CONTENTS Your guinea pig from head to tail 4 6 Guinea pig breeds 8 Choosing your guinea pig 10 Home comforts 12 Get to know your guineas 14 Guinea pig grub 16 Day-to-day care 18 Health and safety 20 Guinea pig behavior 22 Communication 24 Training 26 Fun and games 28 Guinea pig quiz 30 Quiz answers 31 Learning more 32 Glossary Index
YOUR GUINEA PIG FROM HEAD TO TAIL Spanish sailors brought guinea pigs to Europe from South America in the 16th century At the time they were so expensive only wealthy people could afford them Thanks to their gentle friendly nature guinea pigs have become popular pets around the world Ears Excellent hearing helps guinea pigs to identify predators before they come into view Legs Guinea pig legs aren’t very strong and they break easily so don’t let your pet fall or jump from any height Feet Sharp claws help wild guinea pigs to climb mountainsides and walk on difficult ground 4
Eyes Guinea pigs large eyes are high on the sides of their head so they can see predators coming from all directions but they can’t see right in front of their nose Brain Guinea pigs have a very good memory for pathways leading to food sources Whiskers Sensitive whiskers help guinea pigs to find their way in the dark and to detect food and other objects in the blind spot in front of their nose Teeth Like all rodents a guinea pig's front teeth will continually grow They spend most of their time chewing though which wears the teeth down Nose Guinea pigs have a good sense of smell and recognize their companions and owners by their scent GUINEA PIG FACTS Guinea pigs usually live for five to eight years but a British guinea pig named Snowball died at the age of 14 years and 10 months The proper name for a guinea pig is a cavy No one knows how they got their common name because they don’t come from Guinea Africa and they are not related to pigs 5
