Category: Guinea pigs

In the wild, Guinea Pigs are prey animals with predators ranging from snakes to wolves and big cats. As such, even as pets, their natural instinct to avoid predators is strong. While Cavies can be tamed and become cuddly pets that like to be stroked and fussed, it can take time, and some may never particularly enjoy being petted.

Generally, however, Guinea Pigs that do like being petted are most likely to enjoy having their heads and backs petted. They may tolerate having their chest petted but most strongly dislike having their belly and bottoms patted. There are exceptions as every Guinea Pig is unique, so yours might love having its belly rubbed but hate having its head touched.

Guinea Pigs in the Wild

Guinea Pig ancestors hail from South America, North America, Europe, and Asia. What we think of as the domesticated Guinea Pig doesn’t really exist in the wild anymore, although there are similar animals found primarily in Brazil and other South American countries. The list of natural predators is long and includes snakes, large birds, wild cats, and coyotes. They are also, in some countries, hunted by humans.

Guinea Pigs as Pets

Not only is the list of Guinea Pig predators long but it is varied, as well. They need to be on guard from animals in the air, as well as on the ground. This explains why Cavies can be timid and nervous creatures. Approach one without warning, or catch it by surprise, and a Guinea Pig’s natural instincts tell it that it is probably being hunted and likely to be eaten.

What Spots Do Guinea Pigs Like to Be Petted?

As prey animals, Guinea Pigs are very wary of potential threats. They also dislike being put in a compromising position that might hamper any efforts to escape trouble. When attempting to pet a Guinea Pig, make sure it knows you are there and try to ensure that it doesn’t see you as a potential threat.

Generally, the best place to pet a Cavie is on the top of its head, although many will also tolerate being petted on the back as long as they are expecting it.

Where Not to Pet a Guinea Pig

The chest is one area that some Guinea Pigs might tolerate, and others will hate, so approach with caution and stop if your Guinea Pig seems stressed or uncomfortable with the chest petting. The belly and bottom are the least likely places they like to be petted.

How To Gain a Guinea Pig’s Trust

The most important factor that will determine whether a Guinea Pig likes to be petted is whether it feels safe, and a lot of this comes from whether the Cavie trusts you enough to pet it. It can take time but having a Guinea Pig’s trust is well worth the effort.

The 5 Tips To Handle a Guinea Pig

1. Start Young

If you get your Guinea Pig when it is young, you should start handling it as soon as possible but after it has had time to become acclimatized to its new cage and surroundings. Get into a routine of taking your pet out every day. Even if it won’t tolerate you petting it, getting the Guinea Pig out of its enclosure will build trust, reduce the likelihood of it biting, and provide greater enrichment. An adult Guinea Pig that has never been handled will be a lot more reluctant with handling than one that has been handled regularly from a young age.

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2. Hand Feed

Guinea Pigs love to eat, and food bribes are a good way to convince yours to trust you. Have some tasty treats in your hand and encourage your Guinea Pig to come and take them from you. Initially, they are likely to take the food and scarper back to safety, but over time they will hang around near your hand and, eventually, may be willing to take the food from you and eat it in the palm of your hand.

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3. Handle Regularly

Trust is built over time and through regular exposure. Getting your Guinea Pig out of the cage every few weeks isn’t often enough to develop trust. Try to handle your pet every day, but at least several times a week, and for more than a few minutes at a time.

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4. Talk to Them

Guinea Pigs can learn sounds and noises, and they will become accustomed to your voice. Talk to your Cavie while it’s in its enclosure, when you enter a room, and also when you are handling it. It will become accustomed to having you around and will be more likely to trust you when it hears your voice.

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5. Be Patient

As a prey animal, it takes a lot for a Guinea Pig to trust another animal. Even though you’re the one feeding, housing, and caring for it, you still need to be patient. If you try to rush things and your Cavie gets especially stressed out, it is likely to withdraw from you and it could take a long time to rebuild the trust that is lost. If you notice your Guinea Pig getting agitated while you’re handling it, put it back in its cage and try again tomorrow.

Conclusion

Guinea Pigs are good pets, and with regular handling from a young age, they will usually tolerate regular handling and may even enjoy being petted and spending time in your hands or on your lap. Avoid petting the belly and bottom, only pet the chest if your Guinea Pig likes it, and stick to the head and upper back area.

And remember that every Guinea Pig is different so just because you have one that likes having a certain area petted, doesn’t mean that all Guinea Pigs will like the same thing.

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Featured Image Credit: mgventer10, Pixabay

The post What Spots Do Guinea Pigs Like to Be Petted? (Guide With Infographic) appeared first on Pet Keen.

When caring for a guinea pig, most owners would think about the common things they need, such as food, water, hygiene, cleanliness of the environment, and much more. An important thing to consider when caring for guinea pigs is the amount of natural light they are exposed to. Do Guinea pigs need sunlight? The simple answer is yes! Exposure to sunlight is needed for a guinea pig’s overall health.

But that doesn’t mean a guinea pig should just be placed outside on a warm, sunny day. There are certain things to consider when exposing your guinea pig to sunlight. Below, we discuss how to properly expose your guinea pig to sunlight, and how it benefits your guinea pig!

