Guinea pigs come in various sizes, if not in shapes and in multiple hues on their coats. When choosing one for your home, you must check the behavior and maintenance of the creature, but the looks should not be ignored.
Choosing sheltie guinea pig over other varieties of species means you have fallen in love with this cute and admirable creature. After seeing them you will not feel like adopting any other guinea pig as that is the best thing you will get for cuddling. But before adoption, you have to be aware of its needs, maintenances, and other habits.
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How big can a sheltie guinea pig become?
The weight of the sheltie guinea pig can be 1.5 to 2.6 lb when it gets matured. It is not a large thing but it gets up to 8 to 10 inches in height. They live around 14 years and so they will be offering you companionship for such a long period of time.
Are sheltie guinea pigs good as pets?
These sheltie guinea pigs can be good pets for households where there are kids or senior people. They are really calm-natured and thus there will be no chance of aggression or an accident due to such a situation. They are easily tamed and thus, you will not find them to be creating nuisance in the household.
They also loved to be petted and thus, your family members will enjoy its company.
What is the price of the sheltie guinea pigs?
When buying shelties or any other breed of guinea pig, you have to be careful and knowledgeable about the breed and the parents of the creature. Get the guinea pig from a trusted breeder and get as much possible information about the pet as there could be a history of some genetic issues too.
These shelties cost around 10 to 40 USD and they are available in most of the pet shops. Along with the sheltie guinea pig you have to buy its cage, food, food bowl, medicines, and other equipment as well.
Are silkie and sheltie guinea pigs the same?
Yes, this breed, called sheltie is also popularly known as silkie. The name is apt as these ones come with a smooth and silky coat. This breed of guinea pig is docile by nature and they look pretty with this smooth and luxurious coat.
This breed is often confused with the Peruvian guinea pigs, but yes, they are somehow different. They have shorter fur on their coat and that is how they are different from the Peruvian ones.
How can you maintain the coat of the sheltie guinea pigs?
The coat of the sheltie guinea pigs is usually very smooth and silky. This often seems that the coat is managed by the gel but this is not so. The basic looking after like brushing it once in a week and trimming it once in two months is fine for the grooming purpose.
What kind of cage is needed for the sheltie guinea pigs?
Sheltie guinea pigs are smart but not harmful. They can be harmed by their over-curious nature like they can try to eat something that is not safe for them. Also, the other pets at home can harm it or it may go to someplace which is not safe for it.
To protect it from such conditions, you should keep it in a cage when you are not around to keep a check on it. A strong cage that is also spacious is needed for keeping the guinea pig. The floor of the cage should be at least 10 square feet wide and the bars should be made of strong wires. If you get something cheap for your guinea pig, not only will it suffer from biting the wires, which is a habit of the guinea pigs, but also their security will be compromised.
Which kind of substrate would be best for the sheltie guinea pigs?
The first thing that comes to the mind of the probable guinea pigs owners is an old newspaper in place of the substrate in the cage of the guinea pigs. Now we are not saying that it is extremely outdated an idea, but we would like to show you some more options to satisfy the same purpose.
Now the reason which is the most prior, against using the newspaper is, the ink used in printing. As we all know that guinea pigs of all breeds including the sheltie one, like to chew on anything. When you are offering it the substrate, it is sure to try to chew or at least eat it once, and the ink on the paper can be harmful to it.
Getting shavings of different woods, specifically, pine is also not a safe option, as these wood shavings may choke the creature when it will try to consume the substrate. However, aspen wood shaving can be a safe option. If you can arrange for coco fibers, it would be a smart idea. Sand or soil is also not an ideal option for the cage flooring of sheltie guinea pigs.
What kind of food is necessary for the guinea pigs?
The diet of the guinea pigs mostly consists of fibers. They are vegetarian and thus fresh and raw fruits and vegetables are the main ingredients in their diet. Giving a healthy and nutritious diet is a must, or else you will lose your dear pet very soon. The lack of a proper diet can cause serious problems like deficiency of vitamins and malnutrition.
Do not give them much of the sweet food, as the excess sugar is harmful to their system. They can get obese and various another malfunctioning can happen. The most important part of their diet is ample source of vitamin C. you have to give the sheltie guinea pig vitamin C in form of Fresh fruits or even in form of supplements if prescribed by the vet.
Which vegetables and fruits are safe for the consumption of sheltie guinea pigs?
Unlike us humans, not all fruits and vegetables are safe for the sheltie guinea pigs. If you are worried about their diet, you can give the guinea pig bell peppers, beetroot, romaine lettuce, carrots, or dandelions. Among fruits apples, blueberries, kiwis and melons can be counted as safe for the guinea pig.
There are certain food items like garlic, onions, iceberg lettuce, rhubarb that are not safe for the consumption of your pet, so keep the creature away from these food items.
Does sheltie guinea pig need exercise?
Like all other creatures, you may be worried about the need for the exercise of your pet sheltie guinea pig. After the diet, this one also becomes one important part of the pet’s life. Guinea pigs are usually much smart creatures so it seems that they do not need a set exercising session for their health.
But sheltie guinea pigs are much calm in nature, as we have mentioned in this guide. So proper exercising schedules need to be fixed to keep the pet healthy and fit. You do not have to be bothered much though; just keep a part of your room free for the pet. Let there be no furniture and it should be a corner of your room.
Just leave the guinea pig thereby letting the cage door open. The sheltie guinea pigs are shy and may not want to come out easily at first. But with time, they will be adjusted with their new habitat, and instinctively they will come out of it and start playing on their own.
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