PALACE PIGGIE RESCUE
Please click on the link to see a wonderful video on guinea pig care by a fellow rescue
www.youtube.com/watch
Guinea Pig Care
Accommodation
Feeding Guide
Seasons
Companionship
Cuddles
Health
Care
Accommodation
Suitable indoor cage, 140 x 60 cm) (or bigger) for 2 piggies. We specify single storey as not all guinea pigs are confident climbers, also there is a lot of space lost with the cut out for the ladder. Please see pictures at the bottom of the page for a visual example.
Our preference is always an indoor cage as the piggies will be more a part of the family and will suffer less from temperature changes.
This is for a brilliant 160cm cage, this is our preference for any indoor cage.
www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/rabbit_cage/140_cm_cages/570171
This is for a 140cm indoor cage, we would recommend this above any of the 120cm cages
www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/rabbit_cage/140_cm_cages/570170
C & C Cages
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0735CKD6R/
C & C Cages
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WHITE-C-C-GUINEA-PIG-CAVY-LARGE-INDOOR-PLAY-PEN-CAGE
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GHNM5KM/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_Sjuevb09JV6AA
This is a 100cm x 100cm cage for indoors, it works out in area just a bit bigger than a 5' x 2'
Bedding – line the cage with several sheets of newspaper and some kind of absorbent bedding (not sawdust/shavings).We have found Finaacard a very useful bedding and it is highly absorbent, it is our bedding of choice. The maxi bale is the bale that we recommend.
www.finacard.co.uk/
Fitch bedding is also brilliant, white chopped soft paper, fantastic for indoor use. Top it off with loads of good
quality hay. Piggies eat hay, sleep on hay and play in hay, and to add to the fun, cardboard boxes or tubes to run about in and climb on. Cardboard is best as it can be chewed safely and won’t overheat in hot weather like plastic can.
Beware of piggies getting stuck in tubes that are too small.
Please, no straw as this can be very dangerous for piggies’eyes, and it has no nutritional value.
Your guinea pig’s home and his food will determine whether he/she is a happy and
healthy pig. The cage should be clean, dry, warm and secure, away from draughts, heat and from ‘scary’ disturbances i.e. dogs, cats or poking fingers!
An adult should always take responsibility for the guinea pig and never allow small children to handle them unattended.
Feeding Guide
Plenty of fresh clean water every day. Bottled water should be used, Ashbeck by Tesco is a very low calcium one.
Bran, hard food, i.e. Supreme Science Selective, or Excel Guinea Pig Pellets or something
similar. We do not recommend Supermarket own brands or Pets at Home brand, and definitely not a muesli feed. Avoid any feed with E permitted colourants.
Hay, dried grass – especially in the winter time. Fresh veg every day, i.e.
Cabbage/Spring Greens, Carrots, Curly Kale (sparingly), Baby Sweetcorn,
Cucumber, Celery, Apples, Pears, Banana’s etc. See the full list on the back
page. A handful of veg per pig per day is a good guide.
Treats from pet shops are unnecessary; your guinea pig’s needs should be met in the
items mentioned above.
As a feeding guide, guinea pigs are grazers and should never be left without
anything to eat, especially hay!!
Toys are probably not going to be appreciated by your piggy, their favourite is likely to be a cardboard box or a toilet roll middle, stuffed with hay.
Seasons
Spring
In springtime there is an abundance of fresh, sweet grass and there is
a temptation to let piggy fill up on the goodness, however, he/she should be
introduced to the grass slowly. Too much spring grass can cause serious life threatening illness.
Start by putting your pet in a safe outdoor run, make sure it has a cover to prevent animals or birds getting into it, and a waterproof box for him/her to escape into if scared and shelter from the heat or rain. 20 -30 minutes should be enough for the 1st day and gradually build it up until they are out for a couple of hours.
Beware, the ground could be wetter than you think! To test for safety, kneel on the
grass, if your knees get wet then it’s too wet. A piggie’s main organs are very
close to the ground and chills can occur very quickly.
