Guinea pigs make great pets. They are generally friendly and good-natured – although some may tend to be on the shy side. Like any other animal, guinea pigs have a natural language for communication. As a curious guinea pig owner, being able to understand some of the more common “messages” from your little pets will make your experience with your pigs more meaningful, memorable and enjoyable.
When a guinea pig shows you his teeth and chatters them, he is communicating that he is angry or scared. Take this as a warning. He is aggressively telling you to “back off”. You may see this behavior when an unfamiliar pig is introduced into your pig’s territory. It can also occur when someone (especially a stranger) tries to pick your piggy up. This is a warning to leave him alone. We have also seen this behavior from sick or injured pigs who are feeling grumpy and “just want to be left alone”.
Occasionally you may stick your hand into the cage, and get bitten by your guinea pig. A quick nip may be a warning to you or a sign of aggression. However, guinea pigs are generally friendly and charming little pets and, in most cases, a bite is just a simple mistake. This is most likely the case - unless your pig is showing other signs of aggression such as making its hair stand on end or chattering its teeth. Usually the bite is just a gentle non-aggressive nibble. Just like a human infant who explores everything by shoving it into her mouth, this light nip is just an exploratory probe as your piggy tests to see if your finger is good to eat.
Many pigs like to bite and tug at the bars on their cage or chew loudly on their wooden nest boxes. If there are multiple pigs in the cage together, they will often line up and chew loudly together.
This is usually a sign that your pigs want to eat – NOW. You will often observe this behavior when it is near their mealtime. Also, seeing you begin to prepare their food or hearing the rustle of plastics bags full or carrots or other piggy veggies, may also trigger this frantic behavior. It is usually preceded by or accompanied by a loud chorus of “weeking” and squawking.
Guinea pigs have a language all their own. If we take the time to learn a few of their common communication behaviors, we will find that our experience with them becomes less puzzling and more fulfilling.
Showing posts with label coroplast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coroplast. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Guinea Pigs – A Quick Overview of Breeds
When we think of a guinea pig, we usually picture the American Guinea Pig – the “classic” or “standard” guinea pig – and also the most common. But there are also several other breeds in addition to the common American Guinea Pig. This article will introduce you to a few of the breeds commonly found in homes today.
Abyssinian
The Abyssinian is a long-haired breed. The coat on this animal is quite distinctive because it tends to curl itself into whirls and swirls. These whirls and swirls are called rosettes. The Abyssinian is one of the oldest breeds that can be found today. If you are looking for a low-maintenance guinea pig, keep looking. This particular breed requires daily attention to the coat to avoid tangles and keep the pig looking well-groomed.
American Guinea Pig
This is the variety that first comes to mind when we think of the words “guinea pig”. It is also sometime called an English guinea pig. This is a short hair breed which makes it suitable for a pet. It does not require grooming and can be handled and petted without messing up its coat.
Peruvian
The Peruvian breed is an extreme long-haired breed. Its hair can grow to an amazingly long length of a foot or more. The hair is smooth and straight and tends to part in the middle and hang naturally to either side of the pig. The long hair requires a lot of care; so many owners prefer to keep the coat trimmed to make this task easier.
Silkie
The Silkie is a less common breed and is also referred to as a Sheltie. It has a very long (and, of course silky) coat – similar to the Peruvian. In contrast to the Peruvian, the hair does not tend to part naturally down the center of the back. The hair of the Silkie sweeps backward from the head. The coat of the Silkie is also softer than that of the Peruvian.
This article has presented a short survey of some of the more common guinea pig breeds. No matter what the breed, guinea pigs can make great loving pets and help to brighten a household. Although long haired breeds tend to look more exotic and sometimes make good show animals, the common short-haired American breed is a very popular household pet because its coat requires very little care.
Abyssinian
The Abyssinian is a long-haired breed. The coat on this animal is quite distinctive because it tends to curl itself into whirls and swirls. These whirls and swirls are called rosettes. The Abyssinian is one of the oldest breeds that can be found today. If you are looking for a low-maintenance guinea pig, keep looking. This particular breed requires daily attention to the coat to avoid tangles and keep the pig looking well-groomed.
