General Cavy Information:
Cavy (pronounced "K-V") is the proper name for a domestic guinea pig! Guinea pigs are GREAT! Always learn all you can before bringing a new pet into your home though. Your pet cavy will be a delightful & lovable pet!
Cavy Breeds - Abyssinian, Abyssinian Satin, American, American Satin, Coronet, Peruvian, Peruvian Satin, Silkie, Silkie Satin, Teddy, Teddy Satin, & Texel.
* Buying Cavies - Before you buy, here are a few suggestions:
1. Show consideration for the breeder.
2. Know your breeder.
3. Set terms before you buy. Will the seller ship? Does the seller make any guarantees? Ask ?'s.
4. Know what you want & how much you will spend. Are your expectations reasonable?
5. Use common sense.
Did you KNOW?
Guinea pigs can live 5 to 7 years or even longer!
Males are boars, females are sows, & babies are called pups!
Sows can get pregnant as early as 4 weeks old!
Boars are sexually mature at 3 to 4 weeks of age!
Pregnancy is risky & complications are extremely common!
Looking for a pet Guinea Pig? Well, then choose to ADOPT! Most pet stores purchase their guinea pig stock from reliable breeders & then turn around & sell them for double, sometimes even triple the $. So, our advice to anyone looking for a pet guinea pig would be to find a reliable breeder to buy directly from & cut out the extra stress on the animal & save $ too.
FEEDING - To save waste, feed just enough pellets to last 24 hours. Giving too much at once would be wasteful. Most cavy pellets are 18% to 20% protein.
DAILY DIET - Try to get fresh pellets! Plain high quality guinea pig pellets (we have found after many years of experience that top quality MAZURI feed is the absolute best for healthy guinea pigs - both better weight gain & reduced ammonia emissions), unlimited high quality grass hay, fresh cold water, Vitamin C, a cup or so of fresh vegetables (like romaine, baby carrot, green pepper, or fresh clean grass).
AVOID: Mixes or treats containing nuts, seeds, dried fruit, sugars, or dyed pieces. Never give moldy hay to your cavy! NO dairy or meat products (cavies are herbivores). NO rabbit pellets! NO multivitamins! We give apple peelings, baby carrots, grapes, watermelon, or grass as treats.
HOUSING - BIGGER is BETTER! Build a spacious cage of wire cubes & Coroplast sheets! AVOID cages too small with wire bottoms & shelves. SEE www.cavycages.com for more info. We use solid bottom cages for our guinea pigs!
BEDDING - Use PAPER products like Care FRESH, kiln-dried pine or aspen shavings! Frequent changing (every 3 or 4 days) will prevent odors & promote good health. We use shredded paper shavings for our bedding when we can!
AVOID: Cedar (can contribute to respiratory problems & is also more expensive), sawdust, corncob bedding, & clay cat litter! Follow this!
SIGNS of ILLNESSES: Refusal to eat or drink, lethargy, labored breathing, wheezing, sneezing, crusty eyes, dull &/or receding eyes, rough or puffed up coat, hunched posture, diarrhea, blood in urine, limping, loss of balance, head tilt, excessive scratching, or hair loss. BE OBSERVANT!
To Ensure a Happy & Healthy Cavy: Clean the cage at least once a week. Feed & water the cavy every day. Most importantly, give it lots of attention & love. Secure all electrical cords out of reach. If you plan on having 1 cavy as a pet, either sex will do well.
When a cavy is ill, it can go downhill very quickly! Prompt, competant veterinary care is crucial to saving it's life! Most bacterial infections can be cured in the early stages with a course of cavy-safe antibiotics. Don't be afraid to call your vet if you have any concerns.
WARNING: Penicillin-based drugs like amoxicillin are DEADLY!
Learn more about cavy care at www.guinealynx.info
Maintaining Good Health: Their front incisors continue to grow throughout their lives. They like to chew on wood. Once in awhile it will be necessary to trim the cavy's toenails. This can be done by simply using a dog/cat nail clipper.
So, if you are still interested in a pet guinea pig after learning all you can about them, we would be more than happy to help you find the perfect pet guinea pig for your family. If we don't have what you are looking for, we know of a few other breeders that may have just what you are looking for.
