Guinea Pig Pages

Q & A

The following are questions asked by our visitors. Please remember we are not vets -- just amateur guinea pig owners! Our information and advice is based only on our personal experience of keeping guinea pigs. For technical or medical questions, you should consult an expert.

NOTE: We won't be updating this page for a while, as we are going away on holiday. But you can still browse the questions and answers below. With luck, your questions may already be answered!

Q: Do you keep your piggies together and feed them the one half-cup and vegetables each or together? What size water bottle do you use if you keep the pigs together? - Anon
A: Our piggies have grown since we wrote the eating guidelines. We actually give them a bit more now -- about a cupful to share between them. Our water bottle is 500ml, which keeps them going for a week. If given plenty of fresh veges, your piggies will probably not drink much water at all, so you may get by with a smaller bottle.

Q: What do you think of keeping one cavy by herself versus keeping two cavies? - Katie.
A: Since guinea pigs are social animals, normally living in large herds, they will be much happier if given some company. This allows them to engage in natural social activity and communication -- which makes them more interesting for you, too. Single pigs tend to become bored and lonely, and will over-eat. We recommend keeping more than one if you can afford it, or else make sure you give your pet lots of attention.

Q: How do you cut their toe-nails? - Anon
A: Very carefully! Even after lots of practise we still find this difficult. Having the right tool is important. We use a scissor style trimmer especially made for small pets. It helps if you have two people -- one to hold the guinea pig and distract him/her with munchies while the other person does the trimming. Our piggies aren't easily fooled, though, and often curl their legs up underneath. It takes lots of patience. The golden rule is trim only a tiny amount at a time, so as not to cut too far down the nail. A light trim done often is better than heavy trimming done rarely. If in doubt, get your friendly vet to show you how.

Q: I have one piggie now, Lola, she's about 12 weeks old. i want to do everything right- i was told by two petstores to use pine chips-is this ok? and i don't want her to be lonely but i am a first year teacher so i can't afford another pig right now- is there anything i can do for her? and lastly, what do you think about bringing Lola into my classroom occasionaly? thank you! - Anon
A: We've found the problem with pine chips is that they just aren't very absorbent, which is why we use the chemical-free recycled-paper cat litter. But trying the pine chips for a while shouldn't harm your piggies, so you can judge for yourself; you may decide they work fine for you. With regard to loneliness, what can I say? They are social animals. Plenty of attention from you when at home will help, however -- and some people argue that single piggies form closer attachments to their owners. Finally, I have heard horror stories about what can happen to guinea pigs that are passed around in classrooms. They can easily be hurt by excitable and uncoordinated youngsters. If dropped, your piggy is likely to be seriously injured, as they have weak legs and are not built for leaping. They also have poor depth perception and can mistakenly jump out of people's hands when startled, without realising that the ground is a long way down. With all this in mind, I'd recommend very close supervision. (You might want to check out Peter Gurney's excellent web page -- he takes guinea pigs to children's hospitals and may have some advice that would be relevant. See the links page for the web address.) Good luck with Lola!

More on this topic...
I would like to comment on the question of bringing a pig to a classroom. I attended a special ed elementary school for gifted children. My mother also taught at this school. I had a 2 year old pig at the time named Corky and she had two babies, Denver(male) and Dylan(female). Dylan's leg was broken when she was only 2 days old by a young girl who was too rough with the little lady. Our vet is well respected in the area and humerously enough put a huge pink cast on her that healed the toothpick sized leg within 2 weeks. It was a memorable experience, but we were lucky. From a different point of view, since pigs are so social and friendly, they really helped some quiet kids come out of their shell and some behavioural troubled kids to calm down. What can I say, it takes an animal to reach a troubled human. Love the site! Rachel

Thanks for your contribution, Rachel. I guess it's a matter of balancing the risks and benefits in these situations.

