|
|
 Thinking about getting a cavy?
 |
| Guinea pigs are the greatest thing in the
world, but they have their down-side if your not aware of the upkeep and space they require. One guinea pig requires 7 square feet of space to be comfortable. That is double the size of the most commonly sold guinea pig/rabbit cages. A good solution for that lies at cavycages.com. Build your own 2 layered themed cage out of chloroplast and office "cubes". For a better explanation visit their site. The next thing you should be be aware of is the amount of food they eat. One of the 7 wonders of the world, is where a cavy can hold all they eat. They REQUIRE hay, alfalfa, fresh carrots, fresh lettuce, RED apples, and guinea pig food. My pigs require a child's sand-bucket full of this stuff a day. Guinea pigs also appreciate variety. Give them new kinds of veggies once in a while. I would suggest going to This site, and reading all about their diet in greater detail. I'm still reading up on this stuff myself, and I am always learning something new. Because they eat so much, they crap a lot. A lot. If you own a pet-store sized cage, you will have to clean it once every two days. The good news is, they don't stink. Cavies have a gland in their behind that produces fiberish little vitimine capsuls. They have to recycle and ingest these to survive. It's a bodily requirment. So those little "poop pills" aren't very stinky. A lot of pages talk about how they require little attention. This isn't true, you must have a lot of time to devote to a guinea pig. Not paying enough attention to your pig may shorten it's life by 75%. Most pigs who are fed reguarly, but never get time out of their cage, live about 1-2 years. Pigs cared for by attentive owners can have a pig live to the rip old age of 10 years old. Breeding is BAD. If a female cavie is over a year old and has never had a litter, her pelvic bones have merged together in a way that makes it IMPOSSIBLE for her to give birth. She will die in labor, and the babies will die stuck inside her. That is why you should NEVER breed. Your pig does need a friend though, they are very social animals and will get lonely when home alone. Two boys, or two girls should be fine. Two males can get along if there is no female present to make them compete. two females get along best. Guinea pigs are also good with Rabbits! They are fun, and they are cute. If you want one, please go to a guinea pig rescue shelter. Believe me, there is one not far from you. I was ASTOUNDED at the amount of shelter's I have dicovered all over the US. I think I will make a list of those soon and upload it here for future refrence.  |