my guinea pig coco

Question
hi Laura!!

i have had a guinea pig for well a while now and he will never stop eating!! like if i feed him something like 2 mini carrots and finishes them  , he wants more!! i give him a hand full of hay a day, and i give him pellets and that mix of herbs. all i hear is squueeaak squeaaak...is that normal that he wants to eat like every two seconds... also sometimes when hye squeaks i take him out and pet him and talk to him for a while but once i put him back in, SQUEAAAAK SQEAAAK lol i cant controll him....well hes quiet right now....but like,,,ya i dunno wat to do.should i start feeding him less? i give him a few of those little mini carrots a day and like 2 or 3 little fruits, or like you know a piece of an appl e and stuff but he just wont stop being hungry.... i just want to know if this is normal, and if its not, HELP!! lol but ya dont worry hes not fat or anything,,,hes normal size, like almost or about the size of some guinea pigs at pet shops...
thank you sooo much for your time!
tatiana xxx ooo

Answer
Hi Tatiana,

There are three things I think will help here.

One is more variety. Hay and pellets and a few veggies is good, but you probably just want to offer more variety and more hay. This will ensure that he doesn't shout at you out of hunger or being fed-up with the same old food. See below for an ideal diet and variety:

Daily :-

*Lettuces - endive, escarole, radicchio, romaine, green leaf, red leaf, lollo rosso, apollo, little gem, boston/bibb/butterhead, mizuna, red batavia, rocket, lamb's lettuce etc.
*Coriander - Also known as cilantro
*Bell peppers - Also known as sweet peppers and capsicum.
All colours; red, green, orange, yellow - are safe, but avoid the seeds.
*Chard - Red and swiss most common.
*Cherry tomatoes - The whole tomato is safe - but remove the green heads first.
*Courgette - Also known as zucchini.
*Carrot - Restrict the amount fed; a baby carrot or a few small slices of carrot per day is fine.
*Corn husks and silks
The green wraparound and strings surrounding a corn-on-the-cob.
*Cucumber - Limit the amount fed as it is high in water. Small chunks or slices per day is enjoyed.

~

2-4 times per wheek :-

Fruits - Grape, Strawberry, Melon (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe), Apple, Plum, Apricot, Peach, Orange, Blackberry, Kiwi, Pear, Cherry, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Squash etc. Remove all thick skins/peels and seeds/pips/stones.
Herbs - Dill, Chives, Mint, Thyme, Parsley, Basil
Broccoli & Cauliflower
Celery - chop the stalk up into small chunks to prevent choking on the strings. The leaves are a favoured part.
Cabbage & Kale
Chicory
Parsnip, Turnip, Swede
Spinach
Sweetcorn
Watercress


~

Rare Treats (less twice per month):-
Banana
Asparagus
Brussels Sprouts
Radish
Raw beetroot
Okra
Sweet potato
~

The second thing is toys. What sort of toys does he have? These are all good toys worth trying with Coco:

Toys to Hide In:-

Brown paper bags
Cardboard boxes
Box shelving (found in DIY stores)
Upside-down buckets
Plastic Stools
Shoeboxes
Bent-grid tunnels
Towel tents
Igloos
Fiddlestix (bendy logs)
Wigwams/tents
Cat travelling carrier
Pop-up cube

~
Toys for Snuggling:-

Blankets
Towels
Pillows and cushions
Soft teddies
Keyring toys
Dog beds or vetbed
Soft furry dog/cat toys
Cat cosies
Winter hats (human ones - not too small)
Cuddle-cups
Comfy armchairs
Soft cubes
Sleeping bags
Oversized doll furniture (approx. 14")

~
Other Fun Toys:-

Newspaper balls
Newspaper tents
Kitchen/toilet roll tubes
Tennis balls
Jingly cat balls
PVC pipe - minimum 4" diameter
Cat tunnels
Hanging bird toys
Mirrors
Plastic baby toys
Lego
~

The final thing is getting him a friend. Piggies are very social animals and really do much better in groups of two or more. Look into adopting a second boar (or spayed female) from a rescue or shelter. He should be much happier and not squeak for attention when he has a buddy.
Be sure to have a large enough cage (see www.cavycages.com) and introduce on neutral territory (after 3 weeks quarantine of the new piggy) and they should have a good chance at getting along well.

Hope I could help!

Best Wishes,

- Laura
www.cavy-care.com