Taking Care of an Abyssinian Guinea Pig

One of the unique things about Abyssinian guinea pigs is the way their fur looks. It spirals outwards at different points of their body. These are called rosettes on guinea pigs, and sometimes they need to be brushed because they can become tangled. You can brush them every couple of days, and be sure to brush gently. Each rosette is only a few inches across and grows outwards giving the guinea pig a messy hair appearance. The hair can become tangled where two rosettes meet so be sure to watch where you’re brushing at these intersections of hair. If you have more than one guinea pig, they will also groom each other.

Abyssinians of a certain color are prone to illness. These are the roan colored or guinea pigs with a white coat of fur. These guinea pigs tend to have vision and digestive problems. Due to the genetics involved with getting a white coat they are more likely to get these diseases. If you’re getting a guinea pig with a white coat, you should keep in mind that this association only happens in Abyssinians. Also, that not all Abyssinians share this vulnerability to these diseases. Of course, all guinea pigs of all kinds can become ill.

When getting a cage for a guinea pig you should consider how large the cage is. Abyssinians are an active breed so you would want to have a larger cage for them. Typically, a single pig needs about two to three square feet of space and you can add another square foot for every additional pig that you have. Having enough space means that guinea pigs are able to run around inside their cage and have enough territory to share with the other pigs. Also consider the equipment you will be putting in your cage such as housing, food bowls and the water bottle, as well as the bedding and then the hay. By the way, guinea pigs are one of the larger rodents you can keep as pets. They’re larger than hamsters, but smaller than chinchillas. All this adds up! Be sure to make room for everything.

All guinea pigs need to get out of the cage once in a while, and this is especially important for Abyssinian guinea pigs because of all their energy. This means setting up an area for the guinea pigs. They need somewhere to play which means setting up tunnels or toys. They will want to run so the area will have to be big enough and clear of any danger. Also, they like to explore so again it will need to be large enough but you will also need things in it for them to explore. They could explore furniture, but be wary of this as Abyssinians have a terrible reputation for being scoundrels. You can also take your guinea pig outdoors but beware of dangers like inedible plants and predatory animals like crows.