crazycavylady

[crazycavylady]

I didn’t post yesterday and won’t post anything substantial for a couple days as I have just added 2 new members to our family!

[crazycavylady]

In this post I am going to talk about the basics of this anything-but-basic animal.

TLDR; Guinea pigs are exotic animals with lots of breeds. Don’t breed or buy Satin pigs they have serious health problems, reacue them if you can afford the time and money for their specialized care.

Guinea pig; domestic guinea pig; cavy; a pig by any other name would still smell like timothy hay. Male pigs are known as boars; females as sows; babies are referred to as pups, breaking from the porcine trend. Cavies are large rodents that originate from the Andes of South America and were originally domesticated as livestock.. for food.. and continue to be so in various South American countries. This blog, moving forward, will only cover guinea pigs as pets.

Pups are born about 3-4” in length and grow continuously until full maturity is reached around 14 months. An adult guinea pig can be anywhere from 8-12” in length and 1.5-2.6 lbs. Boars and sows must be separated as soon as 3 weeks after birth, guinea pigs reach sexual maturity very early and baby boars *will* impregnate Mom, sisters, and any sow that walks his little way. Sows have a limited time frame in which to safely reproduce; too young can cause complications, but around 10 months guinea pig pelvic bones start to fuse requiring a c-section for any chance of safe delivery for sow and pups.

There are 13 breeds of guinea pigs in various colorations that are recognized by the American Cavy Breeders Association (ACBA) among several unrecognized breeds. For the love of guinea pigs, the CavyCrazyLady does not recognize the ‘satin’ versions of any breeds (explained at the end of this post). I will cover specifics of breeds and colorations in a later post, including both recognized breeds and a few that are not:

Okay. The reason that I do not recognize satin breeds is because it is cruel to intentionally breed pigs to obtain this ‘desirable’ coat. I am not a veternarian, but ‘Satin Guinea Pig Syndrome’ is a quick google away for anyone with internet. Satin coats are suspected to be a product of a genetic disorder. Most satin pigs live short, pain-filled lives often with bone and kidney diseases. Satin pigs are found to suffer from hyperparathyroidism and hormonal imbalances, fibrous osteodystropy, hypercalcemia, malocculusion, and lameness.

[crazycavylady]

This was one of the very few helpful bits of information I encountered before purchasing guinea pigs.

TLDR; Guinea pigs get depressed without other pigs around- humans and other pets alone are not sufficient substitutes.

Guinea pigs are herd animals, meaning they naturally live in social groups with other guinea pigs. This is so important for their well-being that in 2008 Switzerland introduced the Animal Protection Ordinance that made it illegal to own just one guinea pig. This law recognizes that forcing a guinea pig to live in solitude from its own kind is abuse due to the substancial negative impact on the solitary pig’s quality of life.

Having a companion pig keeps your cavies interested in their enviornment– it keeps them from getting bored and lazy and helps them feel secure. Guinea pigs love to explore and forage, but are naturally timid and fearful as prey animals and rely on the comfort and security of their partner or herd. Coupled and grouped guinea pigs share responsibility in watching out for threats and will scatter and run in zig-zag paths to confuse and distract predators.

Even if you find your cavies don’t get along and are fighting each other to the point of injury, they would still greatly benefit from sharing a room or habitat separated by a divider! Pigs live longer, healthier lives when they have the regular companionship of other pigs.

[crazycavylady]

Noob mistake #1: Purchasing from a pet store

TLDR; Better option: Adoption and Rescue

I mentioned in my initial post that, with minimal information and/or planning, my son and I rushed off to a local chain pet shop to buy guinea pigs they have in-store. Before delving into habitat requirements, diet, and lifestyle I think it is really important to talk about why potential pig parents should consider adopting or rescuing your pigs instead of purchasing from a pet shop. Here are a few reasons adopt>shop.

1. Better financial choice:

Pet stores sell pets for profit, your guinea pigs will come with a price tag and absolutely no supplies as they want you to additionally purchase these necessities. Rescues will have a minimal adoption fee and often offer cages and/or supplies to help start you off on the best paw with your new furry friend. Pet stores often sell hamster cages that claim to be for guinea pigs as well, unless you have a habitat prepared you will have to purchase a $75-$100 temporary cage.

2. Healthier pets:

Pet shops store multiple guinea pigs and other small animals in little display tanks with minimal ventilation, these conditions support a thriving breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. While pet stores do often have a money-back-guarentee if it is found your pet has a serious health issue or dies within a specified time-frame, that could be traumatizing to children, parents, and pigs alike to experience this. Rescues provide regular care and will inform potential pig parents of any health or behavior issues prior to adoption.

3 (2 parts). More ethical choice:

Part 1: Pet stores rely on breeders to sell their animals for profit. This practice encourages breeding mills where female guinea pigs (sows) are bred over and over, some in terrible conditions. Over-breeding is a large contributing factor to health problems and genetic diseases. Rescues save guinea pigs from terrible conditions, surrender, and pigs that were released into the wild by careless owners. There are many guinea pigs already in need of good homes, supporting breeders inflates these populations as over time more guinea pigs are bought and surrendered.

Part 2. Guinea pigs are herd animals and prey animals. Guinea pigs do not fair well when families have only one pig, they need the company of other guinea pigs- at least one more. Rescues will often offer bonded pairs/trios/groups of pigs that will adjust better and live happier in their mini-herd. Pet stores store animals together, sometimes misgendering them, leading to unsuspecting pet parents finding out their new beautiful baby sow came home ready to have babies of her own. Pet store pigs experience a lot of unwanted handling by strangers and the bustle and clamor of daily operations, this can make pigs timid or aggressive.

Whether it’s because you’re not interested in adopting a fungus too or because you are appalled at the thought of supporting breeding mills— adopt don’t shop. I would highly recommend doing a thorough search of your local small animal/exotic animal rescues or local humane society to rescue a new friend in need.

[crazycavylady]

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to purchase two American cavy for my six-year-old son and how this would lead me to become the CavyCrazyLady.

Our adventure began mid-autumn after a meeting with my ADHD son’s school about his Individual Education Plan. I was informed, though I already knew, my son was falling into a ‘class clown’ role in an effort to gain peer attention. As a parent you just want your children to be happy, successful, and fulfilled; I was not angered by nor disappointed in these behaviors, I wanted to be active in the relief of the cause. I decided that day I was going to buy my son some furry friends. After some quick googling about general diet and care for guinea pigs, we set off for a local chain pet store.

In this blog I will write about the common mistakes I made, the lessons I learned, valuable information I have obtained, and the vast community of small animal and exotic pet owners there for support.