Look out for poisonous weeds. NEVER feed grass cuttings, as
they may ferment in the piggies stomach and cause life threatening problems.
Grass can be pulled by hand and placed in the hutch or cage.
Summer
Piggies can go out in the garden in a run on the grass for a couple of hours a day now,
weather permitting. Make sure your piggie has plenty of water to drink whilst he
is out and don’t forget the waterproof box. Beware, piggies can dehydrate and suffer
from heatstroke, so shade is vital.
NEVER go out and leave your pet piggies unattended whilst in the run.
Our summers can (occasionally) get very, very hot, don’t leave them out in the run
in excessive heat, a small frozen ice pack, wrapped in a tea towel and placed in
their hutch will help to keep them from over heating.
Also, a wet towel hanging in the area will cool the atmosphere.
Autumn
Time to prepare for winter! If your guinea pig has to live outside, for example in a shed or outbuilding, make
sure the hutches, sheds or any other outdoor housing is completely waterproof, insulated,
and draught proof, and time to get the heaters prepared. Garages are not appropriate as any fuel odours can kill the
piggies, plus they tend to be very dark and damp. Consider bringing them inside
for the winter.
Please be aware that we do not rehome any piggies to live outside and would always recommend against it for anyone else.
Winter
Your piggies will be happier if you bring them in for the winter, it is better for
you too as you are now able to monitor their behaviour and any problems are more
easily noticed. It’s always going to be easier to feed and clean out if you are
not having to go outside on cold, wet days when the temptation is do a quick job
and rush back indoors. If indoors is not an option for you, then plenty of
blankets and newspapers on top of the hutch or maybe a hutch snuggle! In
addition, a waterproof covering. Make sure the bedding is dry, many a piggie has
died when wet bedding has frozen and the piggie has frozen to death. Indoor
cages are very easy to get hold from pet shops or over the internet, but please
make sure they are still big enough.
Here at the rescue our shed is insulated and heated in winter and air
conditioned in the summer.
Companionship
Guinea pigs are sociable creatures and in the wild they live in family groups.
More than 1 boar in the company of sows
will fight to gain dominance and this can be nasty! 2 boars can live happily
together, either the same age or an older boar with a baby, (Introduce as young
as possible) and do not house too close to girls.
We know of a few people who have been successful with keeping a number of boys
together but it is not something we would be comfortable with unless the owners
are very experienced, and you have a very large hutch or shed.
Castrated boars are happy and successful living with sows as this is similar to nature,
without the risk of offspring. Only 1 boar though!
Sows usually get on well together and should also not be living alone. It is often
easier to put sows together, although they can be quite ‘hormonal’ at
times. We have come across one or two sows that do not appear to like other piggies, the best option for them is
to try a castrated boar as company for them.
Cuddles
Most guinea pigs like to be stroked and cuddled, grooming is good for them too. The more
you handle them, the better pets they will become.
Be sure to approach them slowly and let them know you are there, be
patient and gain their trust. Pick them up under their tummies and support their
bottom. If you hold them close to your body there is less chance of dropping them and they will feel secure. Get
your children to sit on the floor before holding the piggie. During cuddle time,
check nails and feel all over the body for any lumps or bumps, you will then get
used to what feels normal and notice any changes.
*********************************************************************************************************
We at Palace Piggie Rescue do not home guinea pigs to live with rabbits. We
appreciate that pet owners have kept them together for many years but we believe
that the guinea pig should live with his own kind and a rabbit with his own
kind. After all, they don’t have the same nutritional needs, they can’t
communicate with each other and an over exuberant bunny can severely damage the
guinea pig, albeit, unintentionally.
General healthcare
It is a good idea to give your piggie a bath, maybe 4 times a year, boys could do
with some help with their grease gland which can become very sticky, and in the
summer this can attract unwanted attention from flies! A blob of swarfega rubbed
in before bathing will soften and melt the grease which can then be washed off
in the warm bath water. Water temperature:- nice for you, nice for them.
Shampoo:- Special shampoos can be purchased
for treating other problems. Please contact us if you think you need this.
