Guinea Care • • Behavior &Handling • • • • • Cage &Environment •  • • Food • 

      flower potorcoveredsleepingbox,flower at petsupplystores. available readily Your forsleepingandresting, pigwillneedacave suchasmedium-sized . It’s importanttoget yourpetusedtoyou—and being Guinea pigsrarelybite, buttheycannipif mishandledorfearathreatening favorite humansentertheroom. favorite and grunt when they’re excited, and squeak with delight when their fortheirexpressive vocalizations.Guinea pigsareknown They’ll whistle canbedangeroustoyourpet.that recommendations). Donotusecedarorpinechips, whichcontainoils Line the bottom of the cage with bedding (see Supply Checklist for 60to80degreesFahrenheit.an environmentmaintainedat Keep thecageindoors,awayfromdraftsandextremetemperatures, in ventilation. adequate withawirecover—noglassaquariums,bottom cage whichdon’tprovide but please try to get as large a cage as possible. Make sure it’s a solid- Provide a minimum of four square feet of cage space per guinea pig— rapidly, keepingmalesandfemalestogetherisnotrecommended. to choosetwobabiesfromthesamelitter. Sinceguineapigsmultiply friends.more femaleswillbecomegreat Ifyouwanttwomales, it’s best Guinea pigsaresocialanimalswhoprefertoliveinsmallgroups. Two or ALL times. Grass hayandfresh, cleantoyourpetat shouldbeavailable water and cornproducts. mended foradults, thosemadewithnuts, andavoid seeds, dried fruits about1/8cupdaily.will eat pig -based pelletsarerecom- Guinea pigpelletsarethebasisofyourpet’s diet. guinea An average requirements; otherhigh-Cfoodsinclude kaleandstrawberries. enough ofthisessentialnutrient. A quarteroforangewillmeetthe Guinea pigscannotmanufacturevitaminC, somakesureyourpetgets >> >> a handfulofveggiesandslicefruitperpigisplenty. Offer small, bite-sizedamountsoffreshfruitsandvegetablesdaily;half loving homes. shelter and visit websites like www.petfinder.com for guinea in need of adoption at animal shelters and small-animal rescue groups. Call your local Where   old orspoiled. Avoid: iceberglettuce, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, that’s anything blueberries, orangesandgrapes. Recommended: greenleafyvegetables, greenpeppers, peas, apple, to Get a GuinePig: for for guineapigsavailable There aremany called popcorning! jump straightupintheair—thisis Fun fact proper handlingtechniques. older children who’ve mastered Good Cost per Lifespan: Weight Also know BACKGROUND with kids?: : Up to2pounds : year: 5-7 years A happy guinea pig will as: $635 Cavy Great for

• • • • Daily Care • • Exercise &Toys GUINEA PigSupply Checklist • Signs ofIllness

  Removesoiledbedding, daily. droppingsandstalefoodfromthecage 

hide-and-seek, andbricksorrocksforclimbing. empty oatmeal containers and/or coffee cans with smoothed edges for Your playingin hercage. petwillalsoenjoy Providecardboardtubes, other overherback. the bottom, her supporting able withthat, carefullypickherup,hand one handled. inhercage. Startbyfeedinghersmalltreats When she’s comfort- teeth, continuously. whichgrow Provide your pet with appropriate chew toys to help wear down her prevent knots. or loosehair;long-hairedguineapigsshouldbebrusheddailyto cleanBrush yourpetregularlytokeepthecoat andremovetangles adding freshbedding. before weekly;letdry andmildsoap withwarmwater Scrub thecage including electricalwires. all times, intheirpaths— becauseguineapigswillchewonanything openings fromwhichshecouldescape. You’ll at needtosupervise area foradditionaldailyexercise. Carefullychecktheroomforany Once yourpetishand-tamed, letherplayinasmallroomorenclosed behavior and bloody orgrittyurine. andbloody behavior crusty eyes, dirtyears, severediarrhea, hairloss, weightloss, changein immediately. somethingisn’trightinclude Commonsignsthat sneezing, ifyouthinkyourpetissick—seekhelp for youryearlyappointment wait Bring yourguineapigtotheveterinarianannuallyforcheck-ups. Don’t >> 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 SUBSTANCE, CALL ANIMAL POISOCOTROLCENTER THE ATASPCA (888)426-4435 

Unpainted, pieceofwoodorsafechewtoy untreated bottlewithdrinkingtube Attachable water Brushandcomb potorcoveredsleepingbox Mediumflower Bricks, rocks, cardboardboxes, plasticpipes&othersafetoys Grasshay Small, fooddish heavy sprayed withpesticides, smallpiecesofunpainted, wood. untreated notbeen have Recommended: branchesandtwigsfromtreesthat Guineapigpellets withwirecoverorplasticbottom Solid-bottomcage “tub” cage paper products) paper bedding (aspenorhardwoodshavings,Cage timothyhayorprocessed The American Societyforthe Prevention ofCrueltyto IF YOU T A $65consultationfeemaybeappliedtoyourcredit card 1 COLORLOGO 2 COLORLOGO LOGO USAGE Logo files will be supplied upon request by ASPCA used without the tagline. Creative advertisingServices consentwhere the copyrequired does not mentionfor usagethe URL. thewithoutcopy Toor as astand-alone maintain tagline. readability elsewhere forin thesmall piece. space Logosuses, to beused numbered inallthe marketing,logo 2,may 4,be 6&8are advertising,to be used in all outdoor internal and communications and signage where the URL iseither mentioned in H 424 East92ndStreet, New York, NY10128-6804 I N K T H AT YOUR P 212-876-7700 • www.aspca.org 3 1 Natio nal Headqur © 2010 ASPCA E T MAY H ® .

AV All RightsReserved. ® E Creative Services (see page 14). Logos numbered 1, 3, 5 & 7 are I N G E ST E ters D A POT EN TIALLY POISO 2 4 N OUS ®

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