Guinea pig is a picky, cute animal. It is larger than some other rodents, such as hamsters or mice. And these animals are calm, they can sit in one place for a long time, so it’s convenient to hold them in your hands. In the care and nutrition of guinea pigs will not cause much trouble. For many years of keeping at home, a huge number of different species have been bred, which differ in both the length of the coat and the color. Therefore, you can find an animal that everyone will like. But, of course, owners always have some questions. For example, how long does a guinea pig live?
Guinea pigs
In fact, this animal is called Cavia (Cavia porcellus). They were christened pigs because of the peculiar sounds resembling the grunts that they emit. And the name "sea" is a reminder that these animals came to us from across the sea. More precisely - from distant America. There still among the bushes and grasses in the valleys of the mountains, marshy lowlands, plateaus live wild relatives of domestic pigs. These animals live in small flocks, including from 10 to 20 individuals. Their food is made up of plants, or rather, those parts of them that the animal can reach. How long a guinea pig lives in nature depends on its quickness and ability to hide. Therefore, they need shelters. Some of them dig minks, others hide in natural shelters, for example in crevices of rocks. All this must be taken into account for those who decided to have such a pet at home, as domestic pigs appeared as a result of the hybridization of wild species.
Care
In order for a guinea pig to be comfortable at home, you will need a cage of this size so that you can move freely inside. It is best if the cage has a tall tray with loose bedding in which the pig will dig. You will need, of course, a cozy house (preferably wooden), a feeding trough and a drinking bowl. Do not forget that these animals are vegetarians. How long a guinea pig lives depends on its diet. She does not need animal feed, not even dairy products. But you need hay, fresh grass, juicy vegetables, such as lettuce, cabbage, carrots. Citrus fruits should not be offered to them, because they contain too much vitamin C, which these animals are not used to. They also need a variety of vitamin and mineral supplements. It is best to use store feed, in the composition of which these components are already included in the right proportions. But fresh leaves and grass should not be neglected! How long does a guinea pig live? Usually from 5 to 8 years. But there are cases when the age of these animals reached 15 years. So with good care, this animal can become a real long-liver.
Breeds
Due to its livable nature, sociability and ease of maintenance, guinea pigs are very popular as pets. Children love to communicate and play with them. They do not just run and play, such as hamsters, but can answer the owner’s words with a loud, merry sound. Therefore, over many years of keeping these animals at home, many different breeds were bred. These are Abyssinian, Merino, Rex, Skinny, Rosette. Among them there are both very common and exclusive. Skinny is a special breed of guinea pigs whose representatives are practically devoid of hair. In fact, they are not completely naked, there is residual hairiness on the legs and head. For rosettes (or rosetti), on the contrary, wool rosettes are characteristic, which are located throughout the body of the animal. Often owners are interested in how many guinea pigs of skinny or other breeds live. They worry that artificially bred specimens may not live long. In fact, the life expectancy of different guinea pigs does not depend on the breed, but is largely determined by the living conditions.
How many guinea pigs live (rosette, Angora, royal) depends on their owners. You need to communicate with your pets, feed them properly, walk them regularly so that they can run around enough. And then the guinea pig will live for many years.