American Guinea Pig
This is the variety that first comes to mind when we think of the words “guinea pig”. It is also sometime called an English guinea pig. This is a short hair breed which makes it suitable for a pet. It does not require grooming and can be handled and petted without messing up its coat.
Peruvian
The Peruvian breed is an extreme long-haired breed. Its hair can grow to an amazingly long length of a foot or more. The hair is smooth and straight and tends to part in the middle and hang naturally to either side of the pig. The long hair requires a lot of care; so many owners prefer to keep the coat trimmed to make this task easier.
Silkie
The Silkie is a less common breed and is also referred to as a Sheltie. It has a very long (and, of course silky) coat – similar to the Peruvian. In contrast to the Peruvian, the hair does not tend to part naturally down the center of the back. The hair of the Silkie sweeps backward from the head. The coat of the Silkie is also softer than that of the Peruvian.
This article has presented a short survey of some of the more common guinea pig breeds. No matter what the breed, guinea pigs can make great loving pets and help to brighten a household. Although long haired breeds tend to look more exotic and sometimes make good show animals, the common short-haired American breed is a very popular household pet because its coat requires very little care.
Monday, October 26, 2009
VERY STURDY C&C Guinea Pig Cage - 3-Level Deluxe Large Custom Cage Design by BlueStoneCommerce
Check out our 2nd infomercial. See why guinea pig cages need to be stronger than you think. Discover why wheels may be a more important option than you thought. See Cosmo - the 15 lb wonder pig. This video shows you our biggest cage ever - the Deluxe Colonial Homestead with Storage being tested under heavy loads. If you're interested this deluxe, new 3-level 2x4 guinea pig custom large cage, or another C&C design, visit our store at http://stores.ebay.com/BluestoneCommerce-Cages-and-Guitars or visit our web site at http://www.bluestonecages.com/ because... your pigs are waiting.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Guinea Pig Cages - Building Your Own
Guinea pigs are lovable little creatures. They make great pets, are relatively easy to care for and can be very friendly if they are brought up with care and kindness. One very important step in bringing a new guinea pig into the home is providing adequate housing.
Pet store cages are an option that many people choose. They are certainly convenient. All one needs do is choose one and take it home. The major drawback is that most cages are too small and confining to insure a healthy environment for your pig. Larger cages can often be very difficult to find – and even when they are available, they can be extremely costly.
A very viable second option is to build your own cage. You can not only save a bundle of money by building your own cage, but you can get exactly the cage you want by adding any custom features you so desire.
The first step will be to design the cage. The most important item to be considered will be the dimensions of the cage. The following approximate de facto standards for minimum cage sizes can be found with a fast search on the internet. Your cage should provide at least the minimum square footage suggested:
• One guinea pig: 6-7 sq. ft.
• Two guinea pigs: 7.5 sq. ft.
• Three guinea pigs: 10.5 sq. ft.
• Four guinea pigs: 13 sq. ft.
A cage construction technology called C and C (cubes and coroplast) has become popular in recent years. This method uses steel girds to form the walls of the cage (and optionally a top and bottom). A corrugated plastic sheet is used to form the litter pan or litter box on the cage. The grids are joined using either plastic connectors designed for this purpose or tie-wrap (zip tie) fasteners.
The grids are each 14-inches square. So your cage design can be any shape and size that can be formed using 14-inch x 14-inch squares. Many cage design variations are possible including squares, rectangles, triangle – and even multi-level cages with ramps for moving between levels.
From our experience as cage builders and designers, multi-level cages are the most popular. And most guinea pigs seem to love them.
Designing and building a C and C cage for your guinea pig(s) is something that nearly anyone can do. No special skills or tools are necessary. All it takes is a little planning and access to the right materials. As an alternative, you can also buy a C&C cage kit online from a reputable seller.
Pet store cages are an option that many people choose. They are certainly convenient. All one needs do is choose one and take it home. The major drawback is that most cages are too small and confining to insure a healthy environment for your pig. Larger cages can often be very difficult to find – and even when they are available, they can be extremely costly.
A very viable second option is to build your own cage. You can not only save a bundle of money by building your own cage, but you can get exactly the cage you want by adding any custom features you so desire.
