How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live?
A guinea pig playing in the grass
What is a Guinea Pig’s Life Expectancy?
The guinea pig life expectancy is about 5 – 8 years. For many piggy owners. This time may go by in the blink of an eye, but it’s actually a relatively long lifespan in terms of rodents and other small mammals. Most small rodents only live about 2 – 3 years, so the extra years you may have with a guinea pig can make a world of difference.
It’s important to remember that this range is not a definite number. Sadly, some piggies don’t live long enough to meet the average, while others can live well beyond the predicted 8 years. The oldest known guinea pig was just under 15 years old when they passed! With the correct care, the guinea pig life expectancy may be over 10 years for your furry friend.
How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live Indoors?
Indoor guinea pigs can easily live to the average guinea pig life expectancy indoors, as long as their needs are fully met. There’s a common belief that the simple factor of keeping guinea pigs indoors or outdoors will greatly influence how long they live, however, this isn’t true at all. Guinea pigs can live equally long lives inside and outside, it just depends how well their needs are met.
Caring for Indoor Guinea Pigs
Your beloved friend can easily live to reach an old guinea pig age living inside. In many cases, it can be easier to guarantee their health in an indoor environment as many factors are simpler to control. Inside, you won’t have to worry about the weather affecting their enclosure. It’s far easier to manage the room temperature inside than managing it for an outside enclosure.
One of the most vital parts of ensuring a piggy lives a long life is monitoring their health, and this can primarily be done through cleaning. Indoor cages are typically designed with cleaning effectiveness in mind; the process is straightforward and shouldn’t take much time out of your day.
As well as cleaning, guinea pigs can have more access to space while inside. You can provide them a room, or even let them roam the whole house if they please.
The more space a guinea pig has, the more opportunities for them to play and exercise.
How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live Outdoors?
As mentioned before, the guinea pig life expectancy mostly depends on how well their needs are being met. Outdoor guinea pigs can live well beyond 8 years too. Becoming an old guinea pig is just as possible outside as it is inside, they may just take a little extra monitoring.
Caring for Outdoor Guinea Pigs
When keeping guinea pigs outside, they’re at risk of being predated on. Foxes are incredibly smart, and sadly are one of the main causes of death for outside guinea pigs. To ensure your guinea pig is perfectly safe outside, you’ll want to make sure your outdoor guinea pig hutch is fully secured with fencing and complex locks.
Another factor that outdoor piggies are subjected to that indoor ones aren’t, is the weather. Guinea pig’s need to stay warm and dry, which can be a challenge especially when living in areas with gloomy weather. Ideally, enclosures should be placed in a covered area that is protected from the rain. Their hutches also may need some added insulation, especially during the winter months if they live outside year-round.
Besides those few, yet crucial factors, the guinea pig life expectancy doesn’t change much at all. Whether they are inside or outside, if their physical and emotional needs are being catered to, guinea pigs can live long and fulfilling lives.
A guinea pig exploring outside
How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live in the Wild?
Wild guinea pigs tend not to live as long as their domestic counterparts. It’s definitely sad to think about, but it’s also understandable if you consider the environment they live in. Wild guinea pigs can be found in South America, specifically the Andes region. The environment in this area can be quite harsh, and food sources are often scarce at different times of the year.
The guinea pig life expectancy for wild piggies is highly dictated by predators. Guinea pigs are a prey species after all, and there are many animals that would decide to have a guinea pig for dinner, including snakes, wild cats, owls and hawks.
A lack of medical care also plays a huge part in their short life expectancies. Any simple wounds or illnesses have the potential to develop into something much more serious, and the only opportunity for recovery is their bodies fighting whatever is harming them.
How to Make my Guinea Pig Live Longer?
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.
It’s also vital to build a good relationship with their vet and get your piggies in for check-ups every 6 months or so. Here you can voice any concerns you may have, get some advice on their care and investigate any problems you believe they may have.
While the care you provide them has the biggest impact on the guinea pig life expectancy, their genetics also play a role. A guinea pig that comes from a family line where medical issues are more prevalent may develop those issues as well. Luckily, depending on where you acquired your guinea pig, you may be able to get some insight. A private breeder or pet shop may be able to provide you with their medical history. Though, a guinea pig from a chain pet shop most likely won’t have this information available.
