Three Breeds of Guinea Pigs

Along with rabbits, guinea pigs have because very popular household pets. Even though guinea pigs are part of the rodent species, they aren’t necessarily known for acting or even looking like a normal rodent (rats, mice, etc). Also, despite their name, these creatures are not pigs of any sort nor do they come from Guinea. In fact, guinea pigs originated in the Andes. Over the years, guinea pigs have become known as pets around the world. Western societies have enjoyed guinea pigs of members of their families for many, many years. Three of the more popular breeds of guinea pigs would include: the American guinea pig (also known as the English Cavy), Abyssinian guinea pig and the Peruvian guinea pig.

The American guinea pig has a smooth and short coat. This breed can be found in a wide variety of colors and patterns. The American is one of the most popular and oldest breeds of guinea pig known today. The next breed of guinea pig to talk about is the Abyssinian. The Abyssinian breed has a very distinctive appearance. The coat is made up of multiple swirls of hair (often referred to as rosettes). The hair is dense and coarse and radiates in circles from multiple locations on the body.

The third breed of guinea pig is the Peruvian. The Peruvian guinea pig breed has a smooth and straight coat and can grow several inches in length. There is a natural part in the middle of the hair down to the center of the back. The hair also grows forward over the head. The coat of the Peruvian often requires a great deal of daily grooming so owners tend to cut the hair to make it more manageable.

Health Problems with Guinea Pigs

When you want to bring a pet into your home and you choose guinea pigs as the pet for your family, you should make sure that there is a vet in your local area that is familiar with the care of small pets such as guinea pigs. A lot of people are not aware of the expense that it can take to receive vet care for your small pets. Guinea pigs can live on average four to eight years, and can get sick during that time and require vet attention.

One reason that is important to make sure that there is a vet in your area that knows how to treat small pets is because guinea pigs can get sick quickly and when they do, they can deteriorate quickly also. You need to get to a vet early when you suspect your guinea pigs of being ill before it is too late. Most people take for granted that guinea pigs may require the care of the vet because unlike other pets, they do not have to go get shots or have regular checkups, but they should see a vet at least once a year to make sure that they are healthy.

There are some vets that are not experienced in treating small animals, and that may not even see your guinea pigs if you bring them in for a check-up or for treatment, so it is very important that you find out if there are vets in your local area that will treat them. It is always a good idea to ask the pet store or person that you are buying your guinea pigs from if there is a vet in the area that will treat them before your bring them home. If you already have other pets and see a vet regularly, you can always check with them first to see if they treat small animals like guinea pigs. You want to make sure that you do this before your bring your guinea pigs home as a pet, they are very social animals and you can get very attached to them, you do not want to risk them getting ill and not being able to find a vet that will treat them.

Guinea pigs can be excellent choices of animals to have as pets in your home, so make sure you know how to properly care for them.

How To Care For Your Pet Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs can make excellent choices for pets as long as you know how to take care of them and what you need when you decide to bring one home to your family. Guinea pigs are very sociable animals and are suited ideally for families that have children. One of the first things that you need to consider when choosing guinea pigs as pets is the commitment that it takes to properly care for one. Guinea pigs like any other kind of pet, need a lot of dedication and time and require a lot of care.

You will need to work out arrangements for someone to come in and care for guinea pigs if you are going to be gone on vacation, like you would with your dog or cat. Although guinea pigs are fairly independent animals, they still require a lot of care and essentials in the first few months of their lives in order to survive. One of the biggest things that you need to consider when choosing guinea pigs as pets is to have the proper housing for them. They need a big enough area to exercise and they need the right kind of equipment, such as a run in order to do that. You also need to spend a lot of time with them.

Another important thing you need to have for your guinea pigs is the proper food and nutrition. This largely includes a variety of grains and vegetables for them and you should constantly vary the kinds of foods that you give them. You should also make sure that your guinea pigs are well groomed which involves washing them with a gentle shampoo and brushing them. You should also make sure that you are changing the bedding in their cages at least once a week.

Caring for guinea pigs can be fun and rewarding and they can be a great addition to your family. Make sure that you have the proper size housing, adequate amount of bedding, good supply of food and make sure that you spend enough time with them as they are social animals and enjoy spending time with you. As long as you are properly prepared for your guinea pigs and supply them with what they need to survive and grow, they can make excellent pets for your family and a fun addition as a pet in your home.