Reference Books - Part 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
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This is a very thorough care guide. It starts with a section called ‘What about a guinea pig?’ which gives a lot of things to think about if you are thinking of getting one - what the guinea pig will need, whether it’s the right pet for you in terms of the time you have to give it, and things like finding out if anyone in your family has allergies beforehand. The general standards of care it advocates are good in terms of cage hygiene, housing pigs indoors if you can, providing a nutritious and interesting diet, finding a good vet before you need one and so on. It also includes sections on making your home safe for your pig, how to litter train it, and how to have fun with your pet. All in all pretty comprehensive, and the information is accompanied by some great photographs. There are a few negatives - it implies that neutering boars changes their personality and will eliminate aggression which isn’t the case, and it also advocates putting vitamin drops in the water which is ineffective and can put them off drinking. But aside from a few of those points, it is well worth a read and would be especially useful to someone trying to find out if a guinea pig is the right pet for them. Buy The Essential Guinea Pig at Amazon.co.uk. | ||||||||||||||||||
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This book is a guide to guinea pig courtship, mating, pregnancy, birth and rearing. As with all Peter Gurney's books, it is warmly written and observations and phenomenon are always illustrated with little tales from his own experience. It covers what can go wrong with breeding - the sows dying during or after labour, stillborn babies, breech births, genetic deformities etc, although the emphasis is on the positive experience breeding can be. It's not about breeding for show, and does not advocate inbreeding or breeding for physical attributes over health which I think sets it above other sources of information on breeding which I have read. If you are going to breed - I definitely think this book would be very helpful and interesting. Some of the practises put forward in here are a little controversial. For example the book says weaning takes place at about 6 weeks wheras other people have reported cases of boars little over 3 weeks impregnating their mother. So separation of mum and any boars by 3-4 weeks seems to be the more common recommendation. Also the book advocates giving bread soaked in cows milk to mum and babies, which many people strongly disgree with as some (and many say 'all') cavies can be intolerant to cows milk. I have very little experience of breeding and babies, although I would tend to er on the side of caution. Buy The Sex Life Of Guinea Pigs at Amazon.co.uk. | ||||||||||||||||||
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I wasn’t quite sure where to put these given they’re not fiction, but not really information on how to care for guinea pigs either. But hey ho, this will do! These two books are all about how Peter Gurney became so interested in and involved with our piggy friends, including his involvement with the CCT and the Great Ormond Street Hospital. There are lots of anecdotal tales about his experiences with his guinea pigs, and as ever with Peter Gurney’s books, his genuine love and affection for these creatures comes hurtling across the pages. The information about his life makes it enjoyable from a nosy person’s angle too (so I’m told by others, I’m not remotely nosy myself!) and it explains a lot about how some of his home therapies came about. Interesting and enjoyable reading, and both books also feature some gorgeous photographs!
Buy All of Their Kind at Amazon.co.uk (ISBN: 0954250508). More of Their Kind (ISBN: 0954250516). | ||||||||||||||||||
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A good general information book on guinea pigs, their needs and common ailments. It includes information on the history of the guinea pig and also a very useful section on children and guinea pigs with guidelines on how to ensure the piggers stay safe around young children. There is a health information section, which as always, is to be used as an information source and guide, not a substitute for proper veterinary attention. In that section, it does say some ruttling and sniffling can be normal in some pigs, which is true. However, it's very important that until you have the experience to know what is 'just a ruttle' and what is a potentially fatal URI, you don't take chances and always seek the proper attention for your pet. The book is nicely illustrated. Buy The Really Useful Guinea Pig Guide at Amazon.co.uk. | ||||||||||||||||||
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This book contains a wealth of information on the guinea pig. It's perhaps not a book for the beginner, but more for someone looking for more thorough information on the anatomy, physiology of guinea pigs and the diseases they are prone to. There's a good 'history of the guinea pig' section, a thorough care guide and a good chart on the calcium/ phosporus ratio in veggies which would be very helpful to someone whose pigs suffered with bladder/ kidney stones. As usual, I found several things I disagreed with like recommending putting vitamin C in the water, saying guinea pigs are fine kept outdoors even in winter and the inadequate cage size recommendations (apparently they won't feel safe if they have more than a couple of square feet to their name - what tommyrot). There seemed to be an underlying assumption that anyone interested in guinea pigs would be in to breeding and showing and I found the sections on these topics quite cold and businesslike. It just seems to me that to talk of these wonderful creatures only in terms of securing their markings and how to breed animals to score points and prepare them to win you prizes is missing the point. You should be enjoying them because you give them a relaxed and secure home and make them happy, not for what you can get from them. The grooming and training instructions for preparing you pig for show are detailed and certainly demonstrate that it's no picnic for the guinea pigs, especially the longhaireds who have to endure the wraps. I don't think this book goes far in teaching responsibility, respect and care for the animals in your care, especially for those thinking of breeding and bringing many new lives in to the world. But the information on anatomy and health is very good, and for that it's worth buying. Buy Guinea Piglopaedia at Amazon.co.uk. | ||||||||||||||||||
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This is a care book for the younger reader. It is written from the perspective of the guinea pig and covers their basic needs, and what owning a guinea pig might involve. It includes sections on housing, poisonous plants, free ranging and is written from a rescue friendly perspective. It is very simplified, but the idea is to introduce children to resposibilities of pet ownership without overwhelming them with technical details and facts. Not sure about the fact it claims rabbits make good companions for piggers, or that sawdust is a good bedding, but overall it would be a good place for a younger pet owner to start finding out about guinea pigs.
Buy Getting To Know Your Guinea Pig at Amazon.co.uk. | ||||||||||||||||||
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A very basic guide to keeping and breeding guinea pigs from the RSPCA. It covers housing, diet, stimulation and does advocate doing more than the bare minimum to keep your pet happy and healthy which is good. Also has a section on breeding. I was a little disappointed it seemed to be written more from the breeders/ showers angle in terms of the information contained, but it's a good starting point to find out how to care for guinea pigs and also for people wondering if guinea pigs are the pet for them. Buy The Official RSPCA Pet Guide at Amazon.co.uk. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Another good basic care guide which tells you a lot about guinea pigs and their needs. Gives the reader things to think about before getting a pet, and has a useful section on their language and behaviour. It also contains some lovely photos. The basic recommended cage size is a little minimalistic for my liking (16” x 25”), again sawdust is billed as a great bedding, as is the theory that rabbits and guinea pigs make good companions. Hmmmm. There is a good section on litter training for free range pigs and how to keep them safe from danger though. It seems to be written from the breeding/ showing angle and is more focused on presenting the facts rather than really conveying the ‘essence of pig’. I didn’t really get any sense of what guinea pigs mean to the author, and I think this personal touch is what makes books like this come alive and stand out. Not as enjoyable to read as others I have read, but contains quite a bit of information.
Buy Guinea Pigs at Amazon.co.uk. | ||||||||||||||||||
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This book presents 101 facts about guinea pigs on topics such as their native environment, breeds, housing, signs of illness and breeding. It is quite simplistic and just skims over the basics of topics so would be best suited to a young child as an introduction to guinea pigs prior to getting one. There are some good points about not keeping them in the garage where a car is kept and new guinea pigs behaviour. It does however say that guinea pigs can be housed with small rabbits which many people don’t agree with. There isn’t sufficient information in here for you to know how to care for a guinea pig, but it is easy to read and would give someone things to think about prior to getting a pet. Buy 101 Facts about Guinea Pigs at Amazon.co.uk. | ||||||||||||||||||
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