So we reached 100 posts, and we’e pretttyyy pleased about that!

So what better way (ok, there are better ways!) to celebrate than to summarise all 100 posts into 100 guinea pig facts to look back at the content that has been covered.

Its a lonnnng list so if you get bored, you know what to do.

But hopefully it gives a bit of insight as to what else is on the site and maybe pick up a few more useful pieces of info about our beloved furry friends

 

So here goes counting up 100 guinea pig facts….

1. It is very easy to underfeed guinea pigs. If you get a new guinea pig that is thin and limp, its a bad sign that it has been underfed. It should be nicely rounded.

Check out more at  10 things you need to check for when getting a Guinea Pig

2. Its never good for guinea pigs to live alone. They much prefer to be with others.

See more at How Many Guinea Pigs Should I Get?

3. Did you know that a guinea pig can live as long as 8 years?

See more interesting facts at 10 Basic Facts to Introduce You to Guinea Pigs

4. Rabbits and guinea pigs don’t live well together.

Check out Can Guinea Pigs and Rabbits Live Together? For more info.

5. Guinea pig’s nails need to be trimmed regularly otherwise they will curl into the footpad.

More information on how to look at piggies nails at Guinea Pig Nail Care.

6. There are many different things that can be used as a carry box to take a new guinea pig home, not just a cage. 

Check them out at Bringing Home a Guinea Pig: 5 Ideas for a Carrier

7. A guinea pig needs about 7.5 square foot of space to run around in at a minimum.

This comes from Bringing Home a Guinea Pig: Arriving Home.

8. Never pick a guinea pig up by the scruff of the neck.

For more info on how to handle a piggie for the first time see Bringing Home a Guinea Pig: Settling the Guinea Pig In.

9.Guinea pigs need their nails cut on a monthly basis.

For a more detailed guide see Trimming Guinea Pigs Nails: A Step by Step Guide

10. Guinea pig’s can eat strawberries but not too much of them.

This came from Can Guinea Pigs Eat Strawberries?

 

Well done, 90 to go. Here’s another 10 great things we found out about guinea pigs…. Here goes

 

11. Before adding a guinea pig to a pack, a period of quarantine is often quite useful.

For more info check out Guinea Pig Quarantine: How to introduce it to its new pack

12 Guinea pigs can eat celery but too much will give them diarrehea.

This came from Can guinea pigs eat celery?

13. Never feed your guinea pig seeded grapes, as they could choke on them.

You can read more about grapes and guinea pigs at Can Guinea pigs eat grapes?

14. By preference, guinea pigs would rather hang out in shaded areas.

You can read more about this at Can guinea pigs see?

15. If you let your guinea pigs run around your home, put them back in the cage after 15 mins as they will start to poop.

This came from Handling guinea pigs for the first time

16. A guinea pig will tend to reach full growth after 14 months.

See  Guinea Pig Size: How They Develop Through The Age Ranges for more info.

17. A guinea pig’s water supply needs to be replenished daily.

For more info check out A Guide to Ensuring Your Guinea Pig Never Goes Thirsty

18. A baby guinea pig is called a pup.

This came from 50 Fun Facts About Guinea Pigs for Kids

19. Guinea pigs can eat bananas, but too many will give them tummy ache.

For more info check out Can guinea pigs eat bananas?

20. Cherries can be eaten by guinea pigs, but too many will give them digestion issues.

We wrote about this at Can Guinea Pigs Eat Cherries?

 

Only 80 more facts about guinea pigs to go…..how about another 10?

 

21. There is nothing wrong with giving your guinea pig lychees just don’t give them a lot and not often.

For more info check out Can Guinea Pigs eat Lychees?

22. What isn’t good for the guinea pig, is the light green cream which is found in the avocado which causes  the intestines to slow down because it is high in fat.

We wrote about that here at Can Guinea Pigs Eat Avocados?

23. Tarragon is high in calcium so don’t feed it to piggies that often.

Check out more info at Can Guinea Pigs Eat Tarragon?