Vetsect is a really good all round shampoo and can be bought on the internet,
made by Millpledge – often available from Amazon.
For a fabulous range of shampoos please visit www.gorgeousguineas.com
Nails – these need to be trimmed on a regular basis, taking care not to cut them too
short as they will bleed. If, however, you do have an accident and cut them too short, dip the toe into some
cornflour and this will stop the bleeding. Do not panic, it is not fatal.
Guinea pigs are, on the whole, healthy animals and easy to keep. They are great pets
who make little or no demand on you except for the obvious.
Illness is not impossible but good care will reduce the risks.
Any changes in the way your guinea pig behaves should be investigated.
Before you need to take your guinea pig to a vet, find one in your area who has
a good understanding of guinea pigs, some clinics have vets who specialise in
rodents and other small furries, and some clinics do not. Weighing your piggy
regularly can also indicate health issues, weight loss is never a good sign and
should be investigated, and weight gain can also put a stress on piggy and
he/she may need to go on a diet.
We are always happy to help and advise on any issues, so please feel
free to contact us either via email of for medical emergencies please call 07951 866094
Thank you for taking the time to read this, we hope you find it useful.
All opinions expressed in this document are those of Palace Piggie Rescue.
Vegetables:
We give them a handful per guinea pig per day, usually a mixture of 2-4 different veg/fruit from the list below. We try to limit the amount of vegetables which have a high sugar content and also those which are higher in calcium. You can give the chopped veg in a bowl but we tend to scatter it around the hutch/cage so they have to search around a bit to find it and don’t need to compete with each other. All guinea pigs love their veg but please try not to overfeed it, especially the varieties that are high in calcium or high in sugar. If you want to you can split the total amount fed into 2 feeds. If you have school aged children, giving veg soon after they come home from school is a good time for everyone.
You must ensure the vegetables are at room temperature, or out of the fridge for at least and hour before the piggies eat them, cold vegetables could cause a condition called bloat, this can be fatal for guinea pigs.
Here is a list of things they like grouped according to ‘neutral’, ‘high sugar’ and ‘high calcium’ so you can pick from each group. Try not to feed more than one from each of the high sugar and higher calcium groups each day:
Neutral:
Celery
Coriander
Cucumber
French beans
Fresh grass – either direct via grazing on the lawn or picked from pollution free areas and washed before feeding. Don’t feed mower cuttings though).
Peppers – red, yellow or green but with stalk and seeds removed
Lettuce – romaine or gem is fine but avoid iceberg apart from very small quantities.
Dill
Higher Sugar
Carrots
Tomatoes
Apple
Grape
Melon including the peel (sounds odd but they love the outside of honeydew melon and water melon)
Baby sweetcorn
Higher Calcium
Dandelion leaves
Cabbage (sliced) – especially spring greens and pointy/sweetheart cabbage
Curly Kale
Parsley – curly and flat leaf
Broccoli stalks and or florets
Spinach
Cauliflower leaves
Avoid bulbs ie onions & the onion family ie leek and chives as they are poisonous to guinea pigs. Raw potatoes, potato peelings/skin are also poisonous and should be avoided. Take care when grazing animals on the lawn in spring time and avoid anywhere where daffodils, crocuses or other bulbs may have been growing as the leaves from all flowering bulbs are poisonous. Also remove/avoid buttercups and their leaves in the grass and any toadstools/mushrooms/fungi. Please also do not feed grass cuttings as these can contain poisonous oils/chemicals from the mower blades and they also ferment quickly leading to all sorts of gastric problems. It is far better to cut grass using scissors or pull it by hand.
Please remember to wash all vegetables before feeding them and cut off any ‘bad’ bits.
Please click on the link to see a wonderful video on guinea pig care by a fellow rescue
www.youtube.com/watch
Guinea Pig Care
Accommodation
Feeding Guide
Seasons
Companionship
Cuddles
Health
Care
Accommodation
Suitable indoor cage, 140 x 60 cm) (or bigger) for 2 piggies. We specify single storey as not all guinea pigs are confident climbers, also there is a lot of space lost with the cut out for the ladder. Please see pictures at the bottom of the page for a visual example.
