CARE GUIDE

Welcome to the Pure Piggy Guinea Pig Care Guide! This concise, friendly guide covers the basics of keeping your guinea pigs (a.k.a. piggies) happy and healthy. Let’s dive into the essentials:

Guinea pigs need lots of space to run and play – much more than pet store cages offer. In fact, most cages sold in pet stores are way too small​

humaneworld.org. Here’s how to house your piggies right:

• Bigger is Better: Aim for a cage with plenty of floor space (guinea pigs don’t climb, so horizontal space counts). For two piggies, about 8–10 square feet (e.g. a 2x4 C&C cage or a Midwest Guinea Habitat) is recommended​humaneworld.org– more space is always welcome!
• Best Cage Types: Consider a C&C cage (Cubes and Coroplast) or a large Midwest Guinea Habitat. You can even build a DIY plexiglass enclosure. These options give piggies room to roam and are easy to clean. Avoid cages with wire floors or glass aquariums – they lack airflow and can hurt piggy feet​humaneworld.org.
• Room to Exercise: A spacious enclosure lets your guinea pigs exercise on their own schedule. Roomier cages help keep piggies healthier and prevent boredom and fighting​humaneworld.org. Always provide time for supervised play outside the cage each day too.

Guinea pigs are very social animals – they get lonely and shouldn’t be kept alone​

rspca.org.uk. In the wild they live in herds, and at home they’re happiest with a friend:

• Pairs or Groups: Plan to have at least two guinea pigs living together. A bonded pair (such as two sisters, two brothers, or a neutered male with a female) will keep each other company. Piggies love to chatter, play, and snuggle with a buddy​rspca.org.uk!
• Exceptions: Only keep a guinea pig solo if you absolutely must (for example, a medical or behavioral issue). In those cases, you’ll need to spend extra time socializing with your piggy so they don’t feel lonely.
• Friendship Matters: Watch your piggies interact – you’ll hear happy noises when they have a friend. They groom each other and communicate with cute wheeks and purrs. Companionship reduces stress and makes for happier, healthier piggies overall.

Two guinea pigs are much happier together – guinea pigs are herd animals that thrive in pairs or small groups​

rspca.org.uk.

A proper diet is vital for your guinea pigs’ health. Piggies are herbivores with special dietary needs (including vitamin C every day​

rspca.org.uk). Here’s what to feed:

• Unlimited Hay: The main part of their diet (≈80%) is fresh hay – they should have an unlimited supply at all times​supremepetfoods.com. High-quality grass hay like timothy or orchard grass keeps their digestion healthy and teeth worn down. (Pure Piggy hay, Oxbow, or Small Pet Select are great options for fresh, fragrant hay.)
• Daily Veggies: Offer about 1 cup of fresh vegetables per piggy each day. Leafy greens (romaine, green leaf lettuce, cilantro) and bell peppers are excellent choices. Bell peppers are a piggy favorite and are rich in vitamin C. (Fun fact: red bell pepper has the most vitamin C!) Avoid iceberg lettuce (low nutrients) and limit high-calcium greens like kale or spinach to a few times a week.
• Quality Pellets: Give a small serving of high-quality guinea pig pellets daily (around 1/8 cup per pig). Look for brands like Oxbow or Sherwood that are timothy-hay based and fortified with stabilized vitamin C. Pellets provide extra vitamins and nutrients, but hay and veggies are more important.
• No Vitamin C Drops in Water: Don’t add vitamin supplements to drinking water – these drops lose potency quickly and can make the water taste weird, so piggies may drink less​theguineapigforum.co.uk​theguineapigforum.co.uk. Instead, ensure they get vitamin C from their daily veggies (like bell pepper) and a quality pellet. If needed, use a chewable vitamin C tablet or liquid given directly by syringe (with vet guidance).
• Fresh Water: Provide fresh, clean water at all times in a water bottle or sturdy bowl. Refill daily. (If using a bottle, check that it’s working properly so your piggies stay hydrated.)

Guinea pigs love to chew and explore – it’s not only fun for them, it keeps their ever-growing teeth trimmed. Provide safe, natural toys and activities to keep your piggies entertained:

• Chew Toys: Offer chew toys made of untreated wood, hay, or natural fibers. For example, Oxbow’s timothy hay twists, apple wood sticks, or chew toys from The Pig Room (a shop for piggy-safe toys) are wonderful options. These let your pigs satisfy their chewing instinct in a safe way.
• No Unsafe Materials: Avoid toys with glue, paint, or unsafe dyes. Many colorful pet store toys are held together with glues or have varnish/coatings – not good if ingested​galenaanimal.com. Stick to toys labeled for guinea pigs from reputable brands. Plain cardboard rolls (with no glue residue) stuffed with hay can be a simple, safe toy too!
• Tunnels & Hides: Tunnels, tubes, and paper bags are great for enrichment (guinea pigs love running through tunnels and playing hide-and-seek). You can buy plastic or fabric tunnels, or even use a cardboard box with two doors cut out. Ensure all tunnel openings are big enough so your piggy doesn’t get stuck.
• Mental Stimulation: Keep life interesting – occasionally rearrange toys, hide treats in a hay pile (so they can “forage”), or crumple up paper for them to push around. Enrichment prevents boredom and encourages natural behaviors like chewing, exploring, and foraging​galenaanimal.com. A busy piggy is a happy piggy!

