Now most people have Pets, from dogs and cats to snakes and spiders. And now the question arises before you: what kind of pet to get?
For a dog, the apartment may be small (and dwarf breeds are quite expensive), there may be an allergy to cat hair, but I want to have a little fluffy friend nearby, whose care will not take much time and it will be interesting to play and watch with the animal him (with fish, for example, you can’t play).
In this case, as a pet is ideal decorative guinea pig. After all, caring for them is quite simple, and they do not need a lot of space, a spacious cage is enough. The cost of food for a guinea pig will also not go much, because all of its food is plant-based.
This little pet will get along well with other household inhabitants, if any. Therefore, you need to monitor them more carefully, because, for example, a cat can seriously harm the health of a new pet.
HOW LONG CAN YOU LIVE?
On average, a decorative guinea pig can live 8-10 years old. But, of course, it all depends on you. From how you will care for her and what to feed. There were even cases when the pet lived up to 15 years.
These animals are quite active, so at least once a day they should be released for a walk around the house (of course, under your strict guidance).
It should be remembered that wild guinea pigs in their habitat quickly run away and burrow somewhere, noticing the danger. These instincts are also present in domestic pigs, so due to excessive noise or something else, it will take quite a long time to find them. Don't lose your pets and they will live happily ever after.
First of all, they need to provide place to live. The most comfortable option for them would be a spacious cage with good ventilation, approximately 30 * 40 cm in size.
At the bottom of this cage, you need to pour sawdust (about 2-3 cm), which are sold at any pet store. You need to change them about 2-3 times a week. Do not take newspapers as sawdust. These animals do not tolerate heat and sub-zero temperatures, so the room should always be warm enough, but in no case stuffy or hot.
Important is the presence house for the guinea pig. Any design you come up with or a purchased “shelter” will do. It is very important for guinea pigs to have a place where they can hide when needed. The absence of such a place can lead to severe fear, stress, which affects their life expectancy.
In the cage you need to install a special drinker for rodents with a ball, also sold at any pet store. It should be changed once a day, but the volume of such drinkers provides that you have the opportunity to go somewhere for a few days.
1-2 times a year, pigs need to cut their claws with special scissors or tongs, but do this very carefully, because if you do it the wrong way, a bleeding wound may appear. This is necessary because, unlike wild breeds, domestic guinea pigs have nowhere to sharpen their claws. For prevention, you can install a scratching post.
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To make the life of your little pets more interesting and varied, you can buy them various tunnels and labyrinths, but you should not use too difficult and high ones, as these animals have short legs.
Another tip for keeping such pets is keeping them in pairs. You can do without this, but then you should remember that the owner will have to give his animal enough a lot of attention because guinea pigs need to communicate. With its lack, the pigs begin to worry, which leads to a decrease in life expectancy.
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Don't take your guinea pig to the couch unless it's under constant supervision, as it could fall over and cause injury.
WHAT TO FEED?
The life expectancy of your pet depends to a large extent on nutrition. Choosing a diet for a guinea pig is very simple, because they are herbivores. They eat various fruits, grass, hay(helps grind teeth and promotes good digestion) special food, etc. But at the same time, certain proportions must be observed:
- 60% of the diet should be special food for guinea pigs, because it already contains all those components that have useful substances necessary for the life of pets.
- 20% hay, grass, crackers (not to be confused with store-bought crackers that are sold for people. It's best to dry them yourself, or again, a pet store will come to the rescue).
- 20% vegetables and fruits.
Of course, there are things that guinea pigs should not eat:
- any products of animal origin except milk and cottage cheese.
- red cabbage (even though guinea pigs are big fans of cabbage in general).
- sweets.
- various fruits and berries that did not have time to ripen or, on the contrary, overripe.
- spoiled and damp food (check them carefully before giving them to your pet).
Need to feed the pigs 2-3 times a day(depending on individual characteristics). Serving size is approximately 2-3 tablespoons. Guinea pigs need vitamin C, which they can only get from food. Vitamin C should be given to pigs at the rate of 1 mg per 1 ml of water. This solution must be changed every day.