24. Guinea pigs shouldn’t be in temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius even if they have bedding and other warm paper or cloth around them.

You can read more about this at Guinea Pigs and Cold Weather.

25. Watercress contains a good amount of vitamin c and so gives them some much needed vitamin c supplement.

We wrote about this at Can Guinea Pigs Eat Watercress?

26. Most guinea pigs do live together in two’s and three’s.

We wrote more about that at Putting Two Guinea Pigs Together In 7 Steps

27. Timothy Hay helps digestion of guinea pigs as it is very fibrous.

Check out more info at What is Timothy Hay? 24 Facts and Benefits

28. Although they are high in water content, watermelon’s are not so bad for piggies. Feeding them every other day should be fine.

We wrote about that here Can Guinea Pigs eat Watermelon?

29.  Cucumbers are great for guinea pigs to eat. Guinea pigs absolutely adore them.

Check out more at Can Guinea Pigs eat Cucumbers?

30. Mango is great for guinea pigs to eat. Its got a high vitamin c content, but also to bear in mind is that it is very high in sugar.

We wrote about that at Can Guinea Pigs Eat Mango?

 

image wikipedia

We’ve reached 30 guinea pig facts….70 to go….

 

31. Putting two male guinea pigs together is never an easy thing to do.

Check out an experience here What Happens When Two Male Guinea Pigs Don’t Get On?

32. Red bell peppers are awesome for guinea pigs to eat.

Check out more here Can Guinea Pigs Eat Red Peppers?

33. When two male guinea pigs aren’t getting on at first, it is worth persisting.

We wrote about that here How Do I Get My Two Guinea Pigs To Get Along?

34. Guinea pigs and hamsters should be kept well apart and not lived together.

Check out this post 6 Reasons Why Hamsters and Guinea Pigs Can’t Live Together

35. Cantaloupe seeds are not good for guinea pigs as they can easily choke on them and cause them difficulties.

A lot more info about that can be found at Can Guinea Pigs eat Cantaloupe Melon?

36. Did you know most types of apple are fine for piggies?

Check out more info at Can Guinea Pigs eat Apples?

37. Tinned sweetcorn contains a lot of salt so is not good for guinea pigs. So steer clear.

We wrote about this at Can Guinea Pigs Eat Corn?

38. Wherever you have a guinea pig run, make sure you put somewhere for the guinea pig to retreat to such as a cardboard box.

Check out more info at 8 Different Ideas For a Guinea Pig Run

39. When feeding a guinea pig orange, It is best to cut the orange into thin slices so that they are easy for the guinea pig to digest.

We wrote more about oranges and guinea pigs at Can Guinea Pigs Eat Oranges?

40. Guinea pigs can eat kiwi fruit just not too much! Kinda like humans really.

Check out more at Can Guinea Pigs Eat Kiwi Fruit?

60 more fab piggie facts to go….

 

41. Did you know that a guinea pig’s diet should be made at of at least 75% hay?

Check out our Oxbow Western Timothy Hay Review

42. Don’t put Timothy hay down for them to lay on, instead put in a rack or a holder of some sort.

Check out our free alternative here A Free Guinea Pig Hay Holder Alternative

43. Yellow bell peppers are great for guinea pigs to eat. They can be fed to piggies daily if you wanted.

From Can guinea pigs eat yellow peppers?

44. Did you know that guinea pigs can swim, but don’t particularly like it much?

We discovered that here at Can guinea pigs swim?

45. Anything dairy will make a guinea ill. This is because they are lactose intolerant.

Find out more at Can guinea pigs eat cheese?

46. Guinea pigs love company, mostly other guinea pigs but humans as well.

From Can guinea pigs live alone?

47. They don’t like cold weather at all. It is best to bringthem in when the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius.

