Guinea Pigs live around 6-8 years, and so each 18 human years is equivalent to about one Guinea Pig year (assuming that humans die at the average age of 80). This means that 8 actual years (which is an old age for Guineas) makes a Guinea Pig 144 human years, which is an old age for humans.
As you have already known by now, that male guinea pigs have an active, outgoing, and dominant personality while the female guinea pigs have a timid and shy one. It is quite easy to train a male guinea pig than a female one, but again females are friendlier with their cage mates than males do.
Females can have estrous or fertile periods at any time of the year, but they are most common in the spring. The estrous cycle length is 16 days. A female is fertile for about 6 to 11 hours, most often during night hours. Female guinea pigs begin a new estrous cycle shortly after giving birth.
Asking How to Bond with Your Guinea Pig?
- Lay down some fleece liners and lay with them to bond with your guinea pigs.
- Hand-feed them veggies, treats, or hay, to increase bonding with guinea pigs.
- Talk to them so that they recognize your voice, so that guinea pig will trust you.
- Conclusion.
Guinea pigs are docile animals, and rarely bite without cause. They tend to 'mouth' their owners while being held, just to see if you're edible! Guinea pigs only use their teeth aggressively if they feel under threat - they are their only means of defence.
Guinea pigs can not see very well in the dark. They do not have the adaptations that other animals that can see well at night have. Therefore, guinea pigs must rely on other senses to help guide them at night so that they can move about and sleep safely and to stay away from their predators.
Some guinea pigs will squeal when they are experiencing potential pain or they need attention. It can sometimes be that another guinea pig is stealing his favorite spot to eat. Pay attention to your guinea pig if you hear a squeal because it could indicate that they need help from something hurting them.
Whistling: Guinea pigs will often let out a high pitched squeal or whistle, and this noise means your furry friend is excited, perhaps about feeding time or playtime.
Do guinea pigs learn their name? The answer is they can, but with the help of some excellent training. It's not as simple as training a dog to respond when they are called. Guinea pigs are smart, but some don't ever respond to their name regardless of the training.
The average lifespan for a guinea pig is about 5 to 7 years. Many vets consider four-year-old guinea pigs to be approaching their golden years, but there is no hard and fast rule. Signs of aging appear earlier in some guinea pigs, and later in others. A senior guinea pig may lose muscle tone and weight.
Your guinea pig needs a fresh supply of grass hay daily. They can go for up to 24 hours without hay, but between 24-48 hours, they will likely die. Without hay, their teeth grow too long and will hinder eating.
Human time and guinea pig equivalent age:
| 3 months = 2.5 years old | 2 years = 20 years old | 5 years = 50 years old |
|---|
| 6 months = 5 years old | 3 years = 30 years old | 6 years = 60 years old |
| 1 year = 10 years old | 4 years = 40 years old | 7 years = 80 years old |
Pneumonia is actually the leading cause of death in Guinea pigs. It is generally caused by a bacterial infection. Some of the symptoms of pneumonia include wheezing, trouble breathing, discharge from the nose or mouth, weight loss, reddish eyes, and depression.
Signs to look out for that may indicate pain or illness in guinea pigs include:
- Reduced appetite or difficulty eating.
- Weight loss.
- Drooling.
- Drinking more water than usual.
- A change in the frequency and/or consistency of faecal pellets (e.g. diarrhoea or the absence of faecal pellets)
You should be able to tell if a guinea pig is too fat or too skinny by feeling their hips and spine. Very Underweight Guinea Pigs: You will be able to feel each rib of a a very thin guinea pig and their spine and hips are easily seen and protruding. You should be able to see the spine and hips but not feel them.
How long do guinea pigs live?
15 Best Guinea Pig Toys to Keep Them Playing for Hours on End
- Amazon Best-Seller. Multi-Color Playpen.
- Best Toy Ball. Woven Grass Play Balls.
- 3 Natural Wood Ball with Bell. Amazon.
- Best Treat Ball. Carrot-Themed Treat Ball.
- Best Tunnel. Nature's Hideaway Grass Tunnel.
- 6 Extending Tunnel. Amazon.
- 7 Crinkle Tunnel. Amazon.
- Best Value.
Exercise balls and wheels are deadly for guinea pigs. These activities may be appropriate for some pocket pets like rats, mice, gerbils, and hamsters, but they should never be used for guinea pigs. Also, exercise balls are also too enclosed and do not provide enough air circulation which can lead to heat stroke.
A happy guinea pig
- Clear eyes and a dry nose.
- A good appetite and enthusiasm for food.
- Plenty of activity (not at all lethargic)
- “Popcorning” (when a guinea pig leaps into the air with happiness)
Now we think it's fair to say that guinea pigs are generally very clean animals (we're not biased, honest!) and as long as they are cleaned out regularly, then no, they don't smell! Guinea pigs groom themselves and there's nothing cuter than watching them have a 'wash' with their paws!
Sows will mount each other, especially when they are in heat and as a sign of dominance. There's no need to separate them, as this is normal behavior. Spraying urine is also normal, and females can do it just as well as males.
Boy Guinea pig names
| Aladdin | Albert | Alvin |
|---|
| Bo | Bobby | Boris |
| Bramble | Brandy | Bruno |
| Bubbles | Bumble | Butterscotch |
| Captain Jack Sparrow | Caramel | Charlie/Charlie Brown |
Male guinea pigs do have nipples, so the presence of nipples alone is not enough to tell you whether you have a guinea pig boy or girl. If you have a male, you should be able to feel the penile shaft just under the skin.
Another common behavior is humping. The dominant guinea pig usually mounts the one they are trying to dominate. The mounting is never sexual and should not worry you. It just means that they are trying to mark their territory by showing the weaker one that they are in charge.
Just don't. If your piggy is naughty, you can place a gentle finger on its head and say, ”don't do that again.” Hitting is animal abuse, and can make serious injury, pain, and falseness. It is cruel and disgusting. Your guinea pig will be more likely to become nasty if you punish it.
It isn't typical for a guinea pig to kill another one, especially if you intervene and separate them. But, if a fight breaks out when you aren't there, a larger guinea pig could attack, and kill one that is smaller or younger.
Guinea pigs do a good bit of licking. A guinea pig might also lick their person's fingers/hand, which can be a sign of affection — after all, that's how guinea pigs show affection to one another. Or the guinea pig might just like the taste of a person's skin.
Guinea pigs, for the most part, are companionable critters who relish being around other cavies. When guinea pigs fight each other, they frequently target the ears. Guinea pigs also bite ears to determine heirarchy.
A. Unfortunately neutering does not change the demeanor of guinea pigs as it might with other animals. Even guinea pig littermates might fight each other until one is seriously injured or dead. Separate guinea pig cages , even set side by side, offers a much healthier environment.
Guinea Pigs are social animals and are usually happy living with other cavies, however, bust ups do happen. It's not recommended to house two male pigs and a female together as this can cause the males to become aggressive. This can seem aggressive but might not be a full-blown fight and it can be a necessary process.
Your Guinea Pig Likes Being HeldGPs are timid creatures by nature, so it takes a lot of confidence for them to come to you for stroking or holding. You can interpret that confidence as affection. To reach this stage you need to hand-tame your pet with care and patience.
