As in any pet care, the wild origins dictate a lot of what is important in Guinea Pig care. The guinea pig is a species of rodent that is also known as the Cacy. They are not in fact pigs, as their name would have suggested.  They come from the Andes, and studies have shown they have been breed from closely related species such as Cavia aperea, C. fulgida, or C. tschudii, and do not exist as a wild species.

They play an important role in both the folk culture of many Indigenous South American tribes and more importantly as a food source (how could they?). It was domesticated 5000 years ago for nourishment and have appeared in the history and culture and are frequently used in metaphors.

They came to Europe in the 16th century by European traders and has since enjoyed widespread status as a household pet.  In the early days they were seen as an mysterious pet and even Queen Elizabeth I had one. The metaphor “guinea pig” comes from their use in biological experimentation from the 17th century.

They are very docile easy to look after and are responsive to handling and feeding and are therefore popular with pet sitters. They hate exploring and will not try to escape, even if the cage door is left open (no promises!). Guinea pigs will often whistle when interested, like for when the owner comes – or they hear the food container opening.
There are many types of domesticated guinea pigs, which vary in hair and color differences. The most common breeds are the shorthair (or American shorthair), the Abyssinian with a ruffled coat. More unique long hair types include the Peruvian and the Sheltie (or Silkie) and the curly long hair Texel.

So should I choose a Guinea Pig?

Guinea Pigs are very sociable pets – so you need to be able to dedicate enough time for them, or else they will feel lonely and this might cause them to be stressed and go ill. This is especially important if you are buying one for the kids, on the understanding that the children will look after the guinea pig. Noting they typically live for four or five years, but may live as long as 8 years and the Guinness Book of Records has the record age for a guinea pig at 14 years.
Guinea pigs are relatively big for rodents, weighing between 700 and 1200g (1.5-2.5 pounds), and measuring between 20 and 25 cm (8–10 inches) in length. So they need quite a large cage. Though as a tough pet, this could be located in a shed or a sheltered corner outside. They will deal with cold better than excessive heat. Try to avoid wire mesh floored crates, as this can damage their feet and lead to infection.
As for many animals you should not put two males together as they will fight  together when they become mature at about 6 months for leadership. Females can however be grouped together. Guinea pigs breed easily, so do not add a male to the females.

Grass is their normal diet in the wild, so they have a very long colon to help the digestion. This is however not long enough, so if they are eating a lot of grass you will see them eat their faeces. Like us they cannot produce vitamin C and will need to acquire this through their diet, otherwise scurvy will kill them. Scurvy is often identified by sluggishness.  So give them often fresh, raw fruits and vegetables (such as cabbage, broccoli, apple, carrot, spinach and celery). Alternatively, but not a preferred option through dietary vitamins. They are fussy eaters when older, so with a young one feed a varied foods. They like to eat continuously, so ensure there is hay in their cage for them to eat.

They, as well as scurvy, can also suffer from respiratory tract infections, diarrhoea,  abscesses due to infection (often in the neck, due to hay embedded in the throat, or from external scratches), and infections by lice, mites or fungus.

They are energetic throughout the day and will sleep on and off, waking for some activity. Guinea pigs like to groom themselves and will groom others.

How do I go about choosing a new pet for the family? What is the best pet for our family? Well you are starting well by collecting information. This is crucial as a pet is for life, so if in doubt do not have a pet.
However there is such a wide range of potential pets to choose from, all of them can be pleasurable, but have different pluses and negatives. You can select from a dog, cat, hamster, guinea pig, reptile, spider, bird and the list goes on and on.

You should to involve one and all  in the decision, it needs to be a complete family decision. Due to its importance I propose you discuss and commit to paper your purpose for desiring a pet. Add to it on a large sheet of paper, with a column for the pet, some columns to rank each pet. The considerations for a pet include, time (yours), cost (pets are costly), pet care, space constraint, ability to fuss, interest, joint activity, any phobias, other points.

Pets take time, some require more than others. High maintenance animals are those that require regular exercise such as dogs and horses. Dogs originated from wolves and maintain many of those characters. Searching for food they walk many miles to search for food, so most dog breeds require at least one to two hours a day walking. This needs to be part of a regular schedule and done everyday. Others may require a lot of grooming, changing water etc. A cat sitter often uses  a lot of their visiting time to grooming long haired cats, though the cat and the sitter enjoy it. You may hanker after a certain  animal, but do you have the time for him? Be direct with yourself and the prospective pet.

