Cavy Facts!* Guinea pigs are very social animals that like to live within the safety of small groups. For this reason they should be housed with at least one friend, more if possible, for companionship.
* Guinea pigs can be bought from many places including reputable pet shops, breeders and rescue centres.
* Groups of cavies should be single-sex to prevent any unwanted offspring. You can easily keep two boars or two sows together. Litter-brothers always get on well together, as do two boars from separate litters if put together at weaning age, and, some adult boars will be able to be paired up with a baby.
* There are many different breeds of cavy to choose from, although they may not all be easy to find! If you want a pure bred one then you will have to look for a breeder of that type as pet shops will generally only have cross breeds for sale. Breeds include: Abyssinian, Agouti, Crested, Coronet, Dutch, Himalayan, Peruvian, Rex, Satin, Standard Self and Sheltie.
* Rare breeds include: Alpaca, Dalmation, Harlequin, Magpie, Roan, Merino and Texel.
* Guinea pigs can be housed either outside in the garden, in a sheltered shed/outhouse/summerhouse, or as a house guinea pig. They are susceptible to the cold, damp and draughts which can be fatal.They must always have hay available in whatever you choose to house them in.
* Guinea pigs are herbivores and therefore only eat vegetable matter.
* Guinea pigs should never be housed with a rabbit. This is because they must not be fed prepared rabbits mixes containing ACS as this poisons their internal organs, Rabbits don't speak the same language, a rabbit can cause serious damage to a guinea pig which can be fatal, and rabbits cannot eat as much fruit and veg as a cavy as it makes them ill.
* Not all vets are very knowledgeable about guinea pigs so it is worth looking around before you need to use one. The Cambridge Cavy Trust have changed the way that many vets veiw the treatment of cavies through research. They are based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
* Guinea pigs are very vocal and use a range of vocalization to communicate with. The vocalization includes purring, squeaking and the throat moan among others.