If you keep all these rules in mind and follow them, your guinea pig can become a new long-lived record holder!
DO THEY NEED A VET?
Here, too, there are no particular difficulties, because these pets very rarely get sick with viral diseases, they do not need vaccinations. However, they can pick up various intestinal infections.
To protect them from this, you need to let them out for a walk only on a clean surface, carefully monitor the health of animals (if any) that are in contact with them. For complete peace of mind, you can show your guinea pig every 3-4 months to the veterinarian.
Domestic guinea pigs are ideal pets for those who do not have time to devote much attention to dogs and cats, but still want to have a little furry friend.
This option is also suitable for quite busy people, because caring for pigs is very simple, which even a child can handle. Of course, you want your pet to live a long and happy life, but in many ways it depends on you! Simple rules that you will follow as you care for pigs promise your pets longevity.
Interesting fact: many people ask: why is the guinea pig so called? After all, it has nothing to do with either one or the other. This animal comes from America (from across the sea), which means it is marine. She was called a pig because sometimes she makes characteristic sounds of grunting, just like a real pig.
If you have any questions, leave them below - we will answer you!
There is a stereotype that the life span of an animal depends on its size: the smaller the animal, the shorter its carefree life. However, guinea pigs can live for more than 10 years.
Where does a guinea pig live longer - in the wild or in a cage
This is an encyclopedic question with no definitive answer for 3 reasons:
- life span depends not only on living conditions: heredity and accidents affect in the same way as the conditions of detention and the presence of enemies in the wild;
- a caring owner can extend the duration of existence due to the good care;
- in the wild, there is a natural selection of guinea pigs: there are individuals who get sick less, run away faster and adapt better.
Parents who buy a pet for their children are interested in how long guinea pigs live at home, because the pain of losing a beloved pet is the strongest stress for a child. Life expectancy depends on the breed and care.
How long do guinea pigs of different breeds live
Animals of different breeds live a different number of years. Breeds formed in the wild went through natural selection: only the strongest individuals survived. Therefore, such rodents live up to 10-12 years.
We offer to compare the life expectancy of different breeds of guinea pigs using the table:
How to prolong the life of a guinea pig
It is generally accepted that those varieties of guinea pigs, which were bred in a selective way, live less. The reason is that breeders were not interested in the health of their pets, but in the length, texture of the coat, its color - aesthetic characteristics. But numerous owners are willing to argue, because the duration of life depends not only on heredity:
- Conditions of detention: bald animals can live for ten years due to careful care: if the owner monitors the air temperature, then there is less risk of getting sick from hypothermia or heat stroke. The litter is regularly changed and the cage is washed out - the probability of infectious, viral diseases is reduced.
- Nutrition: a balanced diet is important so that the pig does not lose weight and does not get fat. You also need to take into account the characteristics of the breed and the time of year. Hairless guinea pigs need food to maintain their body temperature, so cereals are important. The beauty of long and curled hair depends on vitamins - emphasis on vegetables. In winter, the animals need more energy, so they are fed more densely. In summer, the density of the diet is reduced by 10-15%: food is digested longer due to the fact that the pets are warm.
- Diseases: the danger is not in the diseases themselves - it is important to notice the first symptoms in a timely manner. Therefore, close contact with the guinea pig, games and stroking help to determine in time that the animal is ill.
There is a lot of information on the net that the life record of a guinea pig is 15 years. But nothing is said at all about how this was done. And the whole secret is that she was scrupulously looked after. Do you want your guinea pig to live longer? - Bookmark this site so that useful articles are always at hand.
Parting with a pet is a difficult but irreversible moment, therefore, before acquiring an animal, it is important to understand how many years it has been given by nature, and how much can be added from above in the form of a bonus by independent efforts.
Our article will tell you how long guinea pigs live at home, what factors affect age indicators, and also explain how to extend the life of an animal and how to convert a rodent's age into a human.
