American Guinea Pig Breed Information – A Complete Guide

By
Shannon Cutts
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American Guinea Pig

The American guinea pig is one of the three most popular guinea pig breeds of all time. It can range in size from 1 to 3 pounds and sport up to 19 different color combinations! These cuties are social and enjoy the company of other guinea pigs. They’re also fairly healthy although they require regulated living conditions.

American Guinea Pig FAQs

Our readers’ most popular and frequently asked questions about the American guinea pig.

What’s in this guide

american guinea pig

Did you know that guinea pigs are the 12th most popular pet choice in America today? American guinea pigs are smart and social and they wear their hearts on their sleeves.

If you have ever seen a guinea pig “popcorning” with happiness (hopping up and down repeatedly), you know how easy it is to fall in love with these fuzzy cuties!

Guinea pigs also purr like kitties, squeal like pigs and chatter like squirrels. They stay awake during the day and early evening and mostly rest at night. This distinguishes them from many other small “pocket pets” that are nocturnal (active at night).

But even though they are small, it doesn’t mean that guinea pigs are easy to care for. Your American guinea pig will need a very specific habitat and environment to remain healthy and thrive.

So, you are smart to seek out as much information as possible about the American guinea pig. Even better, if you’re doing so before you make the commitment to care for a piggie of your own! So now read on to learn all about this smart, cute, small mammal!

What Is an American Guinea Pig?

For many enthusiasts, the American guinea pig is “the” guinea pig to choose. Out of all 13 recognized guinea pig breeds, the American and the American Satin (different only in the sheen of their short coats) are arguably the most popular pets.

In fact, the American guinea pig is one of the three most popular guinea pig breeds of all time (sharing this honor with the Abyssinian and the Peruvian).

If you want to learn about all 13 guinea pig breeds, we highly recommend this informative article!

The American guinea pig breed is widely available through breeders and rescues as well as pet stores (read on below for why we don’t recommend purchasing your new pig from a pet store!).

In this article, we share fascinating American guinea pig facts. We’ll also talk about important American guinea pig care tips and offer insights into their personality. Finally, we’ll discuss the health and habitat needs of these precious furry cuties!

Where Does the American Guinea Pig Come From

The American is the oldest and most popular Guinea pig. Experts believe it was first domesticated around 5000 BC in the Andes. The American Guinea Pig breeds are descendants of the South American Tschudi Guinea Pig breeds.

Eventually, guinea pigs were brought over to Europe where royals like Queen Elizabeth I bought them as pets.

American Guinea Pig Appearance

Guinea pigs are known for being irresistibly chubby-looking, with big round eyes and petal ears. This guinea pig has a fairly uniform body size from nose to tail stub and is sometimes described unflatteringly as “brick-shaped.”

All guinea pigs are considered tailless, although they do have tiny stumpy tales that are hard to see underneath all that fur. But how big can the guinea pig grow?

American Guinea Pig Size

The American guinea pig can range in size from 1 to 3 pounds. Most guinea pigs will weigh in between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds at maturity, with males outweighing females.

Similarly, males will typically be longer than females. Length at maturity varies from 8 inches to 12 inches.

American Guinea Pig Colors

American guinea pigs today sport 19 different color combinations! They can have solid (one color) fur or patterns. Colors range from white to black, blue to beige, red to orange, cream to chocolate brown.

The American Cavy Breeders Association (ACBA) groups these colors into 5 categories: agouti, self, marked, solid and tan.

American Guinea Pig Facts

Here are three fun facts about the American guinea pig:

Historically, guinea pigs played a significant role in South American medicine. In the Andes today, some people either lack or do not trust Western medicine. Instead, the guinea pig is believed to cure a number of illnesses, including arthritis and jaundice. They may even rub the guinea pig on the affected body part.

If a female guinea pig does not give birth before she is six months old, her pubic bones will fuse. If she tries after the fusing, the fused bones will prevent her from giving birth. The mother and unborn pups could die.

The scientific name of the guinea pig is Cavia porcellus, which means “little pig.” Their scientific family is the Caviidae — a family of South American rodents. Hence, the nickname “cavies.”

American Guinea Pig Temperament

American guinea pigs have vivacious and social personalities. However, they are more easy going than some other guinea pig breeds. You just need to meet their basic requirements consistently.

First, if you are purchasing a young American guinea pig from a breeder, it is advisable to get two pigs – the same gender or fixed. Otherwise, you may end up breeding lots of little piggies! Guinea pigs as a whole are accustomed to living in groups. They even live longer, healthier lives if allowed to have a guinea pig companion.

But if you decide to bring home two males, be sure they are fixed. Otherwise, they may still fight with one another. And, definitely do not put more than three males together unspayed — they will fight.

Sometimes, guinea pigs are kept alone and then relinquished to a rescue organization or animal shelter. In these cases, it may be better for the pig’s wellbeing to continue housing it alone – sudden change can be very stressful to guinea pigs.

Talk with the rescue coordinator and your vet to decide what is best.

Do American Guinea Pigs Bite?

