Guinea Pig
Small Mammals
Beastly Facts · Updated
The vocal, social little veggie lover that needs a friend!
Mike grew up with guinea pigs.
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Did you know? Guinea pigs have over 11 different vocalizations. They 'wheek' when excited about food and 'purr' when content (similar to cats but much louder)!
The first week
The numbers a new owner needs in the first week, each from the article it links to. Rows with no link come from the encyclopedia.
- Enclosure
- 7.5 square feet minimum for one, 10.5 for a pair (and a pair is the recommended minimum), more for a larger group. Solid floor, never wire.Setup guide →
- Temperature
- 65 to 79°F at 30 to 60% humidity. Heat stress can begin as low as 75°F and is most often seen above 82°F, so the comfortable ceiling sits only a few degrees below trouble.Setup guide →
- Bedding
- Paper-based bedding, kiln-dried pine, or fleece liners. Never cedar, raw pine, or sawdust.Setup guide →
- Company
- Pairs or small groups, not solitary. Guinea pigs housed alone tend to become withdrawn or depressed.Setup guide →
- Diet
- Grass hay unlimited, roughly 80% of the diet. About 1/8 cup (about 2 tablespoons) of vitamin-C-fortified pellets per guinea pig, and roughly 1 cup of fresh leafy greens.Setup guide →
- Vitamin C
- 10 to 25 mg/kg a day for a healthy adult, 30 mg/kg or more if growing, pregnant, lactating, or ill, roughly 20 to 25 mg a day for a typical adult. A quarter of a medium bell pepper covers it.Vitamin C guide →
- Not eating
- Call a vet at 8 to 12 hours without eating or producing droppings. Once GI stasis sets in, it can become life-threatening within 24 to 48 hours.Feeding guide →
- Handling
- Approach from the front, talking softly first. One hand under the chest behind the front legs, the other supporting the hindquarters. Stay low: a fall can be fatal.Handling guide →
- Budget
- $10 to $60 from a shelter, around $50 at a pet store. $300 to $470 to set up. Food runs $30 to $70 a month for one; a pair runs $75 to $185 a month with bedding and the vitamin C supplement.Cost guide →
- Adult size
- 8 to 12 inches, 1.5 to 2.6 lbs.
- Lifespan
- 4 to 8 years.
- Nails
- A trim roughly every 6 to 8 weeks, with styptic powder within reach before you start, a flashlight held behind dark nails to find the quick.Grooming guide →
- Vet trips
- Don't withhold food the way you would for a dog or cat, guinea pigs and rabbits can't vomit and don't need a long pre-op fast. Bring the cage mate along when the visit allows it.Vet trips guide →
Emergency card
Call the vet now if you see any of these.
- Refusal to eat
- Drooling
- Labored breathing
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- A hunched posture
A cavy-savvy exotic vet, found before you need one. Guinea pigs hide illness well, so an annual wellness exam matters even when everything looks fine.
Where to go next
How Much Does a Guinea Pig Really Cost?
$10 to $60 for the animal, $300 to $470 for the setup, $75 to $185 a month for a pair, and why the budget really needs to plan for two.
Guinea Pig Housing and Diet: Why Vitamin C Is Non-Negotiable
The 7.5 to 10.5 square foot minimum, temperature, bedding, and why vitamin C makes this diet different from a rabbit's or hamster's.
Guinea Pig Scurvy: Why Vitamin C Isn't Optional
What scurvy actually looks like by stage, why fortified pellets alone aren't enough, and the real daily numbers.
Guinea Pig Feeding: Schedule, Diet, and Why They Stop Eating
Schedule, life-stage differences, safe and toxic foods, and the honest range of reasons a guinea pig stops eating.
How to Handle a Guinea Pig Without Scaring It
The correct two-handed pickup, why staying low matters, and the stress signs that mean the session is over.
Common Guinea Pig Health Issues (And Why Vitamin C Matters So Much)
Respiratory infection, dental disease, GI stasis, bladder stones, and ovarian cysts, with what to watch for and when to call.
Guinea Pig Enrichment: Hideouts, Foraging, and Floor Time
Hideouts, foraging enrichment that stands in for up to 80% of a wild cavy's day, and supervised floor time.
What to buy
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Underlined items are paid Amazon links, at no extra cost to you.
Prices and the reasoning behind each item are in How Much Does a Guinea Pig Really Cost?.
Full Guinea Pig gear listFrequently Asked Questions
How much space does a guinea pig need?
About 7.5 square feet, roughly 30 by 36 inches, for one, and 10.5 for a pair, with more for a larger group. Bigger is always better: guinea pigs are active and use the room.
How long can a guinea pig safely go without eating?
Not long. Sources say call a vet after 8 to 12 hours with no eating and no droppings, since guinea pig digestion depends on constant food throughput. Once GI stasis sets in, it can become life-threatening inside 24 to 48 hours.
Why is vitamin C such a big deal for guinea pigs specifically?
Guinea pigs, like humans, can't produce their own vitamin C, which makes deficiency a species-specific concern. It weakens the immune system, slows wound healing, and disrupts normal bone and tooth development, and it's almost entirely preventable through diet.
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Printable Guide
Guinea Pig Care Package
51 pages · PDF · $8.99
Deep Dive
🐹 How Much Does a Guinea Pig Really Cost?
🐹 How to Handle a Guinea Pig Without Scaring It
🐹 Common Guinea Pig Health Issues (And Why Vitamin C Matters So Much)
🐹 Guinea Pig Housing and Diet: Why Vitamin C Is Non-Negotiable
🐹 Guinea Pig Feeding: Schedule, Diet, and Why They Stop Eating
🐹 Guinea Pig Enrichment: Hideouts, Foraging, and Floor Time
Health and More
💊 Antibiotic-Associated Enterotoxemia: The Small Mammal Danger to Raise Before Any Antibiotic
🌡️ Heat Stress and Cold in Small Mammals: Temperature Ranges and Emergency Signs
🩺 Getting a Small Mammal to the Vet: Carriers, Car Travel, and Anesthesia
✂️ Grooming, Nails, and Molting in Small Mammals
🔑 Four Pets With One Rule Each Worth Knowing First
🐹 Gerbil vs. Guinea Pig: Which Small Pet Actually Fits Your Space
🐹 Hamster vs. Guinea Pig: Which Small Pet Is Actually Right for You
🐹 Chinchilla vs. Guinea Pig: Which Small Pet Actually Fits Your Routine
🎃 Halloween Pet Safety: The Candy Bowl, the Candles and the Door
🦃 Thanksgiving Pet Safety: The Table, the Kitchen and the Guests
🎄 Christmas Pet Safety: The Tree, the Lilies and the Wrapping Paper
🎆 New Year's Eve Pet Safety: The Fireworks, the Door and the Morning After
🔌 Power Outage With Pets: Which Animal Needs You First
Fun Facts
🐹 Guinea Pigs Are Social
Guinea pigs are highly social animals. So social, in fact, that keeping one all by itself is against the law in Austria and Switzerland. There, a solo guinea pig is a matter for the lawbooks.
🐹 The Vitamin C Shortage
Like humans and some other mammals, guinea pigs can't make their own vitamin C! They must get it from their diet every day, or they risk scurvy, one of the most common nutritional problems guinea pigs face.
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