Q: How big do guinea pigs get? - Anon
A: Good question! I'm not sure about this. I have seen some old guinea pigs that were the size of rabbits, but they were obese and very unhealthy. A full grown, healthy cavy can be 25cm long; but I am not sure how much they weigh. Perhaps someone can let me know?

Q: What are the essential needs of a guinea pig, and can you litter box train them, if you get another guinea pig how would you introduce it to the first one? - Anon
A: Essential needs would be food, shelter, companionship and exercise. There is info on these topics elsewhere on the site. I think it would be hard to train a guinea pig to use a litter box, though I have heard of it being done. GPs will generally pee in a specific location, but they tend to poop all over the place. If you plan on letting them loose in your house, I would suggest putting down a litter tray that contains litter taken from their cage, so that it will smell like "home". That may encourage them to use it. As for introducing a new pet, try to introduce them to one another in a neutral zone. If you put a newcomer in the cage already occupied by your first pet, it may be seen as an invader in the other cavy's territory. In that case they may fight. Find a neutral area where they can "meet" and interact a couple of times before you put them in the same cage. Good luck.

Q: Is it okay to let a guinea pig run around out of the cage, or will it disappear into the woodwork? If it gets outside would it run away? If a guinea pig gets out of your sight, is it possible to entice it to come back? Do guinea pigs get attached to their owners? - Sherry (Michigan USA)
A: Guinea pigs aren't as fast and agile as rats or mice, so they won't squeeze through small holes. They will hide behind things (eg refrigerators) and can be hard to catch for that reason. We let our piggies run around outside and they always come home voluntarily. While we like to think it's because they like us, it's probably more the case that they return to the place they recognise as their home. If you provide safe and pleasant environment, and nice things to eat, they'll stick around. Believe it or not, our guinea pigs do come when we call, but I don't think that's standard behaviour! Do they get attached to their owners? Yes, but not in the "intelligent" way that a dog does. Perhaps they eventually think of you as one of the herd -- but the main attachment is that they associate you with food! They certainly can tell humans apart from each other, and will be more comfortable and relaxed around familiar people as opposed to strangers.

Q: I have a male and female Guinea pig, he wants to mate but she sprays urine and strikes at him. What could I do so that she feels more comfertable amd they'll mate. - Anon
A: Sorry, but I can't help you with this problem. I have never kept guinea pigs for breeding, so I don't know anything much about their mating behaviour. You could try looking at the other web sites listed on the 'Links' pages. Some of them have good info on breeding. Good luck.

Q: I have a question. I just got a piggy a few weeks ago, and I love it! The only problem is I'm not sure if I am suppossed to give it a bath or not. Some of my friends say you do, but I don't want to until I am sure. Is it good for them? Also, do you have any other recommendations for vegetables? Can piggies eat carrots? And by the way, your piggies are adorable! - Anon
A: There are different opinions on bathing. We find that our piggies need a bath only about once a year. They keep themselves very clean and tidy, so it doesn't seem necessary. We live in a warm climate here, so when we do bathe them they dry quickly and are not at risk of catching cold. If you are in a cool climate you need to take great care with bathing, because guinea pigs can easily get chills. On the subject of vegetables, our piggies enjoy carrots (we give them a whole carrot and let them eat what they want). They also like broccoli, cauliflower, capsicum (green peppers), cos lettuce (occasionally), English spinach, bok choy and other veges. These are all good sources of vitamin C. Hope you have many happy years with your new friend.

Q: I like your information very much but I have not gotten two questions answered. How long do they live? I would also like to know how to shorten their bottom tooth. Can I just use a small nail clipper? Thanks. - Anon
A: Guinea pigs can live up to ten years, but the average age quoted in books is normally about 4 or 5 years. It depends on how well they are treated. Sadly, many guinea pigs have short lives because they are not properly cared for. If your piggies have plenty to chew on (especially hay and grain) their teeth will not grow excessively. Our piggies are nearly four years old now and we have never had to worry about overgrown teeth. If you need to trim the teeth, I have heard that this can be done with clippers, but I wouldn't like to try it -- I have a hard enough time trimming their nails! I would consult a vet for this task. You might get some useful tips at The Guinea Pig Compendium (see the 'Links' page) and other good web sites.

