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Whether you chose just one guinea pig, females or males, rest assured that guinea pigs are wonderful, affectionate pets that you and your family will enjoy for a long time.
Determining A Guinea Pig’s Age
If you would like to know how old your new guinea pig is, you will need to weigh it. A young cavy that is between two and three months old will weigh 17-18 ounces while an adult will weigh between 24 and 42 ounces. Once a guinea pig has reached adulthood, it is almost impossible to tell exactly how old they are. The best age to buy a guinea pig is from five to six weeks old. An experienced rescue operator or breeder will easily locate an animal that is the right age for you. It is doubtful, however, that a pet store clerk will know the age of your guinea pig.
Chapter 4 – Buying Your Guinea Pig
Buying a new guinea pig, or any new pet for that matter can be an emotional experience. You see the adorable, sweet cavy in the pet store and you hurry back the next day ready to take it home. Before you write that check to the pet store, you might want to stop and consider the possibility of adopting your piggy from a guinea pig rescue, or purchasing your guinea pig from a breeder instead. (We like to especially encourage adoption from rescues, because there are so many guinea pigs without homes, and most rescue operators are very knowledgeable about guinea pigs … after all, they’ve usually chosen to sacrifice a great deal of time, money, and other resources without much hope of financial gain).
First of all, the bottom line at a pet store is profit. For this reason, pet stores are infamous for selling sick or pregnant animals. Many animal lovers charge that pet stores buy their guinea pigs from disreputable breeders who run the equivalent of “puppy mills.” Often, animal rights activists have accused pet store owners of selling guinea pigs as food for pet snakes etc. Pet stores bank on the fact that you just haven’t had the time to research exactly what an unhealthy guinea pig might look like. They make their money from whim purchases. Guinea pig enthusiasts know how disconcerting it can be to come home with one cavy and end up with thirteen a few weeks later. Their argument is that every time someone makes a purchase at a pet store, they are supporting irresponsible and even abusive treatment of animals.
Guinea Pigs Previous Page (7)
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