Archiv für die Kategorie „Guinea Pig“
Children And Guinea Pigs Just Go Together
Small animals make wonderful pets for small children. There are some delightful small animals that are cute and cuddly and make great pets. Some consider a cat or a dog to be a good child’s pet, but I differ.
And they pose some risks. For example that have been many instances of young children being attacked by their own pet dog.
I think personally that one of the best small pets for small children are guinea pigs, and I have a young daughter who has a guinea pig and she delights in him.
Guinea pigs have some big advantages as pets. The average guinea pig lives little longer than 5 years and so it’s unlikely that you will be required to take care of him once the children have left home. You can buy one for $20 or so, they don’t get sick too often and they are relatively cheap to feed. They will make fine company for your children and sit on their lap happily being petted at night.
Despite the fact that guinea pigs are small cheap pets there are still some important matters to think about before you get your first guinea pig. And the first of these matters is how you will house him.
They are housed in what is called a guinea pig hutch or cage. The hutch is usually kept outside the house, though not always, and is primarily constructed of timber and wire, though metal is also a good material for construction of hutches.
The guinea pig hutch should have a sleeping area where he can sleep free of rain and wind and where he can snuggle up and keep warm. And there will be an outside area where he can exercise and play free from predators.
You shouldn’t use wire on the floor of your hutch as a guinea pig can get a condition known as bumble foot from walking on wire.
Most guinea pig cages that you buy in pet shops are too small for the purpose. It’s quite easy to make your own guinea pig cage and it’s not expensive to do so. If you are making your own make sure you make it as large as you possibly can so that your guinea pig has lots of room to play and to exercise.
Guinea pigs are is not hard to feed although like all animals you need to learn about what they should and should not eat. They need hay which is good for roughage and will eat a range of fresh green leaves from vegetables as well as fruits like pears and apples. Avoid lettuce and cabbage. They love grass.
Of course once you commit to a pet such as a guinea pig you need to also commit to cleaning out their cage regularly. Like with all animals young children are not particularly enthusiastic cleaning guinea pig cages and need some encouragement. And guinea pigs need to be groomed regularly to keep their hair knot free, though of course this is very pleasant work.
A small, soft and furry guinea pig makes a wonderful pet for the children as long as you house him properly and feed him well.