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Aug
Males often prefer a slightly larger space to avoid squabbles. We would recommend keeping them apart until you are sure your new guinea pig is healthy Give them a couple of days to settle in on their own- coming to a new home can be quite stressful which can lead to illnesses they could pass on to your existing guinea pigs.
But guinea pig breeding is a risky proposition and its best to leave it up to the experts.
How long can guinea pigs stay home alone. Get some hay racks set up. On average a pair of guinea pigs can consume a pound of hay in 2 days. Although the diet of your guinea pig may vary a little bit the average holds true in most cases.
You can plan accordingly the amount of hay you need to leave available for them in. A guinea pig cannot go more than 12-24 hours without hay. Within 12 hours they will start to have trouble with their digestive system and become seriously ill within 24 hours.
Water bottle leakthe water bottle works on the principle of vacuum and if anything goes wrong and then the bottle can leak and soak the bedding or become clogged. It is recommended that they should either be brothers or they should be bonded before they are 6 weeks old. Be aware that if there is a scent of female guinea pigs around it can disrupt their relationship.
This can happen if you have female guinea pigs housed nearby or if you have been handling females and not washed your hands afterwards. However guinea pigs younger than about 3 weeks should remain with their mother and most experts recommend waiting until the guinea pig is at least 7 weeks. These newborns will have a difficult time surviving on their own because they need specialized care that only a mother can provide.
One guinea pig. 75 square feet or about 30x 36 is the bare minimum recommended but bigger is better. 75 square feet minimum but at least 105 square feet 30 x 50 is preferred.
105 square feet minimum but at least 13 square feet. Guinea pigs living indoors can see humans as important companions. If your guinea pig has to be kept alone you must provide companionship by interacting with them daily.
Guinea pigs can develop abnormal behaviour and may suffer if left without company and nothing to do for long periods. Places to escape from companions if they want to. Males often prefer a slightly larger space to avoid squabbles.
Groups of four or more guinea pigs need a larger indoor set up or a converted shed or Wendy House. Hutch or indoor cage 5 ft long by 2 ft deep 153 cm by 61 cm Run for the garden 6 ft long by 4 ft wide by 18 inches high 2 m by 125 m by 46 cm. Theyre sensitive to temperature changes.
Temperatures above 26C can cause heat stroke. Below 15C can cause them to become chilled. Outdoor accommodation sheltered from direct sunprevailing wind direction.
In temperatures below 15C they should be housed indoors. Otherwise they need sufficient bedding throughout the whole enclosure to keep warm. Guinea pigs can live indoors or outdoors so long as they have enough space and you can keep them at a comfortable temperature in the summer heat or bad winter weather.
You can also keep your guinea pigs in their own heated outhouse a car-free garage or a shed. When you bring home a new friend for an existing guinea pig or get guinea pigs from two different sources keep them in separate rooms with separate cages for 2-3 weeks before trying to put them together. This will ensure that the new guinea pig does not have any medical problems which could be transmitted to the other.
Male guinea pigs do have nipples so the presence of nipples alone is not enough to tell you whether you have a guinea pig boy or girl. The guinea pig gestation period is 59 to 72 days. The litter size ranges from 1 to 8 pups but a litter of 2 to 4 is more common.
A female can give birth to up to 5 litters per year. When a guinea pig is about to give birth any male guinea pigs near her will gather around and try to become the dominant male in order to both protect the female. You can plan time each day to dedicate to your guinea pig.
Divide into hour or half hour play periods that work with your scheduling totaling two hours a day. If you live with family roommates or a significant other you can try asking them to spend time with the guinea pig if theyre able. We would recommend keeping them apart until you are sure your new guinea pig is healthy Give them a couple of days to settle in on their own- coming to a new home can be quite stressful which can lead to illnesses they could pass on to your existing guinea pigs.
Compared to mice and hamsters the average Guinea Pig if healthy can live from 5 to 7 years. This is a long time when considering the lifespan of other pet rodents like hamsters and mice both of which have average lifespan of 2 or 3 years. They originate from South America and there are eight species but only one the domestic cavy is kept as a pet.
Guinea pigs live for around four to eight years so their care is a long-term commitment. Males are known as boars and females are called sows. For starters its not a good idea to keep guinea pigs of the opposite sex together.
The females might become pregnant as young as four weeks and males as young as three weeks can sire little cavies. But guinea pig breeding is a risky proposition and its best to leave it up to the experts. But its essential to wait four to six weeks after neutering before introducing a male guinea pig to any females as he might still be able to reproduce during this time.
Guinea pigs should not be kept with rabbits as they cannot communicate effectively with one another and the guinea pig is at high risk of getting bullied by the rabbit. Guinea pigs live an average of five to seven years. This lifespan is longer than many other small pets such as hamsters gerbils mice or rats all of whom only live up to a few years.
If your life is in transition a guinea pig may be more portable than a dog or a cat but.