Housing: Cavies can be housed in allsorts of cages (E.g. Lawn cages to standing up right cages), but be prepared to make your cavy cage cat, dog, mouse, snake and rat proof. If your cavy is living out on the lawn, make sure there is a living quarter slightly raised of the ground, kept dry and protect it from the heat of the sun. Some examples of cages:
Bedding: For cavy bedding you can use: - Straw - Untreated shavings (not sawdust) - Rice hulls These are only some of the different beddings you can use. If you cage base is solid, place a few layers of paper on the bottom then place your choice of bedding on top and top it with some hay for them to snuggle into.
Feed Guinea pigs mix is available form pet shops. Horse & pony pellets, guinea pig & rabbit pellets, bran or if these are unavailable rolled oats (not the quick cooking). Lucerne hay or chaff should be feed daily. If you have a small number of cavies, pet & produce shops small quantities of these. Guinea pigs main diet is grass. But the also eat fruit and vegies. Which also keep up there vitamin C. Vegies that they can eat: Thistle (no spikes ones) Wire weed Dandelion Plantain (young plants) Dock (young plants) Kikuya Grass Chick weed Couch Grass Lucerne ( Fresh or dry) Corn Capsicum (no seeds)Carrot and Tops Parsnip, turnips and spinach Silver beet and Beetroot Watermelon and rockmelon Cucumber, Choko, Tomato Kolrabi, Parsley, Endives Pumpkin, marrow, zucchini Celery, Kale Fresh cut grass Hulled or rolled oats Bran (processed, unprocessed or flacked)
Fruits - Apples, Oranges, Grapes, Pears, Strawberries, Kiwi Fruit
DO NOT FEED THESE TO YOUR CAVIES Rhubarb leaves, potatoes, butter cups, deadly nightshade, garden shrubs, grass cut with mower, bulb plants of any type, Oxails (looks like clover),onions or onion grass.
Water Should be given daily. You can purchase water bottle for your cavy at a local pet shop. By using these bottle your pet cavy won't contaminate or spill there water. Health Cavies are a very clean. They do not smell, but uneaten food should be removed daily. Cages should be cleaned at least once a week. Cavies who is exposed to draughts & damp condition could easily catch pneumonia, one of the biggest killers. In summer Keep your cavies in a cool dry place. Occasionally toe nails need clipping, be careful to cut only the dead nail, not beyond the vein which can be seen i most claws. If you notice a tendency to diarrhoea, cut down on the green food until things improve. An occasional bath & dip in a solution which is suitable for cats and/ or birds will help keep your cavy free of external parasites. Vitamin E cream or Ungvita ointment are excellent for sores & heat rashes.
Sexing This can be done at any age. The cavy is turnt onto its back & its weight should be supported with the palm of one hand so that the genitalia can be examined. In both sexes the anus is closely associated to the genitalia. Gentle pressure on either side of the male's sex organs will extrude the penis, where as in the front of anus in the sow there is a hairless area if skin shaped like a Y covering the vagina, in front of the vagina is the urethral opening. The vagina is normally closed by a membrane (the hymen), except during oestrus & at parturition.
Below is a pic of the female (sow):
Below is a pic of the male (boar):
Behaviour WHISTLING, SQUEAKING & GRUNTING
The real clues to use when determining the mood of your cavy are the sounds that it makes. A soft whistling, maybe only a gentle squeaking sound, usually means your cavy is contented. The most frequent sound is a distinct whistling, repeated about every second or so. This whistling is generally used to welcome a unknown person when it is feeding time. The deep, staccato- like grunting - which is almost like a rattling, this particular sound is a reaction to a totally new & unexpected situations of noises. Generally it serves as a greeting among the animals & for attracting females. It is almost always emitted in conjunction with weaving motions of the posterior of the animal. This grunting is closely related to breeding behaviour.
Hot and Cold Weather Cavies are very subject to heat & cold, so in hot weather they must be kept in cool conditions. If affected by heat stress you can put a cold pack wrapped in a cloth in the cage or spry them with cool water. In cool weather they can get a cold (as in humans), signs to look for are runny nose and/ or rattly breathing if not treated it will lead to Pneumonia, which could be fatal. So they should be kept in a dry and warm place. If this occurs you can put a small amount of vapour rub on the nose and front feet.