Guinea pig – how many years can this animal live at home?

Ideal pets – guinea pigs

If you or your child really wants to take care of a small rodent, get a guinea pig. Want to know how long guinea pigs live? With good care, they can please you for about 10 years. The maximum term is 15 years. Of course, not everything depends only on care, how long a pet will live with you depends on heredity and health. But still, the guinea pig is rightfully considered a long-liver among rodents. In fact, you will have a substitute for a cat or dog. The creature is just as funny, but does not require walks in the morning and does not drag sausage from the table in the kitchen.

Which breed should you choose?

What do you think, how many breeds of the rodent you are interested in are known today? Imagine that there are more than 50 of them. This is a lot, but it is this variety of choice that attracts future owners who care about the appearance of the animal that will live with them in the same room. Let’s try to figure it out.

The easiest way divide guinea pigs into 2 groups:

• shorthaired;
• longhaired.

At this point, however, the guinea pig experts fainted. How so? Why then did people try and describe various breeds of these rodents? Let’s, out of respect for their work, list the breeds that are most likely to be offered to you in a pet store:

• Rex;
• Abyssinian (socket);
• Self;
• Skinny;
• Ridgeback;
• Sheltie;
• Crested;
• Baldwin;
• Satin.

How to care for a pet

The owner of any animal has a great responsibility. It depends on him whether the pet will live in pleasure or suffer and suffer. However, the guinea pig will not cause much trouble. All that is required is to provide a spacious cage or terrarium, put a house in the corner where a shy animal can hide from everyone, feed them 2 times a day and provide communication if you have one pet, not a couple.

Guinea pigs do not impose excessive requirements on the temperature regime. They calmly tolerate heat over 20 ° C and feel great in a cold room, where the temperature is about 10 ° C. Of course, it is better not to allow sharp fluctuations, but you yourself will not enjoy such jumps. However, if you live with Skinny or Baldwin, then you will have to be more careful about the temperature. These breeds do not have wool and require more comfortable conditions.

Much attention should be paid to the humidity in the room, especially during the heating season. It is advisable to use a humidifier and put flowerpots in the room.

Of course, don’t forget to clean. No pet should live in mud, and the guinea pig is no exception. To prolong the life of a small pet, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness in his home. The contents of the pallet must be replaced daily. Do a general cleaning of the cage every week. The best bedding is hay or straw, but shavings can be used. Do not pour small sawdust into the pallet. This is harmful, they get into the eyes and clog the respiratory tract. If desired, you can use cat litter for the toilet, but it will turn out more expensive.

If you have a short-haired animal, then he will take care of his own fur coat. These are surprisingly clean animals, pleasantly smelling of hay. You will be able to watch how the baby diligently cleans the fur and smoothes the hair to the hair. If your choice is a long-haired animal, for example, a rosette guinea pig, then you will have to help with hair care. Wool should be combed daily with a special comb and brush.

To do this, the guinea pig is slightly sprayed with water from a spray bottle and gently untangle the hairs with a comb. Sticky or matted places are carefully trimmed or washed with a special composition against the formation of hairballs. These shampoos are sold in pet stores, they are designed for cats, but also great for guinea pigs.

Your pets do not require compulsory bathing. They should be washed only when necessary, in case they are very dirty. After bathing in warm water, the animal is wrapped in a towel and then dried with a hair dryer. At this time, the presence of drafts is unacceptable.

What to feed your pet

These rodents have very complex digestive system. Therefore, how long guinea pigs live depends heavily on the correct approach to their nutrition. Frequent changes in the composition of the feed and the use of prohibited foods can cause serious illness to the pet and even death.

The guinea pig should not feel hungry. Feeding should be carried out at the same time. The diet should consist of wheat bran, carrots, oats and green fodder (in the appropriate season). In winter, green fodder is replaced by hay. Seeds, potatoes, tomatoes, beets, apples and other fruits go well.

Be sure to change the water every day. need to add vitamin C. This is important because animals have lost the ability to synthesize this vitamin. How much to add? For 1 ml of water 1 mg of vitamin.

In no case should you give guinea pigs: moldy (damp) food, cheese, meat, eggs and sausage, green and overripe fruits, red cabbage and sweets.

A guinea pig will live in your home for many years. Both children and you will receive a charge of good mood from this pet every day.