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Guinea Pig Care

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Guinea Pig Care

We now regularly have guinea pigs available for adoption! In 2017 our guinea pig coordinator, Jennifer, joined our volunteer ranks and we now have a 'guinea pig branch' to the rescue! For adoption information and available guinea pigs please visit our Guinea Pig Adoption Info page and fill out an application.

Since we now have a dedicated guinea pig branch to our rescue, our care recommendations and adoption process have also been updated to fit recommendations in the guinea pig community.

Listed below are things that are commonly recommended in the guinea pig community:

  • • Cage Size: Just like with rabbits and hamsters, majority of the cages sold in pet stores are too small and more expensive than other housing methods. C&C habitats (aka wire storage cubes) combined with coroplast usually make for larger, more cost effective housing. More information and guides on building can be found here. For a video tutorial on housing do's and don't can check this video out here.
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  • • Guinea Pigs Should Be In Pairs/Herds: Guinea pigs are social animals and they do much better when they are housed with other guinea pigs. Just "spending a lot of time" with one if you have one isn't usually enough companionship, as guinea pigs are accustomed to living in herds and being around other piggies all of the time, not just "most of the day." Not all guinea pigs will get along, young male/male pairs can be difficult to bond. We do offer a bonding/speed date service to help you find the right friend for your guinea pig (males are neutered prior to bonding to females).
    For more information on why guinea pigs should be housed in pairs, click here.
    For more info on bonding, click here
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  • • Bedding: What type of bedding you use is important as there are some types that you should avoid. The general rule of thumb is that aspen, pine, and paper based beddings are safe. AVOID - Cedar, corncob bedding, and straw. The type of bedding that you use does make a difference with how often it will need to be cleaned. Some owners like to use washable fleece liners but like all bedding types they have their own pros/cons. For more information about bedding choices click here.
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  • • Cleaning: Guinea pigs need their bedding changed at least once a week! Their areas can get messy quickly depending on what type of bedding you choose and area size, smaller areas of course will get messier much faster (another reason to go for bigger spaces!). For more tips click here: Cleaning tips
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  • • Diet: Guinea pigs are herbivores, and as with all animals, what they are fed is an important cornerstone of their overall health! A guinea pig's diet should includes: unlimited timothy hay or orchard grass, usually about 1/8 a cup of pellets per pig (We feed and recommend Oxbow's Cavy Cuisine), and fresh veggies. They also do NOT produce vitamin C so they do need a vitamin supplement as well.

    For more information on diet and what is safe to feed click here.
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  • • Vitamin C: As mentioned above, guinea pigs do not produce vitamin C so they they do need that as an added supplement. For vitamin C, MHRR recommends a liquid vitamin C stored in a dark bottle to prevent deterioration. Give based on the mg per serving size. Routine supplementation with high levels (over 100 mg) can worsen arthritis in guinea pigs. (Do not add vitamin C to the water. Since it will change the flavor of the water, pigs may drink less water than they need. Ascorbic acid degrades rapidly once added to water and some guinea pigs drink a lot and some very little so it is impossible to know how much vitamin C your pet is getting.)
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  • • Toys: Same as with rabbits and hamsters, more "natural" toys are best! They prefer things to chew, not so much toss around or play with. Oxbow's enrichment line is a good place to start when looking for toys for your guinea pig, as well as anything made out of wood/vine/willow/hay.