Grooming a guinea pig

An important part of guinea pig care is guinea pig grooming. Generally it's only long-haired guinea pigs that will need grooming. Here are our tips and advice on the grooming procedure!

It's best not to groom your guinea pig until they have got used to contact with you. They will need to be comfortable and relaxed when you handle them. You can groom your guinea pig on your lap or even a pillow or table-top. Whichever is best for you both.

Firstly you will need a grooming brush for your guinea pig. Generally those designed for cats and dogs are normally suitable, otherwise you can choose a grooming brush or kit especially made for guinea pigs.

TIP! Normally only long-haired guinea pigs need to be groomed.

How to groom a guinea pig

Before you start to brush your guinea pig it's a really good idea to look for any knots in the hair. If you find any, simply untangle them. By doing this you won't be painfully yanking on your guinea pigs hair when you brush it - ouch!

Gently brush through the hair of your guinea pig. It's best to start on the underneath of your piggy and then on top. Remember to grasp your guinea pig's hair close to their skin when brushing them. This stop the brush from tugging at their hair which can cause pain.

Trim the undercoat of your guinea pig carefully and slowly. Then you can flick the longer top layers of hair back over the areas you have cut.

You can then comb through the hair which sits over your guinea pig's rump (or bum!).

TIP! If you are grooming a male guinea pig (or boar) then be careful to cup their private area (testicles) when you are grooming. Catching the grooming brush there can be unpleasant for your cavy to say the least!