Guinea pig: maintenance and care from A to Z. What to feed, how to arrange a cage, advantages and disadvantages of guinea pigs

Where to buy a guinea pig?

There are several alternative options for purchasing a guinea pig:

1. Look for an animal at a shelter. This way you can do a small good deed. Using the Internet, you should find shelters near your home and inquire about the availability of pigs. You can not be limited by geolocation and choose an animal from thematic sites and forums. You can also consider suggestions from resources on the subject of guinea pigs.
2. Don't be afraid to call shelters. It happens that sites do not always post all the information about available animals. Many simply do not indicate information about unusual species of animals on websites, but in fact there is a similar arsenal.
3. Don't ignore message boards either. For example, Avito. But it is worth carefully studying the advertisements on such resources, since there are often scammers who sell young guinea pigs for unreasonably high amounts. It is also worth asking about the breeder from the message board, as well as the condition of the pet. It happens that when breeding animals for the purpose of earning money, people do not maintain their health at all and sell sick pets without warning about it.
4. Even in pet stores, sometimes you come across unscrupulous sellers who try to sell a sick or infected animal to inexperienced clients. But often the store is not at fault and the responsibility lies entirely with the breeder. It is because of this that animals in a number of sales points are already sick from the very beginning. It would be a good idea to read reviews on the Internet about both the pet store and the breeder. Before making the final choice, it is worth visiting the breeders and personally inspecting the conditions and condition of the animals.

After acquiring an animal, it needs care, no matter how unpretentious it may be. Therefore, before buying a pet, you should carefully read the nuances of caring for a guinea pig.

Summary: whether or not to get a guinea pig

Guinea pigs make wonderful pets. It's a pleasure to watch them. But you shouldn’t have them if:

• You are not ready to adopt two or more pigs at once;
• Get a guinea pig instead of a cat or dog;
• Are you going to keep the animal in a tight cage?
• Spend little time at home.

Guinea pig: keeping and caring for is a troublesome task; many people believe that caring for a cat is much easier. To prevent things from happening, as in the well-known saying “the woman had no worries, the woman bought a piglet,” assess your capabilities in advance.

If you provide a pig company with decent living conditions, the animals will delight you for many years with their cheerfulness, interesting habits and good health. Write in the comments about your pets!

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The nuances of purchasing a guinea pig

Before purchasing, you should coordinate your decision with family members. For those who live alone, this item can be omitted. But if the family is large, it is worth convening a family council. Some people may simply not like animals, while others may be allergic to a pet of this type.

It is necessary to soberly assess the possibilities of caring for such a creature. It is necessary to plan a schedule for caring for the animal and think about the need for additional supervision if you need to urgently leave for a long time.

Never purchase an animal spontaneously. It is best to weigh the pros and cons of such a decision. So that you don’t have to regret the time and money spent.

Is it worth getting an exhibition copy?

When choosing a guinea pig, many people want to purchase an exhibition specimen of a rare breed, without thinking at all about the responsibility that they will have to take on. In addition, the cost of an exhibition rodent will also be much higher than a regular one.

In addition to financial expenses, the future owner of a guinea pig has a number of responsibilities:

• joining the breeders club;
• participation in exhibitions;
• selection of a partner for mating;
• daily animal care.

If the owner of a purebred individual plans to breed, he will either have to find a suitable pair or buy one.

The appearance of offspring will require more space and time, which may make the breeder want to find a new home for a significant part of his animals. Finding people willing to place guinea pigs in their apartment is not easy. This is due to the high fertility of these rodents.

All breeds can be divided into four types:

1. long-haired;
2. rosette;
3. smooth-haired;
4. bald.

When purchasing an exhibition specimen of a long-haired breed, it is important to understand that this animal will require daily care for its coat, which the owner will have to comb.

There is no need to hope that this painstaking task can be entrusted to the children for whom the animal was purchased. Without proper care, your pet's fur will quickly become matted, turning your pig's life into a real nightmare.

Breeds with smooth coats are most suitable for beginner breeders. These individuals are easy to care for and have a more stable immune system, due to which diseases occur much less frequently.

Features of the alpaca breed.

How to choose a guinea pig

Due to their original color, docile behavior and ease of keeping, these rodents gained popularity in Europe in the 16th century.

Why sea?

That's what the Spaniards called them, who transported them across the sea from South America.

Why pigs?

1. The shape of animal paws is somewhat reminiscent of hooves.
2. Sometimes they grunt