Cute new book on a guinea pig that thinks he's a dog from author Patrick Jennings - set to be released April 13th. This basic plot is of a fifth grade boy Rufus, who desperately wants a dog, but is told he cannot have one by his father. The boy's mother takes sympathy on her son and buys him a guinea pig instead.

Rufus names his guinea pig "Fido" anyways and then he begins to notice that something is a little unusual...Fido thinks she's a dog!

Check it out.

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Here's a sweet story I found online today (this is from the UK) -

"Pupils, staff and guinea pigs will bid a fond farewell and a squeak of sadness for a retiring teacher who has used the small animals as teaching aids for the past 43 years.

Margaret Buchanan, who has spent her whole career at Warwick Primary School in Wellingborough, said she started using guinea pigs in the classroom after reading as a trainee teacher that they were good teaching aids."

Read more...

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I get lots of questions regarding guinea pigs and bathing. Many people want to know "How often should I bathe my guinea pig?" or if they should bathe their guinea pig to reduce cage odor. Here is the definitive answer - guinea pigs do not need to be bathed on a regular basis "just because." No, piggies really hate to be bathed, they can become chilled and stressed easily, and their skin can become itchy and dry if bathed too often.

So when do you want to bathe your guinea pig? Only if he or she gets into something really messy. What if the cage is smelly? This actually means what you need to do is clean the cage, not the guinea pig as dirty bedding is likely the source of the odor that's bothering you.

If only your guinea pig's feet are dirty, then you would be best off simply giving him or her a foot bath. You can fill a shallow basin with gentle soap and warm water, then allow your piggie to walk around until the worst of the grime is dislodged. Then simply remove your guinea pig from the basin and gently towel off his or her feet.

If a total bath is required look for the most gentle soap you can find. A lot of people like oatmeal based soaps such as the various baby shampoos provided by Aveeno. If you really want to keep the process gentle you can even do a literal oat bath. Take plain dry oatmeal (just like what you would eat for breakfast) and soak it in water until the water becomes cloudy. Then take this water and use as the bath water for your guinea pig. Additionally, a final option is to do a "finishing" rinse with a little oil (flax, olive, vitamin E) suspended in water (just stir really rapidly to mix and then gently pour over the coat of your guinea pig) to prevent dry skin.

I recommend that you use a shallow container of some kind for bathing - plastic dish washing basins work well and also cannot be accidentally broken. Fill the container only a couple of inches with mildly warm water that you have mixed a little soap into.  Place your guinea pig in the water and gently bathe with the soapy water, making sure to avoid the eyes and nose. Once your guinea pig appears clean, give a single brush through his or her fur and remove from the water. Immediately wrap him or her in a towel and keep warm until dry. Do not use a hairdryer to try to speed up the process as they can get quite warm and are rather scary.[ad#Google Adsense]

Guinea pigs are popular pets for a variety of reasons. First of all guinea pigs are cute, furry, and very sweet. Guinea pigs are small - but not too small. A guinea pig will only weigh a couple pounds but most are too large to sneak into every single teensy crevice of your home (should they escape.)

Guinea pigs have the perfect personality for anyone looking for a gentle pet. Guinea pigs do not have to be trained not to bite, and while they are always a little on the shy side - a little time spent building trust can result in a fairly close relationship.

Guinea pigs are funny! Guinea pigs are known for making funny sounds whenever they are happy and many jump straight into the air when happy (known as popcorning.)

Guinea pigs are traditionally considered excellent starter pets for children largely because most guinea pigs are small, docile, and thought to be easy to care for. While guinea pigs and children can mix, guinea pigs are best kept as a family pet where there is at least one active adult involved.

What are the drawbacks to keeping guinea pigs? Guinea pigs do require daily care and maintenence. Food must be feed and cages must be cleaned. If a proper cage isn't bought and kept clean - odor can be an issue. If guinea pigs are not fed healthy food and housed using safe beddings, then illness too can be an issue.

What do you think? What are the best and worst aspects of guinea pig ownership?

Heather