Why Do Guinea Pigs Need Sunlight?

Guinea pigs need sunlight just as much as they need food and water! For guinea pigs, sunlight helps them produce vitamin D.¹ Guinea pigs need vitamin D for healthy skin and bones, they need vitamin D in their diet and exposure to UVB.

Sunlight is also beneficial to guinea pigs as sunlight in the daytime helps stimulate activity. Guinea pigs sleep in the dark, so exposure to sunlight promotes movement, digestion, and overall health for your guinea pig.

While your guinea pig can obtain their nutritional requirements through a healthy diet, proper hydration, and ample exercise, it won’t be enough unless they receive enough sunlight exposure for vitamin D. Lack of sunlight exposure can even lead to weakness or sickness, further highlighting how important sunlight is to guinea pigs.

How Much Sunlight Do Guinea Pigs Need?

While sunlight is important for a guinea pig’s health, too much sunlight can be harmful and put them at risk of sunburn, overheating, and even vitamin depletion. To obtain the benefits they need, indirect sunlight is enough!

When exposing your guinea pig to sunlight, moderation is key. Guinea pigs prefer shaded or filtered light. When exposed to excess sunlight, you will often find them seeking shade to escape the heat, they are not very heat tolerant and can develop heat stroke.

Should you decide to take your guinea pig outside for some sun, it is best to do it during the dimmer parts of the day, such as early morning or later afternoon when the sun is either rising or setting. The sunlight won’t be too intense and the temperature won’t be too high, which is what guinea pigs prefer!

Indirect sources of sunlight, such as lamps and indoor light sources can also be used, but be sure to control how much exposure they get as the temperature from these light sources are much more difficult to manipulate.

Why Are Guinea Pigs Sensitive to Sunlight?

To understand why guinea pigs are so sensitive to sunlight, we have to look at how their bodies work, as well as their natural instincts and behavior.

Guinea Pigs’ Body Temperature

A guinea pig’s body temperature is a huge factor as to why they are so sensitive to sunlight. They have a body temperature of 102° to 104° F (39° to 40° C), which is higher than the normal body temperature of humans. This higher body temperature makes guinea pigs extremely sensitive to changes in temperature, which can be brought about by direct sunlight.

When experiencing heat, humans sweat to regulate their body temperature. Unfortunately, guinea pigs are unable to sweat, which puts them at risk for dehydration and overheating. Guinea pigs rely on their environment to regulate their body temperature.

When these piggies feel cold, their blood vessels constrict to divert their blood to the torso to keep them warm. When they experience heat, their blood vessels dilate to transfer heat out of the body through convection. This is why piggies would actively look for water, shade, or a cool place to rest when they feel hot in order to cool down.

To keep them comfortable, an ambient temperature of 60°–85° F (15.5°C–29.4° C) is recommended.

The Crepuscular Guinea Pig

Guinea pigs are crepuscular animals, meaning they are most active during the twilight periods of the day. Guinea pigs are naturally more active during dawn and dusk, when the sunlight is dim, and the temperature is relatively cool. Low light means low temperature, making it the optimal environment for them to receive natural sunlight!

Aside from the physical effects that these piggies can experience during the twilight hours of the day, this crepuscular behavior is also influenced by their survival instincts. When moving during the twilight hours, guinea pigs are less likely to be eaten by predators! Most predators are either nocturnal or diurnal, meaning they hunt during the night or the day, making the twilight hours a great time for guinea pigs to move while avoiding being hunted!

How to Safely Provide Sunlight to Your Guinea Pig

One common challenge for guinea pig owners is figuring out how to let your guinea pig receive sunlight without overheating. Below are some tips on how to properly expose your guinea pig to natural sunlight!

Signs of Overheating

Guinea pigs are sensitive to heat because of their high body temperature and inability to regulate their temperature easily. Overexposing your piggies to sunlight or heat unattended can lead to overheating, and it is important to look out for the signs, such as:

Guinea pigs rely on their environment to cool off. To bring down their temperature, rinse them in cool water and contact your local veterinarian for medical management.

Conclusion

Guinea pigs need indirect sunlight just as much as they need a healthy diet and proper hydration. With sunlight and the correct diet, they are able to produce enough vitamin D, which promotes healthy skin and bones.

Because guinea pigs are sensitive to changes in temperature, they are prone to overheating if exposed to too much sunlight and heat. To keep your guinea pig healthy, happy, and active, let them experience sunlight during the cooler times of the day!

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Featured Image Credit: Linn Currie, Shutterstock

The post Do Guinea Pigs Need Sunlight? Vet Reviewed Facts & FAQ appeared first on Pet Keen.

The death of a pet is a hard blow for anyone, including other pets in the house. As social animals, guinea pigs do best when they live with a companion and will form close bonds with other guinea pigs that they live with. Guinea pigs definitely understand when their friend dies and will grieve the loss just like you do.

Understanding how your guinea pig reacts to the death of their companion will help you determine how to aid their recovery. Supporting your surviving guinea pig can also help ease your pain too.

