Exotic Pets - Guinea Pig - as part of the expert series by GeoBeats. I am Beth Randall, and I am the director at Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary. And this is a guinea pig. And they are native to South America, where they burrow underground and live in colonies. They are common as pets here in the US. They have been pets for a very long time. And they can be a very nice starter pet for people. Very, relatively easy to take care of. They are somewhat friendly. Um, a little skittish, but with appropriate handling, especially from the time they are young, they can be very handleable and friendly. The girl female guinea pigs like to be in pairs, often. And the males tend to like to be alone. An appropriate large guinea pig cage would be about a foot and a half to 2 feet by 3 to 4 feet. They do not need a wheel for exercise. They can actually harm their backs if they have a wheel. So that is something really important not to put in their cage. They like a little hut for a hideout. Some of them will like a box. The general guinea pig huts are probably about the best. They do need a diet specific for guinea pigs. There are guinea pig pellets that are formulated with vitamin C, because guinea pigs cannot manufacture the vitamin C. And so they do need to have that in their diet, whether it is fresh fruits and vegetables, and/or the pellets. And they also need Timothy Hay, which is a grass hay, and not alfalfa hay. Alfalfa is much too rich in proteins, and can make them sick. So fresh fruits and vegetables are really important for their diet as well. It is really good for them to have those everyday. Not iceberg lettuce, though, because that has far too much water content, and can give them diarrhea and other stomach problems. They do make little noises. They squeak like this. And that means they are happy or excited. Sometimes they week. They will make all kinds of different little noises like that. They will know when you are getting their food. They can tell when the refrigerator opens, and go week, week, week. And so, but they are a prey animal, so you have to remember that. Because when you go to pick them up, if you pick them up from the tap, that can feel like a predator is coming after them. And if you pick them up from the bottom, they feel much safer, and so they are much easier to hold that way. It is nice to have, also, a little pen where they can come out and exercise. Whether it is in your house, or out in your yard, while you are with them, supervising it. And they will graze on your grass, as long as it is not treated with pesticides or anything. And they will play around in your living room as well. They do chew. They are a rodent, so their teeth are always growing. And so they do chew a lot, they need things to chew on. Chew blocks, chew sticks. Um, again, their hay and their pellets will help keep their teeth down. They do need their nails trimmed regularly, just like a cat or dog. And you do have to watch those teeth growing, to make sure they are growing straight. They do not have to go to the vet on a regular basis. But it does not hurt to take them in every year, just for a checkup. Just to make sure there is nothing going on with them. And guinea pigs live about 5 to 8 years, and are not really prone to a lot of diseases, as long as they are well taken care of.
