Choosing your new pet guinea pig

 I have been caring and researching guinea pigs for about 9 years now, and I want to share my knowledge with you. In my recent years of piggie care, i have discovered what a healthy guinea pig looks like, how to choose a pet guinea pig, where to buy guinea pigs from and just why pet stores are so bad to purchase rodents and other pets from. Sit back and relax while reading this informative page and decide where to get your guinea pig from.

 Ok, your first idea (like many innocent buyers) will be a pet shop. Depending on which country you live in, you'll probably decide to go to your local Petsmart or Pets At Home and happily buy a guinea pig or two and a small hutch that would not be big enough for even 1 guinea pig (check www.guineapigcages.com for correct cage sizes). There are many problems with these places, such as they sell ill, pregnant or wrongly sexed guinea pigs, keep them in small, smelly, cruel cage conditions and obtain them from bad breeders so please avoid them at all costs. Your best bet is to buy from a registered, professional breeder or even better, a rescue home. There are so many guinea pigs in need of homes, and you would be doing a very kind thing by adopting a pair.

Here are the places rated from 1 (BEST) to 6 (WORST) that you can get rodents:

1. Rescue centre/shelter
2. Professional, registered breeder
3. Newspaper adverts
4. Online (places such as www.petfinder.com)
5. Hobby/unprofessional breeders
6. Pet store - AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Owners who do research before they get the pets will want to know what a healhty guinea pig looks like so they can pick out one that will last for a goog long time.

Things to look for:

• Heathly, shiny coat with no sign of badness
• Alert guinea pigs
• Shiny eyes
• Sniffing/nosing about, active
• No signs of any thing like mites, scabs or long, curling nails

Things to watch out for:

• Guinea pigs with tilted/crooked necks
• Baldness, scabs etc
• Hair falling out
• Crusty eyes/nose
• Torn ears
• Long nails
• Itching, mites, fleas etc

Any animal you see with these signs or worse, report to the owner immeadiately. You may just save a cavy's life if you go to a good breeders or rescue.

 Like anyone who loves guinea pigs, you'll find it hard to pick out a pair/group that you want to keep, as you'll probably fall in love with everyone of them (I know I did)! Just ask to hold them and cuddle them. See which ones have cute and interesting personalities, and look for the colours/markings you really like.