Keeping Guinea Pigs As Pets - RSPCA

Skip to Main Content

Find a Pet

• Find a Pet
  • Rehoming and Adoption
  • Fostering

• Useful Links
  • Advice for Adopters
  • Pet Care
  • Pet Insurance

• Sponsorship
  • Dog Kennels
  • Cat Pods

• Favourites

Advice and Welfare

• Pets
  • Cats
  • Dogs
  • Horses
  • Rabbits
  • See more

• Farm Animals
  • Beef Cattle
  • Dairy Cows
  • Farmed Fish
  • Laying Hens
  • Meat Chickens
  • See more

• Wildlife
  • Badgers
  • Birds
  • Deer
  • Foxes
  • Hedgehogs
  • See more

• Seasonal Advice
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter
• Cost-of-Living Support
• All Advice and Welfare

Ways to Give

• Donate
  • Gift Aid
  • Giving Monthly
  • Gift in Wills
  • In Memory
  • Payroll Giving
  • Philanthropy
  • Advice for donors

• Gift in Wills
  • Request a Gift in Will Guide
  • Step-by-Step Advice
  • Free Will-Writing Service
  • Information for Executors
  • FAQs

• Sponsorship
  • Dog Kennels
  • Cat Pods

• Lottery & Raffle
• Advice for Donors
• SMS Donations

Get Involved

• Fundraise
  • Find an event
  • Ideas and Resources
  • Young Fundraisers
  • Fundraising Pack

• Campaign
  • Better Chicken
  • Better Labels Better Choices
  • Born to Suffer
  • Fireworks
  • Save our Breath
  • See more

• Volunteer
  • Big Help Out
  • Types of Roles
  • Volunteers' week
  • Volunteering with Us

• Businesses
• Events
• Lottery & Raffle
• Membership
• Young People
• Pet Insurance

What We Do

• End Cruelty
  • Change the Law
  • International Work
  • Investigate Cruelty
  • Prevent Suffering
  • Prosecution
  • Rescue Animals

• Care For Animals
  • Financial Assistance
  • Home for Life
  • Rehabilitation
  • Release
  • Wildlife Centres
  • Veterinary Care

• Who We Are
  • Branches
  • Executives
  • Governance
  • History

• Education
• How We Work
• Latest
• Strategy to 2030
• Press and Media

Other

• Find a Pet
• Advice and Welfare
• Ways to Give
• Get Involved
• What We Do
• Search
• My RSPCA
• Report a concern
• Sponsor
• Colour mode Vivid Calm

• Shop
• Next Gen
• Education

Main menu Find a Pet

• Find a Pet
• Useful Links
• Sponsorship
• Favourites

Find a Pet Find a Pet

• Rehoming and Adoption
• Fostering

Find a Pet Useful Links

• Advice for Adopters
• Pet Care
• Pet Insurance

Find a Pet Sponsorship

• Dog Kennels
• Cat Pods

Main menu Advice and Welfare

• Pets
• Farm Animals
• Wildlife
• Seasonal Advice
• Cost-of-Living Support
• All Advice and Welfare

Advice and Welfare Pets

• Cats
• Dogs
• Horses
• Rabbits
• See More

Advice and Welfare Farm Animals

• Beef Cattle
• Dairy Cows
• Farmed Fish
• Laying Hens
• Meat Chickens
• See More

Advice and Welfare Wildlife

• Badgers
• Birds
• Deer
• Foxes
• Hedgehogs
• See More

Advice and Welfare Seasonal Advice

• Spring
• Summer
• Autumn
• Winter

Main menu Ways to Give

• Donate
• Gift in Wills
• Sponsorship
• Lottery & Raffle
• Advice for Donors
• SMS Donations

Ways to Give Donate

• Gift Aid
• Giving Monthly
• Gift in Wills
• In Memory
• Payroll Giving
• Philanthropy
• Advice for donors

Ways to Give Gift in Wills

• Request a Gift in Will Guide
• Step-by-Step Advice
• Free Will-Writing Service
• Information for Executors
• FAQs

Ways to Give Sponsorship

• Dog Kennels
• Cat Pods

Main menu Get Involved

• Fundraise
• Campaign
• Volunteer
• Businesses
• Events
• Lottery & Raffle
• Membership
• Young People
• Pet Insurance

Get Involved Fundraise

• Find an event
• Ideas and Resources
• Young Fundraisers
• Fundraising Pack

Get Involved Campaign

• Better Chicken
• Better Labels Better Choices
• Born to Suffer
• Fireworks
• Save our Breath
• See More

Get Involved Volunteer

• Big Help Out
• Types of Roles
• Volunteers' week
• Volunteering with Us

Main menu What We Do

• End Cruelty
• Care For Animals
• Who We Are
• Education
• How We Work
• Latest
• Strategy to 2030
• Press and Media

What We Do End Cruelty

• Change the Law
• International Work
• Investigate Cruelty
• Prevent Suffering
• Prosecution
• Rescue Animals

What We Do Care For Animals

• Financial Assistance
• Home for Life
• Rehabilitation
• Release
• Wildlife Centres
• Veterinary Care

What We Do Who We Are

• Branches
• Executives
• Governance
• History

1. Home
2. Advice and welfare
3. Pets
4. Rodents
5. Guinea pigs

Rodents Guinea pigs

Guinea pigs are small, sociable and 'chatty' rodents. They're traditionally thought of as great first pets for children.

Guinea pig fact file

Guinea pigs, also known as 'cavies', are social animals with a compact, rounded body shape, short legs and no tail. They originate from the grasslands and lower slopes of the Andes Mountains in South America. There are different breeds and varieties of guinea pig, with a wide range of colour and coat lengths.

Here are some more top guinea pig facts:

• Typically guinea pigs live for 5-6 years, but some may live longer.
• Guinea pigs are active up to 20 hours per day and only sleep for short periods.
• Guinea pigs are highly social - in the wild they live in close family groups of 5-10 guinea pigs, though several groups may live close to form a colony.
• Guinea pigs get lonely and shouldn't be kept alone - they're happiest in pairs.
• Guinea pigs need a high-fibre diet supplemented with vitamin C, as they lack the enzyme needed to synthesise vitamin C and can only store it for short periods.

Want to learn more about these adorable animals? View our full guinea pig fact file!

Understanding guinea pigs' needs

Read our expert pet care information to find out more about the needs of guinea pigs, including their:

• environment
• diet
• behaviour
• company
• health and welfare

You can also download our booklet on how to take care of your guinea pigs.

Adopt rescued guinea pigs from us

We rescue and rehome all kinds of animals, including guinea pigs! If you're considering buying guinea pigs for your family, why not rehome instead?

Start your search today: find guinea pigs available for rehoming and adoption.

Find out more

Making the right home for your guinea pigs

Making sure your guinea pigs have a suitable place to live is the first step to keeping your guinea pigs healthy and happy.

Sexing guinea pigs

Are you sure you know the sex of your guinea pigs? It's difficult to tell, especially when they're young - even pet shops and breeders can get it wrong.

A healthy diet for guinea pigs

Feeding your guinea pigs the right food is essential to keeping them happy and healthy.

Hidden