Q: Where do you purchase good guinea pigs from ? I live in Haberfield NSW. - Anon.
A: Can't help you very much here -- I live in WA. We got ours from a local pet store. We toured the various stores until we found one that was clean, where the animals seemed healthy, and where the staff seemed to understand and care about them. Then we spent a lot of time observing the guinea pigs, until we had an idea of each one's personality. Then we made our choice. The key is finding a good store.

Q: I have never owned a g-pig till now i was wondering since i have woods be hind my house and i can't let him outside would it be a good idea to put him on a leash? - Anon
A: Believe it or not, I have heard of people who put g-pigs on a leash, and the Peruvians (where guinea pigs are raised for food) keep them in herds, like dog packs, with string leads tied to them. I once bought a ferret leash just to see if it would work, but my g-pig freaked out before I could even get it over his head. I've never tried it since. My guess is it would be preferable to arrange some kind of pen to let your g-pig roam in.

Q: I have one question. I have 3 guinea pigs. Two I keep together and the third has to be kept seperate from the others. Why? Because she bites. Is there a reason for biting and is there a way to stop it. THANKS - Anon
A: I'm a bit out of my depth here. There could be lots of reasons for this behaviour. You don't say whether your g-pigs are all females or a mixture; either way, there is obviously a dominance issue for your g-pig. Guinea pigs do have dominance heirarchies, which means there is a "pecking order" and this can cause problems when they are trying to sort out who is boss. I have heard that some people have solved this kind of problem by putting three separate nest boxes in the cage so that each g-pig has a separate "home". Making sure that you have enough space in your cage is important, too, because g-pigs are territorial (2 square feet per animal is a commonly quoted figure). It could also be the case that your g-pig bites because she feels threatened. Has she been bullied? If so, the same steps I have suggested could help. But maybe they just plain don't like each other. I hope you find a solution!

Q: Do guinea pigs exercise on the wheel that hamsters use? - Anon
A: I don't think so. Guinea pigs are much bigger than Hamsters, and their feet are not designed for this kind of exercise. Our guinea pigs couldn't even figure out how to use a wooden ladder that we used to have in their cage. These guys are built for comfort, not for speed.

Q: Do you sell guinea-pigs? - Anon
A: No, we just have two guinea pigs that we keep as pets. If you want to buy guinea pigs, try to find a good pet store or a breeder who specialises in guinea pigs.

Q: I have a rabbit in a cage outside with a large run. Can I keep the guinea pig in the cage with the rabbit? - Anon
A: I have heard different reports about this. Guinea pigs and rabbits are related species and they seem to tolerate each other quite well. Some people say that they make good companions for each other. On the other hand, rabbits are much stronger and "bouncier" than guinea pigs (their back legs are very powerful), and they can harm a guinea pig without meaning to. Guinea pigs have quite fragile bones and a powerful kick from a rabbit could be damaging. If your run is quite roomy, that may not be a problem. Perhaps you could give them separate nest boxes, and let them decide whether or not they like each other's company. That way they would have their own safe houses to retreat to.

Q:I HAVE TWO MALE GUINEA PIGS, ONE IS ABOUT 6 MONTHS OLD, AND I RECENTLY BOUGHT ANOTHER ONE, APPROX 8 WEEKS OLD FOR COMPANY FOR EACH OTHER, HOWEVER MY FIRST GUINEA PIG IS ACTING QUITE HOSTILE TO THE NEWCOMER AND I HAVE HAD TO BREAK UP A COUPLE OF FIGHTS BETWEEN THEM. WHAT CAN I DO TO GET THE FIRST GP TO ACCEPT THE NEWCOMER. IS IT A MATTER OF TIME???? AS I HAVE ONLY HAD THE NEW GP FOR FIVE DAYS. LOVED YOUR SITE, IT HAD ALL THE INFO I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR, FOR AGES!!! THANKS TRACEY QLD
A: Hi Tracey. We had the same problem when we bought our first two piggies. Some things to try: make sure you are giving them plenty of room (your cage should have about 60cm x 60cm of area for each guinea pig, otherwise they will fight over territory); also, try giving them separate nest boxes to retreat into. If this doesn't help, you may be out of luck. Some males will not tolerate other males, especially if one or both of them have had female companions. If this is the case, you may not be able to keep them in the same cage. Guinea pigs have been known to fight until death, or at least until one is seriously injured. If you have plenty of patience, you could try keeping them in separate cages for a while, in a location where they can pick up each other's scent but not actually make contact. They may get used to each other's scent eventually and be comfortable enough to get along. I wish you luck!

