Caring For Cavy Pups

Much like human babies guinea pig pups have been listening to your voices for quite a while from in their mother's womb. They are no stranger to you or your family. Gentle handling of baby guinea pigs from early on makes them very calm and easygoing with people. 

Baby guinea pigs are well developed at birth. They have teeth, eyes open and are fully furred. Their mother needs to clean them and eat the afterbirth in order to trigger milk production. They will usually start nursing within a 24-hour period but don't panic if they don't latch on right away. Even human mothers do not produce milk immediately. 

A mother and baby

The babies should be up and running within the hour. They will do whatever their mom does, in time learning to use the water bottle and eat whatever she does. Introduce foods of many types so that they can get used to new varieties.

It is a good idea to weigh your pups regularly. A newborn will be around 8-10cm and weigh between 60-120 grams. Typically the bigger the litter, the less each will individually weigh. If you notice one of the babies is failing to thrive you can remove all of the other babies for short periods throughout the day, to allow it extra time to suckle. 

The pups will need to nurse for at least three weeks - no matter what. During this time, the mother spends a lot of time caring for her babies. She stimulates them to urinate and defecate by cleaning their bottoms periodically throughout the day. 

The mother cuddling her babies

She also produces a softer stool for the babies to consume so that they have the proper bacteria in their digestive systems. This is a process called coprophagy. Guinea pigs excrete two kinds of dark brown pellets. One is the faeces we all know and expect, the other is a compound of vitamins and proteins that all guinea pigs eat, to help them digest B complex vitamins. These are called ceacotrophs. So being with the mother guinea pig for three weeks is very important. 

Baby guinea pigs can be sexed at birth, but usually only by someone with lots of guinea pig familiarity. Male guinea pigs will appear to have a white ring in their genital area. When pressure is applied, the male part will come out. Female guinea pigs have Y shape genitals. 

The males can become sexually active at 3 weeks (initially with minimal effectiveness but still a nuisance). He will make a low purring sound before trying to mount his sisters or mother. At this stage it is important to separate the sexes, it is better to be safe than sorry. 

A mother-daughter guinea pig combination is ideal and there is no problem with all of the girls staying together. If there is only one male he needs to be removed and put in his own cage. If he has brothers, it is ideal to house them together because male guinea pigs can be difficult to pair, and the best male pairings are often between brothers.

Gentle handling of the pups helps form a strong bond

The pups are usually very attached to their mother after they are born. They will nurse a lot and cuddle against her. It is not unusual for them to become anxious when separated from her. You need to be patient and persistent in handling them. Hold each one for at least 10 minutes a day, to help them form strong bonds from a young age.  Feeding them fresh grass on your lap can help them calm down. However baby guinea pigs grow quickly and before you know it they will be completely independent.