aka “The Guinea Pig Farmer”
I want to help you by simplifying how to care for Guinea Pigs!
Here, you’ll find helpful tips to get you started with all things Guinea Pigs!
Like finding the right cage, the various types of food they should eat, and how to keep your house from smelling like a barn!
Just a heads up – they poop a LOT and 80% of their diet is hay!
But, before we get into all of that, I’d like to share with you how this all began and why I felt compelled to start Guinea Pig Academy!
Did you know that Guinea Pigs are like potato chips?
It's true.
You can't have just one!
Heather – The Guinea Pig Farmer
It all started with one little Guinea Pig named Snickers.
One potato.
Which quickly turned into two potatoes, because Snickers needed a buddy so he wouldn’t be lonely.
We adopted Reese that very same day.
We fell in love with our furry little potato boys.
So, we added two more boys, Gus (a hairless pig AKA “Skinny Pig”) and Zac (a Peruvian long-haired).
Three potatoes, four!
After a trip to the vet we discovered that Zac was not a boy, but a pregnant female OOPS!
(She was already pregnant before we adopted her.)
Apparently, misgendering is more common than you’d think with young Guinea Pigs.
So we changed “Zac” to Poppy and she had two beautiful babies.
Pip and Oswald “Oz” for short.
Five potatoes, six potatoes.
And this is where we are.
Five furry and one (not-so-furry) potatoes later, we've got three pairs of same-sex piggies in three separate cages.
- Snickers & Reese (male/male)
- Gus & Oswald (male/male)
- Poppy & Pip (female/female)
Throughout all of this I had to quickly learn:
- What types of hay, pellets, and veggies are best for Guinea Pigs?
- How often do they need fresh veggies? hint – it’s daily
- How to care for a pregnant Guinea Pig.
- What types of food pregnant and nursing Guinea Pigs need to eat.
- The best way to keep a female Guinea Pig healthy after giving birth to babies (pups).
- How to bond two male piggies so they get along and hopefully become BFF’s.
- How to fabricate C&C cages to accommodate a growing herd of furry potatoes.
- How to cut little piggy toenails.
- How to bathe and groom long haired Peruvians.
- How to take care of a Skinny Pigs delicate skin.
- How to treat ringworm at home.
- How to syringe feed a sick Guinea Pig.
- What first aid supplies every Guinea Pig owner should have at home.
- How to keep the house from smelling like a barn with multiple Guinea Pigs.
- How to safely clean their cages without toxic chemicals.
- The best types of bedding for Guinea Pig cages.
- Cost effective DIY Guinea Pig supplies, bedding, hides, and toys.
- And SO much more!
As I was trying to figure it all out, I found that there is so much bad advice and dangerous information floating around about how to take care of Guinea Pigs!
Oftentimes, pet stores sell cages that are way too small as well as some food and treats that are not safe to feed your Guinea Pigs.
It breaks my heart to see Guinea Pigs in cramped living quarters without the proper nutrition to be healthy and happy.
So, I decided that I would share what I’ve learned along the way, as well as the mistakes I’ve made as a new Guinea Pig owner, so you can avoid making them yourself!
I'm happy to be “Your Furry Potato Field Guide”.
How can I help you?
If you’re not sure where to start I’ve got the perfect thing for you!
Grab your FREE Weekly Guinea Pig Schedule and Checklist.
Please let me know if you have any questions or how I can help! You can contact me here.