We hope that you have found this page of general cavy information very helpful before making the commitment to adopt a pet guinea pig. All guinea pigs need responsible care-takers & we cannot stress this fact enough! Thank you for your interest in guinea pigs. They make wonderful pets!
Cavy Breeds - Abyssinian, Abyssinian Satin, American, American Satin, Coronet, Peruvian, Peruvian Satin, Silkie, Silkie Satin, Teddy, Teddy Satin, & Texel.
* Buying Cavies - Before you buy, here are a few suggestions:
1. Show consideration for the breeder.
2. Know your breeder.
3. Set terms before you buy. Will the seller ship? Does the seller make any guarantees? Ask ?'s.
4. Know what you want & how much you will spend. Are your expectations reasonable?
5. Use common sense.
Did you KNOW?
Guinea pigs can live 5 to 7 years or even longer!
Males are boars, females are sows, & babies are called pups!
Sows can get pregnant as early as 4 weeks old!
Boars are sexually mature at 3 to 4 weeks of age!
Pregnancy is risky & complications are extremely common!
Looking for a pet Guinea Pig? Well, then choose to ADOPT! Most pet stores purchase their guinea pig stock from reliable breeders & then turn around & sell them for double, sometimes even triple the $. So, our advice to anyone looking for a pet guinea pig would be to find a reliable breeder to buy directly from & cut out the extra stress on the animal & save $ too.
FEEDING - To save waste, feed just enough pellets to last 24 hours. Giving too much at once would be wasteful. Most cavy pellets are 18% to 20% protein.
DAILY DIET - Try to get fresh pellets! Plain high quality guinea pig pellets (we have found after many years of experience that top quality MAZURI feed is the absolute best for healthy guinea pigs - both better weight gain & reduced ammonia emissions), unlimited high quality grass hay, fresh cold water, Vitamin C, a cup or so of fresh vegetables (like romaine, baby carrot, green pepper, or fresh clean grass).
AVOID: Mixes or treats containing nuts, seeds, dried fruit, sugars, or dyed pieces. Never give moldy hay to your cavy! NO dairy or meat products (cavies are herbivores). NO rabbit pellets! NO multivitamins! We give apple peelings, baby carrots, grapes, watermelon, or grass as treats.
HOUSING - BIGGER is BETTER! Build a spacious cage of wire cubes & Coroplast sheets! AVOID cages too small with wire bottoms & shelves. SEE www.cavycages.com for more info. We use solid bottom cages for our guinea pigs!
BEDDING - Use PAPER products like Care FRESH, kiln-dried pine or aspen shavings! Frequent changing (every 3 or 4 days) will prevent odors & promote good health. We use shredded paper shavings for our bedding when we can!
AVOID: Cedar (can contribute to respiratory problems & is also more expensive), sawdust, corncob bedding, & clay cat litter! Follow this!
SIGNS of ILLNESSES: Refusal to eat or drink, lethargy, labored breathing, wheezing, sneezing, crusty eyes, dull &/or receding eyes, rough or puffed up coat, hunched posture, diarrhea, blood in urine, limping, loss of balance, head tilt, excessive scratching, or hair loss. BE OBSERVANT!
To Ensure a Happy & Healthy Cavy: Clean the cage at least once a week. Feed & water the cavy every day. Most importantly, give it lots of attention & love. Secure all electrical cords out of reach. If you plan on having 1 cavy as a pet, either sex will do well.
When a cavy is ill, it can go downhill very quickly! Prompt, competant veterinary care is crucial to saving it's life! Most bacterial infections can be cured in the early stages with a course of cavy-safe antibiotics. Don't be afraid to call your vet if you have any concerns.
WARNING: Penicillin-based drugs like amoxicillin are DEADLY!
Learn more about cavy care at www.guinealynx.info
Maintaining Good Health: Their front incisors continue to grow throughout their lives. They like to chew on wood. Once in awhile it will be necessary to trim the cavy's toenails. This can be done by simply using a dog/cat nail clipper.
So, if you are still interested in a pet guinea pig after learning all you can about them, we would be more than happy to help you find the perfect pet guinea pig for your family. If we don't have what you are looking for, we know of a few other breeders that may have just what you are looking for.
We hope that you have found this page of general cavy information very helpful before making the commitment to adopt a pet guinea pig. All guinea pigs need responsible care-takers & we cannot stress this fact enough! Thank you for your interest in guinea pigs. They make wonderful pets!