A lot more can be found about this at Getting ready for guinea pig winter care

48. It is much better to have two guinea pigs rather than just one, as they love having others to hang out with.

From Why one guinea pig is not enough

49. Carrots are the guinea pig version of chocolate. They love them but they do contain a lot of sugar, so not too many of you may well get a fat piggie.

We found about carrots at Can guinea pigs eat Carrots?

 

and we’ve reached half way. Here’s to the next 50!

 

50. Guinea pigs are partial to pears but do throw away the stem and the core.

From Can guinea pigs eat Pears?

51. The Rex guinea pig is a main classified breed that has dense wooly hair that stands up on end and large droopy ears.

We discovered more about the Rex at 14 facts to help you get to know the Rex guinea pig

52. Clementines are food that guinea pigs can eat, but don’t let them have too many.

From Can guinea pigs eat clementines?

53. The skinny guinea pig came about as a result of testing and an animal laboratory in France in 1978.

From A brief guide to skinny guinea pigs

54. The best way for guinea pigs to eat cauliflower is raw. Don’t give them cooked cauliflower.

Discover more at Can guinea pigs at cauliflower?

55. Too much cabbage can bloat a guinea pig.

We found this out at can guinea pigs eat green cabbage?

56. Guinea pigs can eat bread but it gives them no nutritional benefit.

Check out more at can guinea pigs eat bread?

 

57. Piggies love to eat grass, but do watch for any chemicals like oil in it.

We discovered this at Can guinea pigs eat grass?

58. Putting a hot water bottle in cage is a great way of keeping a guinea pig warm, just make sure it’s done safely.

From 18 ways to keep a guinea pig warm

59. When a guinea pig is relaxed it will stretch out and purr.

From The sounds of guinea pigs and what they mean

60. One of the most amazing things about guinea pigs is that they ‘popcorn’ which means they jump out when they are excited.

From 11 Reasons why guinea pigs make great pets

 

Only 40 more facts about guinea pigs to go…..

 

61. Giving a guinea pig a run, really adds to their quality of life. But make sure you give your piggies somewhere to retreat to.

We discovered more about runs here

62. The Himalayan guinea pig is known as the siamese cat of the guinea pig world.

We discovered more about the Himalayan guinea pig and why they are so great

63. Did you know that guinea pigs can eat raisins, but only in very small amounts?

We found that out in this post about guinea pigs and raisins

64. Zucchini is a veggie that is great for piggies to eat and can be fed to them regularly.

We found this out at can guinea pigs eat zucchini?

65. A great starter guinea pig is the Agouti guinea pig, as it doesn’t take much grooming.

We got to know more about the Agouti here

66. Never let your guinea pigs anywhere near wild mushrooms

We loved learning here about whether guinea pigs can eat mushrooms

67. Sheltie guinea pigs were first bred in the United Kingdom, and are also known as Silkies.

We discovered more about the beloved Sheltie here

68. Kohlrabi is a great veggie for piggies to eat containing a terrific amount of vitamin c.

We found out what a Kohlrabi is and whether piggies could eat it.

69. Bell peppers of any colour can be fed to piggies on a daily basis.

We loved finding out more about bell peppers 

70. Almonds are food to keep away from piggies.

From can guinea pigs eat almonds?

 

30 more to go……here’s another ten things you may not know about guinea pigs

 

71. Did you know that snow peas make great veggies for guinea pigs because of their great nutritional values?

Discover more about can guinea pigs eat snow peas?

72. Did you know that a peanut is not a nut but a legume? Even so, they are still bad for piggies to eat.

From can guinea pigs eat peanuts?

73. Swiss chard is a veggie that is packed with vitamins and can be eaten by guinea pigs, every other day.

We discovered more at can guinea pigs eat swiss chard?

74. Spinach can only be fed to piggies once or twice a week

From can guinea pigs eat spinach?

75. Water spinach can also only be fed to them a weekly basis.

Discover more at can guinea pigs eat water spinach?

76. Even though Jicama’s are a bit starchy they can still be fed to piggies.

Look more at can guinea pigs eat jicama?

