Age is not a very important factor when buying a guinea pig, as long as the animal has been handled from a young age. Adult guinea pigs can make wonderful pets. Since guinea pigs usually live anywhere from five to seven years, you can adopt or purchase a guinea pig who is several years old and still have a lot of time left to spend with her.
If your heart is set on getting a baby guinea pig, make sure the one you buy is at least 4 weeks old. Young guinea pigs should stay with their mothers until they are a month old. Taking them away too soon can be damaging both emotionally and physically, and guinea pigs removed from their mothers’ care too early rarely survive for long once they arrive in their new homes.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Guinea Pig Pet Stores
Many people buy guinea pigs from pet stores. If you choose to purchase your pet from a retailer, make sure the store environment is clean and that the guinea pigs and other small animals are healthy and well-kept. Be sure to get a health guarantee on any animal you purchase.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Guinea Pig Breeders
If you are absolutely sure you want to own a guinea pig, the best place to buy one is from a responsible breeder. Responsible breeders are guinea pig fanciers who research bloodlines before breeding their guinea pigs and who keep their animals in clean and healthy environments. They are experts on their breed of choice and frequently show their animals. And if you think you might like to show your pet, you must have an animal with the pedigree that only a breeder can provide.
Buying your pet from a responsible breeder will help ensure that you are obtaining the breed of guinea pig that is best for you because each breed has its own special qualities. If you buy a young, purebred guinea pig from a breeder, you will know exactly what she will look like when she matures. You can also see one or both of your pet’s parents, giving you the opportunity to see what their personalities are like since their offspring are likely to have similar temperaments.
A responsible breeder will welcome you, as a prospective buyer, into their breeding operation, allowing you to see firsthand the environment the guinea pig has been living in. This way, you will be able to gauge whether your prospective pet has been well cared for and is living in clean and healthy conditions.
Buying from a breeder also offers an added bonus: You go home with the name and phone number of an experienced person who can answer your questions and provide you with help in raising your guinea pig. If you are interested in showing your guinea pig, the breeder can help you get started in that area, too.
Once you have determined the breed you want, you can obtain the name and phone number of a breeder in your area by contacting one of the regional clubs in your area or by getting in touch with the American Cavy Breeders Association (see the appendix). Another way to find a guinea pig breeder is to attend a local rabbit and cavy show. Walk around, look at the different guinea pig breeds, and speak to some of the exhibitors. Let people know you are looking to buy a guinea pig from a breeder, and they will direct you to the appropriate individuals.
Your local 4-H group is another possible source for breeders. Call the local county extension office (listed in your telephone book), and ask for the name and number of a 4-H guinea pig leader in your area. This person should be able to put you in touch with a breeder nearby.
Buying your pet from a responsible breeder will help ensure that you are obtaining the breed of guinea pig that is best for you because each breed has its own special qualities. If you buy a young, purebred guinea pig from a breeder, you will know exactly what she will look like when she matures. You can also see one or both of your pet’s parents, giving you the opportunity to see what their personalities are like since their offspring are likely to have similar temperaments.
A responsible breeder will welcome you, as a prospective buyer, into their breeding operation, allowing you to see firsthand the environment the guinea pig has been living in. This way, you will be able to gauge whether your prospective pet has been well cared for and is living in clean and healthy conditions.
Buying from a breeder also offers an added bonus: You go home with the name and phone number of an experienced person who can answer your questions and provide you with help in raising your guinea pig. If you are interested in showing your guinea pig, the breeder can help you get started in that area, too.
Once you have determined the breed you want, you can obtain the name and phone number of a breeder in your area by contacting one of the regional clubs in your area or by getting in touch with the American Cavy Breeders Association (see the appendix). Another way to find a guinea pig breeder is to attend a local rabbit and cavy show. Walk around, look at the different guinea pig breeds, and speak to some of the exhibitors. Let people know you are looking to buy a guinea pig from a breeder, and they will direct you to the appropriate individuals.
