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ARE YOU READY TO ADOPT A GUINEA PIG?

Before enquiring to adopt a guinea pig it is important to consider and be prepared for all aspects of committing to owning a guinea pig.

Guinea Pigs can make wonderful pets for people of all ages and can be suitable for many housing types including indoor apartment housing. At ACS we view and value guinea pigs as members of the family just as larger companion animal such as a dog or cat would be and one of our main objectives is to change the stereotypical low valued view that guinea pigs have endured in the past. Their is no current laws or animal acts in Australia that protect guinea pigs the way that other larger common companion pets are, and this sadly does not help the guinea pigs profile to be seen by law as a valued, recognised and respected companion pet in society today. The ACS is working towards ways to hopefully change this for the future.

The questions below will help you to decide whether guinea pigs are the pet for you, particularly if you are new to owning a guinea pig.

If after reading through these questions you answered 'Yes' to most then you're probably close to adopting your new family members. If you answered 'Yes' but are still unsure, visits to your nearest ACS Shelter for an up close and personal interview and handling time is always welcome and can be arranged by contacting your closest ACS Shelter. If you answered 'No' to most of the questions below but are still pretty keen to adopt guinea pigs, we encourage you to continue to read as much as you can online about guinea pigs and their care to decide whether they really are the pet for you or not.

The General Household

  •  Am I allowed to own a guinea pig where I live
  •  Will someone be home every day of the week at some stage to care for, spend time with and feed the guinea pigs?
  •  Will their be time during my weekly schedule to spend quality time handling my guinea pigs?
  •  Will an adult of the household be the core owner of the guinea pig and be responsible for all aspects of the guinea pigs care at all times? 

    (ACS encourage children to be taught how to care for their pets but an adult in the household will need to be responsible in seeing that the guinea pigs are fed and cared for correctly at all times).

  • Do I have the time to be willing to supervise and monitor small children at all times when spending time with the guinea pigs?

    (Guinea Pigs can be quite fragile and if dropped could easily break a limb or become seriously injured so small children need to be monitored when handling/spending time with their guinea pigs and taught ways in which to gentle handle their pets)

  • Can I provide a low stress environment for my guinea pigs?

    (Guinea pigs can't handle alot of stress,noise or rough handling. Noises such as excessive dog barking, screaming and yelling if constant can result in your guinea pig developing behavioural problems such as becoming difficult to handle, wanting to hide all the time and even biting in extreme cases).

  • Can my guinea pigs be kept safe from predators e.g. snakes/birds/cats/dogs?
  •  If I have other pets such as a cat or dog do I have a safe area for the guinea pigs to be kept away from these other pets in the case that they do not get along?
  • If a patio/outdoor area will be used at any stage for my guinea pigs, do I have a fully fenced yard for the safety of my guinea pigs?
  • Will my guinea pigs be housed safely out of the harmful elements?
  • Is my household situation likely to change anytime soon that I know of, affecting whether I can keep my guinea pigs or not? e.g. baby arriving? moving overseas or interstate?

    (Guinea pigs are most comfortable in temperatures around 18-22 degrees which is near impossible to keep at all times with the Australian environment. Please see information on our website relating to summer heat in particular. Rain/wet and the cold of winter can also affect a guinea pigs health is things aren't put in place to prevent from catching a chill/cold).

Cost of Keeping and Setting up

  •  Am I financially able to afford the start up cost of a good size and appropriate type of guinea pig enclosure/s?

    TIP! Shop/Search Around! The responsibility of correctly keeping a guinea pig as a pet is not as easy as simply purchasing a cage labeled 'guinea pig cage' and assuming it is a good cage type or good size cage. Not everything available on the market labeled 'for guinea pigs' is appropriate. We highly recommend searching around for different/good cage sizes, safety and types and to also search other information on cage sizes and types online and via the ACS Website to really find what is best suited for your potential new pets as what's out their varies greatly.

    The average cost for a good size and make of guinea pig enclosure is usually between $100-$500 depending on type and where purchased. Sometimes good second hand enclosures can be purchased from Ebay or your local paper for slightly less.

    Some pet stores still sell enclosures that are far too small for guinea pigs, with wire bases, little weather or predator safety, among other issues yet members of the public are simply believe that what is given to them is in fact fine. Remember that MANY Pet Shops do not hire staff that have studied vet science or that have done pet care requirement courses. At pet shops almost anyone with retail experience can be hired to work at them.  We highly recommend 'Pet barn', 'EBAY' and 'Pet Cafe' as stores that supply correct guinea pig housing, diet and care products. Pet barn and Pet Cafe also hire staff with trained/studied animal experience and knowledge.

    For more information on guinea pig housing and predator/weather safety, please refer to the guinea pig care section of the ACS website.

  •  Am I financially able to afford the start up cost of essential accessories and products for my guinea pig and can I afford to replace these items as/if needed?
     
    The basics needed to be purchased prior to adopting (or can be purchased at most ACS shelters upon adopting) include:
    - water bottle
    - feed bowl
    - some sort of hidey house
    - bedding
    - nail clippers
    - hay/feed mix
    - veggies (to be given daily)
     
    Products that will be purchased during your time of owning a guinea pig so that they stay healthy will include:
    - wormer
    - shampoo
    - mite prevention/treatment (Revolution for cats and dogs or Ivomec from your vet. Note that the 'mite and mange spray' sold in pet shops is NOT an effective treatment for mange/internal mites causing hair loss) but may help with external coat mites).
    - Brushes/combs
    - Fleecy beds or fleece/towelling as bedding
  •  Can I afford the weekly and ongoing costs of feeding my guinea pigs a complete diet?
     
    For two guinea pigs the weekly cost can vary between $25-$40 depending on where you purchase your guinea pigs food. Per day two guinea pigs would usually eat at minimum of a handful of a good quality guinea pig mix, unlimited supply of grassy hay always available to them (or grass), a cupful of vegetables, water. 
  •  Can I afford appropriate vet or medical care for my guinea pigs if the need arises?
  •  Am I prepared for the weekly cleaning of my guinea pigs bedding/enclosure and the daily feeding required?

Other

  •  The average lifespan of a guinea pig is 5-7 years. Are you prepared to care for your guinea pigs for the full term of there natural life? 
  •  Am I prepared for the fact that my new guinea pigs may need a short time before they completely adjust to their new environment and feel comfortable, and that I need to give lots of love and handling before my pets completely adjust to their new home?

Their is detailed and correct information and knowledge on the correct keeping of guinea pigs readily available on the internet (including here on the ACS Website) and through many vet practices throughout Australia. If you have had guinea pigs in the past but not for many years we suggest reading up on the more recent updated information on guinea pigs as quite a lot more in the way of good information has become available and changed to that of prior years

Read the ACS Website! We recommend having a good read of the ACS Website's guinea pig care and information section before enquiring to adopt so that you can find out as much as you can about guinea pigs and their correct care and general up keep. The information on the ACS Website has been written by long-term experienced guinea pig owners and is also based on experienced small/exotic animal vet recommendations and our own founders 20+years of study, practical hands on experience and medical experience.