If youre going to be away for an extended period, you may also want to consider finding a friend or family member to care for your guinea pig in your absence. This blog will give you some helpful tips on how to make this a wonderful experience. Although guinea pigs need the presence of other guinea pigs, attention from human beings is also essential for their well-being. For example, they can eat blueberries, strawberries, tangerines, watermelon, passion fruit, melons, bananas, and many more. As mentioned already, increased stress will make it much more likely that your guinea pig will eat her offspring. They will begin to wriggle and move about as soon as theyve been licked clean by their mom. New guinea pig breeds are formalised by the American Cavy Breeders Association, who also oversee breed standards and competitions in the United States. You might also notice they squeak in distress when you take them away from their mom. This can be very misleading especially when it comes to motherhood as many animals eat their offspring in certain circumstances. Guinea pigs are not capable of "missing". Many people believe that male guinea pigs eat their babies as well. https://www.petmd.com/exotic/conditions/reproductive/c_ex_gp_pregnancy_toxemia, Why do animals sometimes kill their babies? A male guinea pig might seriously injure his babies because he is territorial and feels intimidated. It is important to note that guinea pigs can get attached to their owners and may experience signs of separation anxiety when they are not around. 5 Common Cat Behaviours And What They Mean. Theres no fixed moment when a guinea pig stops being a pup and becomes an adult. Also, female guinea pigs eat their young if they are overstressed and afraid because they cannot handle the situation. Adult guinea pigs eat timothy hay, orchard hay, or any other hay thats high in fiber. If this happens, pop them back in with her, and visit again later. Thoroughly clean and disinfect the water bottle at least once per week. Just keep your little friend with other females only. Guinea pigs may miss their parents, but more research must confirm this. Sufficient nutrition, a mixture of alfalfa and timothy grass, keeps female guinea pigs hydrated and can prevent guinea pigs from eating their babies. While it is certainly possible that guinea pigs may experience separation anxiety after their babies have been taken away, there is no definitive evidence to suggest that this is the case. Guinea pigs are peaceful creatures. But many experts recommend that pups be weaned as late as 6 weeks. Why Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? - Clever Pet Owners This article has been extensively revised for 2019. This is where they learn how to bond and behave in a herd. If they are isolated, they may become lonely and sad. A newborn guinea pig might weigh around 3.5 ounces or 100 grams. However, if its weak it might put up little resistance and be eaten entirely. (Find Out Now), Filial Cannibalism (and 7 Reasons Why Some Animal Moms Dine On Their Babies). See Also: Care Show details Look quickly because guinea pigs are not happy being held this way. On the other hand, if it turns out that they don't form any attachment to their young, then we can . Do Guinea Pigs Remember Their Siblings, Names, Owners & More Can Guinea Pigs Eat Spinach Or Is It Bad For Them? Sows must also have a constant supply of hay (alfalfa for the extra calories) and pellets. Do Chickens Get Lonely? This is necessary to prevent pregnancy. The same goes for males. Guinea pigs don't wheek in the wild. Guinea pig pregnancy seems short to us, but in fact it lasts a remarkably long time for their size. Make sure to feed your guinea pig hay of high quality. The information on this website should not be take as a substitute for professional advice. Its just as important that your baby guinea pig also spends most of their time with other guinea pigs. Do Guinea Pigs Miss Their Babies - Midnight Pets Its unwise to create more. Stop getting dirty looks from your piggies, because you forgot to do something for themAGAIN. The surprising truth is that it happens more often than youd think. (Find Out Now), https://www.merckvetmanual.com/all-other-pets/guinea-pigs/breeding-and-reproduction-of-guinea-pigs, https://www.npvet.co.nz/pets/animal-info-pets/bird-rabbit-turtle-articles/care-pregnant-guinea-pigs/, https://www.guinealynx.info/reproduction.html, https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/i-think-my-guinea-pig-might-be-pregnant-what-should-i-do/, https://www.petmd.com/exotic/conditions/reproductive/c_ex_gp_pregnancy_toxemia, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/140328-sloth-bear-zoo-infanticide-chimps-bonobos-animals, https://lakeshorepethospital.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Guinea_Pig_Pregnancy.pdf, Removing the male guinea pig(s) will also. Provide Your Sow with a Stress-Free Environment, Remain Vigilant During the First Twenty Four Hours, Keep The Babies With Their Mom As Much As Possible, Can You Put A Baby Guinea Pig With An Older One? When they dont have enough food and are at risk of starvation. They're all grown now, but they keep me busy! (n.d.). An adult female guinea pig will never harm or eat newborn babies. By giving them enough time with their mother, you reduce the risk that she will reject them. The more factors that are present, the higher likelihood shell eat her pups. Wed love to hear about your experiences in the comment section below! This is an essential process as it helps to ensure that the young guinea pigs can develop properly. Pregnant and lactating guinea pigs also need alfalfa hay to sustain their babies. Whether you plan on rearing your own litter of baby Abysinnian guinea pigs, or youre making plans to buy a baby Peruvian guinea pig, its valuable to be able to recognise whether theyre growing and developing normally for the species, and their breed. Make sure that your guinea pig babies are able to reach the water bottle sipper. However, they can seriously injure them when they recognize that the