The fact that I’ve had 5 of these (2 right now), I’m surprised this blog post has taken so long to come out! My first ever guinea pig was Cheeku, a birthday present my brother got me all the way from Pune. Of the 5 I’ve had, so far, he was the smartest, most sensible of them all! Not only did he like to get petted, but he also loved to play and was not afraid to cuddle. He was ridiculously pampered and was around for about 2 years. Cheeku was replaced by Oreo and Ginger, bought from a local breeder here in Delhi itself. While Ginger’s journey with me was short-lived (he passed away in less than 3 months 
) Oreo played the role of a thankless pet for almost 3 years. Oreo was everything Cheeku was not; shy, skittish, greedy, and afraid to be petted, but he was still an integral part of my life. Oreo certainly knew how to pose for the camera! My latest piggies are Cookie and Honey, a gift from two very dear friends. I fear both of them are a little mental. 
When I got them, Cookie was shy and shrieked every time I picked him up, and Honey was more than happy to let me stroke his head and snout. Now that they’ve both gotten comfortable with me; Cookie loves getting petted and scratched, while Honey will do anything and everything to stay out of my grasp! Weirdos these two are!
You’re probably thinking, what is this crazy man talking about, they all look the same! Well…yeah… they do look quite similar… Every time I see a photo or video of guinea pigs online, I go, “Oh this looks like Cookie!” So yeah, I hear you, they do all look alike, but hey, so do all cats and all dogs, right? And all cat/dog mommies and daddies love to talk about their furries with the same zeal I’m portraying in this post..so..;). So even though all guinea pigs look the same, each is unique in its own primitive way. Here’s everything you need to know about guinea pigs.
General Appearance:
An average domestic (wild guinea pig statistics vary) adult guinea pig, irrespective of its sex, is about 8 to 16 inches long and can weigh anywhere between 300 gm to 1.5 kgs. Unlike most rodents, their tail is not visible externally. There may be a crest of long hairs around the neck, but the length and texture of the fur vary from smooth (short/long) to coarse and short or even long and silky. Guinea pigs are available, in nature, in a variety of colors. The coat may be white, tan, cream, reddish or chocolate brown, black, or a combined pattern of the above-mentioned colors. With proper care, guinea pigs live up to eight years, although three to five is typical.
Diet:
Guinea pigs are herbivores, which means veggies only! A well-balanced guinea pig diet consists of high-quality (commercial) guinea pig food, Timothy hay (preferable) or fresh green grass, and limited quantities of vegetables and fruits. A variety of commercial guinea pig foods are available in the market, choose what your piggies love the most, after all, they are the ones that have to eat it 
Guinea pigs require 30 to 50 mg of vitamin C daily, most of which are included in their food. Additional fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C are a treat and should be given sparsely. Clean, fresh, filtered, and chlorine-free water, in a water bottle is ideal, which should be changed daily. Do not feed your guinea pigs chocolate, caffeine, or alcohol as these can cause some serious medical conditions. Avoid sugar and high-fat treats as well.
Guinea pigs love fresh vegetables and should be fed a few every day. You can experiment to find your piggie’s favorites, which they may enjoy eating from your hand or lap. I have managed to periodically, spoil all of my piggies to take food from my hand. My most recent ones, Cookie & Honey, only eat golden corn if I feed them each piece by hand (talk about brats!)
Both Cookie & Honey love French beans, lettuce, capsicum, carrots, cabbage, and cucumber. Oreo and Ginger (R.I.P) loved coriander, cauliflower, mango, strawberries, and watermelon in addition to the above-mentioned treats. My first piggie, Cheeku, loved all that is already mentioned in addition to curry leaves, random green plants, kiwi, corn, and broccoli.
Housing & Habitat Maintenance:
The fact that guinea pigs live in burrows like rabbits in the wild, domestication of these animals made sense for countries with mild temperatures throughout the year. Having said that, with proper care and precautions, guinea pigs tend to adapt well in most Indian homes as well. Unable to bear high temperatures, guinea pigs should be kept in shaded areas inside the house, with temperatures between 15-30 deg C. While fans can be used, air conditioners or dessert coolers should never be used, as guinea pigs are prone to catch a cold or suffer from sinusitis, which is unfortunately fatal to them.
The average habitat should be in a drafty area. An escape-proof habitat on a solid surface with minimum dimensions of36″L x 30″W x 18″H is ideal, (for up to 2 piggies) with plenty of space for exercising and playing. Although the base of the habitat needs to be solid, bedding of 1″- 2″ should keep your piggie comfortable. Ideal beddings include crumbled paper, shredded tissues or napkins, or hardwood shavings. Cedar and pine shavings should be avoided both as bedding and as a snack, as they are toxic to guinea pigs.
