Guinea Pigs as Pets
If you are first time pet owner and you have chosen a guinea pig for your pet, this is a good choice. Guinea pigs are sweet and lovable creatures even though they are still rodents. When you are at the store purchasing your pet ask the clerk how old the guinea pigs is. You want to get them as young as you can because their life span can be anywhere from 4 to 8 years. IF they are babies, ask the clerk about the health of the guinea pigs parents. The reason for this is so you can find out if they were healthy, the health of the parents can be an indication of the health of the pup.
Ask the clerk about some kind of vitamin supplements you can give your pet as soon as possible, the earlier you get them on a good diet, their health can continue to flourish and extend the life of your pet.
Next thing you want pick a cage. Some people go with a glass cage but this isn’t really a good idea because they only air they will get is through the top, you want a cage that has the cage look where you can stick your fingers through the sides and pet him if you want, but stay away from the cages with the mesh bottom. The mesh bottom of a cage can cause foot infections.
Make sure you give your pet the proper diet, the pellets are a great source of nutrients but give them fresh fruits and vegetables, this will keep them healthy and also can help with the potential fur loss. Always make sure they have plenty of water, position your water bottle just right so they can reach it without straining their necks.
Clean the cage on an every other day basis, you will see why but in any case; it is better for your health as well as theirs to live in a clean environment. You can align the bottom of the cage with shavings, with cedar, organic and the new concept in bedding is fleece. Fleece is great for bedding but guinea pigs tend to do their bathroom business anywhere and are not particular about not doing it where they sleep.
If you keep your pet happy and healthy, they will live for a long time. The oldest guinea pig on record is said to have lived over 13years old. That guinea pig was well taken care of.