Guinea pigs are safe, lovely pets that don’t typically bite. However, besides running and hiding, biting is one of their few defense mechanisms, so don’t be shocked if it happens occasionally. The key to stopping it is to make sure your cavy feels safe with you. Be gentle with it and it will come to know you as a bite-free zone.

Taming American Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs are much friendlier and social creatures and do not need as extensive taming. Still, they may need time to adjust to your presence and home. It’s important to be gentle with them and avoid loud noises which may scare them, especially at first.

Exercising Your Guinea Pig

While they aren’t necessarily as active as mice or hamsters, your guinea pig can exercise in your home. Just create a safe space where they can do a few laps on their own. They may also run around in their cage occasionally — be sure to leave it uncrowded.

American Guinea Pig Health

The most serious health issues for guinea pigs are respiratory, digestive and dental.

Respiratory

Guinea pigs can develop respiratory infections and pneumonia quite rapidly. This is because most pigs carry the bacteria responsible for respiratory illness. When your pig gets stressed, the bacteria can get triggered.

Digestive

Diarrhea is another common health concern that can arise from stress, imbalance of digestive flora and certain bacterial infections. Untreated or improperly treated diarrhea can be fatal.

Obesity can be a real issue in sedentary pigs, especially if they are kept in too-small habitats. However, overfeeding the wrong diet is the primary cause of obesity.

Dental

A guinea pig’s teeth are what vets call “open-rooted.” This means they will grow continuously throughout your pig’s lifetime. Without sufficient material for gnawing and chewing, the teeth can grow to an unhealthy length. Typically this happens both inside the gums and outside, causing injury and infection.

Vitamin C Deficiency

One common cause of dental issues is insufficient vitamin C in the diet. This can cause “scurvy,” which is perhaps best known as the sailor’s disease. It was caused when human sailors didn’t have access to fresh fruit on long sea voyages.

Scurvy leaves your pig vulnerable to all kinds of minor and severe health issues. These include poor wound healing, skin and coat problems, joint swelling, and mouth and skin ulcers and bleeding.

Urinary

Guinea pigs can develop calcium stones in the kidney and bladder. It can also occur in the ureter (narrow tube connecting the kidney to the bladder) or urethra (the narrow tube carrying the urine outside the body). These stones are painful and can cause lethal obstructions.

Female guinea pigs are particularly prone to bladder infections, which are also linked to the formation of stones.

Abscesses and Tumors

When the tissue gets infected and swells, this can lead to an abscess. Guinea pigs can develop abscesses anywhere, but oral abscesses are the most common.

Guinea pigs are prone to skin and mammary tumors, as well as other growths. While these are usually benign, they may still need to be removed for your pig’s safety.

Skin Issues

Bacterial and fungal skin infections and parasites can plague guinea pigs.

Like other mammals, guinea pigs can suffer from fleas and lice as well as ringworm. This can cause your pig’s skin to become itchy, crusty, scaly and, over time, hairless.

Before you bring home an American guinea pig pet, be sure you have already located a knowledgeable exotic vet. Guinea pigs are very sensitive to many antibiotics and medications that other mammals tolerate well.

American Guinea Pig

American Guinea Pig Health Notes

Here are a few things you may wish to consider if you’re a potential guinea pig owner. These tips will help you when it comes to keeping your guinea pig — and yourself — healthy.

Hay Allergies in Humans

Guinea pigs must have uninterrupted access to fresh hay. They need the fiber for digestion and to keep their teeth filed down.

If you suspect you may have an allergy to hay, you may want to first purchase some hay and handle it for a week or so to see if you develop allergies. This is much preferable to bringing home a guinea pig and then discovering you have to relinquish it due to your hay allergies!

Coprophagy

To stay healthy, guinea pigs must have constant access to their own feces. They need to eat this to get maximum nutrition and maintain digestive health. This practice, known as coprophagy, is essential.

While it sounds super-gross, coprophagy is similar to how a cow will regurgitate once-chewed grass. They will then and chew it again in the form of a “cud.” Guinea pigs don’t have the second stomach to store the cud and send it back up for a second chewing. So they have to wait until it comes out the other end before chewing it again.

Coprophagy is not a sign of ill health — it is a sign of a healthy guinea pig. This is especially important to know if you will be caring for a guinea pig for the first time. That way, you won’t panic when you see it happening!

American Guinea Pig Lifespan

The typical lifespan for the American guinea pig is 5 to 7 years. However, some few captive guinea pigs have lived to be a whopping 14 years old!

Optimal diet and hydration, a clean habitat, plentiful enrichment and exercise, and regular preventative vet care is the key to prolonging your guinea pig’s life.

Do American Guinea Pigs Smell?

Unless they’ve passed some form of waste — urine or poop — and remained unclean for a long time, they’re unlikely to smell. Still, it’s important to keep your cavy’s cage and bedding clean and fresh.

