The guinea pig is unpretentious and friendly. That is why she is often raised as a pet. However, despite the simplicity of the content, there are a number of requirements that must be met. For example, in no case should you leave a cage with a rodent in a draft.
A few words about the content
When preparing a future home for a guinea pig, you need to remember a few simple rules.
The size of the cage should be at least 50x60cm, and the metal mesh itself should be with a fine mesh.
Large sawdust must be poured onto the floor of the house, since small sawdust can get into the rodent's eyes or mouth. The best option is to cover the bottom of the cage with hay.
The drinker and feeder should be made of heavy material so that the pig does not dare to turn them over.
The cage should be cleaned at least once every 2 days. To facilitate this procedure, it is recommended to place a small tray with sorbent in the cage. The pig will be able to use it as a toilet. In this case, the contents of the tray can be changed daily, and the main cleaning will need to be done once a week.
The teeth of guinea pigs grow all their lives and therefore the animal simply needs to grind them. For this purpose, it is necessary to place a "trainer" for teeth in the pet's home. It can be purchased at the pet store, or it can be replaced with a hard branch of fruit species, for example, an apple tree.
About drafts, humidity and bathing
The homeland of guinea pigs is South America, and therefore they are extremely thermophilic. This rodent absolutely does not tolerate wet rooms and drafts. Moreover, drafts and cold can cause the death of the animal, and therefore, when choosing a place for a cage, one must carefully monitor that there are no sudden air movements in this place.
All long-haired guinea pig breeds are especially thermophilic. Even with a very short stay in a cold room, the animal can die with a 90% probability.
In the warm season, the guinea pig can be taken with you for a walk and even to a summer cottage. But in the case of a long stay of the animal in the fresh air, it is necessary to equip the cage in such a way that it is reliably protected from wind and rain.
However, high temperatures are no less destructive for guinea pigs. Therefore, protecting the pet from the cold and wind, you need to make sure that direct sunlight does not fall on it, and in the apartment the cage would not be located next to the battery.
The optimum temperature for keeping an animal is 18-20 degrees.
Guinea pigs don't like to swim. But if this procedure becomes necessary, care must be taken to ensure that the rodent does not catch a cold after it. To do this, they wipe him well, and then dry his fur with a hairdryer. The animal itself should be kept warm.
