Buying a Guinea Pig

Guinea pigs are highly sociable animals and they can be wonderful pets for your children or any novice pet owner. But before buying a guinea pig you should be aware of some aspects that would help you to maintain healthy guinea pigs as your pet. They following are the factors that you should take a note while keeping a pet guinea pig.

Factors Considered Before Buying a Guinea Pig

• You must take into account of the fact that guinea pigs are not toys. Though they are kept as pets mostly for children but adults must take proper care even when the children grows and loses interest in it. The pigs are to be handled properly as they get easily injured. They are very sensitive creatures and if they are frightened they stay shocked and fixed at one place.

• Make housing arrangements for your guinea pig inside your own home. Guinea pigs can not tolerate cold and if their hutch is to be kept outside then arrange for some heating agent that would keep the temperature inside the hutch above the freezing point.

• Your pet pig requires great about of care and in all seasons you are advised to attend your pet for at least two times a day. So, before buying a guinea pig find out how far you would be able to give commitment to your pet friend during the days of your exams or when you are on a holiday trip. A guinea pig can live up to 6 to 8 years of age and till its death you would have to take care of the little animal.

• Many individuals may develop allergies due to the presence of the guinea pigs. The hay of the pet pigs can often become the source of the allergy. So, before buying the animal make sure whether any of your family members are prone to allergies or not.

• Spend time with your pig. Allow it to bathe in sun rays and run down into the green grass in the morning. But be sure that you take every necessary precaution to protect it from predatory animals. Do not buy a long haired pig unless you are ready to devote some time for grooming your pet on a regular basis. Even long haired pigs if not properly groomed do not look attractive.

• Though small in size but guinea pigs require comfortable spacious hutches. The pigs love to run in great speed so, make sure that the hutch where you have kept a pig should be at least 4 feet wide.

• The pigs are socializing animals and so you are recommended to buy at least two in number. A singe guinea pig would feel very lonely.

• Before buying a guinea pig decide whether you want to buy a male or a female. If not willing to try out with breeding then it would be ideal to buy neutered male pigs. Female pigs would be ideal for breeding purposes. You may either keep males together or females in groups.

• Also decide from where you would be buying a guinea pig. Breeders would be ideal agents from where you can buy your pet. Buying a pig from the pet shop would actually lead to cropping up of many complications.

The pet shops are not adequately knowledgeable regarding the needs and the requirements of the pigs. Often they can not even help you in recognizing the sexes of the pets. Several times the female that is handed over to the pet owners are later known to be pregnant. So, before buying a female pet piggie enquire whether it has ever come in contact with males or not.