Could someone please tell me what to look for in a guinea pig. :-)

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, we went to a farm attraction today and saw some baby guinea pigs. We've been thinking about getting some for ages, and decided to put our names down for 3 of the babies. They are only 2 weeks old and haven't been sexed yet. They will contact us in 2 weeks when they'll know what they are.

The mum is black, white and ginger and has swirly hair. The dad is a smooth, short haired strawbery blonde colour. Both the parents look lovely and healthy. The babies look gorgeous too, but I'm not sure what to look for.

One is light ginger with swirly hair, one is brown and white with swirly hair and the other one is light ginger and white with short streight hair.

I want to avoid if possible, buying one that's going to have a lot of health problems. We've held them and they seem very friendly, they didn't bite at all. 

If anyone could give me any advice, I'd be really greatful.

Make sure you get 2. They like company and are lovely to listen too when they are chatting .

The only problems we've had was with a Guinea with the swirly / long hair. It had a tendency to get mites.
We currently have 2 brothers and one had cancer when he was little but apparently this is really rare and we spotted it and he had a successful op.. He is about 5 now I think.

I think just look for all the usual things. Bright eyes, active, no discharge from eyes or nose.

Definitely make sure they are the same sex.

We had two girls then we suddenly had 4 babies, followed 10 weeks later by another 4 (they mate within an hour of giving birth and it was too late by the time we found the first litter)

A good personality.

Thanks everyone. We want to get all 3, as they are from the same litter and we'd like to keep them together. We'll get the males done so there won't be any chance of babies.

They seem very friendly, quite active and curious. They really are lovely. I can't wait to pick them up.

They will also live inside most of the year and maybe outside in the summer. I think I'll have them inside at night though.

If they turn out to be mixed sex, you will have to keep them separated from 4-6 weeks old as they become sexually mature around that age, then the boys will have to kept separate for over a month after the snip. With three guinea pigs, be prepared for the possibility you may have to split them into a 2+1 and consider adopting another piggie to keep the lone one company and the extra room required for 2 cages big enough for them.

Make sure you have enough space for them as they need more space than people think, and the bigger the better really. (Google "cavy cages" and they have a page that tells you the minimum recommended cage size for GPs)

Will you be keeping them inside or out? They get on best if they are in a central part of the house, such as dining room or living room, or a draught-free hallway. Kitchens aren't generally recommended as the temperature and humidity can fluctuate too much for the piggies. You can also catch any illness/health problems sooner with the piggies if inside as when outside they can be a bit "out of sight, out of mind". Being in a child's bedroom is not recommended as they should be viewed as a family pet.

Coat type/breed doesn't automatically predispose GPs to health problems. As long as they appear healthy (bright eyes, clean bright coat, no discharge from nose/eyes, eating well, no limb problems or any limping).

They mustn't be kept on sawdust/wood shavings as pine contains phenols which can cause respiratory problems. Good beddings for GP include two horse beddings - Aubiose (made from the inner pulp of hemp plant stems) and MegaZorb (a wood pulp similar to Care Fresh bedding if you've seen that one about). Both are very absorbent and work out cheaper than wood shavings usually.

GPs must also always have hay for their digestive system, and a complete food rather than a museli type is best as seeds and grains are too fattening and piggies can also pick out the tasty bits and ignore the bits that are good for them!

They will need handling every day to ensure they are properly tamed and used to you - GPs on the whole don't bite but can nip if they want to be put back so they can go to the toilet.

Make sure you find a pig-savvy vet - the Cambridge Cavy Trust may be able to point you in the right direction.

Otherwise, best of luck with your pigs!