Creating a clean, cozy habitat is key to keeping your guinea pigs healthy. You have a couple of bedding options, and whichever you choose, regular cleaning is a must to control odor and mess:

• Fleece Liners: Many piggy parents use fleece bedding. This involves a fleece liner or blankets on the cage floor with absorbent layers underneath. Fleece is reusable and soft on piggy feet. It wicks away urine, keeping the surface dry so pigs aren’t sitting in wet spots​littlecavylove.wordpress.com. If you use fleece, you’ll need to sweep up poops and hay daily (a small handheld vacuum or broom works great) and wash the fleece liner every few days.
• Loose Bedding: Another option is loose bedding like paper bedding or aspen shavings. Use a deep layer (2–3 inches) so it absorbs urine well​humaneworld.org. Spot-clean daily by removing soiled areas, and fully replace the bedding at least once a week. Avoid cedar or non-kiln-dried pine shavings – those woods contain oils that can irritate a guinea pig’s lungs and skin​humaneworld.org. Paper-based bedding or kiln-dried aspen are safer choices if you go this route.
• Cleaning Routine: Spot clean every day (remove wet bedding or fleece pee pads and droppings). Weekly, do a thorough cleaning: replace all bedding or wash fleece, and wipe down the cage with a pet-safe cleaner or vinegar/water solution. Keeping the cage clean prevents odor and keeps your piggies healthy.
• Air Purifier (Bonus Tip): Guinea pigs have sensitive respiratory systems, and hay can be a bit dusty. Using an air purifier in the room can help reduce hay dust, allergens, and any lingering smells​littlecavylove.wordpress.com. Good ventilation and clean air help prevent breathing issues like URIs (upper respiratory infections) in your piggies​littlecavylove.wordpress.com. It helps humans in the house, too!

Who doesn’t love treats? 🥕 Guinea pigs certainly do – and giving the occasional treat can be a fun way to bond with your piggy. But it’s important to choose healthy treats and avoid the bad ones:

• Pea Flakes: A popular treat is pea flakes – these are simply dried peas flaked into flat pieces. Most piggies go crazy for them! Pea flakes are all-natural, but they are a bit fatty/protein-rich, so give only a few at a time. Moderation is key (2–3 pea flakes per pig per day is plenty)​theguineapigforum.co.uk. You can hand-feed them as a special reward.
• Vegetable Treats: Small bits of fruit (like a blueberry or a thin slice of banana) or extra veggies (a baby carrot or a sprig of parsley) can be treats too. Just remember fruit is sugary – save it for once or twice a week at most. Many pigs also love herbs like dill or cilantro as a treat, which are healthy in small amounts.
• Avoid Sugary/Dairy Snacks: Stay away from yogurt drops, seed sticks, or other pet shop “goodies.” Yogurt drops are high in sugar and guinea pigs are actually lactose intolerant – they should not eat dairy​smallpetselect.com. Honey-based seed stick treats are also unhealthy: they’re full of sugar (honey) and the seeds/nuts can be choking hazards and too fatty​theguineapigforum.co.uk. Even though pet stores sell these, they’re like junk food for guinea pigs and can cause digestion problems and obesity.
• No Human Foods: Never give chocolate, candies, bread, or other human snacks. If it’s not a fresh veggie or a product specifically made for guinea pigs, it’s safest to avoid it. When in doubt, stick to natural options like hay-based treats or plain veggies.

Besides food and bedding, there are a few must-have accessories to make your piggies’ home complete. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Hideouts: Guinea pigs are prey animals, so they feel safest when they have a hideout (also called a “hidey”) – a little shelter to retreat into. Each piggy should have at least one hideout of their own​guineapiggles.co.uk. This could be a plastic igloo, a wooden house, or a fabric cuddle cup. Make sure hideouts have two exits if you have multiple pigs (so no one gets trapped by their cage mate). A hideout gives your pig a cozy spot for privacy and rest​guineapiggles.co.uk.
• Tunnels & Toys: Along with hideouts, provide some tunnels or tubes for exercise, and maybe a hammock or fleece forest for fun. Guinea pigs enjoy having different areas to explore in their cage – think of it like furnishing a room. Tunnels encourage them to scamper around, and toys keep them engaged.
• Water Bottle or Bowl: Fresh water is essential. Most owners use a water bottle that attaches to the cage bars. A tip: glass bottles are often preferred because they are chew-proof and easy to clean (plastic bottles can get scratched or chewed). Check the water level and bottle function daily to ensure it’s working. Some piggies also like drinking from a heavy ceramic bowl (which can’t be tipped easily). Either way is fine as long as water is always available​guineapiggles.co.uk.
• Hay Rack/Forage Areas: Consider using a hay rack or hay bag to keep hay tidy. Guinea pigs will pull hay from it and munch throughout the day. You can also create a “forage box” – a shallow box or tray filled with hay and a few dried herbs or treats hidden in it. This lets them indulge their natural foraging behavior, searching for yummy bits. (Small Pet Select sells herbal forage blends, or you can dry your own safe herbs.) It’s both an accessory and a fun activity for them!
• Food Dishes: Use a sturdy, tip-proof bowl for pellets and maybe another for veggies (or you can just place veggies on a clean part of the cage). Heavy ceramic dishes work well since piggies like to stand on the rim and would tip lighter bowls.

Caring for guinea pigs is a rewarding experience – with love and proper care, your piggies will thrive and show you their adorable personalities! Remember the basics: a roomy cage, a friend to popcorn with, good food (hay, veggies, quality pellets), and enrichment to keep them happy. Keep learning and enjoy the fun moments (like excited wheeks at veggie time and cozy lap cuddles).

Finally, don’t forget that you’re not alone on this journey. We invite you to join the Pure Piggy community! 🐹🎉 Come share your experiences, ask questions, and post about your piggies. Whether you want to show off a cute piggy photo or get advice, the community is here for you. Happy piggy parenting and welcome to the Pure Piggy family!