Pocket pets, part 1
Although for most of us, dogs and cats are the first animals which come to mind when we speak of pets. As one of my faithful blog readers pointed out, there are many others, which are now called pocket pets, who share their lives with humans.
Most parents wrongly believe if a pocket pet is purchased as a child's first pet, they can then absolve themselves of all responsibility. This is not the case. Guinea pigs, degus, mice, rats, hamsters, or gerbils all require care. Many times more care than a child can be responsible for.
Today we will begin with guinea pigs. My first advice is find one at a shelter or rescue. If these are purchased from a pet store, you are only increasing the pet store's profit. Many of these pocket pets get turned into shelters and rescue groups each year and until we stop buying live animals from stores, this problem of unwanted pets will not go away.
Then do your research. You will be glad you did. Check out this care guide by the HSUS about guinea pigs. We will do degus tomorrow.
Comments
1. Never put your guinea pig in one of those big, plastic balls like you would a hampster or rat. Guinea pig's backs are not as flexible as their smaller cousins and they could seriously injure themselves. Same for wheels. I don't know why any responsible company would keep advertising these things for guinea pigs.
2. Like cats and dogs, with the experienced exotics vet who specializes in small animals, you can neuter a male. This will allow you to try and pair up a male with a female in a cage without the unwanted result. Baby guinea pigs are cute (they are born with fur!) but there are enough unwanted animals out there. Please adopt.
3. Finding a friend for your guinea pig is sometimes trial and error. Better to get a pair already bonded. But, it can be done. Like cats and dogs and people, each guinea pig has its own personality and some get along better with others. Be prepared to separate them into different cages or living quarters if they just don't get along.
4. There are rescues out there specifically focused on guinea pigs. You can do a search on petfinder.com and find one near you.
Thanks for the pocket pet features, Jean!
Laura