Where to Get Your New Guinea Pig
Where to Get Your New Guinea Pig
Should I adopt or buy a guinea pig from a breeder or pet store?
Adoption
Adoption is a good choice for a person or family who is looking for a new guinea pig. The guinea pigs you would find at a shelter are abandoned pets who’s owners changed their minds, became too ill to care for the animals, or who had to move - not because the animals are ill or mean. Everyday unwanted guinea pigs are euthanized when shelters are unable to find these animals homes.
If adoption sounds appealing, the simplest option is check google.com or your city’s telephone book for local animal shelters. Call and see if there are currently guinea pigs available for adoption. Otherwise, two other adoption options include private shelters and rescue groups. Make sure when you do your internet search that you do not limit your search to just “guinea pigs” but also “rabbit rescue” and “exotic veterinarians.” Either of these groups may place or know of a group who places guinea pigs.
Private shelters and rescue groups are driven primarily by passionate pet overs. These organizations are very interested in making sure that their rescue animals go to the best homes possible. With that in mind be prepared to answer a lot of questions. As these groups are also funded exclusively by donations, you should expect to pay a fee (in part this is to help discourage people who are looking for free guinea pigs for either breeding or….pet food.) The money you pay goes towards recovering the cost of caring for abandoned guinea pigs until new families are found.
Breeder
There are advantages in buying your new guinea pig from a responsible breeder. Most quality breeders are guinea pig enthusiasts and are likely to be knowledgeable about your new pet. Plus, you can rest assured that the animal was raised in a healthy environment. A good breeder will also make sure that your guinea pig is properly socialized from a young age – ensuring a more social animal.
How can you tell if a breeder is reputable? While you can do your best to research a breeder through recommendations, affiliations, and word of mouth the best way to know for sure is to check out their breeding facility in person and meet the breeders. You should feel these people are knowledgeable and a good breeder should be able to tell you about particular qualities of their guinea pigs as well as offer you specific information and advice.
If you have any intention whatsoever of “showing” your guinea pig – you will need a signed pedigree. Make sure this document includes your guinea pig’s sex, color, and family line.
Pet Store
Ultimately most people buy guinea pigs at a local pet store. This option is fine as long as you choose a quality pet store where the animals are treated well. Please double check that mature males and females are separated into different cages (helps avoid buying an already pregnant female) and that the bedding inside is clean. Ask the staff what type of food they have been feeding the guinea pigs and what their care schedule is.
If you choose to buy your new guinea pig at a local pet store, please make sure your animal is healthy and that the store provides a health guarantee (and refund policy) on any animal your purchase. You would want to specifically avoid any animals with audible respiratory problems, runny noses, crusty eyes, patchy fur, lice, limps, or crooked heads. You would also want to avoid guinea pigs exhibiting unusual social behavior. A normal guinea pig will act either curious or frightened when interacting with you. Many pet store guinea pigs are not handled regularily by the staff and can become especially timid.
Make sure that the guinea pig you are interested in is old enough to be adopted. Do not select a guinea younger than 8 weeks old. See Guinea Pig Size to estimate age.
For more in depth information on how to pick a healthy guinea pig and how to avoid common health problems, please check out additional articles on our site.
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