Guinea pig and other pets. Guinea pig and other pets Guinea pig care

Self breed guinea pigs
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Guinea pigs have enjoyed wide popularity as pets since their introduction to Europe in the 16th century. Their docile nature, original coloration, relative ease of maintenance and ease of breeding, still support the mass distribution of these rodents as pets. Oddly enough, the household name of this fluffy animal does not completely correspond to its lifestyle. You don't need a saltwater aquarium to keep it. In principle, an aquarium can be used, only without water, in the form of a terrarium, it is even easier to remove a glass vessel.

So why are guinea pigs called that? Information about guinea pigs is found in the records of the Spaniards who landed on the shores of South America. When they saw these animals for the first time, they reminded them of suckling pigs. This is one of the versions why a guinea pig is a pig. In addition, pigs were bred for food, just like ordinary pigs in Europe. There are several more suggestions why a guinea pig is a pig. Firstly, when the animal is anxious, or vice versa, satisfied, it makes sounds similar to squealing or grunting. And secondly, the lower parts of the pigs' limbs are shaped like hooves. Definitely, these rodents were called pigs by the Spaniards who brought them to Europe, and then this name spread to all countries. But they are called marine only in Germany and Russia. It is believed that they were originally called overseas, as they were delivered to these countries by sea. Over time, the name was simplified, and they began to be called simply marine.

These popular pets are rodents and keeping them is somewhat similar to keeping a house. Organizations and private breeders involved in keeping and breeding guinea pigs exist all over the world. They bred many different breeds of these animals, with a variety of colors, patterns and long hair. Some of them can be seen in the photo in the text, and just below a funny video about a guinea pig and a cat. Just keep in mind that these rodents do not always get along well with domestic and.

Guinea pigs unfortunately no longer exist in the wild. The domestication of these animals began around 5000 BC, they were used mainly as a source of food. They were the original inhabitants of South America, as evidenced by fossil specimens. Scientists believe that modern guinea pigs are descendants of now extinct similar wild species that lived in North and South America. The colonization of these territories led to the use of guinea pigs as pets in Europe, and eventually throughout the world. On this page of the site "" we will consider these rodents.

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It is assumed that before their extinction, these animals were a fairly flexible species, and could exist in various conditions. For example, they have adapted to survive in a wide range of altitudes, from sea level to 4,000 meters above sea level. Although studies have shown that they cannot survive in extreme hot or cold conditions, guinea pigs could survive in a wide range of temperatures from 22˚C during the day to -7˚C at night.

Guinea pigs are tailless rodents that weigh between 700 and 1100 g, with males usually being larger than females. They have a small, compact, cylindrical body, 20 cm to 25 cm in length, small, petal-shaped ears located on top of the head. The mouth, in these animals, is small, triangular in shape, contains 20 teeth. Like many other rodents, the guinea pig's teeth grow continuously, and their length is maintained by grinding down during feeding.

As a result of artificial selection of this animal, about 20 different phenotypes have been bred that differ from each other in color and 13 phenotypes that differ in the texture of the coat and its length. At the same time, their wild ancestors are believed to have had a short chestnut coat that camouflaged them from predators.

reproduction

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Since guinea pigs no longer exist in their natural habitat, it is difficult to assess the characteristics of their reproduction in nature. At home, mating is highly dependent on the person, reproduction is possible both in pairs and in groups, depending on how the animals are kept. When keeping several individuals in one enclosure or cage, serious clashes between males are possible, especially when there is only one saka.

Guinea pigs reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 - 2.5 months. Estrus in females usually occurs 3 to 4 times a year, and lasts approximately 16 days. Mating mostly takes place at night. These animals do not show seasonal dependence in reproduction. Pregnancy of the female lasts from 2 to 2.5 months, depending on the age and conditions of detention.

The average litter size is usually 3 pups. Weaning of young animals from the mother is recommended 2-3 weeks after birth. Female guinea pigs care little about their offspring. Puppies tend to survive on their own without significant maternal care. Guinea pigs can live up to 14 years in captivity in good conditions, but usually the average lifespan is around 8 years. The reproductive functions of guinea pigs fade much earlier, usually they stop breeding after 3.5 years.