Our preference is always an indoor cage as the piggies will be more a part of the family and will suffer less from temperature changes.
This is for a brilliant 160cm cage, this is our preference for any indoor cage.
www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/rabbit_cage/140_cm_cages/570171
This is for a 140cm indoor cage, we would recommend this above any of the 120cm cages
www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/rabbit_cage/140_cm_cages/570170
C & C Cages
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0735CKD6R/
C & C Cages
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WHITE-C-C-GUINEA-PIG-CAVY-LARGE-INDOOR-PLAY-PEN-CAGE
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GHNM5KM/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_Sjuevb09JV6AA
This is a 100cm x 100cm cage for indoors, it works out in area just a bit bigger than a 5' x 2'
Bedding – line the cage with several sheets of newspaper and some kind of absorbent bedding (not sawdust/shavings).We have found Finaacard a very useful bedding and it is highly absorbent, it is our bedding of choice. The maxi bale is the bale that we recommend.
www.finacard.co.uk/
Fitch bedding is also brilliant, white chopped soft paper, fantastic for indoor use. Top it off with loads of good
quality hay. Piggies eat hay, sleep on hay and play in hay, and to add to the fun, cardboard boxes or tubes to run about in and climb on. Cardboard is best as it can be chewed safely and won’t overheat in hot weather like plastic can.
Beware of piggies getting stuck in tubes that are too small.
Please, no straw as this can be very dangerous for piggies’eyes, and it has no nutritional value.
Your guinea pig’s home and his food will determine whether he/she is a happy and
healthy pig. The cage should be clean, dry, warm and secure, away from draughts, heat and from ‘scary’ disturbances i.e. dogs, cats or poking fingers!
An adult should always take responsibility for the guinea pig and never allow small children to handle them unattended.
Feeding Guide
Plenty of fresh clean water every day. Bottled water should be used, Ashbeck by Tesco is a very low calcium one.
Bran, hard food, i.e. Supreme Science Selective, or Excel Guinea Pig Pellets or something
similar. We do not recommend Supermarket own brands or Pets at Home brand, and definitely not a muesli feed. Avoid any feed with E permitted colourants.
Hay, dried grass – especially in the winter time. Fresh veg every day, i.e.
Cabbage/Spring Greens, Carrots, Curly Kale (sparingly), Baby Sweetcorn,
Cucumber, Celery, Apples, Pears, Banana’s etc. See the full list on the back
page. A handful of veg per pig per day is a good guide.
Treats from pet shops are unnecessary; your guinea pig’s needs should be met in the
items mentioned above.
As a feeding guide, guinea pigs are grazers and should never be left without
anything to eat, especially hay!!
Toys are probably not going to be appreciated by your piggy, their favourite is likely to be a cardboard box or a toilet roll middle, stuffed with hay.
Seasons
Spring
In springtime there is an abundance of fresh, sweet grass and there is
a temptation to let piggy fill up on the goodness, however, he/she should be
introduced to the grass slowly. Too much spring grass can cause serious life threatening illness.
Start by putting your pet in a safe outdoor run, make sure it has a cover to prevent animals or birds getting into it, and a waterproof box for him/her to escape into if scared and shelter from the heat or rain. 20 -30 minutes should be enough for the 1st day and gradually build it up until they are out for a couple of hours.
Beware, the ground could be wetter than you think! To test for safety, kneel on the
grass, if your knees get wet then it’s too wet. A piggie’s main organs are very
close to the ground and chills can occur very quickly.
Look out for poisonous weeds. NEVER feed grass cuttings, as
they may ferment in the piggies stomach and cause life threatening problems.
Grass can be pulled by hand and placed in the hutch or cage.
Summer
Piggies can go out in the garden in a run on the grass for a couple of hours a day now,
weather permitting. Make sure your piggie has plenty of water to drink whilst he
is out and don’t forget the waterproof box. Beware, piggies can dehydrate and suffer
from heatstroke, so shade is vital.
