11 Top Reasons Why Guinea Pigs Are High Maintenance Pets

You might be tempted to pick up a guinea pig if you’re looking for a low-maintenance pet, but don’t believe the hype.

Guinea pigs are high maintenance pets. From proper care needs, to their diet, to daily check-ins and attention – these furry little friends require a lot more energy from you than the average pet.

So if you’re considering hopping on that guinea pig train, sit back for a bit, because it’s time for you to get schooled on what it means to keep a guinea pig as a pet.

Let’s take a look at the 10 simple reasons why guinea pigs are high maintenance pets. Get ready – I’m about to blow your mind with this first one:

1. Can’t Be Left Alone for A Long Time

You see, guinea pigs don’t do well sitting solo without mama or papa (yep, that’d be you) getting them the munchies, attention, or whatever else they might need.

It’s not as simple as throwing them a snack and expecting them to live till you come back from your five day vacay- that’s not enough to keep them alive and kicking.

If you get a guinea pig, you’re gonna have to shell out money for a pet sitter or a friend to come in every day, and have them check on your fur babies in case something goes wrong like:

• A water bottle leak
• Food spoils early
• Hay molds from the water bottle leak
• Guinea pigs get sick unexpectedly (hey, it happens)

Hey, accidents happen.

Guinea pigs need daily check-ins, and if you’re not around to provide that for them, then they won’t survive very long.

Trust me, you don’t wanna be comin’ home to any unpleasant surprises. Yet another reason why guinea pigs are high maintenance pets!

2. Need Companionship

Most guinea pigs don’t do as well with a solo life. Many piggies need to have other guinea pig companionship – like a lot of it. They’re social animals, so living in groups is their jam.

Your little friends prefer living in large communities and can even form bonds with other herd members.

Bottom line: if you want your fur babies to be healthy and happy, the best thing you can do for them is get another one or keep them in a small group. If not, they get lonely, bored and all kinds of stressed out.

So let’s do our furry friends justice and make sure we provide them with that social interaction.

Now, if you decide to just stick with one – be prepared to spend A LOT of extra time with them. That alone puts these little critters in the high-maintenance pet category!

So if you can’t commit to spending some quality time with your guinea pig, then it might be best to look elsewhere for a pet.

3. Are a BIG Commitment

If you’re considering owning a guinea pig, you’d better be prepared for a long-term commitment – these little guys can get up there in years. The average lifespan of most guinea pigs is 4-5, but some even manage to live up to 9 or more.

That’s why I like to tell potential pet owners that looking after a guinea pig is no joke – you’d better come correct and be ready to maintain a high level of responsibility when it comes to their care.

And you better know that it’s not easy raising these fuzz spuds up to old age. There’s a long road of health checks, vet visits, specially crafted diets, and lots of love that comes with owning a guinea pig.

So if you’re not prepared for this level of commitment, then maybe it’s best to look into another pet – because seriously, these little fur babies need your constant support – and they’ll need it for a long time.

4. They Need A lot of Space

Even though they’re small and cute, these little critters need plenty of space to do their thing.

Sure, you can keep them in a cage for a bit, but if you want your guinea pig to stay healthy then it needs regular interaction with its human buddies, as well as the option to explore more wide open spaces.

So if all you’ve got room for is one of those tiny cages, I’d stick with the stuffed animal version of a guinea pig instead.

Unless you’ve got some extra room (AT LEAST a 7.5 square foot cage for 1 guinea pigs or 10 square feet for 2 ) and time to look after your cavy pal, then you might want to hold off on adopting a guinea pig.

# of Guinea Pigs	Size Of Cage
1 piggie	10.5 square feet
2 piggies	10.5 square feet
3 piggies	13 square feet
4 piggies	16 square feet

5. Have Special Diet Requirements

 If you’re thinking of getting a guinea pig, make sure you understand the special diet they need; it’s certainly not like any other pet out there and can’t be overlooked.

What kind of owners do we think we are if we don’t make the effort to feed our piggies right? 

Cuz if you don’t give them the right foods (in the right amounts ), then your piggie isn’t going to last very long.

There’s nothin’ worse than going off and getting one of these furry friends only for it to up and die on you. I mean, who wants the guilt and the trauma of having a pet pass away? Not me – and I’m sure not you either.

