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Guinea pigs are rodents originating from South America, and they are now a popular family pet in many countries across the world. Here in the United Kingdom guinea pigs are considered "exotic pets" by most veterinary professionals and enthusiasts. Guinea pigs are born in litters of around 1-5 babies in size, and the babies are called "pups". They take around 10 months to mature, and when fully grown they are around 10-12 inches in length on average, but some guinea pigs grow slightly bigger! Most guinea pigs live for around 5 years, but with care, attention and a bit of luck, they can live to a grand old age of around thirteen years.
Guinea pigs are herbivores and live on a diet of hay and grass, vegetables, some fruits and special dried guinea pig mix. They also know when dinner time is and will shout with excitement at the prospect of food! They make wonderful pets for adults and children alike. If they are handled frequently and given a lot of love and attention, they often become extremely friendly and their company is very rewarding. When happy in their surroundings guinea pigs will blossom into contented creatures with individual and endearing personalities. They love to talk and communicate and can be very chatty and inquisitive.
There are many unwanted guinea pigs currently in the care of rehoming centres and they desperately need loving homes. If you want to adopt an unwanted guinea pig, please have a look through our directory of rehoming centres in the UK.
First and foremost you should try your local animal rehoming centre to see if they have any guinea pigs in need of a good home. If you live in the United Kingdom the RSPCA (England and Wales), SSPCA (Scotland), ISPCA (Ireland) or JSPCA (Channel Islands) might have guinea pigs up for adoption or be able to point you toward your nearest rescue centre. If you are unsure about adopting, don't worry because your local rescue centre will be able to help you set up the perfect new home and be there to guide you!
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07.06.09 - Appeal to help Sokel Guinea Pig Rescue
Over this last week, our friends at Sokel Guinea Pig Rescue have taken in over 70 sick and neglected guinea pigs. They are stretched and doing as best they can to help these poor animals, but they need your help if you can give it. Donations of bottles, bowls, hutches, cages and towels are top of their list, and they also have a PayPal account set up for monetary donations. You can donate to them at our donation point, or via their website at http://www.sokelguineapigrescue.com.
25.04.09 - I've added the new behaviour page
I've finally managed to buy a sound recorder good enough to take some clips of my guinea pigs making various sounds and generally giving me a hard time! You can hear these clips on the new behaviour page which I hope to continue improving, as there are loads more sounds and more information to be added.
19.04.09 - Guinea pig breeds page up to date, and dangerous toy warning
The breeds page is now completely up to date with photographs and information about thirteen different breeds. I'll be adding more breeds when I can get my hands on some photographs of breeds I personally don't have.
Secondly, we had a very disturbing incident involving a guinea pig and a hanging toy this week. We found him with a loop stuck around his neck with no way of getting free, and it required the use of scissors to cut the loop away. I have added a photograph of the toy in question and a longer explanation to the toys page.
02.02.09 - The new page about taming your pet has been added
I have added a new section called Taming Your Pet to the Piglopaedia which should be helpful to new owners with young guinea pigs.
Read old News from the hutch....
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