How many guinea pigs is too many

You can also give them a mirror - they then get see another guinea pig all day admittedly a very blurry one, given that GPs' eyesight is poor , and they get to keep all the food for themselves! If you keep a male and female together, intentionally or otherwise, they will be capable of breeding from weeks.

At that point they will need to be kept in separate enclosures until the male is old enough to be castrated. The earliest this can be done is at 4 months old. The two species also have different dietary requirements. Guinea pigs need lots of vitamin C and rabbit food lacks this. Sign up to receive our exclusive e-book full of training techniques, problem-solving and important information about caring for your pet.

Here are some factors to consider:. Temperature: The ideal temperature range for guinea pigs is approximately degrees Fahrenheit. Guinea pig housing should be located away from strong heat sources such as direct sun, wood stoves, fireplaces and heating vents.

Guinea pigs cannot sweat when they become too warm and are particularly susceptible to heat stroke. Place the cages in a draft-free area i.

Dampness promotes the growth of mold in their hay and bedding and can make guinea pigs more prone to sickness.

A family room or living room works well, but make sure your pigs have a place to retreat if they need some quiet time. Noise: Guinea pigs have very sensitive hearing and their cages should not be placed next to stereos, televisions or other loud noises. For sanitary reasons, don't keep your guinea pig's cage in your kitchen or other area where food is prepared.

If you have young children, put the cage in an area where you can control access and supervise child-guinea pig interactions. An outdoor hutch was once considered acceptable housing for guinea pigs. Urgent support. How many guinea pigs should you keep? Share via. Suitable combinations of guinea pigs: Two or more sows of a similar character — a strong character may bully a shy piggy Two boars — take care not to mix two very strong characters, as they may fight.

Often a slightly calmer male pig will be more suitable and accepting of a strong character A neutered boar with one or more sows. Although the mix may work at first, when the piglet matures it will compete for dominancy, resulting in serious fights A rabbit and a guinea pig.

Although some owners have found a rabbit and guinea pig to live seemingly happily together, there is a big risk that the guinea pig will be accidentally kicked when the rabbit is running and hopping about. Guinea pigs are also vocal communicators, while rabbits are mostly silent - this can be upsetting for the guinea pig.

Starting the bonding process Once your mixing environment is set up and ready, place your piggies in the run or indoor set up at the same time. New arrivals: If you want to add more guinea pigs to an existing pair, we recommend introducing two more in order to prevent the newcomer from becoming an outsider. When adding new animals to a larger group, the addition of a pair rather than just one is a proven way of ensuring that the original group members give their attention to both the new animals, rather than concentrating too much on one.

The enclosure must meet the different needs of the rabbits and the guinea pigs. Feel free to download our guide PDF :.