Take our quick quiz …

  • Guinea pigs are sociable animals and need well matched company. Are you prepared to look after more than one guinea pig? The Animal Welfare Act 2007 recommends that guinea pigs are kept with their own kind.
  • Are you able to afford vet fees when needed? Whilst there is assistance with fees this is for nominated vets which may not include a guinea pig savvy vet. A consultation fee alone in Reading is over £25 to a guinea pig competent vet. It is a false economy to go elsewhere.
  • Guinea pigs need fresh food twice daily and hay 24 hours a day as well as bedding etc. Can you afford the weekly expenditure on food and bedding?
  • Can you provide a safe and spacious living area for your guinea pig? Often this is overlooked and the family cat/kitten/pup/dog terrorises the guinea pig until a choice between which will be kept has to be made.
  • Can you provide daily exercise for your guinea pig? During good weather this can be outside but for most of the year exercise will be inside, this is where cavy caging from www.guineapigcages.com come into their own.
  • Will you be able to provide a home for the rest of guinea’s life? Guinea pigs live on average from 4-6 years but it is becoming more common to see 8 and 9 year old guinea pigs.
  • Can you arrange care for your guineapigs when you go away? Christmas and Easter are particularly difficult times because they are bank holidays when everyone is on holiday. During the school holidays boarding piggeries get booked up very quickly- book your guinea’s holiday before you book yours!
  • We recommend bathing guinea pigs every 4-6 wheeks with Gorgeous Guineas shampoo, are you commited enough to do this?

If you cannot answer ‘yes’ honestly to all these questions then consider whether or not a guinea is the right pet for you.  In 2008 RGPR rehomed 46 guineas (and still had others available for rehoming at the end of the year). Many were brought to us because the commitment needed for keeping guineas wasn’t made clear to their owners when they were bought.

From April 2007 the law has changed and you now have a legal obligation to look after your pet.

Bertha and her Mum Sweet Harmony were part of a group that were dumped and left to die in January 2008. They were found and caught by passers by and handed in to the RSPCA. Bertha and her Mum have have now found their Forever home.