Unlike other rodents that live 2-3 years, guinea pigs are considered long-lived, which bribes future owners.
Small animals that originated in the countries of South America gained popularity around the world after the visit of Europeans who transported them to other continents. Numerous selection works, which made it possible to develop new species, reduced the natural life span. able to live up to 10 years. In this case, the duration entirely depends on the external environmental conditions (climate, predators), therefore, it can be 5 times lower.
At home, guinea pigs live from 5 to 7 years.
The life span depends on many factors, most of which are determined.
IMPORTANT! The age record was set by an English rodent, slightly short of the mark of 15 years (it lacked 2 months).
Influence of interbreed differences
Among the factors affecting the life span of guinea pigs is the breed (although of all the reasons it plays the least role).
Existing varieties can be divided into 3 large groups.
Longhair
Abyssinian guinea pig Such pets require careful grooming and average life is about 5-6 years. These include:
- . It differs by the maximum length of the hairs and the obligatory bangs that cover the eyes.
- . The bizarre growth of wool is characterized by a multidirectional arrangement, forming curls with clear boundaries ("rosettes"). For animals performing at exhibitions, the number of these curls is important (the owner of a smaller number loses).
- Sheltie. It is similar to the Peruvian, but has a kind of comb on the head (the fur is located in the opposite direction).
- Coronet. The long-haired result of crossing Sheltie and Crested, which stands out with a “crown” of wool.
Shorthair
American guinea pig Owners of short hair are distinguished by a wide color palette, do not require complex care and able to live up to 8 years. These include:
- Crested. Woolen white "rosette" on the head takes the form of a "crown".
- American. One of the most popular types of animal with short hair. The classic version with a smooth, shiny coat that does not have "rosettes" or "crowns".
- Texel. The hairs have a curly structure and are prone to frequent tangles, therefore, they require more thorough care than other representatives of this group.
- Himalayan. A rare breed with a unique color of the Siamese cat. Despite the lack of official recognition, the coloring gained popularity, which affected the final cost.
- Royal ("rex"). It does not have guard hairs, but has dense and elastic fur.
- . The thick fur coat has chocolate or light sand colors and consists of hard hairs.
Hairless
skinny guinea pigs Deduced by the work of dermatologists, live for about 5 years (in rare cases, the mark reaches 8). These include:
- Skinny. Wool is present only on the paws and muzzle.
- Baldwin. They have elastic skin, devoid of hair follicles. A newborn animal is distinguished by the presence of a fur coat that disappears a couple of months after its birth.
Among those presented, short-haired ones live longer, which is explained by the ease of care and the absence of specific gene diseases.
IMPORTANT! It is worth giving the position to the breeders. Thanks to painstaking work, they were able to achieve an increase in the average life expectancy of hairless breeds. Initially, such pets were distinguished by weak immunity, reducing the maximum age to the level of other small rodents (hamsters, rats).
Factors affecting life expectancy
How long a guinea pig lives depends not only on its breed. The final figure is made up of a number of other more important factors.
The cage for a guinea pig should not be high, but wide At home, the animal is constrained in activity, so it is important to support and stimulate its physical activity. For this you will need:
- or a terrarium (40x30cm for 1 pig), providing freedom of movement;
- a set of structures for games (tunnels, bags, socks and other popular toys), which brings not only physical, but also moral satisfaction;
- periodic walking, allowing you to stretch your legs over a larger area at home or on the street.
Care
For the health of your pet, it is important to monitor:
- the condition of his coat, preventing the formation of tangles, loss of color and loss;
- the number of baths, resorting to washing only when necessary and using special hypoallergenic shampoos (be sure to dry the animal with a hairdryer after bathing to avoid hypothermia);
- the quality of the litter, avoiding dubious or unsuitable fillers according to individual criteria;
- the health of the eyes and ears, cleaning them of accumulated dirt and checking their general condition;
- the length of the teeth, filed by the veterinarian as needed (excessive length can be fatal due to starvation);
- claws, shortening them with a nail cutter in case of impossibility of self-grinding;
- temperature conditions during swimming (not<32°) и в обычное время (18°-22°, а для бесшерстных пород – от 22° до 24°).
