Himalayan Guinea Pig: Pictures, Info, Traits & Care Guide

The Himalayan guinea pig is a definite and placing breed with distinctive coloration and a mild, lovable temperament. Although they’re tougher to seek out than their American or Abyssinian counterparts, the Himalayan is a breed value contemplating if you happen to’re seeking to undertake one other piggy so as to add to your herd. As we speak, we’re going to evaluation every thing you can wish to learn about this breed so you possibly can resolve if it’s the proper match for your loved ones.

Regardless of what the breed title would have you ever imagine, the Himalayan doesn’t come from the Himalayas of India. As a substitute, this breed originated in South America. These piggies are identified for his or her albino look and distinctive coloration factors on their nostril, ears, or toes.

Himalayan piggies have rather more to supply than their distinctive coloration, nonetheless. Learn on to study extra in regards to the temperament and care necessities of this lovely guinea pig breed.

Himalayan Guinea Pig Breed Traits

How A lot Do These Guinea Pigs Value?

Himalayans are a comparatively uncommon breed, which may make discovering one to undertake a problem. When you have your coronary heart set on adopting one among these lovely piggies, you’ll doubtless want to take action by way of a breeder as an alternative of a pet retailer. It is best to count on, then, to pay a bit extra in your pet than you’d a breed that’s extra simply accessible.

Along with your upfront adoption prices, you’ll produce other expenditures, together with housing in your new pet and toys for his or her enclosure.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Himalayan Guinea Pig

The Himalayan could be very very like different guinea pigs in temperament. They’re usually very mild and affectionate, thriving in households that may present loads of human interplay. Himalayans are social and clever and might study to like being dealt with with time and endurance.

As with different breeds, you’ll have to discover ways to maintain them for them to reply positively to your advances. Bear in mind, guinea pigs are prey animals, to allow them to be very timid and afraid of people till they’ve had an opportunity to heat as much as you and study your intentions.

Do These Guinea Pigs Make Good Pets?

Himalayans could also be barely much less skittish than different breeds and extra inclined to get pleasure from a snuggle and pets from their favourite people. For that reason, we imagine they’re a fantastic breed to contemplate adopting when you have accountable (ideally older) kids who will respect boundaries and are keen to discover ways to deal with and care for a guinea pig properly. They make pleasant and loving pets, particularly as soon as they’re snug with interacting with people.

Does This Guinea Pig Get Alongside With Different Pets?

Himalayans, like different guinea pigs, are very social creatures and can completely thrive in households the place they are often with extra of their variety. Wild guinea pigs reside collectively in herds, so it is best to do your greatest to duplicate this setting in your house. After all, you don’t want a literal herd of piggies working round in your own home, however it’s best to maintain them in pairs to make sure their social wants are being met.

As a result of guinea pigs are prey animals, they’re naturally skittish round different species. When you have canine or cats within the residence, your Himalayan’s enclosure must be closed in to maintain them protected.

Issues to Know When Proudly owning a Himalayan Guinea Pig:

Meals & Weight-reduction plan Necessities

Guinea pigs are true herbivores, requiring solely plant materials to outlive and thrive. The majority of your Himalayan’s weight loss program ought to include timothy or one other low-calcium hay. They want 24/7 entry to hay in limitless quantities. Timothy-based pellets designed particularly for guinea pigs are one other essential part of your pet’s weight loss program. Hay and pellets needs to be supplemented with contemporary and colourful veggies. Place a particular emphasis on these larger in vitamin C, corresponding to bell peppers and collard greens, as guinea pigs have a excessive vitamin C requirement. Restrict fruit to particular events as its excessive sugar content material can result in an imbalance of intestinal micro organism.

Habitat & Hutch/Enclosure Necessities

As with most small critters, the larger the enclosure you possibly can present, the higher. Guinea pigs require a a lot larger habitat than you would possibly assume.

Discovering an adequately sized enclosure from the shop will be difficult. Sadly, most of the ready-made cage choices at your native pet retailer are far too small in your piggy to reside fortunately.

For that reason, we advocate DIYing a “C&C” cage fabricated from steel cubes and coroplast. Use gridded cubes meant for storage cabinets to create the cage and coroplast sheets out of your native ironmongery shop for the bottom of your piggy’s residence. Amazon additionally sells pre-made coroplast cage liners, however you’ll have to measure to make sure they’ll match with the grids you purchase. We additionally advocate utilizing fleece on prime of the coroplast for consolation. Once we had guinea pigs, we sewed transferring pads between layers of fleece, as doing so made the fabric extra absorbent in your piggy’s urine. We had a number of units we might change out and wash after they turned dirty.

