There are several reasons why it isn’t advised to keep your rabbits and guinea pigs together:

• They have different dietary needs. Guinea pigs are prone to scurvy and unless you are going to feed both pets vegetables regularly, you need to find specific pellets for your guinea pigs that are rich in vitamin C. On the other hand, some forms of rabbit food are poisonous to cavies. Also some kinds of vegetables are okay to feed to your rabbits but are harmful to your cavies and vice versa. So if you’re keeping them together, be sure to check the contents of the pellets and make sure the types of vegetables you give them are safe for both.
• Rabbits are relatively larger than guinea pigs. The relevant size difference could mean that an active rabbit can harm or harass a guinea pig. On the other hand, guinea pigs have the habit of nibbling rabbit fur especially when they do not have a toy to keep them busy or when they are hungry. A solution for this is my having a larger cage with plenty of toys and tunnels so your pets will be kept preoccupied and won’t get on each other’s backs.
• It is okay for rabbits to have wire caged floors while this will damage a cavy’s feet. If you plan to keep your rabbits and guinea pigs in one cage, solid flooring is required.
• Rabbits and guinea pigs have different characteristics where one likes to cuddle while the other wants to have its own space. For example, having no partner for your rabbit might make it lonely and in turn seek affection from your guinea pig, which may in turn be harassed by its cage-mate.
• Some rabbits are carrier of diseases that may not affect them but could harm your cavies if exposed. An example is Pasteurella, a pathogen that is harmless and carried by a rabbit but can be dangerous and deadly to cavies.

Remember, if you want to keep your rabbits and guinea pigs together, food and housing are two important factors you need to consider. You also need to give them more attention, as to catch when they may be fighting or hurting each other. It’s always best to ask people with experience in this matter for advice. In the end, if you see that their relationship isn’t working out, maybe it’s best for one of your pets to get evicted and be given a place of its own.

Here are more reasons why you should participate in guinea pig rescue efforts:

• There are many guinea pigs that need your love and care. These cavies are either surrendered or abandoned by their owners. Common reasons are due to irresponsible ownership and over-breeding.
• There is a plethora of institution with online sites that offer guinea pigs for adoption. And like what you find in your pet stores, they come in many if not all the variety of guinea pig breeds.
• These institutions offer support and know-how in taking care of your cavies. They can help you find great deals when purchasing your pet’s needs. They also know certified vets and breeders or owners that will help you in your pet rearing.
• Guinea pig rescue shelters also helps you meet new people with the same passion for caring for these kinds of animals.
• Also, cavies from guinea pig rescues are usually free, perhaps only requiring you to make a small donation to their cause.

So, are you ready to be an adoptive parent of an abandoned guinea pig? Just Google in “guinea pig rescue” and find the perfect critter for you.

Guinea pigs, like most animals produce sounds as a way of communicating with each other and with their owners. Guinea pig noises can have more than one meaning and different types may sound quite similar. Therefore paying attention to your cavy’s body language is also crucial in determining what your cavy is trying to tell you.

Here are some of the common guinea pig noises and what they mean:

• Wheeking. Guinea pigs make these noises when they want you to feed them. Notice that they usually make these high-pitched squeaks or whistle during the time you routinely feed them. They are also associated with opening food bins or lids, your refrigerators or opening the shelf door where you keep your feeds. Wheeking can also mean that your cavy is excited or that it wants your attention.
• Purring. These noises are similar to the purring of a cat. It usually signifies pleasure and is often heard when you are petting your guinea pig or giving its favorite vegetable treat.
• Rumbling. Are noises similar to purring but is usually made by male guinea pigs when introduced or is ‘courting’ a female cavy. Female cavies also produce these noises during periods where they are fertile.
• Shrieking. These are sudden high-pitched wheeks that signifies that your cavy was surprised, is frightened or has suffered pain. It may mean that your cavy doesn’t want to be bothered or that it is threatened by another pig and wants it to ‘back off”.
• Chutting or Muttering. These guinea pigs noises you will usually hear when your guinea pigs are running about. It’s like they are mumbling to themselves and signifies they are happy.
• Whining. These noises are made when your cavy wants to be left alone or when it is being chased by another pig. Whining noises are like moaning, complaining calls that start fairly quiet but would increase in volume if your cavy is continued to be bothered.

Interpreting the meaning guinea pig noises isn’t very difficult when you are observant of your pet and its body language. Knowing what your cavy wants and when it doesn’t want to be bothered will help you keep a good natured relationship with your beloved pet.