Do Guinea Pigs Grieve the Loss of Their Friend?

If you’ve never lost a guinea pig before, you’re probably not familiar with how other guinea pigs will react to the loss of their friend. You might also be wondering whether they grieve the loss themselves. Depending on how strong the bond between the guinea pigs is, the surviving guinea pig will miss their companion and grieve for them in different ways.

For example, if you have a group of guinea pigs, the loss might be tempered by the presence of the others, though some individuals that were closer to the lost guinea pig might feel the loss more. If you only have two guinea pigs, the death of one can be a hard blow to the remaining guinea pig, and they might show a much stronger reaction.

How to Tell If Your Guinea Pig Is Grieving

Since they can’t speak, understanding what your guinea pig is feeling can be tough. If you’re not familiar with the signs of a guinea pig’s grieving process, it can be easy to project your devastation onto them or even assume that they don’t care at all, especially if they continue as usual. Like us, though, individual guinea pigs have unique ways of dealing with loss.

Your guinea pig will show their grief in several ways. Some will lose their appetite, stare into space for long periods, or refuse to play, while others will search relentlessly for their missing friend.

You must monitor your guinea pig closely after the death of their companion. Sudden changes in their environment, like the loss of a friend, can stress them out and put them off their food. If they don’t eat for a long time due to their grief, it can lead to liver problems.

Helping Your Guinea Pig Grieve

Part of the recovery process for you and your guinea pig is helping them accept the loss of their companion. Helping them grieve will allow you both to process and adjust to the absence. Here are a few ways to help you and your guinea pig grieve.

Let Them Say Goodbye

Although it might seem strange, placing the deceased guinea pig back in their cage for a while can help your remaining guinea pigs adjust. If the death happened overnight, your other guinea pigs likely already interacted with their companion’s body, and you can remove it.

However, if the guinea pig dies when they’re outside of the cage due to an accident or during a trip to the vet, your remaining pets will miss out on this time to say goodbye. By placing the dead guinea pig back in the cage for a few minutes, you’ll be giving your remaining guinea pigs the time that they need to start grieving.

Some guinea pigs will ignore the body, while others will interact with it by sniffing, licking, or trying to rouse them. While this can be heartbreaking to watch—especially when you’re dealing with the loss yourself—it’s an essential part of helping your guinea pig understand and begin healing from the loss.

Clean Out the Cage

Some guinea pig owners will thoroughly clean the cage after the death of one of their pets. This will remove the lingering scent of your lost guinea pig and make it easier for your surviving guinea pig to understand their absence.

If your guinea pig can still smell the presence of their friend, it might confuse them and encourage them to spend longer searching for their companion rather than dealing with the loss. Completely replace the bedding and toys, and clean any bowls used by the other guinea pig.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to remove the scent of their friend completely—especially if you have a timid guinea pig that gets stressed easily—give your guinea pig something new instead. Introduce new toys to play with, or make a new cardboard house for them to explore.

Spend Quality Time Together

Guinea pigs are social animals, and if they’re on their own after losing a companion, loneliness can make their recovery process longer. This makes it even more important for you to set aside time to socialize with your guinea pig.

Even if they live in a group, your guinea pigs can still benefit from spending quality time with you. By interacting with them, you can help prevent them from dwelling on their lost companion by giving them something else to focus on. They’ll still miss their friend, but they’ll also be distracted by the comfort that you offer them. Spending time with them can also help build a bond.

Give Them Time

Above all else, the most important thing about dealing with bereavement is allowing for time. The death of a companion—whether it’s a friend or a beloved pet—is devastating for everyone, even if the animal is as small as your guinea pig. Neither you nor your guinea pig is expected to recover from the loss immediately.

While some guinea pigs might only need a few days or a week, others might miss their friend for several weeks. No matter how long it takes or how heartbreaking their sadness is, giving them the time they need is essential to help their recovery.

Should You Get Another Guinea Pig?

The pain of losing your guinea pig can make the prospect of adopting another one daunting. This is something to seriously consider, though, particularly if your remaining guinea pig is on their own. You don’t need to jump straight into adopting a new pe, of course. Give yourself and your guinea pig a few weeks to get over the loss before looking into adoption.

Introducing a new guinea pig can help your surviving guinea pig by giving them another companion to bond with. Unfortunately, we can’t spend all day with our guinea pig, but another furry friend will provide comfort through their presence.

We recommended adoption over buying a new guinea pig. This way, you’ll be helping another animal. Remember to introduce the guinea pigs slowly by keeping them in separate cages before gradually increasing the time that they spend together.

Conclusion

Although small, guinea pigs take up a large amount of space in our hearts. Losing one can be devastating. It’s not just you who will grieve the death of a guinea pig, though; the surviving guinea pig—or pigs, if you have more than one—will grieve the loss too.

To help your guinea pig adjust, give them time to say goodbye and spend plenty of time with them. Also, consider introducing a new guinea pig for them to bond with once they’ve recovered from the initial loss.

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Featured Image Credit: Charleen Magne, Shutterstock

The post Do Guinea Pigs Know When Another Guinea Pig Dies? (How They Grieve) appeared first on Pet Keen.