Pet care guide
Guinea pig care: food, housing, companions, and warning signs
Guinea pigs are gentle, social herbivores with a few non-negotiables: unlimited hay, daily vitamin C, clean water, space to move, and at least one compatible guinea pig friend unless a vet advises otherwise.
Sources include RSPCA animal welfare guidance and the Merck Veterinary Manual. High-risk health changes should go to a vet.
At a glance
The essentials first
What should guinea pigs eat?
Hay is the center of a guinea pig diet. It supports digestion, keeps them grazing through the day and night, and helps wear down teeth that keep growing. Offer unlimited good-quality grass hay, such as timothy, meadow, orchard, or another suitable grass hay.
Guinea pigs also need vitamin C from their diet because they cannot make enough on their own. Use fresh guinea-pig-specific pellets that include vitamin C, and do not keep topping up old pellets because vitamin C degrades over time. Fresh vegetables and herbs can help, too.
Vegetables and treats
Many guinea pigs enjoy peppers, romaine or gem lettuce, cucumber, celery, parsley, and similar fresh foods. Higher-calcium or sugary foods should be occasional rather than daily. Avoid foods known to be harmful, including iceberg lettuce, potato, garlic, avocado, coconut, and citrus fruits.
Housing: space, shelter, and temperature
A good guinea pig setup needs more than a cage. They need a secure, well-ventilated area with enough room to run, stand upright, stretch out, and retreat into shelters. Use a solid floor rather than grid flooring, which can hurt their feet.
Keep their home away from direct heat, strong sun, and draughts. RSPCA guidance gives 17-20°C as an ideal indoor range, and warns that heat above 26°C can cause heatstroke. Outdoor guinea pigs need protection from sun, wind, cold, and predators.
Do guinea pigs need a companion?
Yes, in most cases. Guinea pigs are social animals and usually should live with at least one compatible guinea pig. Suitable pairings can include two females, bonded brothers, or a neutered male with one or more females. Introductions should be gradual and supervised.
Give each guinea pig enough food, water, shelter, and hiding places so one animal cannot block another from the essentials. If a guinea pig must live alone for medical or behavioural reasons, ask a vet or qualified behaviour professional how to reduce loneliness.
Daily and weekly routine
Every day
- Refresh hay, water, pellets, and vegetables.
- Spot-clean wet bedding and obvious mess.
- Check appetite, droppings, movement, breathing, and energy.
- Give social time, hiding places, and safe exercise.
Every week
- Deep-clean the enclosure.
- Brush long-haired guinea pigs and check coat condition.
- Check nails, feet, eyes, nose, and weight trend.
- Review whether each guinea pig can access food and shelter.
Warning signs: when to call a vet
Guinea pigs can hide illness until they are very unwell. Contact a vet promptly if you notice appetite loss, weight loss, difficulty breathing, low energy, diarrhea, discharge from the eyes or nose, drooling, overgrown teeth, jaw swelling, bloody urine, limping, head tilt, sores, flaky skin, or hair loss.
How Tendlet helps
Tendlet turns the routine into a shared household page: feeding plans, hay and water reminders, symptom and weight records, vet contacts, and a history of who cared for whom. That matters because guinea pig care is repetitive in exactly the way busy households forget.