Search Results for: blog guinea pig mania

Beetle Mania in my Home

Three years ago there’s no way I would have considered it endearing to be compared to a guinea pig. Yet these days I can often be found donning a silk cape and making like Linny the guinea pig to my pre-preschooler’s Tuck the turtle during our daily “Wonder Pets” adventures. (Ming-Ming the duckling is grandma’s role when she is around.) To say my daughter is an avid “Wonder Pets” fan would be an understatement. At age two she had memorized the theme song of the popular Nickelodeon series and would happily belt out the words during our trips to the … Continue reading →

Guinea Pig Feeding

Guinea pigs — like people and many other animals — are happiest with a varied diet. Kristen brought this up when she succumbed to guinea pig mania — guinea pigs cannot manufacture vitamin C in their bodies. They NEED vitamin C supplements in order to stay healthy. Adult guinea pigs need between thirty and fifty milligrams of vitamin C per day. Experts suggest skipping the vitamin drops that can be added to water. Why? Vitamin drops may have other vitamins and minerals that your pigs don’t need. Some may potentially be toxic! Vitamin C deteriorates rapidly in water and light, … Continue reading →

Guinea Pig Cages

When it comes to housing your guinea pigs, bigger is better. If you have only one guinea pig (this isn’t recommended, as guinea pigs are social animals), you should be sure to provide at least seven and a half square feet of living space. That’s about three feet by two and a half feet. If you have two guinea pigs, provide at least ten and a half square feet of living space (approximately thirty inches by fifty inches). Three guinea pigs will be happy with around thirteen square feet of living space (approximately thirty inches by sixty inches). Why so … Continue reading →

Guinea Pigs are Herd Animals

Studies of guinea pigs in the wild have shown that they tend to live in herds of five to ten. A herd generally has one adult male and the rest female or sexually immature children. You may not want an entire herd of guinea pigs in your home, but your pigs will be happiest if they aren’t alone. Both anecdotal and experimental evidence points to domestic guinea pigs being happiest and healthiest when living with other guinea pigs. So how do you pick the right partner for your pig? A very young pair (under six months) may experience personality changes … Continue reading →

Guinea Pig Fact and Fiction

After talking with fantasy author Joshua Palmatier about his guinea pigs, I noticed that we don’t have a whole lot of info here at the Pets Blog about the breed! Time to remedy that. Here are some basics about guinea pigs (also known as cavies). The average body temperature of a guinea pig is between 99 and 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Like many other house pets with fur, that’s warmer than the average human! An average adult male guinea pig weighs (called a boar) between two and three pounds. An average adult female guinea pig (called a sow) weighs between one … Continue reading →

Guinea Pig Mania

I did something very strange and unexpected one Tuesday. For no reason whatsoever, and without warning, I brought home two guinea pigs. Now, I did this in a way that is not considered politically correct: I bought them from a (gulp) pet store. (Some Guinea Pig fans say you MUST purchase them from a breeder.) But my kids were flabbergasted. And thrilled. They gathered around me, squealing with delight as these two round little bundles with bright eyes stared up at them. “Can I hold one?” “I want to hold one too!” “I’m next!” “No, me!” We caught guinea pig … Continue reading →

Why Parents Should Say “NO” to the Real Life “Wonder Pets”

“Wonder Pets Wonder Pets We’re on our way To help a friend and save the day…” Parents with young children feel free to join in: “We’re not too big And we’re not too tough But when we work together We’ve got the right stuff… GOOOOOO Wonder Pets… YAY!!” I dare you to watch even half an episode of the popular animated Nickelodeon show about a determined guinea pig, an independent baby turtle, and an adventurous duckling without humming the theme song for the rest of the week. I should know. My preschooler has been a fan of the show for … Continue reading →

Interview with Fantasy Author Joshua Palmatier

I first heard of fantasy author Joshua Palmatier through a friend — she loaned me his first book and I was hooked! Now let me introduce you to him. Aimee: What kind of things do you write about? (Genre, subject matter, themes, what have you.) Joshua: I write fantasy novels that deal with a young girl named Varis who was orphaned in the slums of the city of Amenkor. The books mainly deal with her struggle to survive, and the moral questions that result from the question: what would you be willing to do to survive? There are a lot … Continue reading →

How to Name Your Pet

This month I’ve focused on adopting dogs, because October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. For anyone who has taken the time to visit a shelter this month and welcome a new dog into their life, “Bravo!” Yet, October isn’t the only time of year pets come into our lives, and dogs aren’t the only types of animals we welcome into our families. No matter when we add to our household or what type of pet we choose, we have to name them. It’s almost as much fun as picking the pet, right? “What’s in a name? That which we … Continue reading →

Running a Pet Care Business: Chatting with Marlene Richardson, Former Pet Care Professional

Marlene Richardson with her pooch Zeus. Photo provided by Ms. Richardson and used with her permission. Meet Marlene “Marly” Richardson, a neighbor of mine. We met because we both walk our dogs. One day we got to talking about our pets (she has four others in addition to Zeus: Tipsy, a free-roaming house rabbit; Pip the guinea pig; and two doves, Cisco and Cecilia) and our love for animals. Somehow my being a Pets Blogger came up and she mentioned how she’d been a pet sitter. I thought, “How interesting. That’d make a neat blog.” So I asked if she’d … Continue reading →