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Guinea
Pig History
Many
people think that guinea pigs came from Guinea or New Guinea because of
their name, but they really didn't. Guinea pigs originated from South America
and the Andes Mountains in Peru. Many people who own guinea pigs as pets
just call them "guinea pigs." Others, who show or breed them, call them
"cavies." Thier scientific name is "Cavia porcellus."
They come in all different breeds and colors. Some breeds are: Abyssinian,
Agouti, Short-Hair, Angora, and White-Crested. These breeds/varieties are
determined by many factors, including color, length, and fur patterns.
Guinea pigs vary in color as well. Some are sandy, some are brown, black,
or white, and some are multicolored too! Some guinea pigs are albino.
This means that their fur is white, but their eyes are reddish-pink. My
guinea pig Snowflake is an Albino. Click
here to see her picture.
Guinea pigs do not have tails, unlike other rodents like gerbils, hamsters,
and mice. They have whiskers and are born with fur. They have two front
legs and two hind legs. You can tell what sex a guinea pig is by looking
at their underside. Do not turn it over on its back. Guinea pigs, unlike
cats, are not very agile, which means they are not flexible. If a guinea
pig fell from a height, it would be unable to land on its feet. Guinea
pigs feel very insecure when on their back, as well as that their back
is not meant to support them when lying down.
And it's actually very interesting that guinea pigs are diurnal,
meaning that they are awake during the day, and sleep at night, just like
humans do. At first, I thought that guinea pigs were nocturnal, meaning
that they slept during the day, and were awake at night, but I was wrong!
Sociality
Guinea
pigs are social animals. That means that they get along well and
like to be in groups. Most of the time, two females will get along just
fine. They are less aggressive than males, although when they first get
to know one another, dominance will be established. They will circle each
other, sometimes, raising their body higher off the ground, open their
mouth, and show their teeth to try to impress the other guinea pig. They
might nip at each other's throats or noses, but most of the time, no one
will actually get bitten.
But, on the other hand, two males will not get along so well. Males
always fight for dominance, and even once established, the lesser
one will continue to fight for the right to become the male of the pack.
There are only two scenarios with which it would be safe to get two males:
if the males were born in the same litter or have been together since birth
or not long after. In these cases, putting two males together might not
be a bad idea (just don't add a female or another male to the group).
Another thing to consider before getting a guinea pig is that putting amale
and female together will most likely result in a litter of 5-6 babies.
Even when you have two females, which I found out, when one female
goes into her cycle, the other might become a little frisky. The one might
nudge the underside of the one in heat. But it's not a bad thing. It's
just natural, so let them do what they have to do.
What if I have two differently aged guinea pigs together in a cage?
Usually that will work out just fine. I did just that, one guinea pig being
5 months old and the other being 2 1/2 years old. They got along really
well after the older one accepted the younger one as her roommate. If you
have a younger and older male guinea pig together, it could possibly work
out. I'm not quite sure, because my pigs were both females.
Around
the House
Guinea pigs are great pets for kids. Kids adore them and guinea pigs are
more than willing to settle down in their laps. But there are proper
ways to hold a guinea pig. Your left hand should go under their backside
and your right hand should be behind and along their back, a little bit
behind their head. This way the guinea pig will be vertical, with their
head near your shoulder. If a friend or an inexperienced person who has
never held a guinea pig before wants to hold yours, have the person sit
on the floor, with a towel around the guinea pig, which should sit in their
lap.
About
incense. I have gotten questions asking if the odor produced
from the incense will harm their guinea pig. Most likely it will have no
effect on the guinea pig. Of course the guinea pig will smell it, but I
don't think that the scent should hurt them. It is the same thing with
scented candles. I have lit candles that have scents in the same room the
hold my guinea pig, Snowflake. She is still very healthy. So incense should
be just fine.
When and if you are planning to paint a room, it is best to take
the guinea pig out of the room until the paint is completely dry and the
fumes are completely gone. Paint fumes can intoxicate humans, and a guinea
pig's sense of smell is a lot stronger than that of a human, making paint
just as or more dangerous to guinea pigs.
Everyone has to vacuum their room, unless of course it is just plain
wood. Guinea pigs' ears are sensitive, but from my experience, it doesn't
seem to bother them much. Most of the time they are just frightened of
the noise and will scamper into their shelter. If you are still worried
about your pig's ears, then just put them in a box with a towel and put
that in another room until you are done.
How
Long Will It Live?
A
guinea pig will usually live to be 4 to 8 years old. Sometimes they
live longer and sometimes they live shorter then that. Four to eight years
is just an average of how long guinea pigs live. If you adopt a guinea
pig, take it to a vet as soon as you can to make sure that they are healthy.
Some humane societies give you the first vet check for free. After that,
you're on your own.
You never know where they came from before they ended up in the shelter.
Most of the time, baby guinea pigs will live longer than adult guinea pigs.
Also, if you can get a young one, you might be able to teach it some tricks
like going to the yellow food dish instead of the red one. Older guinea
pigs will be used to someone else and probably be too lazy to learn new
tricks! As they say, "You can't teach an old guinea pig new tricks!"
:-)
A
Possible Plan For You
At
Pet Value, you can get a 25 pound bag of guinea pig pellets with
added treats (dried fruits, nuts, etc.) for $12.99 and a 2.2 cubic foot
bag of pine bedding for $6.99. It is by far cheaper to buy them
in larger quantities as long as you will use it in a reasonable time. If
you won't, I suggest you get one of the smaller bags of bedding and/or
pellets. Most other pet stores will carry guinea pig food also, if you
don't have a Pet Value in your area. The bedding you should purchase is
the pine bedding. The cedar bedding is known to cause lung problems in
guinea pigs. You can also use shredded up newspaper. It doesn't
really matter what kind of pellets you get. If you don't want to spoil
your piggy, you can get a bag full of just plain pellets. If you do want
to treat them, you can get a bag of pellets with extra treats mixed in.
For other rewards and treats for guinea pigs, there is hay, yogurt drops,
and flavored chew toys, as well as many other interesting things, mentioned
in the list
of supplies. |
-Guinea
Pigs: All About Them-