Your local 4-H group is another possible source for breeders. Call the local county extension office (listed in your telephone book), and ask for the name and number of a 4-H guinea pig leader in your area. This person should be able to put you in touch with a breeder nearby.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Buying a Guinea Pig
If you want to buy a guinea pig, it’s important to not make the decision impulsively. All pets need and deserve a commitment from their owners. Guinea pigs can live as long as seven years. The adorable baby guinea pig in the window may be tiny and cute now, but in a few months she will be a large adult who will need years of consistent, thoughtful care. Buying a pet on an impulse often results in unhappiness for the owner and a sorry fate for the animal.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Guinea Pig Adoption
If you are simply looking for a pet guinea pig, one to share your life and be a companion, consider adoption. Just as with dogs and cats, homeless guinea pigs are in desperate need of loving families. Every day, unwanted guinea pigs are being put to death at animal shelters all over the country simply because nobody wants them.
Guinea pigs in need of adoption are usually hapless creatures who once belonged to a family. They may have been purchased on an impulse or were the result of an unplanned litter. Through no fault of their own, they are later discarded. They deserve a second chance with a family who will love them and care for them throughout their lives.
If you would like to provide a home for a guinea pig who is desperately in need of one, there are several ways to go about it. First, call animal shelters in your area and ask if they have any guinea pigs available for adoption. If you stop by the shelter in person and do not see any guinea pigs, be sure to ask if any are available, since many shelters keep guinea pigs in a back room away from the dogs and cats. Adopting a guinea pig directly from a shelter means you will be saving a life.
Private shelters and rescue groups also seek homes for guinea pigs. The Internet can be a good source for rescue groups in your area. Most rabbit rescue groups also place guinea pigs, so search for rabbit rescue organizations in your area. (If you can’t locate one of these groups through the Internet, call a local veterinarian who specializes in treating exotic animals. They may be able to refer you to a local group.)
If you choose to adopt from a rescue organization, be prepared to answer a lot of questions when you call. Rescue groups seeking to place a guinea pig in a new home have the responsibility to ask questions about the potential adoptive home to determine if the situation is right for both the guinea pig and the new owner.
When adopting through a shelter or rescue group, you may also be asked to pay a small adoption fee. This is usually done to weed out unscrupulous people who may only be looking for a free guinea pig to feed to a pet reptile or to use for some other unsavory purpose. Adoption fees also help guinea pig rescuers offset the costs of caring for homeless guinea pigs until new owners are found.
If you can’t find a rescue group in your area and your shelter does not have any guinea pigs available, check the classified ads in your local newspaper, as well as bulletin boards in supermarkets, veterinarians’ offices, and pet supply stores to find local people seeking homes for guinea pigs.
When conducting your adoption search, you will undoubtedly come across nonpurebred guinea pigs in need of homes. Consider bringing one of these guinea pigs into your life. Mixed breeds are often attractive guinea pigs and have an interesting quality that most purebreds don’t: Each one is truly unique. If you have your heart set on a purebred guinea pig, look for a purebred in need of rescue. Many purebred guinea pigs also need good homes.
Guinea pigs in need of adoption are usually hapless creatures who once belonged to a family. They may have been purchased on an impulse or were the result of an unplanned litter. Through no fault of their own, they are later discarded. They deserve a second chance with a family who will love them and care for them throughout their lives.
If you would like to provide a home for a guinea pig who is desperately in need of one, there are several ways to go about it. First, call animal shelters in your area and ask if they have any guinea pigs available for adoption. If you stop by the shelter in person and do not see any guinea pigs, be sure to ask if any are available, since many shelters keep guinea pigs in a back room away from the dogs and cats. Adopting a guinea pig directly from a shelter means you will be saving a life.
Private shelters and rescue groups also seek homes for guinea pigs. The Internet can be a good source for rescue groups in your area. Most rabbit rescue groups also place guinea pigs, so search for rabbit rescue organizations in your area. (If you can’t locate one of these groups through the Internet, call a local veterinarian who specializes in treating exotic animals. They may be able to refer you to a local group.)
