The life expectancy for the guinea pig is 5 to 7 years.  Without your devotion and attention, his life may be even shorter.  If you have or plan to get one for a pet, you owe it to him to learn how to take care of a guinea pig.

Since the Spaniards introduced the guinea pig to Europe in the mid 16^th century, they have been wonderful domesticated pets.  Their life prior to that hadn’t been so great; the Incas used the little fellows for food.  If you do not take proper care of your little friend, he might just as well be in South America awaiting star billing as an entrée.

Guinea pigs don’t get very large and can easily be overlooked on the floor or outside in tall grass.  The most common accidents of guinea pigs involve falling off of something or having someone step on them.  Always know where they are, or get them a plastic ball to roll around in.  This gives them some protection from feet and predators.

As rodents, the pigs love to gnaw.  If they are not supervised, they will eat toxic plants, electric wires, shoes, and anything else that looks interesting to them.  Their teeth grow constantly, so they need safe things to chew on to keep the teeth worn down.  Hard wood and bone objects are good for this, just not so small to cause choking.

Guineas have constantly growing toenails, too.  They should be clipped once per month with standard toenail clippers.  If you mistakenly cut one too short, push it into a bar of soap to stop the bleeding, and apologize to your friend.

In the guinea pig’s cage, put a box with an open end for him to hide in because he is a timid creature.  The box can be cardboard, and you can replace it from time to time as it gets worn.  The bottom of the cage should be smooth and kept covered with hay, wood chips, or some other type of bedding to prevent his feet from getting inflamed and sore.  The cage doesn’t need a top if the sides are 16 to 20 inches high.

Your pig is a very delicate creature.  You should never grab him roughly, tug him, or snatch him around.  Use both hands to pick up your pig.  Place one hand under the hind quarters and the other under his neck.

If you have cats, dogs, or other indoor pets, do not allow them to be around the guinea pig without supervision until you are sure they will not harm him.  The plastic ball helps during the process of the pets learning to get used to each other.

Some of the more common illnesses and health problems associated with guinea pigs are:

* Pneumonia and hair loss caused by lack of vitamin C and other required nutrients.

* Debilitation because of age usually won’t happen before four years of age, if he is cared for properly.

* Diarrhea from intestinal problems caused by a diet with excessive sugar, carbohydrates, and fruits.

* Pasteurellosis is a disease caused by bacteria.  It causes eye and respiratory infections.  This, along with streptococcal infections, usually is caught from other pigs at a young age.

Except for old age problems, most of your pig’s health concerns will be alleviated if you take proper care of him.  If he gets sick, antibiotics do not work well in his system, so keep him healthy.  Learn how to take care of a guinea pig before you bring him home.  His life is in your hands.

They may seem to be finicky eaters sometimes, but it might be because you do not give them what they want or need.  Spending a lot of time in a cage limits the selection by an animal of what they can choose for themselves.  Considering this, what do guinea pigs eat?

Pellets, those brown, round, dried-up blocks, are the least important thing in a pig’s diet.  Only feed them a small portion per day, about 1/8 of a cup.  Never mix other things in with the pellets, like seeds or fruits.  This can make your pig into a picky eater, just as it might make you one, too, if someone mixed peas in your ice cream.

One of the primary foods for all guinea pigs is hay.  They may sleep in it, but they eat it, too.  There are several varieties of hay, and you should vary the one you supply to keep the pig from getting bored.  Alfalfa hay is good until the pig gets about six months old.  The large amount of calcium in it may contribute to disease if you use it on a regular basis.  Alfalfa hay can be given to the pig once per month to help supply protein.

Timothy hay is one of the higher quality ones.  It was introduced into the United States from Europe by the settlers.  A man named John Herd wrote about it as early as 1711, and named it “Herd Grass.”  A farmer named Timothy Hanson, who cultivated it as hay, is responsible for the name we know it by today.  It is the most often recommended guinea pig feed.