NEVER go out and leave your pet piggies unattended whilst in the run.
Our summers can (occasionally) get very, very hot, don’t leave them out in the run
in excessive heat, a small frozen ice pack, wrapped in a tea towel and placed in
their hutch will help to keep them from over heating.
Also, a wet towel hanging in the area will cool the atmosphere.
Autumn
Time to prepare for winter! If your guinea pig has to live outside, for example in a shed or outbuilding, make
sure the hutches, sheds or any other outdoor housing is completely waterproof, insulated,
and draught proof, and time to get the heaters prepared. Garages are not appropriate as any fuel odours can kill the
piggies, plus they tend to be very dark and damp. Consider bringing them inside
for the winter.
Please be aware that we do not rehome any piggies to live outside and would always recommend against it for anyone else.
Winter
Your piggies will be happier if you bring them in for the winter, it is better for
you too as you are now able to monitor their behaviour and any problems are more
easily noticed. It’s always going to be easier to feed and clean out if you are
not having to go outside on cold, wet days when the temptation is do a quick job
and rush back indoors. If indoors is not an option for you, then plenty of
blankets and newspapers on top of the hutch or maybe a hutch snuggle! In
addition, a waterproof covering. Make sure the bedding is dry, many a piggie has
died when wet bedding has frozen and the piggie has frozen to death. Indoor
cages are very easy to get hold from pet shops or over the internet, but please
make sure they are still big enough.
Here at the rescue our shed is insulated and heated in winter and air
conditioned in the summer.
Companionship
Guinea pigs are sociable creatures and in the wild they live in family groups.
More than 1 boar in the company of sows
will fight to gain dominance and this can be nasty! 2 boars can live happily
together, either the same age or an older boar with a baby, (Introduce as young
as possible) and do not house too close to girls.
We know of a few people who have been successful with keeping a number of boys
together but it is not something we would be comfortable with unless the owners
are very experienced, and you have a very large hutch or shed.
Castrated boars are happy and successful living with sows as this is similar to nature,
without the risk of offspring. Only 1 boar though!
Sows usually get on well together and should also not be living alone. It is often
easier to put sows together, although they can be quite ‘hormonal’ at
times. We have come across one or two sows that do not appear to like other piggies, the best option for them is
to try a castrated boar as company for them.
Cuddles
Most guinea pigs like to be stroked and cuddled, grooming is good for them too. The more
you handle them, the better pets they will become.
Be sure to approach them slowly and let them know you are there, be
patient and gain their trust. Pick them up under their tummies and support their
bottom. If you hold them close to your body there is less chance of dropping them and they will feel secure. Get
your children to sit on the floor before holding the piggie. During cuddle time,
check nails and feel all over the body for any lumps or bumps, you will then get
used to what feels normal and notice any changes.
*********************************************************************************************************
We at Palace Piggie Rescue do not home guinea pigs to live with rabbits. We
appreciate that pet owners have kept them together for many years but we believe
that the guinea pig should live with his own kind and a rabbit with his own
kind. After all, they don’t have the same nutritional needs, they can’t
communicate with each other and an over exuberant bunny can severely damage the
guinea pig, albeit, unintentionally.
General healthcare
It is a good idea to give your piggie a bath, maybe 4 times a year, boys could do
with some help with their grease gland which can become very sticky, and in the
summer this can attract unwanted attention from flies! A blob of swarfega rubbed
in before bathing will soften and melt the grease which can then be washed off
in the warm bath water. Water temperature:- nice for you, nice for them.
Shampoo:- Special shampoos can be purchased
for treating other problems. Please contact us if you think you need this.
Vetsect is a really good all round shampoo and can be bought on the internet,
made by Millpledge – often available from Amazon.
For a fabulous range of shampoos please visit www.gorgeousguineas.com
Nails – these need to be trimmed on a regular basis, taking care not to cut them too
short as they will bleed. If, however, you do have an accident and cut them too short, dip the toe into some
cornflour and this will stop the bleeding. Do not panic, it is not fatal.
