How to Feed Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs are wonderful pets. They are small, clean, easy to take care of and wonderful with children. However, they have special dietary needs that their owners should be aware of.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Plain timothy-based pellets
• Timothy or other grass hay
• Fresh vegetables and fruit
• Water

1. Feed your guinea pig roughly one cup of fresh vegetables every day. Guinea pigs can't make their own Vitamin C, so they have to get it from veggies to stay healthy. Dark, leafy greens are best: romaine or green leaf lettuce, spinach, parsley and cilantro are all good choices. Bell pepper (any color) is a great addition to lettuce because of its high Vitamin C content. Guinea pigs love carrots, but they should be limited to one baby carrot per day because they're so high in sugar.
2. Supply your adult guinea pig with 1/8 cup of a high-quality timothy-based pellet every day. Choose a pellet without seeds or nuts in it, since these present a choking hazard. And be sure to select a pellet that's made specifically for guinea pigs. Pellets made for rats or rabbits can be lethal.
3. Place a large amount of timothy or other grass-based hay in the cage every day. Guinea pigs love to lie in hay, play with it, toss it around and eat it. Hay keeps guinea pigs' digestive systems in good working order and wears down their back molars. This is important because a guinea pig's teeth grow continuously throughout its life. Unlimited fresh, soft green hay is one of the most important parts of a guinea pig's diet.
4. Attach at least one water bottle to the side of your guinea pig's cage. Position it so that it's in easy reach of your guinea pig. Rinse out the bottle once a day and refill it with fresh, cold water.

Tips & Warnings

• Feed your pet fruit occasionally. Fruits like strawberries and oranges contain a high amount of Vitamin C, but they're much too sugary to feed daily. Reserve them for special treats.
• Guinea pigs quickly learn the sounds that accompany dinnertime. Be prepared to hear squeaks and chirps from your cage any time you rustle a bag or even open the refrigerator door.
• Steer cleer of guinea pig "treats" found in pet stores: seeds, snack bars or yogurt drops. These can harm your guinea pig.
• Don't buy Vitamin C drops to put in the water bottle. These drops change the color and the flavor of the water, and guinea pigs may stop drinking their water as a result. If you're feeding them fresh veggies, plain pellets, timothy hay and the occasional fruit, they shouldn't need any supplements.