Behavior

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Guinea pigs are sociable, intelligent animals and I prefer close contact with my relatives. They are active at dusk and dawn, and when awake, spend most of their time grooming, feeding, or exploring the surroundings. Male guinea pigs tend to establish a social hierarchy in which one alpha male dominates subordinates. They are quite aggressive in competition for territory or potential sexual partners. Guinea pigs have two main opposing defense mechanisms. When this animal encounters an unfamiliar threat, such as an unfamiliar sound or sudden movement, it freezes, trying to disguise itself until the perceived threat disappears. If a group of guinea pigs are faced with a familiar threat, they often scatter in an attempt to confuse and disorient potential predators.

Guinea pigs can communicate with each other using a variety of sounds. They creak, squeak, whistle, purr and chirp. Squeals and squeaks serve to convey information about the danger. Whistles and chirps, which are commonly used over long distances, indicate the presence of food. Finally, purring is believed to indicate contentment. Guinea pigs are sociable and often huddle together to form a tight club to keep warm. Such pets can be held in your arms and even taught to respond to your nickname. But it must be borne in mind that these rodents during the breeding season or when they feel unwell can be aggressive and are able to bite even the owner. Also, do not give them to small children. There is evidence in the literature that it is dangerous for these animals to fall even from a small height.

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Domestic guinea pigs usually live in cages, although some owners of a significant number of animals use large enclosures to keep them. This rodent is a fairly nimble animal, and the larger the cage, the better. Especially if you do not plan to let your pet walk around the apartment. It is easy to be convinced of the speed of this, outwardly clumsy animal, when trying to catch a fugitive who went on an independent walk.

The minimum cage floor size for a single animal is 30 x 60 cm. The house can be used with either a hard bottom or a wire bottom, although a wire mesh cover can cause leg injury or infection. In this case, the floor must be covered with a sheet of plastic that is easy to clean. Wooden cages cannot be used, the rodent will gradually deal with them. Cardboard boxes should not be used even temporarily, it does not cost anything for an animal to be free.

The floor of the cage is usually lined with pressed wood chips, small shavings, or similar material. Softwood sawdust bedding, widely used in the past, is now considered to contain harmful phenols and oils, so hardwood sawdust such as aspen or torn paper is safer. Guinea pigs, as a rule, are dirty, they often jump into a bowl of food, soil the litter with their waste products. Their urine may crystallize on the surface of the cell, making it difficult to remove. It is necessary to put in order a house with such animals 1 - 2 times a week. After the cage is cleared, the guinea pig will usually try to mark its territory. Males may also mark territory when they are transplanted from their cages.

And more about caring for a guinea pig. This animal should be released in the apartment carefully, since the hunt for a pig hiding under furniture can be very long. In the village or in the summer in the yard, in principle, it is impossible to leave this rodent free, it hides well in the grass, even despite its bright color, but at the same time it quickly becomes the prey of cats and dogs.

Feeding

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Guinea pigs are typical herbivores. At home, they are usually fed lettuce, cabbage, and various types of herbs and fruits. In some countries, hay made from perennial grasses grown specifically for feeding domestic herbivores is widely distributed for feeding. In more developed countries, they are often fed industrial pellets. The pellets contain dried plant ingredients (barley, alfalfa), vitamins (eg vitamin C) and minerals necessary to keep guinea pigs healthy. The presence of hay is desirable in any case, it provides grinding of growing incisors. In addition, the peculiarities of the digestion of this animal are such that it constantly consumes small portions of food, so hay must be in the cage all the time.

Another feature of the pig is eating its own litter, it is impossible to prohibit or try to exclude such actions. Part of the nutrients can only be cured by "re-processing" food. In herbivorous animals, such actions are quite common. For example, the offspring of elephants eat the waste of adult animals, which makes it easier for them to digest food. The presence of vitamin C in the feed is mandatory, since guinea pigs cannot produce it and receive it only from food. The lack of this vitamin leads to serious illness of the animal and even death.

There must be a drinking bowl in the cage, since at home the number of fresh juicy vegetables and fruits is limited. Water must be changed once a day, as these animals quickly pollute it, or use an automatic drinker. It is desirable to have mineral-salt stones bought in pet stores in the cage. Gnawing them, your pets make up for the lack of minerals and trace elements. Do not feed these animals with leftovers from your table, including boiled cereals. The food system of guinea pigs is not designed for this, and at least they may have it disordered. As you can see, caring for such a pet is not very difficult.

