Piggy Care FAQ
Life expectancy: 4-8 years
Other names: Latin - Cavia Porcellus. Others - Cavies, cavy, piggies. Hairless are often called Skinnies or skinny pigs.
What is a skinny pig? What is a skinny pig gene carrier? A skinny pig is a type of hairless guinea pig. They are completely hairless, except for a small amount of fuzz on their nose and paws. A skinny pig gene carrier is a haired guinea pig that carriers the skinny pig gene, and can be bred to a skinny pig to produce a litter of piggies, some of which are usually hairless.
Why don't they have any hair? In 1978, a spontaneous genetic mutation in guinea pigs arose in a lab that produced hairless guinea pigs. Eventually, this strain was released to the public as pets.
Are they hypoallergenic? Yes, hairlesss skinny pigs are hypoallergenic. That is actually why we got our first piggies! We suffer from severe allergies and therefore cannot have or be around most pets. However, skinny pigs provided an answer to prayer - we have never had any issues with allergies around them. Haired skinny pig gene carriers may have fewer allergens than normal guinea pigs, but we cannot guarantee that they are hypoallergenic, since they do have hair.
What is the difference between a boar and a sow? What about a dam and a sire? A boar is a male, a sow is a female. A dam is a female parent, and a sire is a male parent.
How is their demeanor? Guinea pigs are very sociable animals and love attention. Ours will sit on our laps for hours and "purr" when rubbed.
Is it okay to only have one guinea pig or will it get lonely? Guinea pigs thrive when they are placed in groups, rather than living alone. They are likely to live longer, play more, and show a happier demeanor overall. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you have two or more guinea pigs placed together. They will still bond with you, and you will likely enjoy them even more because they will be more content with their lives and habitat.
What do they eat? Diets should consist of pellet food, timothy hay, and vegetables. In our experience, their favorite vegetables are carrots, lettuce (however, do NOT feed iceberg lettuce), and celery. Also, vitamin C should be added to their diet, because similarly to humans, they cannot produce it on their own and without it, will get scurvy.
How much does it cost to take care of a guinea pig? For two guinea pigs, we spend about $12/month on litter and about $8/month on food. Of course, these are minimum requirements - you may choose to spend more by buying a different type of food or bedding, toys, etc.
How big should their cage be? One guinea pig needs 7 sq ft, and 2 guinea pigs need 8 sq ft. Most of the cages you find at pet stores will not be large enough. Guinea pigs need room to have a protective house as well as room to run and play in their cage. We have used large, clear plastic storage bins with high sides and no lid, hard plastic baby pools, and cubes & coroplast. For more information and ideas on cages, http://www.guineapigcages.com/ is a great place to visit.
Does anything special need to be done to care for the hairless piggies? Yes. They should be kept in a room that is 74 degrees Fahrenheit, because they do not have hair to keep them warm. Additionally, they should be bathed every few weeks and lotioned every week, or as often as is necessary so that their skin does not become dry. See the bathing section for more information on this.
Where can I get more information about skinny pigs and guinea pigs in general? The following is a list of websites that we found to be very informative:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5953791_care-hairless-guinea-pig.html
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/guinea-pig-care.aspx
http://petguineapigcare.com/
Other names: Latin - Cavia Porcellus. Others - Cavies, cavy, piggies. Hairless are often called Skinnies or skinny pigs.
What is a skinny pig? What is a skinny pig gene carrier? A skinny pig is a type of hairless guinea pig. They are completely hairless, except for a small amount of fuzz on their nose and paws. A skinny pig gene carrier is a haired guinea pig that carriers the skinny pig gene, and can be bred to a skinny pig to produce a litter of piggies, some of which are usually hairless.
Why don't they have any hair? In 1978, a spontaneous genetic mutation in guinea pigs arose in a lab that produced hairless guinea pigs. Eventually, this strain was released to the public as pets.
Are they hypoallergenic? Yes, hairlesss skinny pigs are hypoallergenic. That is actually why we got our first piggies! We suffer from severe allergies and therefore cannot have or be around most pets. However, skinny pigs provided an answer to prayer - we have never had any issues with allergies around them. Haired skinny pig gene carriers may have fewer allergens than normal guinea pigs, but we cannot guarantee that they are hypoallergenic, since they do have hair.
