A guinea pig blog on, well, guinea pigs… Obviously.
Tag: petcare
My very special friend, Book Worm, also has a blog about her three guinea pigs, you can find it here:
And her guinea pig and rabbit YouTube channel is here:
Please have a look, as she is the reason why I started my own blog.
Until next time,
Detective Ultramarine
Today I thought I’d tell/show you the removable “Hay Loft” that my father and I built for Caramel and Nutmeg’s hutch.
I wanted to add another layer upstairs in the “breakfast” room so they have a little more room to “pig” about in.
Here is the hutch before we started: And after we finished:
I took measurements of the depth and width of the area and my father found a suitable board for the shelf section. I had to cut it down to size length-wise on the workbench using a massive saw before it fit properly. I then had to cut a little corner off because there was a part of the hutch in the way!
My father then found some long thin pieces of wood (left over from the staircase I think) for the beams. Once I cut them to fit, my father and I screwed them on to the insides of the hutch. These beams enabled us to balance the shelf section on top for the new room.
We then realised that the piggies couldn’t actually get up to the room, so I cut a good-sized plank down to the right length for a ramp. (My father cut the end to an angle so it sat against the wall nicely).
As I watched the guineas explore their new extension I discovered that the ramp was to slippery for them to climb, so I left it in over the day but took it out at night, hoping that they’d get used to it, but they didn’t. They just ate it instead.
A few days later I cut some small balsa wood strips into little sticks that I then glued onto the ramp with wood glue. With a crash course in ramp climbing, Caramel and Nutmeg were soon up in the hay loft munching on some delicious hay. (They also munched on the balsa wood).
Until next time,
Detective Ultramarine
Today’s post is about the stuff that I own in order to look after Caramel and Nutmeg properly.
You can use this as a basic guideline if you’re thinking of getting guineas.
Here is a list of what you need/what I have:
As most websites/blogs say, always buy the biggest hutch you can, guineas like their space!
If you’re keeping them outside, then I suggest you either keep them in a shed/garage in the winter or buy a hutch cover.
I have a hutch cover by Scratch & Newton Fort William size, I put it on when it rains and when it’s cold. Now it’s coming into the summer, I won’t be using it as much, if not at all.
Guinea pigs LOVE grass, so make sure that you get a suitably sized run for them, mine is a basic rabbit run that stays in the garden. It came with a cover and it has a door on one of the panels.
For a water bottle, the shop assistant told me to get the “giant” size, but it leaked and the hutch was soaked every time I cleaned it out, so my father and I walked up to the local pet shop and bought a “midi” sized one that we could fill without wasting too much water. The person who served us at the till gave me some helpful advice: Fill the bottle up completely and then screw on the top BEFORE tipping over and attaching to the hutch. This one doesn’t leak and now Caramel and Nutmeg don’t have a soggy hutch.
I still use the old bottle for the run.
Bottle brushes make cleaning the water bottles easier, but you can use rice or a baby bottle brush. (the baby brush we had didn’t fit the bottle, so find a thin one)
This is the one I got from Pets at Home:
The best food bowl is a ceramic one, as it’s heavy so it won’t tip over and the piggies can’t eat it. (though mine try to…)
Hey, it’s time for hay. Timothy Hay to be precise. Choose this as it helps the digestive system. Caramel and Nutmeg love it!
Now, I was told to get straw for my guineas when I got them. The next day I saw the packaging said that it is not for guinea pigs. I have since discovered that straw isn’t safe for them as it can poke into their eyes and also cause discomfort, so once the bag is finished I will not buy any more.
I use sawdust, but some people I know use shredded paper puppy pads or fleece. If you are using sawdust put newspaper underneath as a base. Also DON’T buy pine sawdust as the oils can harm your cavies.
Food pellets, always keep the piggies on the ones they were on at the pet shop. If you do want to change it or swap it for adult pellets, do it gradually and make sure they like it. I wasn’t sure if Caramel and Nutmeg liked their new food much at first but now they seem to be happy to eat it.
Although guinea pigs love fresh veggies and fruit, don’t give it to them too often as they can get mouth ulcers and diabetes. I give my guineas veg twice a day and fruit once to twice a week.
WARNING, potato is poisonous to guinea pigs.
Nutmeg has a long coat so I need to trim it about once every month, otherwise it gets knotted and hurts when I brush her. I also brush her daily to avoid knots.
Trimming her coat also helps to keep her cool in the summer. I felt awful at first when I started to cut Nutmeg’s fur, but it grows back so it’s okay if you feel that way too.
If your cavies have long or thick coats, a small grooming brush and sharp pair of scissors are a must!
Guinea pigs love to have a safe, dark place to hide and have some quiet time to themselves. As an introvert myself, I can understand this. Just as your bedroom/bed is your safe-place for you, a hidey is a safe-place for your G.P. You could spend extra on a cute-looking one, but just a cardboard box will do. Caramel and Nutmeg have their “Triangle” a box that folds into a triangular prism (a Toblerone shape if you eat such things. Yum.)
Everybody loves a treat now and then don’t we? Well so do guinea pigs. My two are partial to the “Tasty Linseed Triangle Treats” by Pets at Home and the occasional “Woodland Loops” by Selective Naturals.
The last, and possibly most important thing my piggies need, is me. To provide all this stuff and to love and nurture them.
So your piggies will need you too!
Until next time,
Detective Ultramarine
So, this is the current routine I have put in place for the guineas…
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Afternoon:
Early Evening:
Bedtime:
Until next time,
Detective Ultramarine
Detective G.P. & Spy Cavy 