Ever since we got the guinea pigs last month we have been obsessed with seeking out advice from the experts in the community like Rick Andreoli Montreal, as we are genuinely fearful about doing something wrong or not giving them the best life possible. It is fair to say that thanks to people like Rick, I have learned an awful lot about these gorgeous little creatures and I wanted to share some of this with you guys. If anyone out there is looking to get a guinea pig, here are some thing which you should probably know before you do.
Two Better Than One
Originally we were only going to get one guinea pig, but then we learned how dangerous that is. Apparently because they are such social animals, any less than 2 means that they get lonely and this can even prove to be a risk to their health. There are stories of guinea pigs who have died because of loneliness. The truth is that dealing with two really isn’t much different from having one.
Vitamin C
One of the most important things to learn about these animals is that they are incapable of making vitamin C on their own. Now given the fact that humans have removed these animals from their local habitat and domesticated them, it is up to us to step in and make sure that they get the vitamin C that they should require. Each day these little critters should have 30mg of vitamin C. They can get this through peppers and through the pellets that they consume.
Learn The Noises
Guinea pigs really do make a wide variety of sounds and it is important that you learn what to listen for. Sometimes they will shriek because they are excited but there are other times that they will make a noise because they are stressed or because they are in pain. It is essential that you learn to tell the difference between these sounds so that you know when they have some kind of difficulty.
Self Cleaning
Contrary to what many think you do not have to clean or bathe the guinea pigs because they are very good at doing this on their own. Not only do they have a great level of hygiene, they very rarely get dirty in the first place, because of how they live. Soaps and other chemicals can be incredibly harmful for the guinea pigs which is why we should always avoid trying to wash them.
Intelligent
They may not be able to do tricks like a dog but these pets are highly intelligent and they will learn who you are, what you sound like and they will even pick up your routine. They will often communicate with you through their squeaks and squeals and you will recognise that they begin to learn more about you as the months go on.
A great pet which is simple to look after and fun to have.
Do you have any questions about this article? Click here to contact us today.