How to Take Care of a Guinea Pig

Contributor

By Sarra Jackson
eHow Contributing Writer

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(14 Ratings)

Taking care of a guinea pig requires the same amount of responsibility as caring for a dog, cat or other animal. Guinea pigs need to have the obvious things such as food and water, but they also thrive on attention. Guinea pigs need a proper diet and a cage to live in. They should also be housed in an area that isn't prone to drafts.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Cage
Food
Water

How to Take Care of a Guinea Pig

Step 1

Give your guinea pig a comfortable sized cage so they have room to roam around. At a very minimum, one guinea pig should have 7.5 square feet to live in. Two guinea pigs should have more than 10.5 square feet in one cage. Inside the home there should be objects where the guinea pig can hide in so they don't feel threatened. If the cage isn't 18 inches high, have a lid on top of the cage because you might find out that the guinea pig can jump out.
Step 2

Keep the cage in an area where the temperature stays within 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If the area is too hot, your guinea pig may suffer heat stroke.
Step 3

Clean your guinea pig's cage once a week. This will help prevent diseases. Consider designating certain areas of your guinea pig's cage for certain activities, such as sleeping, eating and playing to help keep the area tidy.
Step 4

Give your guinea pig commercial guinea pig food you can find at pet stores. Guinea pigs also love fresh fruit, hay and water. Throw away any fresh food that isn't eaten each day to keep your guinea pig from eating anything rotten. Let your guinea pig have a variety of food so it doesn't get bored.
Step 5

Bathe your guinea pig and trim its nails weekly. Long-haired guinea pigs should also get their hair trimmed. It may take a few times for your guinea pig to get used to this sort of thing, but once it does it will gladly cooperate.
Step 6

Let your guinea pig outside its cage to play for a few minutes every day. Just be very careful with children or other animals that are also lose. Pick up any electric wires and toxic plants. If you can, keep all dogs and cats in a separate room to avoid any kind of accident.

Comments

lizzo said

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on 4/16/2009 great tips and info! but how should i trim my long haired guinea pig's fur? she has it so long now, that it looks like she's a walking mop!

cdawson said

on 2/16/2009 TIP #7. NEVER let your guinea eat bread it will choke and kill them- i know i had a guinea (girl.) named cheeto and i accidently gave her bread and she died it was sad.