Future owners of guinea pigs and those who have these cute animals at home are wondering: how long do guinea pigs live at home? The average life expectancy of guinea pigs is 5-8 years. Of course, there are pets that please their owners much longer. A guinea pig has been documented, which lived for 15 years, for which, by the way, it is inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records.

breeds

There are several classifications of guinea pig breeds, which is most likely only of interest to specialists. To simplify the situation, we will choose the length of the wool as a criterion. Let's briefly consider the most popular and well-known breeds. So, depending on the length of the coat, all guinea pigs are divided into long-haired and short-haired. You can also highlight rare breeds that are practically not found in Russia.

Short haired guinea pigs.

selfie- the whole pig is painted in one color without admixture of any other shade, the color of the paws and ears matches the main color. There can be various colors - black, white with dark eyes, white with red eyes, gold with dark eyes, gold with red eyes, lilac, beige, red, saffron, brown, cream.

Satin- the wool of these pigs is distinguished by its special softness in its structure and a glossy, shiny effect. Any colors are possible, but more often one-color and two-color.

Bicolor- the body of the pig is painted with only two colors.

Tricolor- the wool is dyed in three different colors. The colors are not mixed with each other, and form peculiar zones with clear boundaries.

Dalmatians- they are characterized by the presence of a white stripe on the muzzle, dividing it into the so-called mask, along the entire perimeter of the body on the main color there are spots of a different shade no larger than a pea, there are also spots on the stomach, paws and ears are evenly colored.

Himalayans- pigs are painted white, only the nose, ears and paws are dyed either brown or black.

Agouti- the tips of the coat usually have a light shade that differs from the main color. There are golden, silver, brown, lemon, creamy chocolate agoutis.

Teddy- the coat is short, soft, straight or slightly wavy, stands "on end" all over the body of the pig, feels like plush to the touch. Any colors are possible.

Long haired guinea pigs.

sheltie- the growth of wool is strictly in the direction from the muzzle down, there is not a single rosette on the body. There are different colors.

Peruvian– wool grows forward, towards the muzzle and falls over the eyes. Ideally, a pig should only have 2 outlets at the bottom, but more often there are individuals who have additional outlets on their bodies.

Texel- curly hair growing in the direction from the muzzle down, there is not a single rosette on the body. There are different colors.

Alpaca- curly hair grows forward, towards the muzzle. There are two single outlets on the back.

rare breeds

Kui- These are giant guinea pigs, whose homeland is South America. At birth, they weigh 100-150 g, at three months - 700-800 g, and at the age of 4 months their weight is more than 1 kg. Adults weigh an average of 2-3 kg.

skinny- hairless guinea pigs, have hair only on the nose and paws.

Baldwin- completely absent hair on the body. Babies are born in wool, but over time it completely falls out.

Diseases

Another version of the tricolor pig
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Guinea pigs at home do not suffer from natural predators. Their wild close relatives, such as the Brazilian guinea pig, are preyed upon by ferrets, domestic dogs and cats, coyotes, wolves, owls, and some species of hawks. This must be taken into account if you have other animals at home.

We list the external signs of illness in guinea pigs:
- changes in behavior not characteristic of the animal;
- lies with closed eyes;
- rapid or difficult breathing;
- cough;
- increased thirst;
- disheveled, sticky wool;
- hair falls out with a light touch;
- discharge from the nose, runny nose;
- festering eyelids and eyes;
- the formation of ulcers on the skin;
- trembles with a small shiver;
- frequent dry or loose stools;
- convulsions and paralysis;
- the presence of small blood-sucking (fleas, lice).

A sick animal seeks to retire, hide, lie down. If you are sure that an infectious disease has nowhere to come from, but the animal's stool is of concern, let the guinea pig gnaw on a peeled galangal root or pomegranate peel. Of the medications, you can advise ftalazol, which fixes and etazol, which relieves inflammation, 1/8 tablet 2 times a day. In a small amount of water, you can add 2-3 drops of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) until a slightly pink solution is formed.

Put tree branches or wooden sticks in the cage for guinea pigs, do not get carried away with soft food for the animal. His incisors need work, otherwise the teeth will start to grow unnecessarily.