Other types of hay include orchard grass, oat hay, and meadow hay.  Although similar, each has a different texture and flavor.  It is much the same as different types of lettuces used in salads.

Water is very important to your little pet pig.  You should replace the water every day to ensure it does not get stagnant.  Sometimes during activities, the pig may spill the water into the hay and bedding.  Be observant of this and keep any wet bedding replaced.  When your pig eats a lot of fresh vegetables or fruits, he may not need as much water, but if dry food is all he has, the water is crucial to his diet.

Neither humans nor guinea pigs can produce vitamin C, so it is important to supplement it into their diet.  Guineas have a tendency to get scurvy because of the lack of vitamin C.  You should supply each pig with at least 20 milligrams of vitamin C each day.  The pellets supply some, but you have no way of gauging how much the pig receives based on what it eats.  Also, vitamin C added to food evaporates over time, and there may not be any present when the pellets are given to the pig.

You will need to find inventive ways to give vitamin C to your pig.  Drops placed in the drinking water may not work because the guinea pig might not like the taste.

So, what do guinea pigs eat?  They eat, for the most part, what you give them, and they depend on you to furnish healthy and safe food products.  Your pet depends on you for a healthy diet.  When you provide it properly, you will have a healthy, happy pet.

If you aren’t familiar with guinea pigs, you may not know that they actually “talk.”  All the guinea pig sounds have some type of meaning.  These sounds combined with their body language are their way of trying to communicate.

One sound that is often heard is a weeeking noise.  It has a kind of whistle at the end.  You will often hear this as you walk past the guinea pig’s cage.  This is most likely associated with the need for food; guinea pigs take the issue of food very seriously.  They love to eat.

If you have regular feeding times, this sound is probably heard plenty at those times.  Any movement that appears to involve the bringing of food will cause more of the weeeking sounds.  This is their attempt at training you to put more importance on their feeding times.

When a guinea lets out a shrieking sound, it means they are hurt or afraid.  This might happen inadvertently when you grab them suddenly or hold them too tight.  If you have a pair of these creatures, one might bite the other while playing.  A visit to the veterinarian for shots is a good cause for the little ones to let out a few of these shrieks.  When you hear this type of sound, it is time for you to comfort your pet by whatever means necessary.

Shrieking is also an alarm call.  This might occur if one pig is separated from another, such as when you take one out of the cage and leave the other inside.  For young guineas, this sound will occur when the mother is taken away from them for even the shortest time.

A third reason for the shrieking sound is when one pig is warning another to stay away.  This can happen when a strange pig is introduced into another guinea pig’s cage..  Guinea pigs can be aggressive to each other, and one might develop fear of another pig that has shown aggression previously.

A purring guinea pig means he or she is experiencing a pleasant and comforting feeling. They tend to make these sounds when you are gently petting them.  A shortened sound similar to this may mean they have been startled by a sudden noise that they do not recognize.

Guinea pigs have a large vocabulary, and you cannot always know what they are trying to tell you.  As with any animal, learn what yours is trying to say by observation of the environment and events that might be stimulating the sounds.  Even though the language is only noise to you, pay close attention to the different sounds.  You will, over time, find a pattern for the meanings.

You may not always know what your pet is trying to tell you, but with a little practice and experience, you can learn guinea pig sounds and their meanings.  With a little effort on your part, you might just be able to hold an intelligent conversation with yours one day.

For those of you who may not know, guinea pigs have been around for over 7,000 years.  From 1200 A.D. to the Spanish conquest in 1532 A.D., the natives of South America bred the little animals to produce many of the guinea pig breeds we have today.  It was not until the 15^th century that guinea pigs were considered as pets.

When guinea pigs were brought into Europe, competitive breeding organizations began to develop our tiny friends into appealing pets.  Today, the American Cavy Breeders Association is the governing body for breeding guinea pigs in the United States and Canada.  There are similar organizations in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand..  Every club sets its own Standards of Perfection to determine which breeds are registered.

