Whether you’ve just adopted an adult piggy, welcomed a litter of baby piggies, or have reached the point where your piggy is a senior, each age presents different challenges in guinea pig care. A young piggy’s needs won’t be the same as a senior piggy, so any piggy parent has to adapt to the changes.
If you’re wondering how to take care of a guinea pig across the different stages of their life, read on. We’ll explore how to care for baby guinea pigs, teens, adult piggies, and seniors. Plus, we’ve included a list of guinea pig essentials for every age!
The First 6 Months of a Guinea Pig
A lot happens in the first six months of a guinea pig's life. This is a time full of excitement for your furry friends, where they learn everything there is to know about being a guinea pig. Baby guinea pigs are also known as ‘pups’ at this stage.
Newborn Guinea Pig: 1 to 4 weeks
Guinea pigs start their lives quite well-developed, with a full body of hair, a set of 20 teeth, and the ability to see and hear. In just a few hours after birth, you’ll see the pups already popcorning and squeaking around the cage!
Newborn guinea pigs usually weigh around 100g-115g and since they are born with teeth, they can start nibbling on food from as early as 2 days old (but will still nurse from their mum until they’re 3-4 weeks old!). Once they weigh about 150g or more, they’re ready to be weaned with plenty of hay, pellets, and fresh vegetables.
Baby Guinea Pig: 4 to 16 weeks
A lot happens in the weeks after the newborn stage, as your guinea pigs become more independent and wean off their mum’s milk. 8 weeks is usually the average age for guinea pigs to be rehomed. But it’s important to note that baby guinea pigs reach sexual maturity even earlier, at around 4 weeks old. This is the best time to separate your boars from their mum and sisters to avoid any unexpected pregnancies.
At about 6 weeks old, boars’ testicles will have descended so piggy parents can consider neutering them if they wish to house them alongside sows. It’s important that this type of surgery is carried out when they’re young as the older they get, the more dangerous it gets. While it’s best to avoid neutering female guinea pigs altogether as the risk for complications is too high. Read more about the differences between male and female piggies here.
By 16 weeks, your baby piggies will have significantly increased in size and weight, becoming around 20-25cm long and weighing around 360g to 480g. Learn more about finding out the sex of pups and how to look after them in this stage of life on our guide to baby guinea pig care.
Guinea pigs can have litters of around 1 to 8 pups, with the most common being between 2 to 4. As you can imagine, this can present an issue with space, as every pup deserves plenty of room to zoom and popcorn. Plus, with how quickly they grow up, a smaller cage will only be suitable for a few weeks! Kavee’s C&C guinea pig cages are designed with small grid spacing, which makes them perfect for baby guinea pigs over 8 weeks old. Check out this blog on indoor guinea pig cage sizes to find the best cage for your furry family.
Teenage Guinea Pig: 4 Months to 6 Months
Similarly to teenage hoomans, you can expect your teen piggies to go through the highs and lows of puberty. Don’t be surprised if you notice some rumble-strutting and chasing as your guinea pigs try to determine a hierarchy. Boars will also be more likely to fight and might struggle to bond at this age. Keep an eye on their behaviours and separate them if needed!
When it comes to a young guinea pig diet, hay is key. Provide them with the extra calories they need to thrive into adulthood by giving them Alfalfa hay, which is rich in protein and calcium. This type of hay is only suitable for piggies under 6 months old as its high calcium and protein could lead to bladder stones in older guinea pigs!
Now that your furry friends are more independent, it’s time to think about the products you can get to keep them entertained and benefit their development. Fleece accessories make the softest cuddle cups, tunnels, and sleep sacks, which are great for everything from nap time to cuddle time, and playtime!
And to limit squabbles between siblings, check out our double-tunnel. Enjoy the same cosy softness as our bestselling tunnels, now with a design that allows for double the fun.
Adulthood for Guinea Pigs: 6 Months to 1 Year Old
Guinea pigs reach adulthood as early as 6 months of age. As your furry friends leave the pup and teenage phases, it becomes more of your job to ensure that your piggies stay active. Like us hoomans, adult piggies will need some external encouragement to exercise, so provide them with toys and accessories that promote movement.
That also helps with bonding! Adult guinea pigs will benefit from regular interactions with fellow piggies and their hooman. In fact, a big challenge for adult piggies is boredom - the world is no longer new to them, so finding entertainment becomes harder the older they get. Try adding a litter tray filled with hay to their guinea pig cage to encourage some burrowing fun!
The right diet also plays a big part in their development. Alfalfa hay is higher in calories so once piggies reach adulthood, they should switch to Timothy hay as it’s just as nutritious, but better to maintain a healthy weight. As always, they’ll also require plenty of fresh veggies and a moderate amount of pellets. You can read a detailed guide to guinea pig diet here.
Adult Guinea Pig Health Concerns
There are a few things you should keep in mind when it comes to adult guinea pig care:
Bonding - As adults, guinea pigs are likely to have already established a hierarchy and (hopefully) bonded. However, boars can have a second puberty when they’re around 2 years old which might lead to fallouts. And since piggies are addictive, you might even be planning to increase your furry family! So check out this blog on bonding to prepare yourself for the big day.
Diet - Nothing influences your piggy’s health more than what they eat. As mentioned before, hay plays an important role and should make up more than 80% of your guinea pig’s diet, but a moderate amount of pellets, fruit, and veggies are equally essential.
Temperature - Guinea pigs are sensitive to changes in temperature and feel more comfortable at around 16-23°C (60-73°F). When the days get warmer, pawrents should act promptly to prevent heatstroke - accessories like cool pads and frozen bottles can be great aids to keep them comfortable in the hotter season.
Health Issues - While prevention is key, there are a few common health issues in guinea pigs that parents should know how to spot. Infections like bumblefoot and parasites are the most likely to affect your piggy, so check out this guide to guinea pig health to learn more about symptoms and treatment.
Now that your piggies have fully developed, they’re likely to need more space. Thankfully, you don’t need to get a brand-new cage just to accommodate their size. When it’s time to go bigger, try our cage extension kits. Designed to provide you with everything you need to elevate your cage, expand, and customise it however you wish!
Senior Guinea Pigs: 4 Years Onwards
A guinea pig's lifespan is typically 5 to 6 years, with guinea pigs about 4 to 5 years old being considered seniors. However, some piggies can make it as far as 8 years old!
While you’re no longer ‘raising’ your piggy, you’ll be entering the role of carer as you look after your elderly piggy. Senior guinea pigs must get their weight regularly checked while you keep an eye on their eating habits. As their mobility becomes more limited, food and water should always be kept within their reach, and you might have to help out with cleaning their bottoms if they struggle to look after themselves.
Check out this video by our pig-expert Tara on senior piggies’ health checks and read this blog to learn more about how to take care of a guinea pig in their senior years.
If you haven’t already, switch to fleece liners as your guinea pig bedding. The softness of these liners is perfect to support their old joints and keep their feet comfortable even in their old age. Since they’ll be spending more time napping, they’re also sure to enjoy some cosy fleece hideys and cuddle cups. And when it comes to senior guinea pig care, essentials like a medical kit containing a scale and syringe can also be great to have at hand.
Conclusion
Now that you know what to expect for every stage of your guinea pig’s life, it’s time for the easiest job in the world: loving your piggies. Whether they’re pups, teens, adults, or seniors, it’s always satisfying to care for them and be rewarded with the cutest of popcorn!
If you’re curious to learn more about guinea pig care, check out our free guide here. It contains all the information you need to know to become a pro at piggy parenting, and have a look at all of our accessories, liners, and cages to stock up for your furry family.