Having discovered the unusual behavior of a pet - reduced motor activity, the absence of characteristic sounds made by usually healthy animals, you should take a closer look at the guinea pig. If the animal is lethargic, trembling, the coat is tousled or it has rapid breathing, reduced appetite, loose stools, then it must be shown to the veterinarian. The same should be done if an abortion occurs in a pregnant female.

The normal body temperature of guinea pigs is in the range of 37.5 - 39.5 °C. An increase in temperature above 39.5 ° C indicates that your pet is sick. To measure the temperature, the animal is held belly up on the left hand. With the thumb of the left hand, they press on the inguinal region so that the anus can be better seen, and with the right hand, a disinfected and vaseline-lubricated thermometer is inserted into the rectum. Enter it in two doses. At first, they are held almost vertically, and then lowered to a horizontal position. The thermometer uses a conventional mercury medical or veterinary.

Nowadays, these animals are sold as pets, and in South America they are still eaten. In addition, they are often used as test subjects in biomedical research.

You can buy guinea pigs in large cities without any problems. For example, in Moscow, in the newspaper "From hand to hand" or its Internet version IRR.ru, on www.avito.ru, dmir.ru, pet stores, such as Velesans (velesans.ru) and similar, there is a large selection of these pets . Prices (2014) are low and usually amount to 1500 - 2500 rubles.

Before you buy a guinea pig, you should think about who she will live and be friends with. We are talking about other pets that are already old-timers in your home or are still planned to settle in the near future. To avoid conflicts and troubles, you need to know some of the features of the relationship of guinea pigs with other pets. With whom can a guinea pig coexist peacefully on the same territory, with whom, perhaps, can it make friends, and with whom friendships are impossible under any circumstances?

Guinea pig and cat

If you already have a cat living at home, then it is better not to get a guinea pig in order to avoid a bloody drama. Most likely, the cat will treat the rodent as prey. Even if the cat fails to get the pig out of the cage, with her raids and close attention, she will frighten the pig, which is why the latter will constantly be in a state of stress. Cats are especially dangerous for baby pigs. If, nevertheless, this happened, and the mumps appeared in the house where the cat settled for a long time, keep the cage with the mumps in a room where the cat is not allowed to enter. The above applies to an adult cat.

However, it is quite easy to make friends between a predator and a rodent if you have both a kitten and a pig at the same time - they will get used to each other from childhood, and it will not occur to the cat to consider the pig as dinner.

Guinea pig and dog

It is not worth taking risks and acquiring a guinea pig in a house where a hunting dog lives - a four-legged pet is a great danger for a pig. Even if at first the dog is neutral or even favorable to the overseas rodent, the pig can involuntarily provoke an attack, awakening the hunting instincts of his “big friend”. If the rodent is still forced to share territory with a hunting dog, never leave them unattended in the same room, even if the pig is in a cage. The dog is able to get the pig out of the cage, or at least scare it a lot.

With dogs of other breeds, guinea pigs may well get along, and often make friends. The dog should immediately be taught that the guinea pig should be treated as a member of the family. This is easy to do if the dog is introduced to guinea pigs as a puppy. Of course, the process of taming an adult dog to a beginner will take longer. In any case, the acquaintance should take place slowly and under the close supervision of the owner. Complete indifference to each other pets at first glance can be deceptive. Aggression on the part of a dog is possible, for example, due to jealousy, which can end sadly for a mumps. Moreover, there are also cases when a rodent can painfully bite a too active and annoying puppy. Therefore, in cases where the owner of the animals is not entirely sure of their mutual sympathy and friendly relations, it is best to keep pets away from each other. Also, don't forget that a large dog can inadvertently crush a tender guinea pig if no one is around.

Guinea pig and parrot

It's not a good idea to keep cages with these two completely opposite species in the same room, and leaving them alone in the same room on "free pasture" and in "free flight" is all the more not worth it. Large parrots, as a rule, are very jealous, on this basis they can offend a guinea pig. Small parrots are not averse to pecking at pigs' ears, and pigs, in turn, may also not be in debt - there are cases when seemingly peaceful rodents attacked parrots, and the latter were injured.

