Which guinea pig is right for me

They tolerate being picked up but are unlikely to enjoy it as much as some small pets such as rats or ferrets. In the wild, guinea pigs live in large groups and even raise their babies together. Our pet guinea pigs are no less sociable and they really need company. Guinea pigs can happily live in pairs, trios or small groups. You can keep guinea pigs in single sex groups — boys with boys and girls with girls. If your male guinea pigs are separated for a while, they may find it difficult to bond again.

You can also keep mixed groups. Female guinea pigs can get pregnant as young as 3 weeks old and can have up to six babies per litter. You might have heard that rabbits and guinea pigs can live together — this is a common myth.

They actually make very poor companions for each other. Thinking of getting a pet? Pawsfirst and take our Get PetWise quiz to find the right pet for you. Never leave a guinea pig unattended in the presence of a dog, cat, ferret or any other predatory animal. Intermittent visits to the classroom are preferable to daily trips. Lyn Zantow maintains an informational cavy care website and active message board at www. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her two guinea pigs, Nina and Snowflake.

Is a guinea pig right for you? Learn about the basics and how to adopt this furry pet. Close Main Navigation Menu. Sign Up Log In. Hide Saved searches. The cage or enclosure should be clean, with very little odor. The animals should not be too crowded because this can lead to stress and may lessen resistance to disease. In many cases, guinea pigs will be kept in mixed male and female groups. Because female guinea pigs can become pregnant as young as 2 months of age, this often means that even a fairly young female guinea pig can be pregnant at the time of purchase.

Ask the seller about a prepurchase veterinary check. A responsible dealer will either allow a check by an outside veterinarian or will agree to accept back a diseased or pregnant animal that has been promptly examined by a veterinarian.

If possible, have your new guinea pig examined by a veterinarian before you take it home or as soon as possible thereafter. From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, we are committed to improving health and well-being around the world. The Merck Veterinary Manual was first published in as a service to the community.

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