All About Guinea Pigs:

No. I don’t believe any pet is a starter pet as proper care takes research, learning, and responsibility. Guinea pigs are often thought of as cheap, almost disposable pets. However, they live around 6-7 years with proper care and require daily feeding and cage care as well as regular health maintenance and care. They also cost more to care for than a cat or dog. Guinea pigs require a cage appropriate for their herd size, bedding for the cage, regular cage cleanings, daily feeding of vegetables, hay, pellets, and water, regular nail trims, other health and welfare maintenance, and exotic veterinarian care when needed. They are fun pets and great for families as long as the adult in the family is willing to provide care.

To give your guinea pigs a proper home, you need to make sure you have an appropriately sized cage (see next question), good quality hay and guinea pig pellets, fresh produce, a water bottle, pellet dish, area for hay pile or a safe, accessible hay bag/hay rack, one hide per guinea pig, and bedding of your choice (absorbent fleece liners, kiln dried shavings, or paper bedding). Also, appropriate cleaning supplies should be available (I use a small broom and dustpan, shop vac, clean rags and paper towels, and a pet safe cleaner as well as trash can and bags, pails for dirty laundry, and washing machine with pet safe detergent and Dawn dish detergent, I add a swirl to the washer each load to help break down grease and stains).

There is some debate regarding cage size, but going by the recommendations from The Humane Society of the United States, the minimum cage size for 1-2 guinea pigs is 7.5 square feet. For two guinea pigs, I recommend at least 10.5 square feet and go up from there (usually adding at least 2 square feet of space per pig). Guinea pigs like to run around and do laps in their cage so the more room you give them, the more active they will be!

Turn around and walk right out of the pet store. Pet store cages are NOT big enough for guinea pigs, even ones for rabbits. I know they’re right there and it seems easy, but as you learn more about proper guinea pig care you will end up tossing this pricey, small cage.

Your two best choices are a Midwest cage (with or without a cover, but I never use the divider) or a cubes and coroplast cage (C&C Cage).

A Midwest cage is right around 8 square feet and an easy starter cage. It is possible to add on another Midwest cage with some creativity, but you are a bit limited in what you can do with cage as it isn’t as sturdy as a C&C cage. I prefer C&C cages (cubes & coroplast). These are customizable, expandable, and give endless opportunities for personalization to your pigs’ needs.

My colorful coroplast cages, lofts, ramps, and kitchens all come from Guinea Pig Cages Company. They are a New England company who supports rescue and proper care. The owners are FABULOUS people and very responsive to questions. I highly suggest checking out their site. Their starter cages offer tons of options and can be purchased with or without a cover.

At Wheektopia, I use absorbent fleece liners in all of our cages for bedding. These liners are washable, reusable, and come in endless colors and designs. Layering fleece with smaller fleece pee pads and some types of absorbent bath mats help keep them cleaner longer. Cages should be spot cleaned every 1-2 days with soiled pads under houses and in beds changed frequently. Whole cage cleans occur every 1-2 weeks, depending on your guinea pig’s cleanliness and your spot cleaning habits. More frequent, consistent spot cleans means less full cage changes. With reusable fleece liners, you can wash, dry, and use again and again.

Another option is kiln dried pine or aspen shavings or paper bedding. I provide every pig with a hay pile in a kitchen or litter box area. I use kiln dried shaving or paper bedding as an absorbent layer under the hay. If used throughout the entire cage as bedding, you need to provide a layer at least 2 inches thick. All bedding must be changed and replaced weekly.

Guinea pigs also have other cage needs: a space for hay (either a safe hay bag, safe hay rack, or hay pile); at least one hide per pig in the cage (house, tunnel, fleece forest, etc); a pellet bowl; a water bottle or water bowl (though water bottles usually work better since guinea pigs run around their cage); and optional various enrichment items like appropriate chews, tunnels, lofts, etc.

They’re both wonderful. Male guinea pigs should only be housed in bonded pairs, but female guinea pigs can get along in larger herd sizes.

Not all guinea pigs bond. In fact, broken bonds or aggression in males is one of the main reasons male guinea pigs are rehomed or surrendered. Do not lose heart! There is a piggy out there for your pig and if not, having a “bar buddy” next to them provides the companionship guinea pigs require.