77. Jalapeno’s are a food to keep away from guinea pigs. They cannot eat hot and spicy foods.

Find out more at can guinea pigs eat jalapenos

78. The Texel guinea pig originated in England in the 1980s when a Silkie guinea pig was crossed with a Rex guinea pig.

Discover more at texel guinea pigs: a brief guide

79. Arugula is a food that can be fed to piggies every other day.

From can guinea pigs eat arugula?

 

If you’re still here….well done. Only 20 more guinea pig facts to go

 

80. Gunea pigs cant eat any meat such as turkey.

We found out more at can guinea pigs eat turkey?

81. Artichokes are a food that can be fed to piggies 3-4 times a week.

From can guinea pigs eat artichokes?

82. Do you know what Jerusalem Artichokes are? If not, then don’t worry as they’re not good for piggies to eat.

Discover more about them here

83. Just like chinese artichokes!!

From this blog post here 

84. Yams though are great for piggies and can be fed to them on a weekly basis.

So we found about guinea pigs and yams

85. Just like turkey, stear clear of ham around thanksgiving time. Feed them raw veggies instead.

From this post about guinea pigs and ham

86. Piggies cannot eat potatoes as they contain harmful toxins for them.

We discovered about piggies and potatoes here

87. Endive’s are great for piggies and can be fed to them every other day.

From can guinea pigs eat endives?

88. Do you know what Belgiun Endives are? If not, then get to know them as they’re great for guinea pigs to eat.

We discovered that there was more than one endive here

89. Thought about feeding your piggie pumpkin pie? Don’t bother as they wont eat it. They can’t eat any sugary things.

We loved finding out about piggies and pumpkin here

90. Butternut squash can be fed to piggies every other day.

From can guinea pigs eat butternut squash?

 

Last 10, and we’re on the home straight

 

91. Cranberry juice is actually very good for piggies and is known for having medicinal qualities for them.

Find out more about that here

92. Peruvian guinea pigs are native to Australia, strangely enough!

Find out more here 

93. They can eat sweet potato, but not too much. Once or twice a month will do.

Find out more about piggies and sweet potato

94. Did you know that you need to change a guinea pigs bedding at least once a week?

Find out more here

95. Kale should only be fed to piggies once a week.

We found that out here

96. Asparagus is also a weekly feed veggie for them.

Find out more at can guinea pigs eat asparagus?

97. Green beans are also a once a week veggie

For more see here

98. Piggies can’t eat tinned peaches as it is too sugary for them.

For more info check out this post

99. Runner beans are a no-no for piggies.

We found out this here

and…….100 is..,…..well, that guinea pigs are the best pets you could possibly have, and that’s a fact!

Here’s to 100 more posts and many many more gunea pig facts!!

 

Guinea pigs are some of the cutest and best pets that you could have. If you are looking for some fun and interesting facts about guinea pigs to help with a homework project or maybe you are just really interested in them, then here are 50 Fun Facts About Guinea Pigs for Kids to get you started.

50 Fun Facts About Guinea Pigs for Kids

1. Guinea pigs originally come from the Andes mountains in South America

2. Did you know that the name for a male Guinea pig is a ‘boar’, the name for a female Guinea pig is a ‘sow?

3. Did you know that a baby guinea pig is called a pup?

4. You can tell that a guinea pig is happy because they ‘purr’.

5. Guinea pigs need to drink water to stop getting thirsty but actually get a lot of water from eating grass.

6. Guinea pigs are not actually pigs. They are rodents.

7. Guinea pigs will eat all day and night.

8. They are vegetarians and love green grass and vegetables

9. When they sense their owner is nearby they will squeak to get their attention.

image: flickr rochelle hartman

10. They are very social animals and love the company of others, even humans.

11. They do not bite in defence and will only bite because they think your hand is food.

12. They need a supplement of vitamin c as they do not produce it themselves.

13. Guinea pigs love to be held as they love contact.

14. After they are born, male guinea pigs need to be taken away from their mother’s as they may try and mate with her after a month.

