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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 vegetarian 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.
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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06.07.08 - New smilies and RWA banners!
Today I have added eight new smilies to the forum selection so members can express themselves better than ever before! I have also added a selection of banners and buttons for you to use when linking back to us. You'll find them just below this news box. I hope you like them!
27.06.08 - We've had our own rosettes printed!
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As our Piggy of The Month photograph competition is steadily gaining pace, we decided to extend our prize giving to include a vibrant blue rosette, printed with "Winner" across the middle and our web address around the edge. In addition winners will receive a small certificate with the name of the guinea pig in the winning photograph and the date of the competition. As usual, a 2009 calendar with the winning photographs will be awarded to our winners at the end of the year.
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08.05.08 - The Guinea Pig Breeds Encyclopaedia is up
After a bit of a break and a three week holiday in Florida, our guinea pig breeds section is now online. The section is quite small at the moment but with the help of our wonderful forum members the page is coming together nicely. My thanks go to Tanya, Lisa, Amanda, Bob and Doris, Sarah, Saskia, Emma and Claire, for providing me with some wonderful photographs.
03.04.08 - Advice about purchasing from pet shops
I have added a section to the First Time Owners page about purchasing from pet shops. Lots of pet shops are really good and know their stuff, but for those that aren't so good, here's my guide to making a safe and informed guinea pig purchase.
04.02.08 - Photographs added to the toys page
I'm currently working to improve the toys page and I've added some new photographs. Look out for some more improvements in the coming days.
Read old News from the hutch....
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For those of you who very kindly wish to advertise my site on your own sites, I have created a selection of banners and buttons for you to use. Please copy and paste your favourite one to your computer. Any links are greatly appreciated.
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