying a guinea pig is often not given a second thought. This, I say, is their loss! Guinea pigs can make the perfect pets for a multitude of reasons.

Guinea pigs are medium sized rodents originating from South America and are sometimes referred to as ‘piggies’ or ‘cavies’. They have been popular household pets for centuries, and rightfully so. Guinea pigs have larger than life personalities and light up any room they find themselves in.

There are a limitless list of reasons why guinea pigs make the best pets, and each one will have you frantically searching for ‘guinea pigs near me’, but we have compiled a list of our top 5 reasons to share the love for these animals and show you why they should be the main choice when you’re looking for a new furry friend.

We can’t do much about genetics, but as a guinea pig parent, you should be aware of everything you can do to keep your cavy healthy for as long as possible. For example, they need a very healthy diet, little to no sugar and the opportunity to exercise. Much like us, if these factors are combined, they have a great chance of living a full and long life.

Guinea pigs can become sexually mature at a very early age. Some can only be 5-6 weeks old when they get pregnant. Male guinea pigs as young as 3 weeks are able to impregnate a female so if you have both female and male cavies, or your female has been in contact with a healthy male – be careful, as you could become a cavy grandparent a lot sooner than you thought.

Guinea pigs will produce 100 poops a day on average, with the number reducing gradually as they age. However, it’s hard to count exactly how much poop guinea pigs will eat in a day since they only eat a certain type of poop.

The type of poop your guinea pig will eat is called caecotrophs. This type of poop is the first poop they take after a meal and they will eat it almost immediately before our eyes.

Guinea pigs and rabbits aren’t natural buddies. They are both sociable, but each prefers living with their own kind. It was common for pet owners to keep guinea pigs and rabbits together due to the belief that neutering rabbits was an unsafe practice. However, this procedure is now extremely safe and routine. So there is no reason rabbits can’t be kept together, instead of with guinea pigs. It is also best to keep guinea pigs with same-sex cavy friends, as they will get along well and reduce stress.

Any type of animal is huge amount of responsibility, especially for a child. Guinea pigs are great animals and make wonderful companions. They may offer ample opportunities to teach children about responsibility and care.

It’s also crucial to consider the fact that children, especially younger children, aren’t capable enough to be in charge the guinea pig care. UK law states that no one under the age of 16 can be responsible for the care of an animal, their day-to-day husbandry will fall onto the parent or any adults in the home.

Living in an apartment or flat can feel quite restrictive for an animal lover. So, having a little herd of guinea pigs can be a great option. Guinea pigs’ main requirement is space, so you’ll need to be able to provide a room exclusively for them, or section off a larger room for their cage.