babies are not theirs, also because they are intimidated and territorial. A female guinea pig usually wont eat a baby guinea pig deliberately. When you do approach the a baby guinea pig, be careful to move slowly and gently. Wanna read something more boring than watching paint dry? (Find Out Now)Continue, Choosing the right materials to use a as a cage liner for your guinea pigs cage can seem daunting especially when youre a new pet parent. They might surprise you with how busy and outgoing they are too. The best thing you can do is provide adequate and proper nutrition to the new guinea pig mother. However, dont keep them in the same cage for long. Newborn guinea pigs can open their eyes after they are born. As a whole, guinea pigs do not eat their offspring, but it can happen. Yes, guinea pigs sometimes eat their babies. Guinea pigs cannot survive alone. They need supervised time out of their cages each day to run around and exercise. Other guinea pig owners would like to breed their piggies. If you push gently on their lower abdomen the penis may appear. If you are considering getting a guinea pig, ensure you can provide them with the social interaction they need. RELATED: CLICK HERE for 99 cute guinea pig names to help you choose. But recognising the biological reasons why it occurs makes it easier to avoid. A cage with a deep pan will make it more difficult for your guinea pigs to escape, but its not necessary. Approach them face-on, so they can see you coming. As noted above; Guinea Pigs are highly vocal and use their voice to express their personality. For example, guinea pigs are born with their eyes open, and their ears which look huge at the moment can already hear. Berryman, J. C., Guineapig Vocalizations: Their Structure, Causation and Function, Ethology, 1976. A single guinea pig living by themselves often become gloomy, confused, and spiritless. If your guinea pig consistently has enough extra food, the chances of her needing to eat her pups drop to near zero. By the time theyre a month old, baby guinea pigs body shape rather resembles that of a syrian hamster. When separated from their parents, they often experience anxiety and depression. 4. These small pets need a lot of food and nutrition. Guinea pigs are also notorious communicators, and they start vocalising from babyhood. On the other hand, a male guinea pig eats guinea pig babies when they recognize that the babies are not theirs, also because they are intimidated and territorial. Most species clean their offspring with their tongue and so do your little friends. Guinea Pig Babies Facts - Caring For All Pets Guinea pigs are social animals and do best when kept in pairs or groups. Following delivery, your guinea pig mama will be exhausted and hungry. Do guinea pigs get in heat? Explained by Sharing Culture If you look after the guinea pig mother regularly, she will allow you to touch her baby guinea pigs. Many time, the pup gets killed accidentally and the mother eats it because she has a survival instinct. Guinea pigs eat their babies not because they want to kill them for food but for other reasons. Or house her with a neutered male to prevent future pregnancies. Although pet guinea pigs eating their pups is a very rare incident, it does happen sometimes. It is famously difficult to sex baby rodents, so the easiest way to be sure which of your pups are girls and which are boys is to ask a more experienced mentor, or a vet, to help you. Firstly, please provide them with plenty of toys and treats to keep them occupied. It is essential for guinea pigs to have social contact with other guinea pigs. Calcium can be found in alfalfa hay or alfalfa-based pellets, timothy hay and oranges. Female guinea pigs have a Y-shaped opening close to their anus. (2020, May 5). Guinea pigs can be aggressive towards each other if they are not adequately trained. It can therefore be tempting to pick up and cuddle the little babies right away! They will nurse every two hours for the first three weeks. It is important to consider the space between the bars of your guinea pig cage. There are several major ideas about why would a guinea pig eat the babies: When they are small and weak, its much easier to keep baby guinea pigs away from male guinea pigs. When the pregnant guinea pig is about to give birth, the male guinea pig must be separated from her because, within 12 hours after giving birth, she can become pregnant again. She is then back to cuddles and snuggles. When can baby guinea pigs be separated from their mother? In order to have a peaceful pregnancy and birth, there are some things that you can do: Many people underestimate how much space a guinea pig needs, along with other types of rodents. (n.d.). If you bring home your baby guinea pig at seven weeks old, youll find all the information you need to raise them in our guide to guinea pigs as pets. The litter size ranges from 1 to 8 pups, but a litter of 2 to 4 is more common.A female can give birth to up to 5 litters per year. The gestation period is about 59 to 72 days or about two months. Female guinea pigs (sows) typically mature sexually at 2 months of age (55 to 70 days). You can expect your pup to wander curiously about their world during this time, but their legs are still a bit clumsy and theyre apt to suddenly plop down as they explore their environs. At three weeks of age it was still hard for us to tell the difference between the males and females. If possible, you should be present during the birth to provide support and comfort to the mother. The body temperature of a guinea pig is between 101104 F (3840 C), so its ideal ambient air temperature is similar to that of humans, approximately 6575 F (1824 C). And make sure that the guinea pig mother is not present. Just being near their most preferred people can give guinea pigs a lot of comfort. Each birth is spaced out every 3 5 minutes. It is perfectly fine to handle your new guinea pigs within the first week. Guinea pig babies can walk, see, and hear, as soon as they are born, and most start nibbling on solid foods within a few days.