Save a Guinea pig.

Here's my wonderful guinea pigs

The little Wooden House featured in Molly's Little Critters

PlaytimeBoofhead having his weigh inBeanie hates getting weighed.Boofhead loves kisses

Guinea pig Christmas

Cosy Corner

Having a guinea pig in your life can be one of the most wonderful experiences. It is for me. They're adorable, funny and entertaining little animals, but they do need lots of special care and love. Personally, I wouldn't house a guinea pig outside. My little boars are kept indoors where they're safe from predators like eagles, snakes and other animals. If you do decide to house guinea pigs outside, make sure that the cage is snake proofed and warm in winter. In the summer, makes sure they are kept cool and not in direct sunshine. Guinea Pigs can die from temperature extremes, and also from frights from barking dogs.

Check them on a regular basis to make sure they haven't hurt themselves. They have to be weighed regularly to make sure that they are eating properly. If their weight starts to drop, it could be because they have a health problem and need to go to the vet. Don't be fooled if a guinea pig pretends to eat. They do this sometimes to fool their mates that they aren't sick. They may toss food around or dip their head in the food bowl and pretend to eat. I've had guinea pigs do this when they need to get their molars (Teeth) checked.

Also check for ticks, lice and mites and make sure their toenails are cut regularly. Make sure there are no pieces of hay stuck in funny places too.

If you would like to save a guinea pig, you can adopt from one of the rescues around the world. There are many guinea pig rescues on the internet. Here in Australia you can adopt a guinea pig from The RSPCA. Here is the link: http://www.rspca.org.au/ You can view on line what animals are available.

If you need to take your guinea pigs to a vet, make sure they are experienced with guinea pigs. Some are not.

If you need specialized care for your guinea pigs, there are exotics vets available all over the world. Here in NSW Australia there is a wonderful exotics vet in Crows Nest Sydney. Here is the link: http://www.davidvella.com.au/ (There are also some great links on the David Vella web site.)

You can also check for guinea pig vets on the RCPCA web site: http://www.rspca.org.au/