Cavy Care: Is A Guinea Pig Right For You? 5
Exercise
In addition to being taken out of the cage and handled, you will need to let your guinea pig roam around your home. This should be in a safe room which has no reachable wires, house plants or any other dangers, such as a lot of traffic or dogs and cats.
Your guinea pig will especially need daily free range time if it lives in a small cage. They need to be able to run and work their muscles, so if your home can’t accommodate a large cage, please give your guinea pigs at least 3 to 4 hours of free range time daily.
Of course, before you allow your guinea pig to run around, you must make sure its exercise area is a safe environment.
In addition, if your guinea pig cannot get back into its cage by itself, you will need to provide a food and water source, and a toilet area to protect your flooring during free range time.
Here are some safety precautions for both indoors and outdoors when your guinea pig wanders:
- Make sure all electrical cables are out of reach. This includes phone wires, computer wires, lamp wires and any other wires that an inquisitive guinea pig could reach and chew.
- Make sure all house plants are well out of reach, since many of them are poisonous to guinea pigs.
- Think about the location. You can get a caged pen or choose a room which you don’t mind getting messed up. Remember also that guinea pigs can squeeze through very tiny gaps, just like a mouse. Don’t leave them unsupervised, in case they try to nibble on furniture legs or carpet.
- If you have a free-roaming pet like a cat or a dog, make sure it doesn’t have access to the room your guinea pig is using.
- Always supervise your guinea pig at all times; never leave it unattended while it is running free.
- If you have a busy family life, always make sure other members of your family know that guinea pig is out and about. You could leave a sign on the outside of the door. With small children, you might want to use a wire enclosure within the room to make sure your guinea pig does not get stepped on or sat upon.
Conclusion
Guinea pigs are great pets for all types of homes. When you get your guinea pig young, you can work with it to socialize it. You and your children will enjoy these adorable pets for many years to come.