Cost, think of costs. There is the purchase cost, which for a pedigree pet can be dear. I would strongly advise you to think of taking a salvage pet, there are increasing numbers of these now as people are unfortunately abandoning them to the pet homes – why not do good and help out? The other set up costs include cages, leads, grooming aids, blankets / beds. After that are the ongoing pet costs, food, which for a large per can be substantial. I strongly urge you to have your pet sterilized, many pet experts and research have suggested that you will have less behavioural issues with a sterilized animal. There are regular veterinary expenditure such as vaccinations, however some are impossible to plan for. For this reason I strongly propose you to invest in pet insurance, so you can manage with any situations that may occur. There are also regular costs for flea treatment etc.  These costs mount up.

Is your house large enough for the pet? Some pets can be watchable, but you may not be able to fuss them, what is the crucial for you? No pet has everything. Can you pick up the pet? Rats are very fascinating, but a few individuals hate the scaly tail, or the idea of one.
You should to revisit the summary paper, do you have the time for dog walking during the week due to work pressures, but this may pay for a regular dog walker. Not enough space for the horse, use stables, but watch the cost.

So once you have chosen a type of pet, there are lots of different types and individual species to choose from, taking hamsters there are five basic types, with very different features. There is also the choice of numbers, some animals are better off alone, others as a pair because they need the company. Then there is what sex, some pets have very different behaviour between the male and female. Male rats are lazier than females and urinate more.

After all of these decisions, I would advise you to organise a pet test drive. Do you know anyone with a similar pet, that you can look after for a few days, or even be a pet sitter for them during the summer vacations. Discuss with the owner about the costs, the effort that is required, and do not forget the pleasure that the pet gives.  An alternative is to do some pet charity work. 
Pet breeders are extremely knowledgeable, so visit and discuss with them.

I hope this helps, go and enjoy a new pet.

You almost certainly spend time on the safety of yourselves and your family. Please do not forget your animals. This is a key part of pet care. Summer is particularly difficult and different for your pet. The two main things to pay attention to are the results of the heat and holidays.

Lets start with the results of the hot weather on the animal. They are like us – they will need more water, make it accessible 24 / 7. If you frequently go dog walking make sure they have the ability to have water, every hour or so, or even more regularly if you are of the active type.

You would be justifiably locked up for leaving your children or baby in a locked car in the sun, it is astonishing and a disgrace the amount of people who do this to their animals. This can kill a pet, temperatures in the sun, can quickly rise to more than 100 degrees. Putting the window slightly ajar, does not help that much.

Pets are similar to ourselves, with the same amount of activity, you need fewer calories to sustain your weight in the summer. If you, or your animal, keep consuming the same, you certainly will put on weight. Pet obesity is becoming more of an issue. Increasing weight during summer, may slow the pet down in winter and this can then lead to more weight gain, so consider reducing the intake of food, or as a minimum, keep an eye on your pets weight.

Also be careful with leaving moist / wet food out. The food will quickly go off as its temperature approaches blood temperature of ~100 degrees. If the animal does not consume wet food within half an hour, through it away. Dry food is completely safe, if does not become moist. So if you have a slobbery animal, little and often should be the principle. Watch out for condensation, or drops of water from the air conditioner.

Whilst playing with your dog in the heat, this may not have caused problems, however, he may suddenly want to bound into some water, with you if you are holding onto the lead. Perhaps more risky is the jump into a river, if he is not on a leash. In London, if you are by the Serpentine, regularly you see people being pulled in! Not helped by them wanting to say hi to the ducks. In summer there is often more wildlife around for them to chase, so be watchful and controlling.

Summer, is additionally the time of the great vacation. So if you are having to find a pet sitter, try to find a professional business such as London Pet Sitting, who vet and train their pet sitters. A good pet sitter, will even check out all the dangers as part of their contract. Pet Sitting is often the best option for the pet, they would rather be in their home area. If not, and you must board them, check the boarding out. Preferably a personal commendation, as in everything there can be great and not so good. The pet may not like it, but they are safe.

You may be wanting to take your animal on vacation with you. Without doubt the most risky choice for an animal. Prepare and plan well. Food, water, toys, blankets etc. The trip in the car is dangerous for ourselves as well. Think about using a pet restraint, you use one, for good reason, so ensure your pet has one. The danger of dehydration, so stop for water stops for you and your pet every sixty minutes, perhaps a bit longer if you have air conditioning – on. Be very careful during the stops, there are often cars moving about, and the animal may want to take a runner (you might as well).

When you arrive you will be in a new location. So do a thorough review for any risks to your animal. The greatest one is running away, above all in motels, rooms opening out onto a main road and cars. Did you know that digestion of fruit and particularly {raisins and grapes} is dangerous to dogs, so keep them away from the fruit.

Pets, will struggle to get back to your motel, if lost, its not as likely as if they were at home – and the neighbours know them. This is not the case in a strange place. Make sure you have good name / phone tags and keep them on a leash.

I hope you and your animals have a happy, event free holiday.