16 Dec 10 A Background on Guinea Pigs

No one is certain on when exactly guinea pigs were domesticated. The only thing certain though is that the Incas were the first to domesticate them as pets. Remains of these animals are even found in old Incan houses as well as in the houses of conquistadores prior to the 16th century. During these times, guinea pigs were brought to Europe where they were primarily used for laboratory experiments. Only during the recent centuries did guinea pigs enter human homes as pets.

Behavior

In the wild, guinea pigs are interestingly respectful of hierarchy according to dominance. The dominant males (boars) often lead a group of guinea pigs with a female (sow) to lead the hierarchy. The weaker boars are driven away and usually bring with them a mate to start their own groups.

In captivity, however, guinea pigs are very sociable. However, for sexually developed males, things could be quite different. They tend to call back their instinct for dominance among the group especially in the presence of females.

Color Variations

The color of guinea pigs in the wild is originally brown with black patterns. However, due to breeding, color mutations, variations developed. Nowadays, there are several commonly seen color variations including agouti (brown with black markings), chocolate agouti (chocolate brown with darker tone markings), black, silver agouti (silver grey with black hair patches), lilac agouti (brown with lighter brown markings) and tortoiseshell (brown with red ticks).

Patterns

The coats of guinea pigs have three commonly seen patterns. They are:
Roan where the white coat has markings due to colored hairs.
Dalmatian which is similar to the coat of the Dalmatian dog. The pattern of the coat is marked with uneven spots of colored hairs. The head of a Dalmatian guinea pig is black with a streak of white hair in the middle.
Dutch has a large white stripe around the torso or the mid-section of the body.

Coat Types
More often than not, guinea pigs are distinguished by the types of their coats which are roughly divided into two types- the short coats and the long coats. The most common types are as follows:

Short coat types
Abyssinian- The coat has prominent multiple rosettes on various parts of the body.
Rex- This type is coarse and dense and is matched by curled whiskers.
Teddy Bear- Marked by a fuzzy look, the short hair of this guinea pig is dense and curled.
Crested- This coat has a single rosette on the top of the head.

Long coat types
Sheltie- Popularly nicknamed as Silky, the Sheltie’s coat is long, silky and smooth. This coat begins from the head and grows towards the back. The coat does not have a natural division on the center of the back.
Peruvian- The long hairs of this guinea pig are dense and unlike the Sheltie, naturally parts at the center.
Texel- This type is a longer version of the rex coat and is very distinct due to it’s natural curls. The whiskers are curled too.
Coronet- This coat is distinguished by the single coronet in the middle of the head.

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07 Oct 10 Piggy costumes

Pigs and human beings have a long history as both species have lived closed to each other for thousands of years. There is evidence that humans domesticated pigs as far back as 12,000 to 13,000BC. Archaelogists have found evidence of humans and pigs living together in the Tigris region in what was used to be the Persian empire.

After being domesticated for many generations, ancient wild boars eventually evolved into the domesticated pig. Historians also believe that pigs were also domesticated many years ago in China. Domesticated pigs were introduced into the Americas by Spanish explorers.Nowadays, pigs are kept for many purposes, for their meat, hide, bristles, pets and even for organ transplants. Pigs bred for organ transplants are genetically modified so that the organ transplants are not rejected by humans.

As such, an infant pig costume and piggy nose costume are always very popular during Halloween season for little kids and toddlers.

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23 Aug 10 Guinea Pig Supplies for your adorable pet!

We recommend paper bedding. Cavies tend to be susceptible to respiratory problems, so bedding materials such as clay litter or pine shavings (bedding materials with high dust levels) are to be strictly avoided. Also, certain woods such as cedar contain relatively large amounts of tree oils. They should also be avoided because tree oils are generally not good for your pet’s health. Paper bedding (often made from recycled newspapers) is highly recommended as it suffers from none of these issues.

Bedding – Proper bedding should include shredded paper, recycled paper, hardwood shavings and straw. Never ever use the typical pet store bedding. Most of them use cedar, fragranced wood shaving that can be toxic to your pet. Instead, look for bedding that states it is safe for guinea pigs on it’s packaging. Bedding should be changed no less than weekly and if possible, twice a week. The health of your pet is directly related to their care and environment. The cleaner the cage, the healthier your pet will be!

You will need either a feeder (which also attaches to the side of your cage) or a food dish. This item will be used to serve feed or pellets to your pet. If selecting a food dish, make sure that it is heavy and stable so that it will not tip when your pet guinea pig decides to stand in it.

When it comes to guinea pig supplies, one frequently overlooked item is the hay rack. Your pig loves hay and it should be readily available to her at all times. One easy way to do this is to use a hay rack which attaches to the wall of your cage. If using a C&C cage, you may be able to find a model with a built-in hay shelter.

Almost nothing is better for your pet guinea pig than some form of grass hay. Timothy hay is a great choice-containing both high-quality nutrition and the long strand fibers necessary for good digestion. Timothy hay can be given to your pet directly or as the main ingredient in food pellets.

Guinea pig supplies and guinea pig products. There is such an abundance of, as well as variety of, guinea pig products and guinea pig supplies available, and our selection is by no means scarce.  The safety, health and comfort of your guinea pig will be determined in a large part by the guinea pig supplies you choose for your pet.  Fun guinea pig supplies may include cardboard rolls stuffed with hay or treats, hay houses which guineas can chew through and stuffed animals or balls which are approved for guinea use.

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