The first step will be to design the cage. The most important item to be considered will be the dimensions of the cage. The following approximate de facto standards for minimum cage sizes can be found with a fast search on the internet. Your cage should provide at least the minimum square footage suggested:
• One guinea pig: 6-7 sq. ft.
• Two guinea pigs: 7.5 sq. ft.
• Three guinea pigs: 10.5 sq. ft.
• Four guinea pigs: 13 sq. ft.
A cage construction technology called C and C (cubes and coroplast) has become popular in recent years. This method uses steel girds to form the walls of the cage (and optionally a top and bottom). A corrugated plastic sheet is used to form the litter pan or litter box on the cage. The grids are joined using either plastic connectors designed for this purpose or tie-wrap (zip tie) fasteners.
The grids are each 14-inches square. So your cage design can be any shape and size that can be formed using 14-inch x 14-inch squares. Many cage design variations are possible including squares, rectangles, triangle – and even multi-level cages with ramps for moving between levels.
From our experience as cage builders and designers, multi-level cages are the most popular. And most guinea pigs seem to love them.
Designing and building a C and C cage for your guinea pig(s) is something that nearly anyone can do. No special skills or tools are necessary. All it takes is a little planning and access to the right materials. As an alternative, you can also buy a C&C cage kit online from a reputable seller.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
HUGE C&C Guinea Pig Cage - 3-Level Deluxe Large Custom Cage Design by BlueStoneCommerce
Check out our very first infomercial - made to appear in our eBay listing for this cage. This video shows you our biggest cage ever - the Deluxe Colonial Homestead with Storage. Not only is this cage HUGE, but it has four storage bays in the bottom level to store guinea pig supplies. The introductory part of the video is common to all our cage videos. Footage specific to this cage begins at about the 4:12 minute mark. Also, see a couple of our guinea pigs. Charlie is the one in the pet store cage and Pumpkin makes her cameo appearance - being chased around the Colonial. If you're interested a deluxe, new 3-level 2x4 guinea pig custom large cage, visit our store at http://stores.ebay.com/BluestoneCommerce-Cages-and-Guitars or visit our web site at http://www.bluestonecages.com/ because... your pigs are waiting.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Welcome to BlueStoneCommerce Cages!
Hello!
BlueStoneCommerce Cages is committed to providing guinea pigs a larger and healthier environment through our Cubes and Coroplast designed cages. We have been fortunate to be able to share our house with many guinea pigs and a rabbit for many years. Therefore, we have a lot of experience providing a safe and healthy habitat for our pigs and bunny within our home.
We do not want to forget our fifteen pound terrier Cosmo. He has helped to test the strength of our cage lids for our buyers that have cats who jump on the lids to “view” the pigs. I can not say that our water frogs have helped test our cages as they live in an aquarium.
However, that reminds me of a very important tip I can pass along: Never ever house a guinea pig in a glass aquarium. The air can not circulate and the ammonia fumes from the urine can build up and be harmful to the respiratory system of your pig. So, I guess the frogs did help to remind us that the glass aquariums are only for animals that live in water.
Hope you enjoyed our video from the last post. After viewing it if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us at bluestonecommerce@yahoo.com. We would be happy to help you!
Warmest Regards,
Nancy from BlueStoneCommerce Cages
BlueStoneCommerce Cages is committed to providing guinea pigs a larger and healthier environment through our Cubes and Coroplast designed cages. We have been fortunate to be able to share our house with many guinea pigs and a rabbit for many years. Therefore, we have a lot of experience providing a safe and healthy habitat for our pigs and bunny within our home.
We do not want to forget our fifteen pound terrier Cosmo. He has helped to test the strength of our cage lids for our buyers that have cats who jump on the lids to “view” the pigs. I can not say that our water frogs have helped test our cages as they live in an aquarium.
However, that reminds me of a very important tip I can pass along: Never ever house a guinea pig in a glass aquarium. The air can not circulate and the ammonia fumes from the urine can build up and be harmful to the respiratory system of your pig. So, I guess the frogs did help to remind us that the glass aquariums are only for animals that live in water.
Hope you enjoyed our video from the last post. After viewing it if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us at bluestonecommerce@yahoo.com. We would be happy to help you!
Warmest Regards,
Nancy from BlueStoneCommerce Cages
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
