Guinea pigs

• A pair of guinea pigs require a minimum of 5ft x 2ft space. Guinea pigs are small, social animals that can make brilliant pets. But although they are small, they require a large amount of space.

• They are highly social and ‘chatty’ animals that need the company of other guinea pigs and should never be kept alone. In the wild they will live in family groups of between 5 - 10 guinea pigs. Guinea pigs who are kept alone are more likely to be skittish and fearful. They become very lonely and can even become depressed. Please take a look at out advice on guinea pig bonding.

• There are many different breeds of Guinea Pigs with varying hair lengths and colours. Guinea pigs have a life expectancy of around 5-6 years.

• A Guinea pigs diet should consist of around 80% hay and ideally fresh grass should be given daily. Guinea pigs should be given fresh leafy green vegetables daily, they can also have some weeds like dandelions as long as no pesticides have been used.

Indoor set ups:

Even though guinea pigs are small they require a large amount of space. The bigger the better!

• For a pair we recommend minimum 5ft x 2ft or equivalent (7 square feet)

• For a trio we recommend minimum 6ft x 2ft or equivalent (8 square feet) .

• For a quad we recommend minimum 7ft x 2ft or equivalent (9 square feet).

• A pair of males will require a size larger. Eg. for 2 males we recommend a minimum of 6ft x 2ft.

There a many different set ups to choose from but we highly recommend click and connect (c+c) set ups. These can be found on Kaveecage.co.uk or on amazon.

Guinea pigs will eat for around 16 hours of the day so it is really important that their diet is correct.

Hay and grass

Guinea pigs should alway have access to hay! They not only like to use it as bedding but a guinea pigs diet should consist of around 80% hay. We also recommend giving your guinea pigs fresh grass everyday, as long as the grass hasn’t been exposed to pesticides.

Pellets

They should have a portion of fresh grass based pellets everyday (preferably grain free). Pellets provide the right balance of nutrients for guinea pigs. A diet of just pellets can cause kidney stones. We are happy to give advice on recommended brands.

Vegetables

Guinea pigs should be given fresh vegetables daily.

Asparagus

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Butternut Squash

Celery leaves and stalks

Carrots

Cauliflower

Cabbage

Corn On The Cob

Cucumber

Courgette

Cress

Green Beans

Kale

Peas In Pod

Parsnip

Rocket

Radish

Spring Greens

Spinach (in moderation)

Sweet Peppers