Here are some great ideas for guinea pig names:

• Name a family of guinea pigs after famous cartoon family members: characters such as Bart, Magi and Lisa from the Simpsons or Pebbles and Bambam from The Flintstones.
• You can name them after the planets of our solar system such as Jupiter, Mars, and Venus.
• Name them after your favorite food like Bacon, Strawberry, Apple Pie or Popcorn.
• You can name your brown breeds after chocolate brands such as Hersheys, Cadbury, Milky Way or Musketeer.
• Name them after your favorite artists like Gaga, Madonna or Sting.
• You can even give them a name that is related to their history or character or how they look. Examples would be Lucky, Scratchy, Dotty, Squeaker, or Speedy.
• If you like history you can name your pets after heroes, presidents or literary figures. Imagine introducing a pet named Shakespeare or Theodore Roosevelt in a competition. The name itself will make the crowd curios with your pet and even the owner.
• You can name them after Greek or Egyptian gods and goddesses such as Anubis or Zeus.
• You can also make up unique sounding guinea pig names such as Zubalu or Bengar; anything that comes into your mind!

Be creative with your choice, after all it’s the name you’ll be using to communicate with your pet and the call it will come to recognize. Also, if you are keeping several cavies under your care, it would be good to give them names with distinct sounds from each other so that your pet won’t be confused on who you’re calling.

Here are some tips in purchasing the right guinea pig hutch for your pet:

• The bigger the better. Cavies need lots of exercise and keeping them in small spaces can make them over weight and suffer ailments from this condition. A minimum of 7.5 square feet is recommended and if you can buy a cage with more space, then that is better. Bigger cages also mean you can keep more cavies in one hutch. Bigger cages are also easier to clean because they don’t have those little nooks and crannies that gather dirt.
• Outdoors or indoors. If you are choosing to keep your guinea pigs indoors, a regular spacious cage is fine, but if you decide to keep them outside, then purchasing a guinea pig hutch with proper roofing to shield from rain and direct sunlight should be your choice.
• Double decks and obstacle courses. Some guinea pig hutches have upper levels that can be accessed through ramps from the first level to the second and so forth depending on the number of levels you want. Make sure the spacing of the height of the levels is significant for if they are too close together this actually takes away the space from the downstairs exercise area.
• Quality and price. Always take into account the materials that are used for your guinea pig hutch, for if they use frail wirings, your guinea pig might chew on them and you risk loosing your pet. Also, the wood and finishing is important because they will determine how long your hutch will last and if they are prone to termites. The price of a guinea pig hutch can range from around $30 to more than $200 depending on size, materials used and design.

Remember, keeping your guinea pigs safe, secure and happy is a part of your responsibility of being a pet owner and being wise on investing for the right guinea pig hutch is important in this endeavor.

Here is a guide in choosing the perfect guinea pig breed for you:

Short-haired Guinea Pig Breeds. These kinds of guinea pigs are the most popular in America and are the breeds most commonly sold in shops. These short haired “cavies” come in many different breeds; the most popular among them is the American, which is characterized by a roman nose which is slightly rounded. Other less popular varieties are the Teddy, White Crested, and Abbissinian.. The short-haired guinea pig breeds are recommended as pets for children. All they need is their regular nail trimming; cleaning of ears; their occasional baths where regular hair brushing is not required.

Long-haired Guinea Pig Breeds. These types of guinea pigs are the more difficult to keep. Texel, Peruvian, Silkie and Coronet are examples of long-haired guinea pig breeds. They require more attention because their coats need to be kept untangled and easily gets dirty even when kept in their cages. Like the short-hair breeds, they are also filled with a good personality, but requires for more responsible owners.

All guinea pigs come in a variety of colors for their coat and the eyes. They also come in different patterns and coat lengths and textures. Choosing between the many guinea pig breeds may be a matter of how much time you are willing to spend in their care. But remember, these are living creatures that needs your love and care, regardless of breed.

