guinea pigs

Responsible Animal Owner

February is Responsible Animal Owner Month, according to AVMA.org, and as it’s Valentine’s day today we need to show our creatures some love too, so below are some clips taken from the Web to help you make sure you are looking after your pet responsibly.

!!!Remember, if you can NOT look after your pet, please do NOT just dump it or leave it tied up somewhere – please take it to your nearest Rescue and Rehome Centre, RSPCA or ASPCA or equivalent where they will be able to offer it a loving home!!!

Responsible Ownership of Guinea Pigs.
Much of the information here is also relevant for Rabbits. Take a look at Little Adventures YouTube Channel – loads of great videos and information on looking after Piggies

-Taken from YouTube, published by Little Adventures

Responsible Ownership of Dogs
In this video Dogumentary TV give their Top 10 Tips for Responsible Dog Ownership. They also reference Pets Add Life which I strongly recommend you take a look at – they put human voices to animals and it’s hilarious.

-Taken from YouTube, published by Dogumentary Tv

Responsible Ownership of Cats
Take a look at WeAreMishMish’s other Cat Manual Videos for more information

– Taken fromYouTube, published by WeAreMishMish

Let’s all take a moment to remember this woman from Coventry, England, who is NOT a responsible Cat Owner

-Taken from YouTube, published by Bob Fletcher

For more Animals Online, look here

Getting Started With Guinea Pigs or Rabbits

Getting Started with Guinea Pigs or Rabbits – A short, helpful guide to make sure you have everything you need for their new home.
Before you buy or adopt a new Guinea Pig or Rabbit, you need to have their home ready for their arrival. You need a House – one level or more – see my post on Housing for Small Animals for suggestions of good home bases.

You also need their bed to be made using sawdust, hay and possibly straw depending on the weather. For more information see my post on Bedding for Small Animals.

In addition, you need food bowls, water bottles and a hay distributor. Fill the bowl with some muesli or pellets and you might also want to get them some treats as a little welcome such as an alfalfa ring or willow sticks – see my posts on Food for Small Animals and Play Time for Small Animals for more ideas.

Good luck! I hope you enjoy looking after some of the world’s cutest animals.

Guinea Pig Diet Food

For Rabbit and Guinea Pig Diet Food, I have offered a few selections below.

Guinea Pigs can be rather picky when it comes to their food, leaving yellow bits one week and green bits the next, and it can be worrying whether or not they are getting all the nutrients in their diet.

Supreme Science make a range of guinea pig, rabbit, and other small animal pet foods, to suit all their dietary needs.

Supreme Science Selective is a pellet based food that stops them leaving certain colours out of their diet and my pets prefer it to Pets At Home pellets. This particular make:

“is high is fibre to help promote healthy teeth and tummies and has added vitamin C to help keep your guinea pigs in the very best of health. Selective also contains linseed, a particularly good source of omega 3, which helps to regulate coat shine, thickness and colour intensity, as well as supporting a healthy skin.”

Supreme Science Recovery is sachets of food mix and a syringe for ill or recuperating animals. This, I would assume, is cheaper than going to the vets and getting one sachet of food plus a syringe each time a pet is ill – handy to have in for Pet First Aid.

They also make food for different ages, such as Supreme Science Selective Mature 4+ Years Rabbit Food.

Have a look at their other stuff here

For more Pet Advice, take a peek here

Housing for Small Animals

When choosing Housing for Small Animals you must take into account that you give them enough space (minimum of 5 feet wide) but also where you have space for them – whether it be inside or outside.

Fit for Rabbits and Guinea Pigs, my Guinea Pigs live in one of these fabulous 3 Tier Indoor Hutches which doesn’t intrude on space, yet gives your pets enough room to run around so I’m not worried that they’re losing out on exercise if I’m out of the house all day. The ladders are sturdy, it just takes your pets some time to get used them. We added felt in-between the steps for that extra grip (and later on had to put their tunnels on the ladders as two of them still wouldn’t go up them). A Single Tier Indoor Hutch is equally as good, you just have to make sure it is long enough (5ft preferably) and let your pets out into extra space as often as possible.

Outdoor Hutches come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If you don’t have a large area for your pets to run around in, a double or triple tiered hutch is ideal as they have more space. If you do have a large garden, you can buy Extensions and add them to your already owned single or double tiered hutch, allowing your pets the space to explore but the safety of an enclosure.