Guinea Pigs
American Guinea Pig – Breed Profile
Jul
The American is the oldest and most popular breed of Guinea pig. It is believed to have been first domesticated around 5000 BC in the Andes. The American Guinea Pig breeds are descendants of the South American Tschudi Guinea Pig breeds.
The American Guinea Pig is
a popular, low-maintenance breed
Care:
One reason that American Guinea Pigs are so popular is because they’re easy to care for. They require minimal maintenance, which makes them perfect for a child’s pet.
Be sure to provide your guinea pig with a good home and a proper diet. Make sure their nails are clipped at least once a month, and take care not to cut into the quick.
Ensure their food is topped up regularly and that they have an ongoing supply of hay to chew on. This will keep them happy and healthy and ensure a great pet for a long time.
All guinea pig breeds need plenty of exercise and the American guinea pig is no exception. American Guinea Pigs are especially playful.
They prefer to be outside or sprint around in the home for short periods of time. You should always provide proper supervision whilst your guinea pig plays. The American Guinea Pigs breeds need time for exploring and they need a minimum of one hour of controlled floor time daily.
At night, you may choose to have a large outdoor cage or a more compact guinea pig hutch in the house. The Somerzby range of Guinea Pig hutches has a great set of features that are sure to keep your guinea pigs happy and healthy.
Optional, add-on guinea pig runs are available, allowing you to expand the size of your guinea pig house or provide more space for them to safely exercise. We also have some great value Guinea pig hutch and Run packages available.
The American Guinea Pig
makes a perfect pet for kids
Features:
The American Guinea Pig typically has a small body with a length that ranges from 8 inches to 9 inches (20 cm to 22.5 cm). They have a round snout with famous ears and has a short, soft coat.
The American Guinea Pigs can range in size from as petite as a rat up to pets as large as a small dog.
Temperament & Behaviour:
If you’re looking for a pet with a sweet and clownish personality that is easy to care for, the American Guinea Pig fits that description perfectly. They are quite entertaining, and they respond well to handling.
They love to be handled and enjoy affection, in fact, the more you handle them and show them affection, the more they will respond to you. They also get along well with other Guinea pigs.
The American Guinea Pig breeds make perfect pets and they do not bite. They are active, friendly, and economical breeds that have a lovable character. The American Guinea Pigs are easy to handle and feed and they are also inclined to be strong and robust little animals, as they do not contract sicknesses very easily.
Coat & Colours:
The American Guinea Pig has a short, smooth coat. It has no curl and can come in a variety of colours; they also come in a variety of hair styles. The American Satin is identical to the American, except its coat is fine, dense, extra shiny and glossy. The American Guinea Pig can be seen in a large range of colours and patterns.
There are ten basic colours of guinea pigs, though there are many variations that include two or more of these basic colours. The basic colours are:
| Colour Variation | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Self | A solid colour | |
| Dutch | Coloured head, white blaze, the front half of body white, head and hind end the same colour. | |
| Brindle | One dark colour and one white colour intermingled consistently over the entire body. | |
| Tortoiseshell | Well-defined black and red rectangular patches of colour even and uniform across the entire body. | |
| Tortoiseshell & White | Well-defined black, red, and white rectangular patches of colour, divided along a line that runs down the middle of the back and belly. | |
| Roan | White and darker hairs mixed evenly over entire body. | |
| Agouti | Each hair has alternate dark and light bands of colour. | |
| Albino | Pure white, no dark hairs at all, pink eyes (complete lack of pigmentation). | |
| Dalmation | White body, dark spots. | |
| Himalayan | White body, brown or black nose, ears, and feet, red eyes. |
One major reason that the American Guinea Pig breeds are so popular is that they are trouble-free to care for. Their short hair requires minimal maintenance. Their hair does not mat easily and they do a good job of keeping themselves clean. This makes these small animals an excellent option for a kid’s pet.
SEE ALSO:
- Meet the Silkie Guinea Pig
- The Complete List of Guinea Pig Breeds
- Australian Backyard Guinea Pigs Hutches
RESOURCES:
- https://www.guineapigcorner.com
- http://knowledgebase.lookseek.com
- https://www.slideshare.net/
- https://www.furrytips.com
My guinea pig does not have the “famous ears,” in other words her ears are not floppy they are perky. She is about 5 months old, could this just be a trait of her being young?
Yes. It could be a trait depending on what type of guinea pig it is. Definitely nothing to worry about.
My American Guinea Pig is very skittish we’ve had her for about a month and she hasn’t been out of the cage she runs around a lot and popcorns in the cage but won’t let me handle her.
Guinea pigs are not low maintenance animal. I have 2 and you must clean there cage 2x a day and make sure they always have hay and fruit/veggies 1 cup a day. They need a big cage also. Not what is sold in the stores.. that is if you want to take proper care of them