Gentle and Laidback! Prepared to Care for Guinea Pigs?

Guinea pigs are small hairy creatures that are actually used as test subjects in research laboratories in the olden times. Well, that was before and their social worth had exceeded that already. Today, pet guinea pigs are becoming very popular. But don't get it all wrong - guinea pigs are not pigs and they don't come from Guinea at all. They belong to the rat family and so they more or less look like them, although they are stouter and bigger than domesticated rats. Learn how to care for guinea pigs in as you read along.

There are different types guinea pigs. The Abyssinian guinea pig is the most common of them all. These types have many rosettes or badge over their coats. Shaggy Shelties looks like dogs, actually. Their hair grows long but not the ones in their faces. It's the Peruvian guinea pig that can grow his hair on his face. Other than this detail, this type is very similar to the sheltie in so many ways.

Guinea pigs definitely sounded cute, basing from these descriptions. But then again, you have to know a thing or two before you go ahead and buy one for a pet. Here are good tips you can follow:

Things to Know Before Buying A Guinea Pig

1. Always buy them in pairs
   Guinea pigs are social animals. They tend to get lonely when they are alone. So to ensure that they are of good health and living an active lifestyle at all times, buy two of them at any given time. It will be much better if one is a male and the other is a female.
2. Check for any signs of disease
   Some pet store keepers may fail to realize that one or two of their pets are down with an ailment of something. So as a good consumer, you have to check that out for yourself. Guinea pigs that are active and lively are usually the healthier ones. Also, try to make sure that they don't have any visible discharges from their eyes, nose, ears, rear, and anywhere else.

Continue to: Care of Guinea Pigs