Guinea pigs are, on the whole, healthy animals and easy to keep. They are great pets
who make little or no demand on you except for the obvious.
Illness is not impossible but good care will reduce the risks.
Any changes in the way your guinea pig behaves should be investigated.
Before you need to take your guinea pig to a vet, find one in your area who has
a good understanding of guinea pigs, some clinics have vets who specialise in
rodents and other small furries, and some clinics do not. Weighing your piggy
regularly can also indicate health issues, weight loss is never a good sign and
should be investigated, and weight gain can also put a stress on piggy and
he/she may need to go on a diet.
We are always happy to help and advise on any issues, so please feel
free to contact us either via email of for medical emergencies please call 07951 866094
Thank you for taking the time to read this, we hope you find it useful.
All opinions expressed in this document are those of Palace Piggie Rescue.
Vegetables:
We give them a handful per guinea pig per day, usually a mixture of 2-4 different veg/fruit from the list below. We try to limit the amount of vegetables which have a high sugar content and also those which are higher in calcium. You can give the chopped veg in a bowl but we tend to scatter it around the hutch/cage so they have to search around a bit to find it and don’t need to compete with each other. All guinea pigs love their veg but please try not to overfeed it, especially the varieties that are high in calcium or high in sugar. If you want to you can split the total amount fed into 2 feeds. If you have school aged children, giving veg soon after they come home from school is a good time for everyone.
You must ensure the vegetables are at room temperature, or out of the fridge for at least and hour before the piggies eat them, cold vegetables could cause a condition called bloat, this can be fatal for guinea pigs.
Here is a list of things they like grouped according to ‘neutral’, ‘high sugar’ and ‘high calcium’ so you can pick from each group. Try not to feed more than one from each of the high sugar and higher calcium groups each day:
Neutral:
Celery
Coriander
Cucumber
French beans
Fresh grass – either direct via grazing on the lawn or picked from pollution free areas and washed before feeding. Don’t feed mower cuttings though).
Peppers – red, yellow or green but with stalk and seeds removed
Lettuce – romaine or gem is fine but avoid iceberg apart from very small quantities.
Dill
Higher Sugar
Carrots
Tomatoes
Apple
Grape
Melon including the peel (sounds odd but they love the outside of honeydew melon and water melon)
Baby sweetcorn
Higher Calcium
Dandelion leaves
Cabbage (sliced) – especially spring greens and pointy/sweetheart cabbage
Curly Kale
Parsley – curly and flat leaf
Broccoli stalks and or florets
Spinach
Cauliflower leaves
Avoid bulbs ie onions & the onion family ie leek and chives as they are poisonous to guinea pigs. Raw potatoes, potato peelings/skin are also poisonous and should be avoided. Take care when grazing animals on the lawn in spring time and avoid anywhere where daffodils, crocuses or other bulbs may have been growing as the leaves from all flowering bulbs are poisonous. Also remove/avoid buttercups and their leaves in the grass and any toadstools/mushrooms/fungi. Please also do not feed grass cuttings as these can contain poisonous oils/chemicals from the mower blades and they also ferment quickly leading to all sorts of gastric problems. It is far better to cut grass using scissors or pull it by hand.
Please remember to wash all vegetables before feeding them and cut off any ‘bad’ bits.
This is a 4ft hutch with a 4ft (120x60cm) indoor cage base on the top for comparison. At first glance it looks as though the pigs will get double the amount of space. Next pic is the actual living area of the hutch placed inside the indoor base. As you can see it's really about half the area that you'd be expecting. The hole for the ramp removes a huge amount of floor space, and the internal measurement of the hutch is way below 120x60cm. Your piggies need to be able to share the same level and still have the required space, this is why double decker hutches will not pass cagecheck.
The same applies to hutches that are 140cm or bigger, a double storey is not a good idea.
Pictures courtesy of Glyneath Guinea Pig Rescue.
The same applies to hutches that are 140cm or bigger, a double storey is not a good idea.
Pictures courtesy of Glyneath Guinea Pig Rescue.
