Printable owner manual
Two decisions cost the most to undo. This settles both.
A 51-page printable manual with the real floor space standard, the hay that is 80 percent of the diet, the vitamin C guinea pigs cannot make on their own, bonding a pair, the law in every state, and eleven pages of health triage.
Not sure yet? Download the first 5 pages free, contents page included.
- 51 pages, print or view
- Beginner friendly
- No external links inside the PDF
Edition 3.0
Oct 2026 路 51 pages
Care-sheet roulette
- A cage sized for the pet store display, not real life
- Vitamin C treated as optional instead of daily
- Dental disease and GI (gastrointestinal) stasis nobody explained
- Bladder stones dismissed as "just getting older"
This guide
- 7.5 square feet of floor for one, 10.5 for a pair, and 2 to 4 more for each guinea pig after that
- Daily vitamin C targets, and scurvy by stage if they were missed
- Dental disease and GI stasis called out where you cannot miss them, with the 8 to 12 hour rule
- Bladder stones and ovarian cysts covered as the real health issues they are
What's inside 路 51 pages
Everything from first setup to daily routine.
Housing and space
Floor space for one, a pair and a group, where the enclosure goes, temperature, humidity and heat stress, bedding, hides and cage layout, and cleaning and water.
Hay, vitamin C and diet
Diet by age with unlimited hay at about 80 percent, the daily vitamin C rule, vegetables and pellets, fruit, treats and the never-feed list, and weight and body condition.
Pairs and handling
Handling and taming, grooming, nails and coats, sounds and body language, who lives together, introducing and bonding two guinea pigs, and enrichment.
Arrival, sexing and the law
Choosing a healthy guinea pig and quarantine, sexing, neutering and the breeding deadline, and where a guinea pig is legal.
Health and red flags
The 8 to 12 hour rule, GI (gastrointestinal) stasis, dental disease, scurvy, respiratory infection, bladder stones, ovarian cysts, mites, ringworm and bumblefoot, antibiotics, anesthesia, and reading droppings.
Owner tools
Setup checklist, emergency card, budget and shopping list, first 30 days, symptom reference, pet-sitter sheet, and the logs.
Every page, section by sectionThe package's own contents page, all 51 pages of it. Nothing here is a teaser for something sold separately.
Getting Started
- How to Use This Package
Profile
- Quick Profile & Cost Overview
- The Species, Coat Types, Size & Lifespan
Housing & Environment
- Enclosure Size, Type & Where It Goes
- Temperature, Humidity & Heat Stress
- Bedding, Hides & Cage Layout
- Cleaning, Water & Hygiene
Feeding
- Diet by Age & Unlimited Hay
- Vitamin C: the Daily Rule
- Vegetables & Pellets
- Fruit, Treats & the Never-Feed List
- Weight & Body Condition
Handling & Behavior
- Handling & Taming
- Grooming, Nails & Coats
- Sounds & Body Language
- Pairs, Groups & Who Lives Together
- Introducing & Bonding Two Guinea Pigs
- Enrichment & Common Mistakes
Arrival & Life Stages
- Choosing a Healthy Guinea Pig & Quarantine
- Sexing, Neutering & the Breeding Deadline
The Law
- Is a Guinea Pig Legal Where You Live?
Health & Common Issues
- Red Flags, the 8 to 12 Hour Rule & Finding a Vet
- Gastrointestinal Stasis & a Pig That Stops Eating
- Dental Disease
- Scurvy: Stages, Treatment & Recovery
- Respiratory Infection & Pneumonia
- Bladder Stones & Urinary Problems
- Ovarian Cysts, Pregnancy & Spaying
- Mites, Lice, Ringworm, Lumps, Bumblefoot & Boar Butt
- Antibiotics & Enterotoxemia
- Anesthesia, Travel & the Vet Visit
- Reading Droppings, Urine & Hydration
Quick Reference
- Setup Checklist & Targets
- Emergency & Quick Targets Card
Owner Tools
- Budget: Setup & Shopping List
- Budget: Monthly Costs & the Vet
- First 30 Days
- Symptom Quick Reference
- Daily, Weekly & Seasonal Routine
- Power Outages, Heat Waves, Travel & Transport
- Pet-Sitter Sheet
- Owner Log
- Equipment & Vet Log
- Enrichment Checklist & Log
Reference
- Glossary, A to G
- Glossary, H to Z
- Sources
- Where the Sources Disagree
- Version History & About
Take a look inside
Print-first pages, clearly marked.
Click a page to see it at full size. The contents page is complete; the others fade out where the paid content starts.
The first 5 pages, free
Pages 1 to 5 as a PDF: the contents page and the opening pages before the care sections start, so you can see every page the full package covers.
Who this is for
- New guinea pig owners setting up the right amount of space
- Keepers of pairs who want one consistent standard
- Anyone who wants to catch dental or bladder issues early
What it's not
- Not a substitute for an exotics-experienced veterinarian
- Not a live website mirror, a clean printable package instead
- Not a subscription, one purchase and every corrected edition is free
What changed
This is edition 3.0.
Bought before? Re-download free from your library. State legal status as of October 2026.
- 3.0, Oct 2026. Rebuilt on the current outline, 51 pages. Safety: hay about 80% of the diet; pellets about 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) per guinea pig daily; about 1 cup leafy greens within 1 to 2 cups produce; room 65 to 79掳F (18 to 26掳C), 30 to 60% humidity; heat stress from 75掳F (24掳C), most often above 82掳F (28掳C); bottle or heavy bowl, nothing added to the water; nails every 6 to 8 weeks; any steady weight fall is a vet call; no overnight fast before anesthesia; usable antibiotics: trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolones; neutered boar off sows until the vet clears it; older boar's pouch cleaned as the vet shows; mite and ringworm treatment left to the vet; 2 to 4 sq ft more floor per extra guinea pig. Legal: 52 jurisdictions, Hawaii import permit. Costs: every item priced and rounded to the nearest $5; setup $300 to $470; a pair $75 to $185 a month with food, bedding and the vitamin C supplement, food alone $30 to $70 for one and $60 to $135 for a pair; the budget now over two pages. Other changes are wording only.
- 2.1, Sep 2026. Safety: heat danger line 80掳F (27掳C), heat stress from 75掳F (24掳C); antibiotics by drug class; fast before anesthesia 1 to 2 hours; nails every 6 to 8 weeks; short coats brushed every few days. Other changes are wording only.
- 2.0, Sep 2026. Rebuilt, 39 pages. Safety: vitamin C by body weight, 10 to 25 mg/kg for a healthy adult and 30 mg/kg or more when growing, pregnant, nursing or ill. Replaced by 3.0.
- 1.0, Aug 2026. First edition, 22 pages. Replaced by 2.0.
Ready when you are
Guinea Pig Care Package
51 pages. PDF. Print it or keep it open on your phone, tablet, or computer. Yours the moment you check out.
Edition 3.0, published October 3, 2026. Paid through Stripe. The download link arrives on the next page, and it stays in your library for as long as the package exists, always as the current edition. Not a substitute for a vet.
More care packages
Same format, other animals.
Hamster Care Package
The starter kit is too small and too shallow. Start here instead.
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Rabbit Care Package
Real space, unlimited hay, and GI (gastrointestinal) stasis caught early.
50 pages 路 PDF 路 edition 3.0
Bearded Dragon Care Package
Basking temps you don't have to guess at.
50 pages 路 PDF 路 edition 4.1
The free guinea pig guide is still free
This package is the same research as our guinea pig care guide, reformatted into an offline manual with the checklists, logs, and triage tables the web pages do not carry. Read the free guide first and buy this only if you want it in your hands.