Taking care animal isn’t an easy matter. Once you decided to be an owner, you need a full commitment to take care of your animal properly with all cost. Remember, you are taken care a living being. You should pour out love – attention on them, and make sure you obey all the guideline instruction to fulfill your animal necessities. Furthermore, out topic today would be around guinea pig; yes, one of the cutest animal you could pet.
First thing you need to prepare is the housing. All pet need house or new habitat to stay and resting. Furthermore, guinea pigs housing are similar to hamsters only larger. You could purchase the cage on the pet stores or online which is quite easy to find (consider that guinea pigs are famous pets). The cage also available in variant sizes and materials; it helps you to adjust the cage with the number and guinea pig body size.
The next thing you should do is arrange the cage. Put all the important items inside the cage such as bed, toys, water and food container. Most of the time people prefer to use hay holder rather than a bowl or other containers (but, it’s all up to you, which one you prefer the most). The next thing, after the cage and all the equipment ready, you should arrange the proper temperature of the cage. So, I suggest you to read this one: guinea pig temperature guide.
Move to another part, next we have the food guideline for guinea pig. As the most fundamental matter for all the living things, you must provide the proper food that would maintain guinea pig nutrition inside their bodies. Guinea pigs was born naturally as herbivorous species. They crave grasses, green leafs, vegetables and fruits; their primarily diet was grasses (hays), the left is as addition which for good only being feed occasionally.
But, however, there are some foods we must avoid to give guinea pig no matter what. It could harm and affect guinea pig health state. Move one, the other thing you should always remember is the cleanliness matter. Make sure you clean the house frequently to prevent unwanted guest and illness catch your dear pet. Immediately wash the food and water container once you saw it dirty; for the dust and those dirt could be eat.
If you have an idea to bathe your guinea pig, make sure you take them to bathe only fewer times a year. Guinea pig clean themselves by licking their body; water only make them stress. By clean them once in a while (if you really think they need shower) you would reduce the “stress event”. Furthermore, use organic soap of shampoo to clean your guinea pig; we recommend you to read this: the best shampoos for guinea pig.
That’s was the basic matter how to nurse a guinea pig. Let me remind you, all those things would be done easily if you have strong bond with your guinea pig. Yes, building a relationship need a trust. Do your guinea pig trust you? Trust is built by doing certain thing together; you should spend “private time” for only the two of you every day (especially in early period). Your guinea pig need to know you as the new owner; so, we would discuss about 2 ways you should copy to tame your guinea pig. By doing this, you build the bridge of trust between the two of you.
1. Give Guinea Pig much Attention on First Days at Home
Put guinea pig in proper and comfortable cage which she would spend most of her time in there. Let them roam outside the cage, but please make sure that the room is safe from other pet (especially dogs and cats) and dangerous objects. Keep them warm in cold temperature in winter or rainy days. Basically, guinea pig is a delicate and sweet animal. They would not randomly attack people.
The best advice is to keep guinea pig since she was a baby rather than took as an adult. The reason is she would understand you better because she already known you for her whole life. Furthermore, guinea pig love companionship. The more you spend time with her, the more she would like and close to you. If you in consider petting more than one guinea pig, it is the best if you bring the same sex companion to prevent uncontrollably breeding.
Furthermore, provide all the things she needs and make sure the cage has enough room to move. Give her some space to adjust the new environment, don’t disturb her too much. Next, feed her in the same schedule every single day; this to make her use with her daily routine, and of course, make sure she eats her foods.
2. Bonding Time
The last method from 2 ways you should copy to tame your guinea pig is bonding time. When your guinea pig know you better, the more she would obey what you are saying. Let her know and learn things about you as an owner. Spend your time every day to talk to them in soft and tender manner. This method used to attune her with your voice and presence. Furthermore, let her smell you. As a rodent species, guinea pig has a strong sense of smell and strongly rely on it. Make her used to your smell would reduce the gap between both of you.
All you need to do is sticking your hand closer to guinea pig cage. Don’t force your hand to her, let her come and sniff it by herself. Be patient, because she would not make any step closer to your for the first days. After a while, when she already used to your smell, voice, and presence, you could move to the next level of bonding, which is pick her up with your hands. Place one of your hand in her belly, and one under her rear end, and then lift her gently.
Hold her on your chest, carry her, and start the conversation. If she showed some uncomfortable move and try to resist you, bring her back to the cage and try later. It would need times, don’t rush. One day or another, she would willingly come into your hands. Constantly do this every day, with a persistent love, patient and will, she would recognize you entirely and love you back!