Here are some basic know-hows on breeding and taking care of guinea pig babies:

• Know your breeds. Among all the breeds of guinea pigs, the American is the easiest to breed. They make good mothers and rarely encounter problems during pregnancy. If you want to mix breeding long-hair and short-hair types, you may not know what to expect, which is a serious matter if you are going to enter your cavies to shows.
• Know what to feed them. Guinea pig babies are weaned by their mothers from 3-5 weeks. During this point you can start introducing regular guinea pig food such as alfalfa pellets and fresh vegetables, they will eat them when they are ready. Avoid feeding alfalfa when they become adults for they can contribute to your pet having bladder stones. When you want to start feeding your guinea pig pellets, make sure they are specifically made for guinea pigs, otherwise if you feed them pellets that are made for other animals (such as rabbits) they could get poisoned and die due to chemicals that are not natural to a cavy’s diet.
• Know the tell signs of sickness. The usual tell signs of a sick guinea pig baby is if does not eat regularly or if it is loosing or not gaining weight. The best way of dealing with this is to bring your guinea pig to an expert vet.
• Give your pet proper care and attention. Although guinea pig babies are easy to rear. You must not forget to take care of the parent since there are also rare occasions where the parent eats their babies especially when they are not fed. Also always keep food and water available and keep their cages clean to avoid sickness or infections.

Breeding guinea pigs are one of the easiest things to do where you’d seldom encounter problems. Female guinea pigs can already be mated when it reaches two months of age and males become fertile only a few weeks after that. Hence, you should know that keeping guinea pigs of different sexes together will give you lots of guinea pig babies. And if you aren’t conscious of this, it could lead to over breeding and unwanted cavies dying in shelters.

When you hear your guinea pig wheek, it’s telling you one thing: “Master, I’m hungry.” This is their distress call due to their hungry stomach, and its time for you to feed them. If you regularly feed them in a particular time, you will notice that they wheek the loudest when they know its time for them to eat.

One of the usual guinea pig sounds is rumbling. It could be compared to a cat’s purring. Rumbling is usually heard on male species, as it is a mating call. You will usually hear them most during their mating season where, along with their pheromones, they call out to the opposite sex to mate.

Apart from rumbling, guinea pigs also purr. You will usually hear this whenever they are pleased, like when you are petting them or playing with them. Sometimes, it may also mean other things. A short purr for example, may mean that they are afraid or startled over something.

Shrieking, just like any other animals, emits from your guinea pig whenever they are in pain or is afraid. You will usually hear it during a fight or whenever they are to get their regular dosage of injection from the vets.

Guinea pigs can also whine. This means, just like a human’s communication, that they are complaining. You may hear them whine whenever they are disturbed by other intruders.

Finally, chattering teeth may mean that your guinea pig is upset or angry. This may signify a dangerous battle against other guinea pig, warning them to stay away. When you hear this sound, it will be better if you yourself break them off immediately, to avoid a chaotic bloodbath.

There may be more sounds guinea pigs emit, and it’s up to you to discover them, so that you may be able to strengthen your bonds with your pet.

In handling ginny pigs, you should always keep in mind that they prefer a roomier location; therefore a big cage is required for them. Use paper in preparing their beddings, as deep as until about three inches. Avoid using pine shavings and cedar, since there are chemicals that are not good for the rodents.

Placing their cages in the proper place is also important. Keep them in a place where temperature ranges from sixty five to seventy five degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid placing them in a very hot place, since they are very prone to having a heat stroke. Maintain good temperature and environment conditions and avoid letting them stay in a humid place, to avoid making them weak.

Ginny pigs love attention, as they are very social animals. They would feel very happy around human beings, therefore placing them in a place where people would be all the time, such as the living room, would be a nice location.

Lastly, ginny pigs are sensitive creatures that get scared easily. It is best if you keep them away from other animals that may see them as a prey. Pet and play with them all the time, to keep them relaxed especially towards you. Most of all never miss in feeding them at the proper time, for them to maintain a peaceful interaction with their fellow cage mates. With all these in mind, you may finally try raising your own rodents and enjoy a wonderful master-pet relationship together!

There are various guinea pig merchandises you could choose from. You could buy a guinea pig plushy, which will certainly allow you to have a fluffy stuffed guinea pig to hug and sleep with anytime, anywhere. You could also give a plastic guinea pig replica as a gift. There are also various general merchandise items, such as picture frames and jigsaw puzzles, but the perfect guinea pig gifts you could possibly ever have is presenting a cute pair of guinea pig themselves.

When you present a guinea pig for a gift, it is better to present them, contained in a comfortable cage which they could live in. You may also opt to present them in travel bags. But always remember to give them with enough supply of rations, for you do not want them dying in a few days.

Giving someone a present who loves guinea pig may really enjoy the gift you are giving her or him, especially if it is guinea pig related. But in giving someone a gift, always remember that it is not about the amount of the item you are giving. It should not be about what you like for him, but about what you think will make him happy. At the end of the day, it is not important if it’s filled with guinea pig images or the guinea pig itself, but the humble thought of giving him a present that will touch his heart, and that matter alone is the most important thing above all else.