No. Male and female guinea pigs should never be housed together unless one of the guinea pigs is sterilized to prevent pregnancy. Guinea pigs reproduce rapidly and a female guinea pig who gave birth can get pregnant again within 2-15 hours after giving birth! Male guinea pigs can get a female pregnant at just 4 weeks and a female can get pregnant at 4 weeks. They do not belong together.

Guinea pigs should be picked up at least once a day. This is the best way to check for medical needs and grooming needs. Once a week you should run your hands over your guinea pig, checking for lumps, bumps, scabs, or other signs of injury. Also check for any discharge from nose, eyes, or ears and any signs of skin issues such as hair loss, dry, flaky areas, or redness. Make sure to inspect their feet for redness or signs of flaking/dry skin. This may indicate a variety of issues.

Guinea pigs’ teeth are very important to their health. Providing your guinea pig with unlimited hay will help ensure their teeth are worn down properly. If you notice damp spots in your guinea pig’s pellet dish, difficulty eating harder things like carrots or hay based treats, or eating less, this may indicated a teeth issue and you should visit your vet right away. When doing a health check, make sure to check their teeth as best you can. While securely supporting your guinea pig, gently open the front of their mouth, checking that their incisors are not broken, splintered, missing, or misaligned. Any of those issues should be investigated by a veterinarian. Sometimes there may be a bit of food stuck between their teeth, you can easily remove any debris using your finger or a cotton swab. If your guinea pig will let you, peek at their back teeth (I use a special tool to do this, but sometimes its possible) and make sure the teeth are not growing over the tongue.

Taking your guinea pig’s weight using a kitchen scale with a basket or bowl on top is a good idea too. Loss of weight is often the first sign of illness or injury (such as a tooth issue). Jot down their weight in a notebook or on a note in your phone and keep in mind that some fluctuation is normal, but consistently losing weight is not.

This is also a good time for essential grooming, see below.

Male guinea pigs, boars, do require a bit more health maintenance. This is certainly not common knowledge, but an important part of their care. It also helps control odor. The perineal sack is located between the anus and penis, it tends to collect hay, fur, and various gunk. In older guinea pigs with looser skin, poop can collect in here and require more frequent cleaning. You can use a few drops of olive oil to soften any hardened areas, then gently scoop out any debris using cotton swabs. Often you will find a build up of a stinky white substance, this is normal and should be cleaned out as much as possible with the cotton swabs.

While you’re down there, gently pull back or push on the base of your guinea pig’s penis, this will allow you to gently examine for any fur, hay, or smegma collected around the penis. Gently remove it with gloved fingers or a cotton swab. Please note the skin here is rough and bits of cotton can stick to the penis. I usually use my gloved fingers to remove any debris.

Female guinea pigs, sows, don’t have many special needs, but do require a few more checks during routine health checks. Look at the nipples for any crusting or scabs, this can indicate other health issues and requires a trip to the vet. When examining her genital area, check for any discharge and gently wipe it away with a cotton swab. If it is excessive or has an odor, you should have your vet examine her. The final issue is bladder stones, for some reason sows are more susceptible to them. While gently holding your guinea pig against your and supporting her carefully, gently press above her urethra, if it feels hard, she may have a stone and should be monitored. If she shows any sign of pain, bloody urine, reduced activity, or reduced fluid intake, it’s best to head to the vet.

Guinea pigs need regular grooming to maintain health. For many pigs this is a relatively simple process. See each section below.

Ears: Using a dropper or a few drops of olive oil on a cotton pad, gently apply oil to your guinea pigs ears to loosen dirt and grime. After softening (usually a minute is plenty of time or come back to the ears after checking on another area), gently use cotton swabs to remove dirt and any debris from the visible part of the ear. Never place a swab into the ear canal, but you can get a lot of dirt and dead skin cells from the nooks and crannies you can easily see under the ear flap. You can use a cotton pad to wipe off the front and back of the ear flap as well. Please note that the swab will resemble the color of your pig’s skin, so if your pig has one black ear and one pink, the swab from the black ear will appear much dirtier than the swab from the pink, this is because the skin cells are more highly pigmented, not that your pig is filthy!

