Looking After Your Guinea Pig, by Matt Whittaker, store manager of Pets at Home Swindon Bridgemead

Guinea pigs are really rewarding pets who can enjoy human company, so provide them with rewarding interactions every day.

They are very social animals and will be happiest living with at least one other compatible guinea pig. A good combination is a neutered male with one or more females, or a pair or group of females two males can be kept together too when kept together from a young age.

Home comforts are especially important to guinea pigs and they need lots of space to graze, stretch out and roam about. Whether kept indoors or outdoors, their home should consist of a large shelter and exercise area, which should be strong and secure, draught-free, well-ventilated and receive plenty of natural light.

Guinea pigs are intelligent, inquisitive animals that can get bored easily. To stop your guinea pigs from getting bored you’ll need to provide them with lots of things to do. Guinea pigs love to explore and so tubes, tunnels and boxes are great hiding spaces that guinea pigs can escape into when they want to rest, have some time alone or feel safe.

Guinea pigs are also natural foragers and you can encourage this by hiding and scattering food in their enclosure. The majority of their diet should come from good quality dust free hay and grass, make sure you provide fresh food and water daily. Like humans, guinea pigs need their greens and broccoli, kale and fresh dandelion leaves are a great source of nutrients for guinea pigs and will keep them strong and healthy. But be careful, fruit and root vegetables contain a lot of sugar so only ever give these foods to your guinea pigs in small amounts as a treat. Vitamin C is also essential for guinea pigs, boosting their immune system and preventing infections and diseases such as ringworm. Guinea Pigs cannot make their own Vitamin C so it must be provided in their diet through vegetables and specialist Guinea Pig Nuggets.

There’s so much more to know and learn about these wonderful animals, so if you’re considering keeping them as pets, or you want some more tips on looking after your own guinea pigs, our friendly colleagues will be able to answer all of your questions.