Guinea pigs are small, sociable and ‘chatty’ animals that live for 5-6 years, sometimes longer. They can also make a great first pet for children. Learn more about how to care for these adorable animals with our expert advice.
Caring for guinea pigs
What to feed guinea pigs
Guinea Pigs are natural herbivores and would spend their time foraging and grazing in small herds in the wild, but they need to be fed the types of food they have adapted to eat.
Their teeth are continuously growing, which is one of the reasons why they need plenty of roughage to chew. This wears down their teeth and helps prevent serious dental problems.
Providing sufficient fibre in their diet is also very important for both their gastrointestinal system and general health.
Guinea pig diet
A guinea pigs diet is very specific and is essential to their health. If you are introducing any new foods, add them gradually into their existing diet in small quantities, slowly increasing the amount over two week to their digestive system to adjust.
Water
Provide clean fresh water at all times. Multiple water dispensers should be available and enclosures should be fitted with a water bottle and a small water bowl should be available as well.
Grass or grass hay
Ensure that your guinea pigs have a constant supply of grass and/or grass hay (such as Timothy, Oaten, Barley, or grassy hay). Guinea pigs should not be fed Lucerne (alfalfa) or Clover hay, as these are too high in protein and calcium.
The hay that you feed should be available 24 hours a day and of good quality; dry, sweet smelling, and not contain any mold, mildew or fungus.This is paramount in providing a complete diet and encourages the guinea pigs to chew for long periods of time.
Chewing helps to wear down their continuously growing teeth and is very important in maintaining dental and gastrointestinal health. The hay should ideally be contained in a hayrack or basket to prevent it sitting on the enclosure floor and getting contaminated by your guinea pigs’ waste and becoming damp, dirty, and mouldy; this is unhygienic and could make your guinea pigs sick.
Fresh leafy green vegetables and herbs
Offer a variety of fresh leafy green vegetables and herbs daily, such as rocket, dandelion greens, snow peas, and herbs such as marjoram, borage, marigold, nasturtium, rosemary, parsley, coriander, basil and dill. Other foods that are good to fed guinea pigs a few times a week include broccoli, cabbage, endive, carrot tops, Brussels sprouts, kale, silver beet, mint, and fruits such as apples (but with no seeds), mango, and papaya.
Foods with vitamin C
Provide your guinea pigs with a dietary source of vitamin C because, like humans, guinea pigs cannot synthesise vitamin C from other food substances. Foods such as leafy green veggies and capsicums (green, orange, and red) should be fed to your guinea pigs daily. Carrots, kiwifruit, berries and pineapple are also great as a source of vitamin C and a tasty treat for your guinea pigs a few times a week, but not every day as these foods have a higher sugar content.
Keep treats to a minimum
High quality commercial ‘Guinea Pig’ pellets (minimum 16% fibre content) may be offered in small quantities, but these should not form the main part of the diet. Although many contain adequate levels of Vitamin C when fresh, this is only when the food is very fresh and within just a few months these foods no longer contain Vitamin C.
What not to feed guinea pigs
It is important to also know what not to feed guinea pigs, as there are plenty of items that might seem harmless but can in fact cause significant health issues.
Make sure you do not feed your guinea pigs the following foods (this is not an exhaustive list):
- Cereals, grains, nuts and seeds, dried beans, corn, and peas
- Buttercups and garden shrubs (such as hemlock or privet)
- Lawn trimmings or any grass that has been sprayed with any herbicides or pesticides
- Lilies of any kind, sweet peas, nightshade, oak, daffodils and foxglove
- Avocados
- Onion grass and onions, potato tops, mushrooms and rhubarb leaves
- Human foods such as breads, biscuits, sweets, sugar, breakfast cereals, dairy products, chocolate, pasta, crackers or pickled foods.
Housing for guinea pigs
Although they are small, guinea pigs require plenty of space and a careful, considered approach to their housing. Because guinea pigs are very susceptible to heat stress, and this can be fatal, we recommend they are kept indoors and in an area that is well-ventilated with adequate shade and free from drafts, and in an area that is quiet and peaceful.
The ideal ambient temperature for guinea pigs is between 16 to 24°C with a relative humidity of between 40 and 70%. If the day is particularly hot then ideally guinea pigs should be kept in an air-conditioned environment.
Guinea pig hutch size and design
Hutch Size
Provide an enclosure as large as possible, the minimum dimensions for the enclosure of a pair of guinea pigs are 2500cm2 of useable floor space for guinea pigs over 450 g with an additional 900cm2 for each additional guinea pig weighing over 700 g. Enclosures should be at least 25 to 30 cm high.
Hutch materials
Make sure that the materials used to construct your enclosure are durable, non-toxic to guinea pigs and can be easily cleaned. The enclosure should have a solid floor, as wire floors cause discomfort and damage to guinea pigs’ feet.
