How to Care for a Guinea Pig

With the right nutrition, grooming, and veterinary care, your guinea pig can live a long and happy life—anywhere from four to eight years. This is a rarity among pocket pets. Hamsters, for example, only live for about two years. Before you bring your guinea pig home, you’ll need to invest in your new pet’s habitat. 

Home Sweet Home

Guinea pigs require plenty of enclosed space where they can freely roam, sleep, and eat. If you bring home more than one guinea pig, you’ll need an even larger cage. By the way, guinea pigs love spending time with each other, so getting two is a good idea. To adequately house one-to-two guinea pigs, look for a cage that’s at least 30 by 36 inches. Look for a guinea pig-specific cage made from cubes and coroplast. 

To make the cage cozy and perfect for your little pig, you’ll need: 

• Paper or fleece-based bedding
• Water bottle
• Food dish with high-quality pellets
• Timothy hay
• Toys
• A tunnel or box for hiding

Now you can bring your guinea pig home!