Received heredity
The only factor that should be taken for granted, because it will not be possible to change the genetic code.
Diet
Food rich in all the necessary vitamins helps to prolong the life of a small pet. Rodents are not able to independently generate vitamin C, so they need additional preparations. The daily diet should include:
- – 60%;
- branches of fruit trees, crackers, hay - 20%;
- fruits and vegetables - 20%.
General health
A strong immune system does not need to be vaccinated, so it is enough to monitor alarming symptoms that require medical diagnosis:
- lethargic state;
- shortness of breath, wheezing, shortness of breath;
- stool disorder;
- the appearance of alopecia and ulcers;
- convulsive seizures;
- loss of appetite, constant thirst or, conversely, refusal of water;
- extraneous discharge from the sinuses and eyes;
- sticking of wool in the abdomen;
Compliance with all conditions will help improve the quality of life of the animal, which will positively affect the final figure of its age.
Note that in old age, coming after 6 years of age, pigs need more care and more reverent care. Age-related problems with teeth and a decrease in the immune system require a revision of the diet and an increase in the amount of vitamins.
Table of age of guinea pigs by human standards
Breeders do not recommend purchasing rodents older than 2 years of age. In this case, it is difficult to deal with existing problems. With a small pet, the system is built gradually, so its foundation is laid directly by the owner. Any health problems are the responsibility of the owner (except genetic problems).
IMPORTANT! You can check the correspondence between the declared by the seller and the real age of the animal using. Monthly animal weighs about 0.5 kg. At 1 year and 3 months, the maximum rates reach 1 kg in females and 2 kg in males, and the minimum - 0.7 kg and 1 kg, respectively.
Due to the rapid development of a pet, 1 year of his life in relation to a person is about 10-15 years. Let's consider how many years you can give a guinea pig if you keep score by human standards using the example of the following table.
| Guinea pig age (years) | Human age (years) |
| 0.04 (2 weeks) | 0.52 (approximately 6 months) |
| 0,5 | 6,5 |
| 2 | 26 |
| 5 | 65 |
| 7 | 91 |
* 13 years were used as a calculated indicator (as an average of the possible options). The figures are approximate and require individual calculations.
The guinea pig, or cavia, can be seen in many homes. This pet takes up little space, is quite easy to care for and is not picky about the diet. How long guinea pigs live in captivity depends on how well they are cared for and what to feed, what living conditions to create and how to maintain health.
What determines life expectancy
A domesticated rodent with a funny appearance in the wild can live no more than 8 years. Most often, the life expectancy of guinea pigs, which is affected by the presence of life-threatening enemies in the natural environment, malnutrition and infectious diseases transmitted by wild rodents, does not exceed 5 years.
In captivity at home, guinea pigs live much longer with proper care and good nutrition - on average up to 15 years.
Cases have been recorded when a domestic rodent lives for 20-25 years.
Among the main factors affecting how many years guinea pigs live:
- breed line,
- genetic diseases,
- dietary compliance,
- complete care, maintenance of the immune system with vitamin complexes,
- timely contacting a veterinarian for qualified help in case of emerging health problems,
- adherence to the vaccination schedule,
- rational breeding use.
The choice of a pet will be advisable from competent professional breeders who will provide an opportunity to get acquainted with the family tree of previous generations. This will allow you to find out about the predisposition of the breed line to genetically transmitted diseases, which sellers in a regular pet store will not be able to tell about.
Breed influence
Modern breeders have bred more than 80 varieties of cavia, each of which, in the process of breeding, undergoes the procedure of crossing with its relatives. This process does not always positively affect the quality of rodents' health and often perpetuates unnecessary genetic diseases for them, which affect how long a guinea pig lives.
