Guinea pigs aren’t as popular pets as dogs or cats, or even rabbits, so tracking supplies and other info down for them is a bit tricky. This page was created to help with that (or at least, give you a starting point).
Links will open into a third party site.
Guinea Pigs 101
Guinea pig care has come a long way. They’re becoming less “kids’ pets” and more “grown-ups’ pets” or “family pets”. Here are some links with info on caring for your pig:
- Raising a Healthy Cavy – Guinea Lynx’s care guide on guinea pigs
- Guinea Pigs at a Glance – SoCal Guinea Pig Rescue wrote an extremely informative article on guinea pig care
- GuineaDad Blog – Has various articles about guinea pig behavior, care, etc.
Adopt a Guinea Pig (or Two*)!
Right now, Southern California only
- SoCal Guinea Pig Rescue — Ventura, LA & Orange Counties
- Bunny Bunch — Montclair & Fountain Valley
- B.U.N.S. — Santa Barbara
- Wee Companions — San Diego
*Guinea pigs are social animals, so reputable rescues won’t adopt out single pigs unless if you are looking for a buddy for an existing one.
Buy Hay
Guinea pigs need hay 24/7 for dental care as well as digestion.
FYI, unless if you’re looking to give hay to a young guinea pig (under 6 months), you should be giving grass hay (like timothy or orchard), not alfalfa.
Some places you can buy hay in bulk:
- Your local feed store
- Small Pet Select
- KMS Hayloft
- (USA > CA >Ventura County area) VCAS Bunny Brigade
Find a Vet
You can’t just take a guinea pig to a normal dog/cat vet. Guinea pigs have very different biology, immune system, digestive system, etc. So a vet that is knowledgeable in “exotics” is needed.
If there are absolutely no vets in your area, see: Finding a Vet
But, wait! There’s More!
For more links, check out SCPGR’s resources & links page: