Is a Cavy right for you?

People interested in owning cavies often ask me if they are easy to care for. My answer... yes and no.

I decided to care for cavies because:

• Cavies do not need a lot of space. Though it would be good for them to have a big cage to run around in. If this is not possible, at least let them out of their cage everyday to exercise.
• They DO NOT bite! In my experience, when they are agitated or scared, or if they smell food, they will try to nibble at your hand but they have never bit me to the extent that they hurt me.
• Their food is fairly inexpensive and easy to get. Unlike dogfood which costs a lot of money, the pellets that we feed cavies can be purchased for less than P50 per kilogram. Fresh grass, banana leaves and certain fruits and vegetables are likewise easy to come by.
• They are not noisy. Yes, they wheek a lot. But they are not annoying like other animals.
• They are adorable even as adults! Some pets look cute only when they are young. Since guinea pigs do not grow too big, they are still irresistable even as adults! :)

If you bought a cavy for purposes other than caring for them as pets, then you may consider the following as disadvantages:

• Because they are vegetarians, Cavies need to be fed more than 3 times a day, much like nursing a baby. Unless you have hay, which can be kept in their cage the whole day, you have to constantly re-stock their supply of food to keep them from barbering themselves or each other.
• Cavies poop a lot! Since their main diet is grass and vegetables, they constantly poop even while eating. So this means you need to clean up after them often.
• They might smell if you don't clean their cages often or bathe them regularly. I believe this is the same for all domesticated animals.
• They die without warning. Cavies are known to hide their ailments very well. So they might die suddenly without you suspecting anything.
• They need to be supplemented with Vitamin C everyday. Some people give them orally, I prefer to give them vegetables and fruits high in Vitamin C. Unless I have a guinea pig who does not eat such fruits and vegies, that's the time I give them over-the-counter Vitamin C syrup.