Hairless
A bred rodent, deprived of its coat in the process of crossing, is included in the main risk group and lives the least and delights its owners in terms of life expectancy. Together with the fixed external signs in the selection process within one species, these hairless rodents received weakened immunity and do not live long.
In the first hairless cavia, in rare cases, the years of life reached an average of 4 years.
The maximum number of years that a hairless cavia lives does not exceed 6 years, and this is subject to all the basic rules for keeping and caring for a rodent.
Woolen cavia
Those breeds, the skin of which is covered with protective hair, live much longer than the years of life of hairless relatives. So:
- fastidious to care and prone to various diseases, Abyssinians and Curlies are able to live up to 7 years,
- smooth-haired representatives of the Dalmatian and satin lines will please the owners for eight years,
- Agoutis, Peruvians, Rex, Alpacas, with excellent health, along with Teddies and Selfies, live the longest in many cases, ready to celebrate 10-year anniversaries.
Influence of diseases
How long the cavia can live in your home, even if it belongs to the long-lived breed, largely depends on the diseases carried by the rodent. The most dangerous diseases that threaten the life and health of a small pet:
Most of the above diseases are provoked by improper maintenance and improper care of the rodent and appear in many cases due to oversight of the condition of the animal and a violation of the diet.
Common at first sight rodent health disorders can shorten the life span of a guinea pig, depending on subsequent complications and the severity of the disease, from one to three years.
Among the frequent causes of death of rodents are injuries they receive due to jumps, falls, or due to careless handling of household members. Even if the animal can be saved, the anesthesia it undergoes during surgical interventions shortens the actual period that the cavia could have lived.
Impact of content quality
Cell
For home living, cavia will need a fairly spacious cage, which is placed away from radiators and heaters, where there is no access to direct sunlight. Even if the cage of the animal is quite large, it needs daily walking, as active movement favorably affects the balanced work of all organs of the animal.
In the warm summer months, fresh air is good for kawias. Caring owners walk their wards on special harnesses.
Temperature
An important factor in keeping a rodent to increase its life expectancy is the ambient temperature and the absence of drafts. Too cool room and the wind walking in the walls of the apartment can cause colds and deterioration in the health of your rodent.
It is especially important to maintain the necessary warmth for breeds devoid of wool. In the room where the cage with the rodent is located, there should be at least 22 '- 25 '.
Humidity
Excessive dryness of the air adversely affects the quality of the skin of hairless cavia, causing peeling and cracking, and affects the condition of the coat of other breeds, making it dull and leading to unseasonal molting.
Excessive humidity also adversely affects the health of a pet, as it leads to the development of fungal skin diseases.
Vaccinations
Compliance with the vaccination schedule for immune-weak breeds is one of the preventive measures on which the health of the rodent and, accordingly, its life expectancy largely depends. However, some breeds are able to resist various diseases, and the owners are in no hurry to vaccinate, providing their pets with sufficient proper care.
For healthy breeds, it will be enough to perform treatment against fleas and ticks and carry out prophylaxis against intestinal infections.
Bathing
Taking warm baths and frequent water procedures is a real stress for a guinea pig. Therefore, if you want your pet to live as long as possible, try to wash your rodent as little as possible, it is better not to do this at all. In addition, after a forced bath, the coat of a guinea pig needs to be dried thoroughly, and this is quite difficult, but necessary, since the risk of a cold will remain.
Influence of food
How long a guinea pig will live in your home also depends on what you feed it. A balanced menu, which should include complete nutritional components, helps to live a long time without diseases and health disorders.
When planning a nutritious diet for your rodent, it is worth remembering that guinea pigs are herbivorous rodents.
What to exclude
You can extend the healthy life of your rodent by excluding from its menu:
- all dairy products
- all meat and fish products, as well as poultry,
- sweet and fatty, salty and spicy.
A popular pet, the guinea pig or cavia, is found in many homes. Animals are bought for children, they are bred for exhibitions and shows, as a hobby. Some breeders get so used to their furry pet that sudden death becomes a real blow and shock. To minimize grief and loss, you need to know both how many years guinea pigs live and what influences their lifespan.
