Hints and tips for new owners

• The average life span for a guinea pig, barring accidents, illness and disease, is roughly 5 to 7 years, though some guinea pigs do live as long as 10.

• Guinea pigs practice coprophagy, which is a fancy way of saying that they regularly eat their own droppings. It is important to know that this behavior is completely normal for cavies; in fact, it is an essential source of protein for them. Do not assume that, because they eat their own droppings, the animals are ill or unclean; they do not eat the dry droppings from the floor of the cage, but rather pull moist ones directly from the anus (though they may occasionally drop these on the floor of the cage, then nibble on them before they dry out).

• Guinea pigs are not extremely intelligent animals, like rats, but they are trainable. In particular, you can train them to pee only on their bedding if you desire to give them run of the house. By leaving a pan of litter in the corners of the rooms where they are allowed to roam, you can train the guinea pig to use these pans instead of your carpet.

• Be very careful if you ever take your guinea pigs outside, because if they get away from you, they may never come back. Although some guinea pigs, particularly older ones that have become familiar with your home and its surroundings, will stay close and eventually work their way home, you shouldn't count on their limited understanding of "home" overriding their instincts to hide in the underbrush.

• If your guinea pig does get away from you, indoors or out, do not try to give chase; you will succeed only in frightening the cavy even more than it may already be. Instead, try luring it back towards you or its cage by rattling pellets in its feeding dish, or with other sounds that it may associate with food.

• Guinea pigs have an excellent range of vision, but do not seem to "resolve" objects that are more than a few feet away. Like other animals that have eyes on the sides of their head, guinea pigs have trouble guaging heights. Young cavies, in particular, may try to leap out of your hands, which can lead to broken limbs or internal injuries. And, you should never leave your cavy unsupervised on a tabletop or other surface with an abrupt edge.

• Most guinea pigs never really get used to the sensation of being picked up. Although they do like to be held and petted, being lifted off the ground is quite a frightening experience for them. It is normal for them to run away from your hands when you try to pick them up; just remember to be gentle, and use slow, easy movements when preparing to lift them up.

• Some people recommend that you provide your cavie with a small "house" in their cage, such as a cardboard box with the bottom cut out and a doorway cut in one side. I find that these inevitably turn into a hiding place for the cavy, and can lead to a less sociable pet. It won't take long for them to learn that they are safe and secure in their cage, and if you provide them with such a hiding place, they will use it whenever they are "spooked". There is nothing more disappointing than a guinea pig that runs into its house to hide whenever you walk near the cage.

  If you feel you must provide them with a "home" for sleeping, put it in the cage at night, and take it out during the day. In general though, you're probably better off without it, at least until the cavy has adjusted to its surroundings and is less inclined to spend all of its time in hiding.

• When handling young cavies, you may find it prudent to place a towell underneath them to prevent "accidents". As the guinea pig gets older, it will start to prefer going in its cage, and will give noticeable warning signs that its about to pee (by backing into corners or acting nervous or anxious). Young cavies, however, will go wherever they happen to be sitting.

• Guinea pigs don't normally bite. In fact, they will rarely bite, even in self-defense (their primary defense mechanisms being "run and hide" and "be fruitful and multiply"). However, they do like to nibble and chew, and may nibble once or twice on your finger, particulary if they smell food on it or are hungry. They also may nibble if they are trying to tell you something, like they don't like how they are being handled, or that they want to get down so they can pee.