fi.cantillon
Teenage Guinea Pig
I have had a vet student working with me this last week and she has produced some info for us to put on a leaflet about this topic.
We would welcome your comments on this
Guinea Pigs and Rabbits
Guinea pigs and rabbis are both social animals and both require to be housed with a “friend†to
ensure they are happy and don't encounter boredom- related problems. However, guinea pigs should
be housed with guinea pigs and rabbits should be housed with rabbits.
Feeding
Guinea Pigs and Rabbits require very different diets. This could not be overcome by feeding them
separately as they do not eat their food all in one meal and like to graze.
The most important difference is the Vitamin C content of pelleted food. Guinea Pigs cannot create
their own Vitamin C, therefore their pelleted diet is high in Vitamin C. Rabbits can produce their
own Vitamin C so the diet is lacking extra Vitamin C and therefore unsuitable for guinea pigs.
Companies selling “Rabbit and Guinea Pig†food is misleading and will most likely be insufficient
in Vitamin C content for the guinea pigs.
Both species require fresh fruit and vegetables but Rabbits will need more than the guinea pigs.
This can lead to either the guinea pig not getting enough where the rabbit eats the majority or
feeding too much and the guinea pigs becoming obese which is very dangerous to their health.
Communication
Guinea pigs use both body and vocal forms of language whereas rabbits cannot understand the
vocal language; therefore when the guinea pig “talks†the rabbit doesn't understand and finds this
frustrating.
Rabbits are not very vocal at all, and they rely on body language to communicate. A major part of
this is shown with the ears. As guinea pigs ears are not as big, or flexible, the guinea pig cannot
understand the rabbit. This then in turn leaves the guinea pig frustrated.
This miscommunication can be dangerous, especially for the smaller guinea pig if it doesn't pick up
on warning signs of an angry rabbit it can get badly hurt by a harsh kick.
Communication with humans and understanding what we are saying is a form of learning in both
species. It might appear that they understand the words we say but they have actually learnt to
associate the sound we make and the tone of our voices and how to respond to this. This is
enhanced for example by rewarding with a treat..
Fighting
As mentioned this can often be the result of the communication difficulties between the two species.
The frustration caused by not understanding each other can also lead to fights. These fights are not
always one sided. Both the rabbit or guinea pig can end up bitten, scratched or badly hurt. If a bite,
scratch or wound turns into an abscess it can be fatal.
It is very important to note that rabbits have very strong hind legs. When a rabbit gets excited, it
performs an act called a "binky" (the equivalent of a guinea pig "pop corning" where the guinea pig
jumps when happy) where the rabbit bounds to the air and kicks out. Rabbits also kick out on the
take off to run fast. In eithier of these situations an unsuspecting guinea pig who hasn't been able to
pick up on the rabbits feelings or intentions can get caught in the way and receive a nasty kick. This
can seriously injure or be fatal to the guinea pig.
Sexual Frustration
A sexually frustrated rabbit will find anything suitable as a mate, a human, a cuddly toy, furniture
or especially a small moving guinea pig. While rabbits are not sexually attracted to guinea pigs, it
does not stop them trying to hump the guinea pig. When sexually frustrated, rabbits often nip and
bite the victim of their frustration. This can be very stressful for the pig and is as a form of bullying.
This can also sometimes occur vice versa with a guinea pig humping the rabbit!
Environment
Rabbits tolerate cold temperatures well whereas guinea pigs don't. Likewise guinea pigs can cope
with warmer temperatures whereas rabbits can't and are very prone to heat stroke.
This can lead to rabbits overheating or guinea pigs freezing where shelter is either too well
protected from the cold or not covered-up enough in the winter.
Size of housing can often be inadequate for rabbis where “guinea pig and rabbit†hutches are
marketed at a size sufficient for guinea pigs but not for rabbits. The height of the hutch must be high
enough for the rabbit to stand up on its rear legs to full length without its ears touching the roof of
the hutch.
Insufficient sizing of the hutch for the guinea pig is equally damaging. Guinea pigs require enough
space (8 ½ ft2 for 2 guinea pigs) to allow them to run. Within this space they need enrichment tools
e.g. Houses and tunnels. This also gives them enough space to give them some “personal space†to
avoid fighting if they cannot escape each other at times.
Health
It must be remembered that rabbits and guinea pigs are different species. This leads to the
possibility of transmission of diseases which can be more fatal to one than the other, e.g. rabbits can
transmit Bordetella bronchiseptica to guinea pigs.