The guinea pig is a rodent domesticated millennia ago, distinguished by its funny appearance, good-natured character, intelligence, sociability and good health. They are unpretentious in content, do not create problems at home and take up very little space. The average weight of an adult rarely exceeds a kilogram.
Wild pigs live no more than 8 years, but most often no more than five. This is due to the presence of predators, problems with feed and diseases.
In captivity, the animals live much longer, up to 15 years. There are cases when kavia lived 20 and even 25 years. However, many factors determine how long a guinea pig lives at home. Among them:
- Breed,
- The presence of diseases
- Genetics,
- Proper feeding
- tribal use,
- Proper care.
- The influence of breed on life span
Today, breeders have received more than 80 breeds of Cavia. Breeds differ in appearance, color, character, human orientation, coat or lack of it. Many people think that this is where the differences end.
However, there is another important point - it depends on the breed and how long the animal will live.
For fewer years, hairless guinea pigs will please their owner. They were obtained by long crossing within the same type, as a result of which not only a recognizable appearance was fixed, but also weak immunity. The first animals rarely lived to be four years old, but today, thanks to the partial infusion of the blood of ordinary pigs, their life expectancy has increased to six years. However, in order for the skinny to live a long life, he needs constant certain conditions of detention. The temperature in the room where the cage is located should not be less than + 22 and more than + 25 degrees. The skin of the animal is equally susceptible to both cold and heat. Too dry air can cause peeling and cracking of the skin, while too humid air leads to the appearance of fungi, lichen and other skin diseases.
The life expectancy of guinea pigs of the Abyssinian and Curly breeds is also not large and is about 7 years. This is also due to the genetics and characteristics of animal breeding. They are quite demanding in care and are often prone to various diseases. Smooth-haired satin and dalmatian guinea pigs will please their owner for about eight years.
Peruvians, as well as teddies, selfies, agoutis, rex and alpacas, are distinguished by good health and unpretentiousness and live much longer - from 10 years.
The impact of disease on life expectancy
How long guinea pigs live at home is directly related to their health. The most common problems and diseases that threaten the life of the animal include:
It is much easier to avoid the disease than to treat it. Most diseases are manifested as a result of improper feeding or violation of quarantine and maintenance conditions. Often, the cause of the death of a young animal is an injury received as a result of a jump, fall, or careless handling of the owner. If the guinea pig is properly monitored and cared for, then the animal will live a long time.
At the first symptoms of malaise, you should immediately consult a doctor, and not self-medicate.
Only an experienced specialist, based on the results of the tests, can make a correct diagnosis and offer treatment options for the disease.
Influence of conditions of detention on life span
You should also avoid any water procedures. Bathing for Cavia is a big stress. Another disadvantage is that the fur of the animal dries out for a very long time and there is a big risk of catching a cold.
Proper nutrition
For a long and happy life, an animal needs a balanced and nutritious diet. It should be remembered that the guinea pig is a herbivore. Most of the diet should consist of vegetable and fresh food: fruits, vegetables, fresh grass and hay, branches of trees and shrubs, sprouted grains, root crops. There are special dry foods for cavia, but you need to be careful with them.
Some breeds of guinea pigs are prone to obesity and the use of such food will lead to many problems.
It is also worth remembering what you can not feed guinea pigs:
- Any dairy products
- Any meat products
- Any fish products
- Any bird
- sweet food,
- fatty food,
- Very salty food
- Very spicy food
- Any dry food not intended for guinea pigs.
genetic predisposition
It is best to buy a guinea pig in a nursery. There you can see the conditions of keeping the animal, and get competent advice from the breeder, and view the pedigree of the animal. If the ancestors of the guinea pig lived for a long time, then the animal of interest has every chance to live for quite a few years. Another plus is that in the nursery you can make sure that there are no genetic diseases. Sellers in pet stores do not have information about the origin of the animal, as well as other nuances.
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