Cavia porcellus (Guinea pig)

Origin: Open plains in South America
Head-body Length: Up to 30 cm
Age: 4 to 8 years
The guinea pig is a rodent that is often kept as a pet. Guinea pigs have an elongated, somewhat bulky body with rather short legs and small ears. Guinea pigs do not have a tail. They reproduce quickly. Guinea pigs are real herbivores and have teeth with growing teeth. Guinea pigs cannot produce vitamin C themselves and must therefore receive this via special food or, for example, tablets.

Grooming
Experience: None
Feeding: It is best to feed your guinea pig a diet consisting of unlimited amounts of hay and / or grass, a reasonable amount of vegetables, some dry food and a limited amount of fruit. Hay and dry food are the most important and these products are available at many pet stores.
Water bowl: Not required. Water bottle: Yes
Change water: 3 times a week (change water bowl at the same time if you have one).

Nutrition
A sturdy food bowl must be placed in the cage and a bottle with a metal nipple can be hung up. Instead of a bottle, a drinking bowl can also be placed.
Guinea pigs can become obese in captivity, so it is useful to weigh your guinea pig at times. Obesity is associated with various other diseases and health problems. A healthy adult guinea pig weighs between 700 and 1200 grams.

Water
If you are going to place a water bowl in the accommodation to replace a water bottle, it is important to change this water every day and make the layer of water no higher than 2 cm. The guinea pig will not only drink from it, but sometimes also bathe or walk through it. It also wants to prevent excrement from falling into the water.

Cleaning
A hygienic living environment is important to keep your guinea pig healthy. In order to achieve this, the accommodation will have to be cleaned regularly. Cleaning once or twice a week is regular enough.

Handling
The animal will have to be handled in order to change the housing of the guinea pig. This must of course be done properly so that both you and the guinea pig are safe. Approach the creature carefully and make sure your hands are washed as well. Lift the guinea pig by gently placing your hand under the belly and at the same time placing one hand on top of the guinea pig. During handling, keep the guinea pig as close as possible above a surface (such as a table) so that it cannot fall too far down if that happens. Avoid unnecessary stress for the bugs by handling them as little as possible. However, some specimens can become very tame. If you let the guinea pig get used to handling it from a few weeks old, this will also cause less stress or possible problems.

Housing
Minimum enclosure size for 1 acacia rat: 120x50x50 cm
Temperature: 18-21C
Hours of light: 12 hours (need no bulb or artificial light above)
Ground cover: Newspapers, paper towels or sawdust

Design
Guinea pigs are real group animals, so it is important to house them with their own kind. A suitable area for one guinea pig would be the above dimensions. At least half of this area must be added for each guinea pig that is added. The animals must also be able to run, for this it is best to attach an always accessible run or outside part to the hutch. As a ground cover it is best to go for a dust-free cover. Sawdust is the best solution and is often the most used. Sawdust means, for example, wood fiber or hemp fiber. A paper-based ground cover is also a suitable option. It is also important to create a shelter in the loft, for example by means of a hollow tree trunk. The guinea pig must also be able to withdraw to retain heat. You can also create such a retreat place by means of a hollow tree trunk filled with hay, for example. Guinea pigs can also be kept outside. When you choose this way of housing, a well-insulating, wind- and waterproof shelter must be created.

Behaviour
Lifestyle: Active during the day and at dusk

Character
Guinea pigs are easy to keep rodents that are easy to tame and rarely bite. Guinea pigs are real group animals. If guinea pigs are kept in larger groups, it is noticeable that there will always be one clear sufferer in the group.

Points of attention
Guinea pigs are therefore real group animals, for the welfare of a guinea pig it is therefore best to house several animals together. Do not place the guinea pig's enclosure too close to sound-producing devices, as this can cause stress to the guinea pig. Hairless guinea pigs should be housed warmer than the regular guinea pig. This temperature is between 22-24C.

Costs and Purchase
Legislation: No transfer papers are required by law to own a guinea pig.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for the accommodation, lighting, water bottle, water bowl and decoration. All together this can cost a few hundred euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, this is a few tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs have been incurred if your animal accidentally falls ill.