What is the difference between a boar and a sow? What about a dam and a sire? A boar is a male, a sow is a female. A dam is a female parent, and a sire is a male parent.
How is their demeanor? Guinea pigs are very sociable animals and love attention. Ours will sit on our laps for hours and "purr" when rubbed.
Is it okay to only have one guinea pig or will it get lonely? Guinea pigs thrive when they are placed in groups, rather than living alone. They are likely to live longer, play more, and show a happier demeanor overall. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you have two or more guinea pigs placed together. They will still bond with you, and you will likely enjoy them even more because they will be more content with their lives and habitat.
What do they eat? Diets should consist of pellet food, timothy hay, and vegetables. In our experience, their favorite vegetables are carrots, lettuce (however, do NOT feed iceberg lettuce), and celery. Also, vitamin C should be added to their diet, because similarly to humans, they cannot produce it on their own and without it, will get scurvy.
How much does it cost to take care of a guinea pig? For two guinea pigs, we spend about $12/month on litter and about $8/month on food. Of course, these are minimum requirements - you may choose to spend more by buying a different type of food or bedding, toys, etc.
How big should their cage be? One guinea pig needs 7 sq ft, and 2 guinea pigs need 8 sq ft. Most of the cages you find at pet stores will not be large enough. Guinea pigs need room to have a protective house as well as room to run and play in their cage. We have used large, clear plastic storage bins with high sides and no lid, hard plastic baby pools, and cubes & coroplast. For more information and ideas on cages, http://www.guineapigcages.com/ is a great place to visit.
Does anything special need to be done to care for the hairless piggies? Yes. They should be kept in a room that is 74 degrees Fahrenheit, because they do not have hair to keep them warm. Additionally, they should be bathed every few weeks and lotioned every week, or as often as is necessary so that their skin does not become dry. See the bathing section for more information on this.
Where can I get more information about skinny pigs and guinea pigs in general? The following is a list of websites that we found to be very informative:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5953791_care-hairless-guinea-pig.html
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/guinea-pig-care.aspx
http://petguineapigcare.com/
Habitat
Creating your guinea pig habitat is a great experience! One guinea pig needs a "habitat" or cage that is at least 7 sq ft, and 2 need at least 8 sq ft. It should provide good ventilation, have sides that are at least 18 inches high, and not be made of a material that can be easily chewed through (such as cardboard). It is a good idea to first line the bottom of the cage with newspaper, as this helps to keep the litter from sticking to it. Next, fill it with guinea pig litter, which can be found at a pet store or even places like Walmart.
Now comes the fun part! Find, buy, or make an enclosure for the guinea pigs to hide and sleep in. It could be a cardboard box turned upside down with a hole cut into it for a door or an "igloo" or "hut" from a pet store. Be as creative as you'd like to be! You may also want to put some chew toys in the cage - old books or pieces of cardboard are great for this. Add a food dish and water bottle and you're all set!
If you would like more creative ideas for cages, toys, and creating your guinea pig habitat, browse the guinea pig isles of pet stores and/or visit http://www.guineapigcages.com. Also, see the FAQ section above.
Now comes the fun part! Find, buy, or make an enclosure for the guinea pigs to hide and sleep in. It could be a cardboard box turned upside down with a hole cut into it for a door or an "igloo" or "hut" from a pet store. Be as creative as you'd like to be! You may also want to put some chew toys in the cage - old books or pieces of cardboard are great for this. Add a food dish and water bottle and you're all set!
If you would like more creative ideas for cages, toys, and creating your guinea pig habitat, browse the guinea pig isles of pet stores and/or visit http://www.guineapigcages.com. Also, see the FAQ section above.
Bathing your Skinny Pig
Every 2 to 4 weeks, you should bathe your hairless skinny pig. To do this, fill a sink or bathtub with about one inch of warm water; it should not be higher than their chest and should not touch their face, nose, or ears at all. Pour warm water over their back, being careful to not get any in their ears or on their face. Lather them using baby shampoo and rinse thoroughly. Dry them with a soft towel, spread a gentle, scent-free lotion on their bodies and heads, avoiding the eyes and genitalia, and be sure to keep them extra warm. Additionally, hairless piggies may get dry skin or dry spots if they are not lotioned frequently enough. Generally, "enough" in our experience has been 1 - 2 times per week; however, it will vary from piggy to piggy so be sure to take notice of when your piggy may need it.