Choosing and Buying A Guinea Pig at the Pet Shop
You know you want a guinea pig, but how many do you actually want? Will one do the trick for you? Or do you need more?
There are many people that believe that getting one guinea pig will do the trick for them, but in truth you are definitely going to need more than one.
The thing about guinea pigs is that they love to be with others of their kind. If they are not allowed that type of social interaction then you will find that they run into health issues.
Guinea pigs need attention, and if you have just one, your guinea pig is going to get lonely very fast, and cry for your attention more often. If he or she has a partner or playmate to keep them entertained, you don't have to spend quite as much time with them.
The Sex of the Matter
Should you get two women, two men, one of each, or three men, or three women, or three... oh my! Can you just imagine all of the combinations you can think of when you get up to higher numbers?
If you want a single guinea pig, then you won't have to worry about the gender. That is of course unless you are concerned with their overall behavior. For instance, the females will be more calm and docile than the males. Male guinea pigs love to run and play.
There is a common misconception floating around regarding male guinea pigs. The thing is that people believe males will fight to the death over any little thing. This is quite incorrect.
Two male guinea pigs will fight if they don't have enough cage space, but given plenty room, each guinea pig will have his own territory and be content with it.
If you have two male guinea pigs, you cannot introduce a female guinea pig to the cage. The males will fight for dominance (And therefore the female), and the loser would have to be removed from the cage immediately. If he's left there, he will starve to death as the dominate male will keep him away from both the food and water.
If you introduce two females into the cage, then they will bicker over food and water a bit, but other than that they most likely will not fight.
For the best combination, you can place a male and a female together. They will actually get along better than any other combination. A short explanation would be that they just like each other. The long explanation is that the male becomes dominant and the female accepts this without a problem.
This does make for a great combination, though many are going to find that it is a little bit too perfect. This isn't to say that it is a bad thing, because it isn't, but they will breed, and this is something that you will need to be prepared for.
The cycle of a female guinea pig is eighteen days with a gestation of two months. Yes, it seems to be a bit long, but if both guinea pigs are energetic enough, then they can easily give birth to several dozen babies over a twelve month period.
I can't leave my Guinea Pigs Alone!
If you are wondering where to buy guinea pigs, you will be quite happy to know that they are widely available. You can purchase them at pet shops all over, and they are in high demand all year round.
If you are indeed going to purchase more than one guinea pig, make sure you get them from the same cage or litter. This will remove any possibility of fighting.
There are many people that believe that getting one guinea pig will do the trick for them, but in truth you are definitely going to need more than one.
The thing about guinea pigs is that they love to be with others of their kind. If they are not allowed that type of social interaction then you will find that they run into health issues.
Guinea pigs need attention, and if you have just one, your guinea pig is going to get lonely very fast, and cry for your attention more often. If he or she has a partner or playmate to keep them entertained, you don't have to spend quite as much time with them.
The Sex of the Matter
Should you get two women, two men, one of each, or three men, or three women, or three... oh my! Can you just imagine all of the combinations you can think of when you get up to higher numbers?
If you want a single guinea pig, then you won't have to worry about the gender. That is of course unless you are concerned with their overall behavior. For instance, the females will be more calm and docile than the males. Male guinea pigs love to run and play.
There is a common misconception floating around regarding male guinea pigs. The thing is that people believe males will fight to the death over any little thing. This is quite incorrect.
Two male guinea pigs will fight if they don't have enough cage space, but given plenty room, each guinea pig will have his own territory and be content with it.
If you have two male guinea pigs, you cannot introduce a female guinea pig to the cage. The males will fight for dominance (And therefore the female), and the loser would have to be removed from the cage immediately. If he's left there, he will starve to death as the dominate male will keep him away from both the food and water.
If you introduce two females into the cage, then they will bicker over food and water a bit, but other than that they most likely will not fight.
For the best combination, you can place a male and a female together. They will actually get along better than any other combination. A short explanation would be that they just like each other. The long explanation is that the male becomes dominant and the female accepts this without a problem.
This does make for a great combination, though many are going to find that it is a little bit too perfect. This isn't to say that it is a bad thing, because it isn't, but they will breed, and this is something that you will need to be prepared for.
The cycle of a female guinea pig is eighteen days with a gestation of two months. Yes, it seems to be a bit long, but if both guinea pigs are energetic enough, then they can easily give birth to several dozen babies over a twelve month period.
I can't leave my Guinea Pigs Alone!
If you are wondering where to buy guinea pigs, you will be quite happy to know that they are widely available. You can purchase them at pet shops all over, and they are in high demand all year round.
If you are indeed going to purchase more than one guinea pig, make sure you get them from the same cage or litter. This will remove any possibility of fighting.
About the Author:
Learn more about Choosing and Buying A Guinea Pig. Stop by David Emery's site where you can find out all about guinea pig and what it can do for you.
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