THE RIGHT HANDLING OF THE ANIMAL

LIFTING AND CARRYING: When you want to lift up your animal, reach very slowly into the cage. To calm it down, pad it a little before you pick it up. Then grab around it's bottom with one hand and around the body with the other hand and lift it very carefully.

You can then carry it like a baby on the arm, or "lay it down" on your breast.

However, you should not hold it to tight, otherwise it can happen that it bites you, or (for some people even worse) pee on you.

Guinea pigs are quite sensitive animals and do not like to be pushed.

Try to get your cavy to move, when it sits, once (i.e. push it softly on the bottom). If it does not want to move, it will try to stay with it's front paws where it is. (Almost until it makes a handstand!)

Anyway, you should only carry around you cavy only for some time.

Every cavy, even if it's well trained has it's natural needs. That means, for some time it will like being carried around, but after a time it will need to pee or pile off. It makes no sense to scream at the animal if it does so, you will only scare it then! Try to find out how long your pet can stay out of his cage and then put it back again.

RUNNING ABOUT IN A FLAT: If you accustom your guinea pig from the beginning, that it has a certain time where it can run about in your apartment, you surely are doing something good for it.
But in each flat are also visible and invisible safety hazards.
Try to find a good and safe place before you let them run free. 

The following should be paid attention to

• Wall sockets and electric cables should be out of reach. Guinea pigs are rodents and they like to nibble, and nibbling at wires can be lethal.

• In the room there should not be any expensive carpets or furniture. Our cavy is no art connoisseur and it would also nibble around at these things.

• Close or block closets and doors (especially front and balcony doors!). Like already said before, guinea pigs are magically attracted by dark things, it could be very hard to catch the animal if you don't find it anymore. 

• Place poisonous plants out of reach.

• If you should have other pets, for example dogs, cats or even birds, you should first try out if they get along together. Even if they do, do never leave them alone in one room together. Animals do have natural instincts and even the softest pussycat can become the bloodthirsty beast, once it's hunting instinct has been roused. 

• In general you should never leave your cavy alone during his walk. You never know what silly things come to it's mind when you leave it alone.

• Take some time and watch it. Sit down on the floor and it will also visit you on it's walk.

• Do not chase your guinea pig through the whole apartment trying to catch it, you will scare it only. Lure it with a goody, parsley and dill are especially good, because they smell very intensive and cavies do really like it.

Guinea pigs, who are not used to run free, will maybe not know what to do if you just "place" them in the middle of a big room, they will probably just sit there and wait until you put them back in their cage again. For them I consider it best to leave them in their little world.

Poisonous Room-Plants
Christmas rose, ferns, ficus, geranium, oleander, Rhododendron, Christmas star, Room calla

RUNNING ABOUT ON BALCONY OR GARDEN: If you have a balcony or a garden, your guinea pig will enjoy spending some time outside. 

From some slats and a piece of wire netting a pen is fast and easily made.

Of course you can also buy a ready made pen in a shop, those are usually easy to put together and can be folded up again. 

If you are not a good workman and you don't want to spend extra money, just take the top of you cage outside and place it on the grass.

On the balcony you should put a padding from thick felt or a straw-mat on the floor.

In both cases you have to make sure the animal has enough shade where it can hide on sunny days.

Nevertheless, if if should happen though that the animal gets a heatstroke, you should try to cool it down with a wet cloth and get it tot the vet right away.

You can leave a guinea pig outside from spring until autumn. 

If you leave it outside during the night you guinea pig will nee a sleeping house. Nail the house on a board so it does not get too cold from the floor. 

In the garden you should keep an eye on the safety of your animal. You should ensure that no other hunting animals (e.g. marten, owls, etc.) can get to you cavy.

During the wintertime or in general during cold times, you should let you cavy in your house again. In Europe it gets too cold for the guinea pig to stay outside then.

Poisonous garden plants
Agave, Aloe, Amaryllis, Angels trumpet, Aronstick, Azalea, Calla, Castor, Christ spine, Chrysanthemum, Clivia, Crocus, Croton, Curve hemp, Cyclamen, Evergreen, Fig tree, Flamingo flower, Foxglove, Geranium, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Ivy,  Lavender,  Lily, Lily of the valley, Lupine, Mahony, Medlar, Mistletoe, Monk's-hood, Myrtle, Narcissus, Passions flower, Porcelain flower, Primrose, Privet, Spurge plants, Thorne apple, Tree of life, yew..

If you are unsure if your a plant, which is not mentioned above, do your pet a favor and don't feed it.