Of the guinea pig pet varieties, the short hair, Abyssinian, Peruvian, and Sheltie are the most common.

The short coated cavy is often called the American or English.  It has consistently short and glossy hair, notably with no part.  They have a variety of colors as do most other breeds.  It is the more common of the guinea pig family.

The Abyssinian breed is known for rose like markings, or rosettes, in its hair.  The origin of the name is unknown, but probably has nothing to do with any geographical region.  The ideal Abyssinian has a total of 10 rosettes, 1 on each shoulder and hip, 2 on its rump, and 4 on its back.

The ancestor of all modern long haired guinea pigs is the Peruvian.  Its flowing mane makes it a little more difficult to keep as a pet.  Most owners will cut the hair regularly unless the animal is for show.  There are two coats of hair, the top and the undercoat.  The top coat can grow to 20 inches, but the undercoat only grows to about 6 inches

The Sheltie, or Silkie as it is sometimes called, has long hair similar to the Peruvian, except the hair faces toward the back of the animal rather than forward over its face.

Similar to the Silkie is the Texel guinea pig.  It has corkscrew type curly hair, and it originated in England.  The curls cover the entire body and require grooming on the part of the owner.

A Teddy guinea pig has fuzzy, thick hair.  It stands up giving the animal a stuffed toy animal appearance.  The Teddy’s belly is almost completely covered with hair, which is unlike most of the other breeds.  There are two kinds of Teddy, the US Teddy and the CH, or Swiss, Teddy.  Similar to the Teddy is the Rex, which has shorter hair.

There are more guinea pig breeds that are not as well known, and there are likely to be more varieties to come.  Each breed has its unique characteristics.

Guinea pigs are sometimes confused with hamsters because of their appearance, but they are much larger than their cousins, growing up to 12 inches long.  You can purchase a guinea pig for about $20, which makes for a small investment and a lot of fun.  Because they seldom bite, it is quite normal to have guinea pigs as pets.  They are considered one of the better pets for small children.

One reason they make excellent pets is that they are highly trainable animals.  Unlike many rodents, guineas can be litter trained.  They do urinate frequently because of their small bladders, so you must be prepared to take them out often.  It has been said by many piggy owners, that it is best to have a towel under them when you have them out since they are not able to be house trained.

All things considered, guinea pigs are very little trouble to maintain.  They are small enough to be handled with ease, even by children.  They love to be handled and petted as long as they are not treated roughly.  Male pigs are more active and larger than females.  The girls tend to enjoy cuddling slightly more than the boys, but both are highly affectionate and love all the attention you shower upon them.

It is necessary to have a regular schedule with guinea pigs.  You should feed them at the same time every day.  They will grow to expect to be played with at the same time every day, also.  Over time you will learn to recognize their squeals of delight when you give them attention.  If you take proper care of them, they are very social and playful creatures.  In a nutshell, these furry pigs thrive on a structured and consistent lifestyle.

Use glass water bottles for your pig because he will chew through plastic ones.  If you keep your guinea pig in a cage, it should be a minimum of 2 square feet.  If you have more than one pig, it will need to increase in size accordingly.  Never house your pig directly on a wire bottom cage as he can break a leg if his feet get hung.  It is much better to have a removable bottom pan.

The cage should be lined with aspen shavings, straw, or Timothy hay.  If water is spilled into this bedding, it needs to be replaced promptly.  Locate the cage where it will not be in a draft, and maintain an ideal temperature of 65 degrees.  Fluctuating temperatures can be extremely detrimental to your animal’s health.

Although you may want to allow your pig to spend some time outside, he should always be supervised during those times.  It is best to have a confined area to protect him, and keep him from running away should he get scared.  If he is left outside for any lengthy period, be sure to have a shady area where he can go.

As with any domesticated animal, the guinea pig needs his owner to keep him safe, happy, and fed.  Unlike some animals, the guinea will return the affection that you give him.  This is one reason so many people have guinea pigs as pets.