guinea pig house

Guinea Proof Your Home

Take the time to complete the following steps in each room of your home that you plan to allow your guinea pig to run free:

  1. Remove electrical cords from reach. If not possible, encase in something that cannot be chewed through.
  2. Treat exposed wood with a scent repellent to prevent furniture legs, etc from being chewed on. If possible remove wooden objects entirely from the room or cover with an unchewable surface.
  3. Securely block off any crevice, hole, or corner where a guinea pig could get stuck.
  4. Tie up dangling curtain cords.
  5. Remove anything that could be poisonous or harmful (cleaning items, personal products, plants) and make sure all garbage cans have tightly fitting lids.
  6. Remove anything else YOU don’t want accidentally chewed on.

Make Sure You Have Bought All the Necessary Equipment

See included document “Guinea Pig Supply List” for a complete listing of everything you will need to care for your guinea pig.

At bare minimum on the first day you will need:

  • carry case
  • cage
  • bedding (NOT pine or cedar)
  • food dish
  • water bottle or bowl
  • hiding hut (can be a pvc pipe)
  • grooming brush
  • nail clipper
  • as many of the first aid supplies as possible

Choose a Cage Location

Must be centrally located but not in an area:

  • Likely to get above 85 degrees
  • That is drafty
  • Where temperatures rapidly fluctuate
  • That is damp
  • That is poorly ventilated
  • Has lots of noise
  • With unsupervised access to poisonous plants (Daffodil, Tulip, Lily of the valley)

The First Day

Place your new guinea pig in his or her cage and leave undisturbed for a few hours.

Keep foot traffic around the cage to a minimum.

Do not handle right away.

Keep away from other household pets.

Do not loom over the cage.

Teach Your Guinea Pig to Get Used to Being Touched and Held

The best way to get your guinea pig used to being handled is by bribing him with treats:

  • Show the guinea pig the treat you are holding.
  • Open the door of his or her cage and place the treat right in the doorway.
  • Slowly back away, sit down, and wait.
  • If the treat is not taken after a few minutes, slowly get up and reclaim the treat.
  • Repeat later until successful.

The goal is to keep repeating the steps above moving gradually closer and closer. Once this goal has been achieved, work on getting your guinea pig to take the treat from your hand. After that goal has been achieved, work on getting your guinea pig used to being petted and cuddled.

How to Pick Up Your Guinea Pig

Initially practice picking up your guinea pig while both of you are close to the floor to avoid any accidents in case your guinea pig gets scared and squirms away.

  • Always lift your guinea pig with one hand under the rear and the other hand underneath with a leg on either side.
  • Cradle the guinea pig against your chest.
  • Never lift a guinea pig by his limbs.
  • Never squeeze your guinea pig tightly.

I need your help -

Guinea pig owners or potential guinea pig owners – what would you like to see on this web site? Let me know.



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