It is recommended to keep guinea pigs in same-sex pairs if they are raised together; otherwise, adult guinea pigs should be housed separately. Other small animals should not be housed together with guinea pigs.
The fixed habitat or travel cages must be cleaned and disinfected at least once a week with a 3% bleach solution. While bedding can be changed once or twice a week, wet spots should be removed on a daily basis. Fruits and vegetables not consumed by the piggies within 24 hours should be discarded.
As guinea pigs like to hide, the habitats must be equipped with a small-animal Igloo or a small box with a doorway ( I use empty shoe boxes), a large pile of fresh or packaged hay, and other areas in which the piggies can engage in their natural burrowing behavior. Water delivery can either be through small water bottles with sipper tubes or ceramic bowls. Personally, I prefer the water bottles, as they don’t make a mess if the piggies accidentally knock over the water bowl. I never had to actually teach any of my piggies to drink from the bottle, it came instinctively to each of them.
Grooming, Hygiene & Veterinary Consults:
Guinea pigs usually stay clean and rarely need baths, but can be spot-cleaned with a damp washcloth or unscented baby wipes if required. If you want to give them a traditional bath, you may want to fill up a small tub and bathe them with the same care, you’d bathe a human baby.
Irrespective of the fur length, guinea pigs should be brushed with a soft-backed brush, once every 10-15 days. I use an old soft-bristled toothbrush. Long-haired guinea pigs should be gently combed once a week to prevent painful mats.
Guinea pigs need their nails clipped approximately once a month unless they get a considerable amount of playtime every day, wherein running around on the floor may file their nails naturally. It is normal for a guinea pig’s teeth to be yellow and do not require any cleaning or tooth brushing.
Much to popular belief, guinea pigs are exotic to India. Your dog/cat vet may not have much experience with guinea pigs and may refer you to an exotic-animal specialist for routine checkups and other care, which may be more expensive than going to your regular vet. Don’t let their small size fool you! Guinea pigs are just as expensive and require proper time and attention.
Breeding (Wanted or Unwanted):
Do you remember the old Lays chip advertisement, “no one can eat just one”? Well, guinea pigs are like that, you just can’t have one! It isn’t healthy for guinea pigs to be alone anyway, as they need a companion of their own species with who they can regularly interact. Companionship is so vital to their psyche, that Switzerland has made it illegal to keep only one guinea pig.
The average adult guinea pigs copulate throughout the year, especially in captivity, so if you have a pair or a bunch of piggies of varied sexes, you may want to get the males neutered. (Check with your local breeder). Now unless you are planning to breed them for sale, trust me when I say this, you are NOT equipped to handle a tub load of guinea pigs! They will take over like the plague! A terrible analogy I know, but you catch my drift, right? This is why I have always kept piggies of the same sex (similar anatomy :P). Now it may not be as simple as with other animals to identify the sex, while the internet gives you a vague idea (see image on right for reference).
What’s normal behavior and what’s not?
Guinea pigs are usually easy to handle. They prefer a routine and similar time for playing, feeding, and resting each day. By default, hiding in objects is their resting state, but will come out when people are near the habitat. Unlike other animals, guinea pigs are perpetually hungry! Despite being given their food and hay, a healthy guinea pig will always wheek for more, snacks, food, or attention. As their teeth and nails grow continuously, abundant chew sticks and playtime are important.
A healthy guinea pig is active, alert, and sociable; eats and drinks regularly; has healthy fur and clear eyes; walks normally with unlaboured breathing, and communicates by squeaking and wheeking. An unhealthy guinea pig may experience weight loss, massive hair shedding, diarrhea or dirty bottom, distressed breathing, low energy, eye and/or nasal discharges, skin lesions, or overgrown teeth.
A skittish guinea pig may still be healthy, as these animals are generally uncomfortable about getting picked up, even for cuddling and petting. The reason most guinea pigs dislike handling is that it triggers their primal prey instincts. In the wild, anything swooping in to pick up a guinea pig intends to eat it. Even after generations of domestication, your piggie may see your incoming hand like the talon of a predator and flee in terror. Guinea pigs usually tend to calm down once you have them held securely, but may remain tense and fidgety until you return them to their cage or habitat.
Much like other animals, guinea pigs are social companion animals requiring daily (sometimes hourly) interaction. They communicate by making various sounds that have different meanings and popcorn or jump in the air, when happy. Here’s a fun video, that identifies and explains the various sounds and movements made by a guinea pig:
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