Grease Gland: All guinea pigs have a grease gland, but it is usually more active on male guinea pigs. At the back of your guinea pig, right above/around the area you would expect to see a tail, there is a spot that may feel greasy or tacky. Eventually enough will gather here that your guinea pigs will develop a dirty, sticky area. There are a few ways to clean this area. If you are not bathing your guinea pig at this time (more on that later), you can use a little olive oil on cotton pads or a soft cloth to gently wipe away the oily residue. This will not get everything off and may end up leaving a small bare spot since hair gets stuck in the grease residue, so be gentle.

Nails and Feet: Guinea pigs have sensitive feet that indicate quite a bit about their health and care. Check their feet for unusual redness (some pigs have pink feet), cracking, dry or flaking skin, open sores, or calluses. If your piggy has dry feet, apply a thin layer of antifungal cream to the feet, they may have developed fungal foot. If your guinea pig has redness, this indicates the beginning of bumble foot and requires home treatment and possibly a trip to the vet if it isn’t resolved. Guinea pigs toes should be kept trimmed to prevent curling and painful spots and sores from developing. Using fingernail clippers or clips specifically for small animals or cats, trim the tips off the nails while firmly supporting your piggy. Make sure to take breaks as they (or you) need them and ply them with some yummy treats (herbs and carrots are a favorite around here).

Bathing: Guinea pigs do not require frequent bathing, but they do need baths. Just as some breeds of dogs require more baths and more involved grooming, some breeds of guinea pigs require the same. While it is often believed guinea pigs can clean themselves, the truth is that they’re not as flexible as a rabbit or cat and simply cannot clean every part of themselves. That’s where bathing comes in. I try to give all guinea pigs a bath every 6 months, but my longer haired pigs may get baths (or just bum baths) more frequently.

Set up a bathing area using a shoebox sized container or bowl in a sink. Fill the water with a few inches of warm (not too hot) water and place your guinea pig in the water. You can also line a sink with a small towel or washcloth to prevent injury and run a small amount of water. Using a shampoo formulated for small animals (I prefer Davis Miconazole Shampoo), gently lather the shampoo into the back, belly, feet, and all parts of the pig. This is a great time to clean the grease spot and yes, gently clean their face too, just avoid the eyes. I usually let the shampoo sit (pigs are prone to ringworm and I like to use this to help prevent it) for a bit and will praise the piggy while gently petting them and maybe rewarding them with a few bites from a carrot. After a few minutes, rinse with the water in the container. I also hold my guinea pig and rinse them under running water, ensuring all soap residue is removed. I will often use a small amount of conditioner (especially if the guinea pig has longer fur), following the same steps, and thoroughly rinsing once again. 

Once your guinea pig is rinsed, wrap them in a clean towel and enjoy some snuggles while you gently rub off excess water. If it is at all chilly, use a blow-dryer on the lowest setting to gently blow-dry their fur. Make sure you are constantly moving the blow-dryer and keeping a hand on the guinea pig at all times. Holding the dryer back further from the guinea pig helps ensure it doesn’t get too hot, but use your hand to judge: if it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your piggy.

Once dry, gently comb or brush your piggy as needed. If your piggy needs mats trimmed or fur trimmed, this is the time to do that too.

Baldwin or Skinny guinea pigs have some special needs. When considering adding a hairless guinea pig to your heard, keep in mind that these piggies eat more (and poop more) because they must use more calories to maintain their body temperature. They also require specific grooming care and warm cages. Below I discuss a few ways you can support your hairless guinea pig.

First, make sure your guinea pig’s skin is well cared for by cleaning it appropriately. The best way to clean hairless guinea pigs is to mimic the way you clean ears: apply olive oil or coconut oil with a gentle massage or a soft cloth, then use a soft cloth or cotton pads to gently wipe all parts of their body. Again, depending on the color of your hairless pig, the oil you wipe off with the pad or cloth will appear darker. This is perfectly normal. Make sure to pay particular attention to any folds, the grease gland, and their feet. Check their body carefully for any knicks, scratches, or other injuries and treat appropriately. There shouldn’t be any if their nails are trimmed, they are properly bonded, and the cage is safe and secure.

I also provide extra hides for snuggling and use a pet safe heating pad (under a bath mat or large pee pad) at one end of the cage. They love to cuddle up in houses or other hides on top of it to help maintain their temperature.