Inadequate hutch sizing can also lead to many bone and joint problems for the rabbits.
We would welcome your comments on this
Guinea Pigs and Rabbits
Guinea pigs and rabbis are both social animals and both require to be housed with a “friend†to
ensure they are happy and don't encounter boredom- related problems. However, guinea pigs should
be housed with guinea pigs and rabbits should be housed with rabbits.
Feeding
Guinea Pigs and Rabbits require very different diets. This could not be overcome by feeding them
separately as they do not eat their food all in one meal and like to graze.
The most important difference is the Vitamin C content of pelleted food. Guinea Pigs cannot create
their own Vitamin C, therefore their pelleted diet is high in Vitamin C. Rabbits can produce their
own Vitamin C so the diet is lacking extra Vitamin C and therefore unsuitable for guinea pigs.
Companies selling “Rabbit and Guinea Pig†food is misleading and will most likely be insufficient
in Vitamin C content for the guinea pigs.
Both species require fresh fruit and vegetables but Rabbits will need more than the guinea pigs.
This can lead to either the guinea pig not getting enough where the rabbit eats the majority or
feeding too much and the guinea pigs becoming obese which is very dangerous to their health.
Communication
Guinea pigs use both body and vocal forms of language whereas rabbits cannot understand the
vocal language; therefore when the guinea pig “talks†the rabbit doesn't understand and finds this
frustrating.
Rabbits are not very vocal at all, and they rely on body language to communicate. A major part of
this is shown with the ears. As guinea pigs ears are not as big, or flexible, the guinea pig cannot
understand the rabbit. This then in turn leaves the guinea pig frustrated.
This miscommunication can be dangerous, especially for the smaller guinea pig if it doesn't pick up
on warning signs of an angry rabbit it can get badly hurt by a harsh kick.
Communication with humans and understanding what we are saying is a form of learning in both
species. It might appear that they understand the words we say but they have actually learnt to
associate the sound we make and the tone of our voices and how to respond to this. This is
enhanced for example by rewarding with a treat..
Fighting
As mentioned this can often be the result of the communication difficulties between the two species.
The frustration caused by not understanding each other can also lead to fights. These fights are not
always one sided. Both the rabbit or guinea pig can end up bitten, scratched or badly hurt. If a bite,
scratch or wound turns into an abscess it can be fatal.
It is very important to note that rabbits have very strong hind legs. When a rabbit gets excited, it
performs an act called a "binky" (the equivalent of a guinea pig "pop corning" where the guinea pig
jumps when happy) where the rabbit bounds to the air and kicks out. Rabbits also kick out on the
take off to run fast. In eithier of these situations an unsuspecting guinea pig who hasn't been able to
pick up on the rabbits feelings or intentions can get caught in the way and receive a nasty kick. This
can seriously injure or be fatal to the guinea pig.
Sexual Frustration
A sexually frustrated rabbit will find anything suitable as a mate, a human, a cuddly toy, furniture
or especially a small moving guinea pig. While rabbits are not sexually attracted to guinea pigs, it
does not stop them trying to hump the guinea pig. When sexually frustrated, rabbits often nip and
bite the victim of their frustration. This can be very stressful for the pig and is as a form of bullying.
This can also sometimes occur vice versa with a guinea pig humping the rabbit!
Environment
Rabbits tolerate cold temperatures well whereas guinea pigs don't. Likewise guinea pigs can cope
with warmer temperatures whereas rabbits can't and are very prone to heat stroke.
This can lead to rabbits overheating or guinea pigs freezing where shelter is either too well
protected from the cold or not covered-up enough in the winter.
Size of housing can often be inadequate for rabbis where “guinea pig and rabbit†hutches are
marketed at a size sufficient for guinea pigs but not for rabbits. The height of the hutch must be high
enough for the rabbit to stand up on its rear legs to full length without its ears touching the roof of
the hutch.
Insufficient sizing of the hutch for the guinea pig is equally damaging. Guinea pigs require enough
space (8 ½ ft2 for 2 guinea pigs) to allow them to run. Within this space they need enrichment tools
e.g. Houses and tunnels. This also gives them enough space to give them some “personal space†to
avoid fighting if they cannot escape each other at times.
Health
It must be remembered that rabbits and guinea pigs are different species. This leads to the
possibility of transmission of diseases which can be more fatal to one than the other, e.g. rabbits can
transmit Bordetella bronchiseptica to guinea pigs.
Inadequate hutch sizing can also lead to many bone and joint problems for the rabbits.
