Post by lexi jo ellis on Mar 27, 2012 4:50:12 GMT -5
HOUSING ADVICE - Big is best, and bigger is even better! We just love to run around and jump about (popcorning) so please make sure our home is as large as possible (min 4' long for 2 piggies) and has ease of access for cleaning. This will need to be done twice a week using a good quality disinfectant. If the hutch is to be sited outdoors we need it in a sheltered spot away from draughts, the elements and predators. Damp is bad, dry is good. Oh and it needs to be well ventilated too. We like to be kept cool in the summer and warm in the winter (much like humans really) but in the summer we can be put out in runs on the lawn as we make excellent lawn mowers, please make sure we have some shade though! (However, if you have treated your grass recently, your guineas could ingest poisons, so do be aware). We are though, brilliant pets to be kept indoors. Those that are lucky enough to live indoors tend to be friendlier as they are more integrated into the family and no we don't smell either! Watching us having fun beats watching TV any day.
Inside our hutch we usually like a layer of newspaper then some warm bedding on top preferably good quality hay. (Chopped straw or vet bed can be used as an alternative.) Please do not use sawdust as this can lead to respiratory problems, we are burrowing animals after all and fine dust up our noses can be a quite a problem. Sawdust can also be very drying on our skin. We don't like straw because it can scratch our eyes and with hay it means we can nibble our bedding throughout the day too. Nice eh? Lining the bottom of the hutch first makes it easier to clean us out, just roll everything up and get it recycled. Easy! Keeping us really clean will help to prevent mites etc too. Oh and we never want to live with a rabbit either (nice as they are) they will just try to mate us and can cause us some very nasty injuries. Yuk !
Inside our hutch we usually like a layer of newspaper then some warm bedding on top preferably good quality hay. (Chopped straw or vet bed can be used as an alternative.) Please do not use sawdust as this can lead to respiratory problems, we are burrowing animals after all and fine dust up our noses can be a quite a problem. Sawdust can also be very drying on our skin. We don't like straw because it can scratch our eyes and with hay it means we can nibble our bedding throughout the day too. Nice eh? Lining the bottom of the hutch first makes it easier to clean us out, just roll everything up and get it recycled. Easy! Keeping us really clean will help to prevent mites etc too. Oh and we never want to live with a rabbit either (nice as they are) they will just try to mate us and can cause us some very nasty injuries. Yuk !