Housing
- Place a good layer of woodshavings on the floor of the cage.
- Place plenty of hay in the cage, or the enclosed area of the hutch.
- Fill the water bottle with water and fix it to the cage at a height that the guinea pig will be able to reach comfortably.
- Check by running your finger over the end of the spout that it is delivering water.
- If it is not give the bottle a little squeeze, dry the end of the spout and run your finger over it again
- . Pet Shops sell liquid vitamins which can be added to the water and these can be particularly beneficial if your guinea pig is ill.
- Fill the food dish with guinea pig food and place this in the cage.
- Place any cage accessories in suitable positions within the cage.
Some Fruit, vegetables and herbs that are safe to feed a guinea pig are listed below:
- Apple (seedless)
- Basil
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cantaloup Melon
- Carrots
- Baby Carrots
- Carrot Tops
- Cauliflower leaves and stalks
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Kiwi Fruit
- Mango
- Parsley
- Peas
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes (variable dependent on variety and season)
Some vegetables and herbs that should not be fed are:
- Potato and Potato Tops
In addition guinea pigs must be fed fresh fruit, vegetables or plants daily as these are a good source of vitamin C. Guinea pigs lack the enzyme that makes vitamin C and so they must intake vitamin C daily in order to remain healthy.
Cage Cleaning
The cage or hutch should be cleaned weekly by removing the guinea pig from the cage and throwing away all old woodshavings, Hay and food and replacing with fresh shavings, hay and food.
Health Checks
When you clean the cage you should check the guinea pig over for any signs of illness. This is an ideal time to check that the droppings in the cage look normal: soft droppings could indicate diarrhoea, lack of droppings could indicate constipation.
Life span 3-4 years
Potential life span 6-7 years
Recommended age at 1st breeding :male: 3-4 months; female: <3-7 months (not after 7 months)
Length of estrous (heat) cycle 16 days Length of estrus (period during which female is receptive to male for copulation) 8 hours
Gestation (pregnancy) averages 63-68 days
Average litter size 3-4 young (range, 1-6)
Age at weaning 3 weeks
5/1 small Lasilki st. - New Maadi
Tel: 02-5203267
Cell: 010 345 8080