Guinea pig and rabbit

If decorative rabbits share the territory with guinea pigs, then, as a rule, there is no reason to worry - both the guinea pig and the rabbit are safe. Moreover, often these animals may well make friends. It also happens that the rabbit protects the guinea pig, fits next to it and licks it. However, friendly relations do not always develop - female rabbits may strive to protect their "individual site", and then the guinea pig may not be healthy. Therefore, you need to closely monitor the behavior of pets, and if one ward begins to become irritated towards another, it is better to isolate them from each other for a while in order to avoid conflicts. The main thing is not to allow aggressive behavior between them.

Guinea pig and other rodents

Hamsters by nature do not need company and prefer loneliness, so they should not be kept together with pigs. In general, it is not recommended to keep a guinea pig with rodents such as chinchillas, ornamental mice, rats, squirrels and all types of hamsters - they have a different lifestyle and different diets. If you have different types of rodents at home, keep them in different cages away from each other, and even better if they live in different rooms. There are, of course, exceptions, but you should not take risks and try to make friends with a pig and, for example, a chinchilla.

Guinea pig and ferret

Despite the fact that a ferret and a guinea pig are in almost the same “weight category”, it’s ridiculous to talk about friendship in this case. A 100% predator - a ferret - will never be able to explain that this furry must not be touched. The guinea pig will always be considered by the ferret only as prey. There is only one way out - separate keeping, the ferret simply should not know about the existence of the guinea pig.

Summarizing the above, we note that if the society of guinea pigs alone is not enough for you, ensure absolute safety for gentle creatures, because the pigs themselves will not be able to protect themselves from other animals, especially from domestic predators.

In contact with

Encountering another animal on its way, the guinea pig behaves indifferently, regardless of whether this animal is larger or smaller in comparison with it. Guinea pigs, growing up in their own team and knowing only each other, simply ignore any other animals. This lack of reaction can be fatal for the pig if it encounters a predatory animal. She, like many pets, is absolutely defenseless when meeting face-to-face with a predator, for example, a cat. Therefore, we are responsible for its safety. Guinea pigs are defenseless animals, so they should not be kept together with animals that could harm them.

With rabbits you can’t keep a pig and a rabbit in the same cage, and you can walk in a place only under supervision. This is due to the fact that the rabbit can beat the pig to death with its strong hind legs, and the pig, defending itself, can injure him, for example, knock out his eyes with a tooth or inflict lacerations. It is not uncommon to see in pet stores that pigs are kept in the same cage with rabbits, as a rule, this cohabitation leads to the death of the pig.

dog can be taught that the guinea pig should be treated as a member of the family, especially if the animals got to know each other at a young age. If the dog has already lived with you for some time, you need to gradually, step by step, accustom him to the company of a guinea pig. Do not forget that there are dogs that have a genetic instinct for hunting, and you can’t teach them that the pig is not prey, no matter how hard you try. A vivid example of such a breed of dachshund is how many pigs they have killed, but still people are trying to make friends with them. Usually the dog comes to terms with the fact that in your presence she cannot taste the mumps and pretends that she does not think of hunting her, but if you lose your vigilance and the whole mumps will be in your mouth, and the dog can wait for the right opportunity for years (there are a lot of such cases).

Cat not all cats see prey in a pig, some do not pay attention to it at all, they even allow climbing on themselves, usually these are adult experienced cats. Young cats and kittens are not averse to hunting for pigs or playing with her and can seriously injure her and even kill her, even if not on purpose. If the animals are together from a very young age, then in most cases they get along well with each other. When keeping guinea pigs on a balcony or in an aviary, you should constantly ensure that they are protected from cats. A cat with its attacks on a cage can scare a guinea pig. If the distance between the bars or the size of the cells allows, then the cat will try to catch the guinea pig with its agile paw.

golden hamsters- animals are solitary, and in case of their aggressiveness, guinea pigs cannot resist them. In general, it does not make sense to keep pigs with other rodents, whether they are mice, rats, golden or dwarf hamsters, chinchillas or squirrels. True, guinea pigs do not become aggressive, but often suffer very deeply from the alien and unnatural partnership imposed on them.

Birds often try to steal food from guinea pigs, and budgerigars are not averse to pecking at their ears. Larger parrots become very jealous and also begin to peck at guinea pigs. Therefore, in principle, guinea pigs should not be kept with birds, especially parrots, and also with smaller species such as budgerigars.

