My own pets; Boris and Flash, great family pets

Our Guinea Pigs, Boris and Flash, came to us via a local centre; Pooh Piglet Guinea Pig Rescue. Based in Haywards Heath, Pauline Dutton has been running the centre for many years caring for new and rescued Guinea Pigs and giving them new homes. We were after a pet, ideally, for Jacob my son. We contacted Pauline and went to visit the centre and look at the Guinea Pigs available for rehoming. Guinea Pigs need companionship as they are social animals and would live in herds, so usually come in pairs of the same sex.
Boris was around 15 months when we adopted him, he has long blond hair, hence the name. Flash is a quick mover and is black, grey, and white, he was only a baby at seven weeks when we took him in with Boris. Flash is actually Boris’s son! We’ve had them for around two years now and they fit in well with the family.

A popular choice for children and family

Guinea Pigs make ideal pets for children as they make lots of different noises, are very responsive, awake during the day, and don’t often bite. They also like to be brushed, teaching children basic pet care skills as they are fairly docile and don’t mind being handled and fed by hand. As pets, they can live up to eight years, but usually around five. They also range in colours, with black, brown, white, ginger, and blond hair and are very good at problem-solving and can learn. Jacob loves having them on his lap to feed them vegetables and helps when they need a haircut. Our old rabbit Lucky also liked being with them in the garden and I often felt like they would chat to each other. Ours also like to perform little jumps in the air, know as ‘popcorning’.

Jacob says: “I like the guinea pigs because they are cute and make lots of funny noises”.

Guinea Pigs don’t like the cold or damp

Guinea Pigs need room to roam around, usually outdoors, and a hutch to keep warm, which needs to be indoors or a garage in the winter. Ours live indoors in the cold season and have a big run out in the garden sectioned off so they don’t escape or cause trouble! If you are keeping them in a garage or an outdoor sheltered place they must be insulated against the cold. They originate from South America so frost in the UK isn’t something they would be used to!

Guinea Pigs make a lot of noise… and poo

Boris and Flash eat lots of hay and herbs and have a varied diet including; carrots, peppers, parsley, coriander, and kale. They usually have a salad buffet breakfast! Guinea Pigs need a constant supply of food to aid their digestion and help keep their teeth at the right length. This makes them ideal lawn mowers as they are happy to eat grass. As a result, they do poo a lot. Healthy Guinea Pigs can poo up to 100 times in one day, which means a lot of cleaning out. However, this can also aid children to understand their responsibility in taking care of pets and that cleaning up after them is just as important as feeding them a carrot or giving them a brush. They also make a lot of noises, from purring to chatting, chirping, and wheeking. This video gives a good guide with helpful translations: https://youtu.be/BB8j3X3UyZA

Helpful Guinea Pig Resource Links

We’ve found some great resources on Guinea Pigs:

• Home and Roost offer a range of hutches and runs, but their blog as a wealth of Guinea Pig info:
  www.homeandroost.co.uk/blog/category/guinea-pigs/
• Guinea Pig Awareness Month is 22nd-28th March and Burgess Pet food has launched a Facebook page and mini-site to promote this event:
  GPAW
• If you are starting out the PDSA has a good guide and different ideas for enclosures:
  www.pdsa.org.uk
• We also love this local online shop, Twig & Nibble, for Guinea Pig treats and unique food bundles:
  www.twigandnibbleshop.co.uk

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