So if you’re really thinking about getting a guinea pig, please make sure to do your research so that you can make sure to give them the correct food and nutrition.

It takes time, money, AND effort to come up with a feeding schedule and diet plan that is tailored to your guinea pig’s needs.

6. Can Get Sick Easily

Guinea pigs are especially likely to get sick if their owners (a.k.a. you) don’t know what they’re doing. So, it’s important to do your research beforehand.

Trust me, you don’t want a sick guinea pig on your hands. Taking good care of guinea pigs takes knowledge and patience.

A lot of their health problems can be avoided with proper care: like weekly health checks, regular fingernail clippings and ear cleanings, a proper diet, and keeping stress to a minimum.

Don’t go into pet ownership blind – get informed before you bring one home!

There’s ways to keep guinea pigs without making a huge dent in your wallet, but it can end up costing you a pretty penny in vet bills if things go south.

So listen up – if you’re thinking about getting one of these lil fellas as your pet, make sure that you know exactly what it takes to keep them healthy and happy، otherwise you could be in for a wild ride.

7. Are Sensitive to Heat and Cold

It’s important to pay attention to your guinea pig’s environment – for real.

Temperature can have a huge impact on their health and comfort. 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit is their sweet spot – any cooler than that an they’ll be just fine, as long as they have got a super comfy spot to hang (think well-insulated hutch or a heated indoor enclosure).

But you’ve gotta watch out when the temperature starts rising because if it goes over 80 then it could be dangerous.

Heat stroke is no fun for fuzz spuds and it’s often called the “silent killer” of guinea pigs in the heat of summer.

Be prepared to keep a close eye on the temperature make adjustments to keep your little friends comfortable.

That’s IF you decide you want to bring guinea pigs home to love and care for.

If you want to know a little more about temperature levels and how to keep your guinea pig at the optimum temperature, check out my posts: 13 Proven Ways to Keep Guinea Pigs Cool When It’s Hot and Can Guinea Pigs Die from Being Too Cold? (What You Need to Know)

8. Need Hay Daily

Want another reason why guinea pigs aren’t for the faint of heart? They hunger after one thing and one thing only: constantly fresh hay to munch on.

Now, sure that seems cute and simple enough until you realize that hay gets everywhere – absolutely everywhere. I’m talkin’ clogged up air vents, inside bras, and in between couch cushions, and (yep, all true stories).

The point is – those little guinea pigs can cause a lot of mess (and hassle) when it comes to making sure their

Bottom line: Hay is an absolute must-have for guinea pigs, so be prepared to clean up after your pet’s hay habit on a daily basis.

9. Can Be Escape Artists

You can have the most secure cage ever, but don’t be too confident that your guinea pig won’t get out. These critters can unlock cages like Houdini.

And if they do escape, good luck catching ’em! Cause man, are they fast. Not even The Flash can keep up with one of these little fellas when they want to beat feet.

Make sure you latch your guinea pig’s enclosure securely and double-check it every now and then just to be safe.

10. Guinea Pigs Aren’t Always Cuddly

I know, I know. Those tiny noses and little fuzzy coats make them seem like the perfect cuddle buddy…but they aren’t always game for that kind of affection.

Oh man, guinea pigs can be really skittish once you bring them home. To make it worse, they’re prey animals, so when they see you they think you’re trying to gobble them up.

You gotta do some serious trust building to convince your guinea pig that you just wanna be pals and that they won’t get hurt with you around.

It takes plenty of patience (and snacks!) to bond with your new pal – but the rewards are totally worth it in the end. Believe me – I’d know.

11. Can Be Expensive to Keep – Especially If You Have A Lot of Them

Can you say EXPENSIVE? If you want to make sure your guinea pigs are getting all the nutrition they need, that means buying fresh fruits, veggies, and hay on the regular.

(And I’ve already mentioned the headache that hay is. Have fun with that.)

This can add up quickly and depending on how many piggies you have. And for sure, it’s going to involve going to the grocery store AT LEAST once a week (or more if your piggies are the type to gobble up all the snacks).

When I first got my pair of guinea pigs, it took me a good month to figure out what they liked, what they didn’t like and how to rotate their diet so they got a variety of nutrition.