A black cloud with a freedom-loving character - Chunya's guinea pig

We have been wanting to buy an animal for our daughter for a long time, but we all thought for a long time about who it would be better to buy. And there was talk about a dog, and about a parrot, but they opted for a funny little animal - a guinea pig. And so, on the 6th birthday of our Dasha, we decided to present an unusual living present!

My husband and I spent several days looking for, and what kind of pigs we didn’t have a chance to see and even hold in our arms, but still they were “not our” animals, well, the soul didn’t lie to them and that’s it! But on the very last day before the triumph, when despair almost crept close to us, we found Him! It happened in the market where we went for vegetables. It turns out that in its very outback there was a small pet shop, where three furry little animals were sitting in a cage. They were of different colors, but I liked the black fluffy lump, somewhat reminiscent of a thundercloud. This is how we found our Chunya, a black guinea pig with a difficult temperament.

We purchased a spacious cage for our pet and put a plastic house in it, hoping that he would sleep in it, but no such luck! Little Chuny's favorite pastime was jumping from the roof of the house, where he climbed with difficulty, making every effort. He will climb onto the roof and sit there, even dozing sometimes, and then he will jump into the far corner of the cage, which took our breath away. But our Chun was not at all afraid, and he jumped again and again, as if he was showing us a performance. It was funny to watch him, it felt like he had seen enough of parrots in the store and, imagining himself a bird, decided to live on the roof and learn to fly.

But soon he grew up, and the house became small for him. Former amusements were forgotten, and Chuny had a new goal - to break out of the cage at all costs and live in the wild. Day after day, he diligently tried to gnaw through the metal bars of the cage, irritating those around him with an ominous rattle. Of course, we read that these animals should be let out to run around, but we really didn’t want to wipe up the puddles afterwards. Well, what can I say, the stubborn guinea pig got his way, and we released him into the room. Five years have passed since then, and he only goes into the cage to eat, drink and go to the toilet. Although, what a lie, sometimes embarrassment happens to him outside the cage, but this is not a dog, so the cleaning goes very quickly.

Now our Chun is over 5 years old, but he is as cheerful and perky as before. He rushes around the room like a hurricane, and when you call him to eat, he immediately comes running. From the first weeks of living with us, the guinea pig got used to his name and responded to it with a loud whistle.

Chun has grown to 20 cm in length, he is very shaggy and sometimes we have to cut him so that too long hair does not fall into lumps.

Why our choice fell on an overseas rodent - a guinea pig

Guinea pigs are unpretentious in care, they do not need to be walked three times a day, and most importantly, they are kind and friendly, which is why they are often bought for small children. In addition, these rodents live up to 10 years, and in especially good conditions up to 15.

We purchased a guinea pig in order to teach a child to be responsible, because there is nothing easier than caring for her, all you need is to feed her a couple of times a day with grass, vegetables and hay, and also change the water in the bottle. It is important to occasionally play with these rodents, yes, they love attention and company very much, my daughter even managed to play hide and seek with Chunya. Such funny animals!

Guinea pig care

We feed our Chunyu three times a day, and not once, as some sites say. In his cage there is always dry hay, which he not only eats, but also sleeps on, grain feed, and in addition, Chunya loves to eat any greens (except onions and cilantro), carrots, beets, apples and cucumbers. In the spring, we often tear armfuls of dandelions, clover and other young grass for the pig.

In winter, it is a bit tight, since the greens are expensive, but you can grow special grass at home.

Thick-haired pigs need to be combed out and even washed from time to time, we bathe Chunya with baby soap in a shallow basin. This should be done carefully, holding the animal so that it does not get scared, and water does not get into the ears.

You can walk guinea pigs, but it is important to ensure that they do not run away and pick up bugs in the thick grass.

Instead of sawdust, we use cat litter, but first we put a cut garbage bag on the bottom of the cage, which prevents leakage and facilitates the cleaning process - you take it out with all the good stuff and throw it away. That's all the basic care!

Pros and cons of these animals

The only disadvantage of guinea pigs is sometimes too active nocturnal lifestyle, they really like to gnaw everything and grind their teeth loudly. If you or your child is allergic to wool, furry animals will not suit you. Otherwise, guinea pigs are non-aggressive, friendly and funny, great pets for the whole family!