The proper enclosure for a pair of guinea pigs shall be, at minimal, 30 inches by 50 inches. The more room your pigs have to maneuver round, the happier they’ll be. They want room of their enclosure to have interaction of their pure behaviors, corresponding to climbing, digging, and burrowing. Moreover, the perimeters of the cage needs to be, at minimal, 12” excessive to make sure your piggy doesn’t climb or fall out.

Train & Sleeping Wants

Train is as essential for Himalayans as it’s for another animal. A part of the rationale it’s beneficial to have such an enormous enclosure in your pet is to make sure they’ve loads of area to maneuver about and get their each day bodily exercise wants met. You may also contemplate permitting your piggies to spend time exterior of their cage, offered you’ve gotten a protected area for them to discover with no stairs or different pets close by.

Coaching

Himalayans are clever creatures with docile temperaments that may make coaching them a risk. You possibly can educate them tips like pushing a ball, spinning in circles, and even coming when known as. Some homeowners prefer to potty prepare their piggies to make use of a selected space of their cage to do nearly all of their peeing and pooping, too!

Grooming

Himalayans have brief fur, so grooming received’t require a lot of your time. You could want to assist them clear their toes and again finish sometimes. Nail filing is one grooming part you will have to do in all probability as soon as a month. Improper nail care may cause them to curve and should even lead the nail to develop into the foot pad. Moreover, skipping out on trims may cause discomfort and should make the nails extra more likely to get caught and ripped out.

Guinea pigs don’t want baths. You possibly can, nonetheless, do a lightweight bum wash in the event that they get messy.

Lifespan and Well being Circumstances

The Himalayan is susceptible to creating the identical circumstances as another guinea pig breed.

Your pet’s delicate respiratory system might make them susceptible to creating pneumonia. They’re additionally identified to get interior ear infections and gastrointestinal illnesses like gastrointestinal stasis or intestinal parasites that result in diarrhea. Guinea pigs can even get a wide range of tumors, together with mammary and pores and skin tumors and abscesses.

As talked about within the “Weight-reduction plan” part, guinea pigs have a excessive vitamin C requirement. If this isn’t met, they will develop scurvy. Lack of vitamin C could make your Himalayan susceptible to creating different illnesses and infections.

Different issues to be looking out for embrace dental issues and bladder points. Dental illness is comparatively frequent in piggies and will be attributable to a vitamin C deficiency or a poor weight loss program. Piggies are susceptible to creating urinary stones, which may trigger life-threatening obstructions.

Male vs Feminine

Male Himalayans are usually bigger than their feminine counterparts. Males are inclined to weigh nearer to 2 to 2.5 kilos, whereas females are often within the 1.5-to-2.25-pound vary. Women and men might have barely completely different social dynamics. In case your objective is to have a herd of Himalayans in your house, females could also be extra open to dwelling in bigger group settings and are much less more likely to have fallouts amongst one another that require separation.

Nonetheless, if you wish to have two to a few piggies, an all-male herd could also be splendid. Males are inclined to not do as properly in bigger teams however can usually reside okay as a duo or trio.

3 Little-Recognized Information About Himalayan Guinea Pig

1. They’re thought of albino.

Although they’ve coloured markings often called “factors”, Himalayan guinea pigs are literally thought of an albino breed. They’re born fully white and with the trademark albino red-tinted eyes.

2. They’re often called the Siamese cats of the guinea pig world.

Because the Himalayan ages, they’ll develop coloured factors, most frequently seen on the ears, nostril, and toes. The factors are usually brown or black. It’s these factors that earn them the “Siamese cat of the guinea pig world” title. It could actually take as much as three months for the Himalayan to achieve its ultimate coloring.

3. They’re uncommon.

Himalayans are one of many uncommon guinea pig breeds. You’ll doubtless have to discover a breeder to amass your piggy, as discovering one in a pet retailer might show to be a problem.

Ultimate Ideas

The Himalayan guinea pig is a unique-looking animal that may make a fantastic pet for the right family. They’re usually extra docile and fewer skittish than different piggy breeds, however as a result of they’re comparatively uncommon, discovering one to undertake could also be difficult. Likelihood is you received’t discover a Himalayan in your native pet retailer, so that you’ll have to analysis to seek out breeders in your space who specialize on this improbable breed.

Featured Picture Credit score: PHOTO FUN, Shutterstock