Q: I have one male guinea pig, and he seems very happy by himself. Many articles on the web say that two g-pigs should be kept because they are very social. I handle my g-pig everyday and i never leave him alone for more than 2 hours, so I dont think I need a 2nd one. Is this true? - Anon.
A: It's good that you give you guinea pig lots of attention, and this will certainly help keep him happy and healthy. Human company is not the same as company of his own species, however, because you can't communicate with your guinea pig using the smells and sounds of other cavies. Guinea pigs are social animals and they need contact with others of their kind in order to carry out natural behaviours. However, if you give your little friend lots of good care and attention he will be better off than a guinea pig who has companions but whose owner neglects them or mistreats them. Keeping two or more is ideal, but if your pet is eating well, is active and healthy, and if he seems happy with your company, then you must be doing something right!

Q: I have a question. Can a father and a son live together? And also after a sow gives birth, can you pick up her babies? Thanx!
A: It's hard to give a definite answer to your first question. As a general rule, older males will become hostile to younger males when the young one reaches breeding age. But - if there are no females around anywhere, and if the young one has never had access to females, they might get along. This is because hostilities usually occur over access to females, or battles for dominance. This can happen even if there are females in a completely separate cage, because the males can pick up the scent. We have found that the happiest male companions are those where neither male has ever had contact with females, even when young. But guinea pigs can be quite individual, and they don't always follow the rules! As for the question about babies, I can't help you there. I've never bred guinea pigs, so I am totally ignorant in that area. I hope you can find the info somewhere else. Good luck.

Q: I have heard that you cannot put guinea pigs out on the grass because maybe there are ticks or mites. Is it ok to put them outside? Should I have a towel or something under them? - Amanda~ WI
A: Hi Amanda. See our page on guinea pig exercise for part of the answer. Guinea pigs are designed for living outdoors on grasslands -- that's how they evolved, so it's good to give them some time out in the open each day. Of course, it depends on the season and where you live. If you are in a rural area where you know there are ticks and mites, then take care to protect them. But in general, their health will improve if you give them a chance to run in the open air. Don't take them from a warm indoor location and put them outside in the rain or snow, however; take sensible precautions and they should be fine.

Q: My G.P is about (maybe) 11 months old. If I bought another G.P will he be ok with it? (He is a male, and so I was thinking about getting another male.)
A: There's really no way to predict how they will get along. Two males can be fine, provided there are no females to fight over, and provided they have plenty of territory. But some males just won't tolerate each other. Try to obtain a male who hasn't been around females, if possible, and who is younger than your first guinea pig. Some of the recent questions above have more information on this topic. Good luck.

Q: My boy just purchased a guinea pig for 4-H. It was listed as crossed between a Himalayan and American. I have found the needed info on Himalayan breeds, such as colors and origin, but can't even find a picture or info on the "American" breed. I contacted the Cavy international breeders ass. on the web, but yet have heard a response and our fair is July 31. Can you help me on this? - Anon
A: Sorry, I can't help you here. The various breeds have different names in different countries, and I don't know much about this issue. You might learn more from some of the other online pages, such as Eva's Cavy Page, or Seagull's Guinea Pig Compendium (both are on my links page). Good luck.

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