15. Guinea pigs really don’t like the weather when it’s really hot or really cold, they like it somewhere in-between.

16. Guinea pigs are really easy to handle as they are very tame.

17. When you are holding a guinea pig, the way to settle it down if its wriggling too much is to bring your hand under its back-side and it will stop wriggling.

18. Why are guinea pigs called guinea pigs? Some people think that the term ‘guinea’ is actually a mispronunciation of the country of ‘Guyana’ which is in south America where Guinea pigs come from

19. Guinea pigs have the ability to live on their own up to 5 days after being born.

20. The amount of time that a guinea pig is pregnant for is 70 days.

21. A female guinea pig (called a sow) is able to produce a litter of up to 4 young guinea pig pups.

22. They tend to breed in the summer months.

23. Did you know that doctors in the Andes mountains in South America have been known to use guinea pigs to find illnesses in people? What they do is to put the guinea pig up against the sick person and it will let out a squeak when they close to where the disease is.

24. There are places in South America that eat guinea pig for food

25. Did you know that guinea pig pups can run after 3 hours of being born?

26. Guinea pigs don’t have the same number of toes on their fore feet compared to their hind feet. They actually have 3 on their forefeet and 4 on their hind feet.

27. Did you know that another name for a guinea pig is a cavy?

28. When they live in the wild, guinea pigs go around in herds.

29. Did you know that Guinea pigs don’t need to sleep for long periods? Instead they prefer to take short naps throughout the day and night

30. You can tell that a guinea pig is relaxed because they stretch out.

31. Did you know that guinea pigs teeth are constantly growing? They always need things to gnaw on to grind them down so love eating coarse foods like grass and hay

32. Did you know that guinea pig ears are very sensitive to noise and do not like any loud bangs?

image: flickr

33. Guinea pigs need their nails cut on a frequent basis to stop then growing into their foot.

34. The guinea pig has a lifespan of up to 8 years.

35. The world record for the longest ever living guinea pig is 15 years.

36. Did you know that when guinea pig pups are born they have all their fur? Guinea pig pups also have their eyes open, have claws that they can use and are able to eat solid food.

37. Guinea pigs can’t sweat like humans can and so can get heat stroke if they are left out in the sun or become too hot. They love to sit in the shade whenever possible.

38. Guinea pigs are fragile creatures and so need to be treated with gentle hands. If you are rough with them they could break bones.

39. Guinea pigs have a total of 258 bones in their body.

40. Guinea pigs have a very good field of vision and are able to see around them so as to detect predators. However they can’t see anything straight in front of their noses which means they don’t see what they eat.

41. They use touch a great deal to find food and have tactile hairs around the eyes, mouth and nostrils to detect food and and to help moving around in the dark.

42. Guinea pigs were brought to Europe by Spanish sailors returning from south America during their travels to the new world in the 15th century.

43. Another thought to how guinea pigs got their name is that the name may have come from the Spanish name ‘conchinillo’ which means ‘little pig’ as when they are cooked they look a bit like pigs.

44. They have evolved to avoid predators and prey animals and not attackers.

45. Their natural habitat is grassy plains.

46. When they are in their herds they rely on each other for safety. For this reason, there are more eyes, ears and noses to sense out trouble if it comes their way and the predator has a harder time catching a herd than individual guinea pigs.

47. Guinea pigs are fast and agile and can turn without pausing.

48. They are able to memorise their tracks and grass tunnels so as to escape their predators.

49. They are able to get into very tiny cracks and crevices so you need to be careful when making a home for them as they can escape through small cracks.

50. Guinea pigs squeal when they are frightened however they may also go totally silent when frightened as well. Guinea pigs have also been known to sing by rubbing their teeth in an unusual way which indicates that it is very scared.

If you got here, well done on taking in all 50 Fun Facts About Guinea Pigs for Kids! What was your favorite fact? Let me know in the comments below.