American Guinea Pig Care

Guinea pigs are more fragile than they appear. They also have fairly exacting environment needs to stay healthy. Veterinarians specify the following environment requirements:

  • Temperature should remain in the range of 65 to 75°F (18 to 23°C) to avoid heat stroke.
  • Humidity should remain below 50 percent.
  • Per pig, the habitat should offer at least 2 cubic feet of space (2 feet long by 1 foot wide by 1 foot high), but more space is always better.
  • Flooring should be a solid surface, not mesh or wire.
  • Habitat must be placed in a draft-free area that is not exposed to direct sunlight.
  • Habitat should be located in a quiet area during sleep hours.

american guinea pigs

Keeping American Guinea Pigs Together

In general, all guinea pigs will be healthier and happier when kept with other pigs. Unless you plan to breed your guinea pigs, however, be extra careful that your new pet pigs are fixed or same-gender! Remember, though, no more than three unspayed male guinea pigs should room together.

Caring for a Baby American Guinea Pig

Baby American guinea pigs need their mother’s milk for the first few days of their life. If your baby cavy was separated from its mother, then you’ll need to hand-feed it.

Use a teaspoon rather than with a syringe because baby American guinea pigs can choke this way. You can either use full-fat goat’s milk or make a milk mixture. We recommend using half water half evaporated milk.

Rescuing an American guinea pig

Guinea pig mills are a big problem in the pet trades today. To avoid inadvertently supporting guinea pig mills, it is best to get your new guinea pig pet directly from a reputable breeder. You may also adopt a rescued pig in need of a new home.

With so many potential health issues to watch out for, you may be wondering what you should look for to be sure you select a healthy baby American guinea pig!

Veterinarians offer the following guidance when choosing a pig from a breeder or adopting a rescued guinea pig:

    • Personality. Look for a guinea pig that is active, curious, friendly and open to being handled.
    • Appearance. Choose a baby American guinea pig with bright, clear eyes and nose. Look out also for clean soft fur, healthy teeth and gums, healthy feet and skin. Plus, there should be a clean area around and under the tail.
    • Environment. Make sure your guinea pig comes from a clean and healthy living situation. This applies whether at the breeder’s or from the rescue housing.

Are American Guinea Pigs Good Pets?

Yes, they are! American guinea pigs are smart and can even learn tricks. They are good pets for older children who are sufficiently strong and responsible to hold them securely and handle them confidently.

Otherwise, a guinea pig can easily be injured if dropped, squeezed or handled too roughly. Often, younger children may do this without meaning to cause harm.

Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies If You Touch Them?

No, this is largely a myth. Mama guinea pigs will not reject their babies because you touched them. However, she will need time to finish the birthing process before you can or should hold them.

Can I Keep My Guinea Pig While Pregnant?

Congrats on getting pregnant! Pregnancy and pets can be super tricky. Yes, you can keep your guinea pig, but you have to be careful.

Hamsters, guinea pigs and mice can carry a virus called lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV) which can cause severe birth defects and miscarriage.

So while pregnant, avoid cleaning your cavy’s cage and don’t touch its saliva, urine, blood or droppings. You can also put its cage in a guest room and just get someone else to be in charge of your piggy.

Similar Breeds

If you like American guinea pigs, here are some other guinea pig breeds you may be interested in. These breeds pretty much eat the same, are the same size, and need just about the same type of care.

Comparing the American Guinea Pig with Other Pets

Some other small mammals are similar to the American guinea pigs in many ways. Yet, they’re vastly different in other ways. Here are some examples:

Products and Accessories

When you bring your cavy home, they need a few supplies to feel comfortable. These are some of our favorites:

Is an American Guinea Pig Right for Me?

American guinea pigs are very popular pets today. These sweet, sociable pocket pets are likely to thrive with good preventative vet care, a healthy diet, and plenty of fresh water. More importantly, they need an enriching environment and a caring owner – YOU!

Plus, there is nothing like cuddling a soft, furry guinea pig in your arms!

But choosing to bring home a new pet of any species is a commitment. And only you can determine whether now is the ideal time to start a new life with your guinea pig.

Do You Have an American Guinea Pig?

Do you have an American guinea pig living at home with you? We’d love to hear all about them in the comments below.

References and Resources

This article has been extensively revised for 2019.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. Hi, I’m a teacher,and will be purchasing two piggies as a classroom pets. Since I am getting two should I get them as babies?

  3. I just bought an Abyssinian and an American and they are so good together! They’re both male and I got them for a project, but I can’t wait for the companionship of the years to come.

  4. I have a year old female American piggy. I just brought in a two month old “baby” and after some typical rumble strutting and wheeking, they have become harmonious cage mates! I adore them both. My 13 year old daughter and I love taking care of them and learning about guinea pugs together. Playing with them, trying new foods, cleaning their cage together has also been bonding experience for my daughter and I as well! At 13 years old, kids can sometimes become aloof, or drift from parents a bit but having our pugs provides us with conversation, shopping adventures for perfect piggy stuff, and researching info together has become invaluable time spent together. It’s a win win

  5. I have a 2 years old female American piggy. I just brought in a two month old “baby” and after some typical rumble strutting and wheeking, they have become harmonious cage mates! I adore them both.

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