Are Guinea Pigs Easy to Take Care Of?

So, I did some research and I think it’s safe to say that while guinea pigs are sweet, gentle and do make great small pets, they aren’t really low-maintenance.

I went ‘Net surfing in places like Reddit, Quora, and other pet forums – just doing a manual survey of people to see if they thought their guinea pigs were easy to take care of (or not).

Since I’ve owned guinea pigs before, I wasn’t surprised at the results. Basically, the consensus was that guinea pigs require more time, attention and money than people expect.

• 89 of the 101 people that I surveyed said that they’d underestimated just how much effort it took to care for a guinea pig.
• But, only one person of the 89 said that if she’s known how hard it was taking care of one, she wouldn’t have gotten one.

12 of the people said that they didn’t think it was hard at all, but they also said that they did certain things to make taking care of their fur babies a bit easier. Here’s a few things that they said helped:

• Using fleece bedding instead of wood shavings
• Setting (and keeping) a cleaning schedule
• Creating a budget for food, bedding and vet bills
• Exercising their guinea pigs a few times a week.

So, it looks like if you’re willing to put in some time, effort and money (just like any other pet), then you can have a happy, healthy guinea pig. But I’m also here to tell you that it’s not a walk in the park either – these little guys require a lot of care and attention.

These are great tips, but they do take some effort – so don’t be fooled into thinking that guinea pigs are low-maintenance pets.

Are Guinea Pigs Boring Pets?

Guinea pigs aren’t boring pets. In fact, they’re some of the most entertaining pets out there. You never know what they’re going to do next. They might be chillin’ in their cage, then all of a sudden they’ll start running around like they’re on a mission (gotta love those Zoomies).

They’ll do all kinds of funny little noises and faces too. Plus, some guinea pigs love cuddle session – once they’ve got a chance to warm up to you.

The times you really see a guinea pigs’ personality shine is when they’re in a pair or a small group – they’ll start running around and playing together like they’re at a party.

One thing is for sure, guinea pigs aren’t boring pets – so if you were worried about that, don’t be. They’re actually pretty cool. And a bit addicting if you believe what some guinea pig parents say.

Can Guinea Pigs Roam Free in the House?

Guinea pigs can roam free in your house if you take the proper steps to keep them safe. You’ve got to piggie-proof the space.

• Make sure you don’t leave electrical chords lying around where your guinea pigs might get shocked, or any sneaky little house plants that they might nibble on and make them sick.
• You also wanna make sure you close off any doors so your little friends don’t end up in the wrong part of your house and get lost.
• Also, you’ll need to set up some sort of potty system as guinea pigs don’t “go” on command like dogs or cats do. A litter box with paper bedding and hay works great for this.
• Long story short as long as you take proper precautions, your guinea pig friends should be safe.

How Messy Are Guinea Pigs?

Guinea pigs can be pretty messy. Now, they’re not the messiest pets out there, but they do have their moments. You see, guinea pigs have a habit of scattering their food and bedding around their enclosure, which can lead to some messiness.

And let’s not even get started on the pee and poop situation… let’s just say it’s not uncommon for guinea pigs to do a deep cleaning on their cage, turn around, and see that they’ve made a mess again (cuz that’s what guinea pigs do).

To avoid driving yourself crazy with the situation, do the following:

• Set a cleaning schedule for your guinea pig’s cage. Every other day for a spot clean and weekly (or more) for a deep clean.
• Keep the bedding clean and dry
• Find a good cage cleaning workflow that works for you.
• Use hay feeders and food bowls to “try” to contain their mess.

Most importantly, accept the fact that you’ll always have some mess to clean up. Embrace the reality and deal with it. That way , you won’t be too surprised when it does happen.

But with the right amount of effort and some planning, your guinea pig’s messiness can be managed. I had a pretty good system that worked for me, so don’t be afraid to experiment until you find one that works for you.

Things to Remember About Guinea Pigs Being High Maintenance Pets

Thinking of getting a guinea pig? Proceed with caution. They need more love and attention than you might think.

Guinea pigs aren’t ideal low-maintenance pets. Not by any stretch of the imagination. They need a lot of care and attention, and they can be pretty demanding too.

So if you’re really thinking about getting one (or more), make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.