Youre Ready to Bring Your Guinea Pig Home!

You've done all of your homework and decided that a guinea pig will be the perfect pet for you and your family. And finally, today is the day you get to bring your new pet guinea pig home for the first time. How exciting!

Select a Veterinarian

You will want to make certain that you and your house are well prepared to receive your new house mate, so be sure that nothing has been overlooked. You want to be sure that you and your new pet get off to a good start together and that there is nothing in his new home that can bring harm to him.

You may not have considered this but it's not too late. Your new cavy will need to have an exam by a veterinarian within the first couple days after purchasing him, and if you already have a veterinarian you might want to set up an appointment to bring your guinea pig by his office on the way home from the pet store. Cavies are typically pretty hardy animals and if they have been well cared for at the pet store then you shouldn't have too much to worry about. If you don't have a veterinarian now is the time to find one, and its usually a good idea to find one that specializes in small pets. Be sure to ask any potential vets lots of questions up-front; its better to have those answers ahead of time rather than in an emergency situation.

Have a Cage Ready at Home

Before you bring your new pet guinea pig home you will want to make sure that you have his home all ready for him so that when you get back from the pet store you can transfer him directly into his new home. But let's talk about the trip from the pet store to home first. Its best to use a small well ventilated kennel-like carrying cage for the trip from the pet store. Cover the cage with a towel or small blanket to help block out strange and loud noises and bright lights, but not his air supply. This will keep him from getting unnecessarily nervous.

Your pet cavy's new cage should be spacious and placed in a good location, away from excessive heat or cold, drafts, and humidity. You should have a food bowl, water bottle with sipper tube, toys, and a cozy little hideaway already set up inside his cage. You should also have bought a supply of good nutritious food, perhaps even the same kind that he had been fed at the pet store, so that he doesn't suffer any stress from a change in his diet; he's already going to be a little stressed from the change in environment.

Cavy-proof Your House

Although your pet guinea pig will be spending the largest portion of his life inside his cage, you will want to take every possible opportunity to play with him outside his cage. Because of this you will want to make sure that you have "cavy-proofed" your house, or at least the room that you will allow him to run free in. This includes removing any rodent traps or poison from the room or from cabinets in the room. Rodent poisons are just as deadly for cavies as they are for mice and other vermin. Also be sure that there are not any household cleaners or chemicals about.

As you will learn cavies love to chew and gnaw on things, and they will chew and gnaw on electrical cords if they are able to get to them. Needless to say if your cavy chews into an electrical cord it is very likely to electrocute him, so unplug or block your pet's access to any electrical cords that are plugged in.

Remove All Dangerous Plants

As you know your pet cavy is an herbivore, or plant-eater, but they can't always distinguish the good greens from the bad greens. Some common household plants are poisonous to your new pet so it's a good idea to remove all plants from the playroom, even ones that aren't poisonous, because they may have fertilizer or insecticide that is dangerous to your pet.

Remember that your new pet guinea pig is entirely dependent upon you for it's health and well-being. Preparation is key before you bring your new pet guinea pig home and he will be happy and healthy for years to come.

You can find additional information on what you should know before bringing your new guinea pig home by visiting my website at http://www.petguineapigsinfo.com/bringing-guinea-pig-home.