If you choose to adopt from a rescue organization, be prepared to answer a lot of questions when you call. Rescue groups seeking to place a guinea pig in a new home have the responsibility to ask questions about the potential adoptive home to determine if the situation is right for both the guinea pig and the new owner.
When adopting through a shelter or rescue group, you may also be asked to pay a small adoption fee. This is usually done to weed out unscrupulous people who may only be looking for a free guinea pig to feed to a pet reptile or to use for some other unsavory purpose. Adoption fees also help guinea pig rescuers offset the costs of caring for homeless guinea pigs until new owners are found.
If you can’t find a rescue group in your area and your shelter does not have any guinea pigs available, check the classified ads in your local newspaper, as well as bulletin boards in supermarkets, veterinarians’ offices, and pet supply stores to find local people seeking homes for guinea pigs.
When conducting your adoption search, you will undoubtedly come across nonpurebred guinea pigs in need of homes. Consider bringing one of these guinea pigs into your life. Mixed breeds are often attractive guinea pigs and have an interesting quality that most purebreds don’t: Each one is truly unique. If you have your heart set on a purebred guinea pig, look for a purebred in need of rescue. Many purebred guinea pigs also need good homes.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Abyssinian Guinea Pig
The Abyssinian guinea pig is one of the oldest breeds. His coat is covered with rosettes, a pattern made up of radiated hair growing from a center point. The rosettes are placed one on each shoulder, four over the back, one on each hip, and two across the guinea pig’s rear. The coat of the Abyssinian is coarse and dense and measures around one and a half inches long. The Abyssinian has a medium body length with rounded sides and plenty of depth to the shoulders and hindquarters.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Guinea Pig Diversity
In nature, there’s just one type and color of guinea pig. However, over the years breeders have produced many beautiful varieties of guinea pigs from that single wild strain. How did this happen? How did the tremendous variety that now exists develop from one type of guinea pig?
There is a large degree of genetic diversity in every animal that reproduces sexually. This genetic diversity enables a species to adapt to changes in its environment, making the species better able to survive in a shifting world. To put it simply, a guinea pig inherits two genes for a specific trait, coat color for example one from his father and one from his mother. Each of the genes is either dominant or recessive, and the color of the guinea pig’s coat depends on which of the two genes is dominant.
When guinea pigs became domesticated, human beings began to control the animals’ breeding. When an unusual trait showed up in a guinea pig, this animal was bred with another guinea pig who had a similar trait. The unusual trait often turned up in the guinea pigs’ offspring, rather than being lost again, perhaps forever, as it would have been if the unusual guinea pig had mated with a normal guinea pig on his own. In this way, guinea pig breeders have been able to produce the many beautiful colors and varieties described in this chapter. New and even more amazing varieties are still being developed.
Underneath the fancy coat, though, a purebred guinea pig is the same as any other guinea pig and still needs plenty of affection and care.
There is a large degree of genetic diversity in every animal that reproduces sexually. This genetic diversity enables a species to adapt to changes in its environment, making the species better able to survive in a shifting world. To put it simply, a guinea pig inherits two genes for a specific trait, coat color for example one from his father and one from his mother. Each of the genes is either dominant or recessive, and the color of the guinea pig’s coat depends on which of the two genes is dominant.
When guinea pigs became domesticated, human beings began to control the animals’ breeding. When an unusual trait showed up in a guinea pig, this animal was bred with another guinea pig who had a similar trait. The unusual trait often turned up in the guinea pigs’ offspring, rather than being lost again, perhaps forever, as it would have been if the unusual guinea pig had mated with a normal guinea pig on his own. In this way, guinea pig breeders have been able to produce the many beautiful colors and varieties described in this chapter. New and even more amazing varieties are still being developed.
Underneath the fancy coat, though, a purebred guinea pig is the same as any other guinea pig and still needs plenty of affection and care.
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