Sickness is not something to be anticipated because guinea-pigs are tough little creatures. However, one cannot ignore the fact that illness may strike despite careful attention to feeding and hygiene. The typical signs of ill-health are a bedraggled coat, listless behaviour and absence of appetite. At the first signs, the animal should be separated from…
The range of different colours in guinea-pigs is large but full of interest. The most popular are those known as selfs. They are of the same colour all over. These occur as black, chocolate, lilac, red, cream and white. The agouti or ticked varieties are found in several colours, of which the golden, cinnamon and…
It is easy to set about breeding guinea-pigs. All one has to do is allow the boar and sow to run together and nature will do the rest. Both sexes will show sign:- of sexual behaviour at an early age but this is a form of play or preparation for more serious behaviour when older….
Guinea-pigs are so naturally tame that little difficulty should be experienced in handling for the first time. Most animals show some signs of nervousness with strangers and this nervousness can be overcome by treating the animal kindly and unhurriedly. Gently stroke and pet him but make no attempt to pick him op if he cowers…
The guinea-pig will accept a great many different foods and these may be grouped into two sorts. Dry food and green stuff of various descriptions. Both kinds of food are essential and, in this respect, both guinea-pigs and rabbits differ from most other pet rodents who can live on a dry diet with a bare…
The larger size of the guinea-pig requires that the animal be kept in a hutch rather than a cage. Whatever is used—whether cage or hutch—it should not be less than 24in. Long, 18in. Deep and 12in. High. This would be suitable for a single animal, a pair could do with a hutch of similar width…
The guinea-pig is larger than rats, mice and hamsters. A fully grown animal will weigh between two and three pounds and be about nine inches long. They have squat, tubby bodies and are surprisingly strong. Young people handling a guinea-pig for the first time may be astonished at an absence of tail (even the hamster…