Hutch floor covering
Guinea pigs can be prone to getting painful and serious foot conditions if kept on wire or hard flooring so it is important to provide them with soft floor covering and bedding.
Line your hutch with newspaper and then at least 5cm of soft, nontoxic, nonabrasive, inedible, dust-free and absorbent bedding to provide cushioning and prevent foot problems.
Suitable options for bedding include soft grass hay, fleece fabric, and shredded paper. Sawdust or wood shavings can cause respiratory issues and should be avoided. Straw should also be avoided as it does not absorb urine well and the hard stalks can cause injuries.
Cleaning your hutch
It is important to regularly change bedding and floor material and clean out the enclosures to avoid ammonia build-up from urine and also to help minimise the attraction of flies to the area. Here’s our top tips for cleaning your guinea pig hutch:
- Bedding should be cleaned and changed as required (typically once a day).
- The enclosure should be thoroughly washed and disinfected once a week.
- Have a secondary enclosure or a travel container that your guinea pigs can stay in while you clean their hutch. Or put them in a safe and escape proof room in your house.
- Make sure that after disinfection the cage is rinsed well and completely dried out before you add fresh bedding again and return your guinea pigs to their home.
- Rinse feeders and waterers every day, and thoroughly clean these once a week.
Exercise and enrichment
Just like humans, guinea pigs need exercise and entertainment to keep them happy and healthy. Life can get pretty dull inside a guinea pig hutch, so it’s your responsibility as a guinea pig owner to try and make life exciting and interesting for them.
Guinea pigs also adore companionship and are happier and healthier when living with friends. There is a lot of evidence to show that social interaction with other compatible guinea pigs is beneficial to their health and welfare, and also that lack of companionship can be stressful and detrimental.
Toys
Provide your guinea pigs with toys such as balls made from plastic, untreated willow or dried grass, and small stuffed toys. Ensure that there are adequate toys for each of your guinea pigs to have at least one of their own at any one time.
Mix it up
Change the environment in your guinea pigs’ enclosure by rearrange the items and/or swapping new ones every week to make the environment more interesting. You can also give them foraging opportunities such as hiding untreated wicker baskets filled with hay and food around their enclosure for them to find.
Chewing items
Guinea pigs should also be given chewing items to help keep them entertained and to wear down their teeth (which grow constantly). For example, cardboard boxes, and wooden branches from non-toxic trees such as apple trees that have not been sprayed or treated with any chemicals.
Grazing
Ideally, provide your guinea pigs with access to a safe outdoor area and give them the opportunity to graze on grass. Make sure they are protected from the sun, rain and wind, and possible predators and make sure your monitor your guinea pigs at all times while allowed to roam freely.
Companions
Guinea pigs should be kept in groups of at least two, making sure that both guinea pigs are desexed (or both animals are the same sex) to avoid having unintended litters. Introduce new guinea pigs carefully and monitored for aggressive interactions. Male guinea pigs are more likely to tolerate one another without fighting, if they are introduced at a young age.
Once guinea pigs have formed social bonds, they should not be separated if at all possible. Even if one guinea pig needs veterinary treatment, ideally at least one of their family should stay with them, as this helps to reduce their stress, helping them to cope better.
Guinea pigs should not be kept with rabbits as these two species have different needs and do not make compatible companions. Rabbits may carry harmful organisms and pass this onto your guinea pigs. Rabbits can also seriously injure guinea pigs, particularly with their strong kicks.
Common guinea pig health problems
Guinea pigs have a number of unique health concerns that owners should be vigilant about. Prevention is the best medicine, so here are some of the things you should look out for to ensure your guinea pig stays happy and healthy throughout their life.
You should regularly check your guinea pig to ensure they are eating well, urinating, defecating normal droppings and walking around easily. Also check your guinea pig has a healthy coat, clear bright eyes, a nose free of any discharges, normal length nails (that are not too long) and normal healthy footpads.
Signs your guinea pig isn’t well
Guinea pigs are good at hiding illness and pain. Get to know your guinea pigs’ behaviour; if they are behaving abnormally this may be a sign that something is wrong. If your guinea pig is displaying any of these signs please contact your veterinarian promptly. Signs to look out for that may indicate pain or illness in guinea pigs include:
- Reduced appetite or difficulty eating
- Weight loss
- Drooling
- Drinking more water than usual
- A change in the frequency and/or consistency of faecal pellets (e.g. diarrhoea or the absence of faecal pellets)
- Faeces accumulating around the guinea pig’s bottom
- Changes in urination (for example, a change in the frequency, pain or difficulty urinating)
- Changes in behaviour (such as weakness lethargy, or aggression in normally non-aggressive animals)
- Squealing or flinching when touched (if this is not normal for that individual, some are quite reactive to being handled)
- Abnormal breathing (e.g. rapid, shallow, raspy)
- Discharge from the nose and eyes and/or sneezing
- Bulging or sunken eyes
- Hair loss or change in hair coat
- Seizures
- Lameness or swelling of joints
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