It’s time to take a break and go somewhere to relax a bit. Obviously, your vacation is about to happen but you have a big concern about what to do with your guinea pigs while you are away.
As a guinea pig parent, you are aware that these cute rodents are not dogs that would enjoy with you on the beach or hiking trail. So what options do you have?
You can leave them at your home but arrange a pet sitter ( that could be a professional or your trustworthy neighbor or relative ). The other option would be to move them temporarily to your friend’s house, who will take care of them while you are on vacation.
You can also check if there is a small pet hotel in your vicinity where they can look after your furry friends for a couple of days. The same service you may get from a local guinea pigs rescue center or vet’s practice.
If you are not going far away and not going to stay at the hotel you might even consider taking your guinea pigs with you.
The majority of experienced guinea pigs owners would decide not to take their pets with them on vacation. But happens if you are moving across the country? Ok, this is not a vacation but it is the kind of trip you need to take with your furry pals. Read the article you find out everything you need to know about these situations.
Table of Contents
How Many Days Can I Leave My Guinea Pig Alone?
The maximum you can leave your guinea pig alone is 24 h so just for one day. Bear in mind that this is not recommended either but if you need to do that, do it. If you leave your piggies for more than 24 h unattended, many bad things can happen.
Guinea pigs can easily get sick and die suddenly in just a few hours. Another problem is isolation.
If your pets don’t have any kind of human interaction they feel very bad and can get sick as well or at least very bored and depressed. If you are not around ( or any other human ) they won’t go out of the cage and they really need free-roaming and exercise out of their habitat.
Food and hay supply could be another issue. They need hay non-stop. Even if you put a larger pile of hay, they can eat it in fast and run into a problem because there is nobody to give them more.
Water is another issue. No matter you put more water than usual, they could still drink it all, or the water bottle could leak or become clogged so your guinea pigs may don’t have a water supply.
Think about in-house temperature. Guinea pigs are quite sensitive to temperature change. If it’s winter and the heating goes off at night, maybe your piggies will be cold.
Bottom line, you can leave you guinea pigs for 24 h but even that is not recommended. It’s better to limit your absence ( or any other human ) to 12 hours, this is far safer.
So leaving you guinea pigs unattended in your home while you are on vacation, even the shorter one ( a weekend ) is not an option.
How Do I Take Proper Care Of My Guinea Pigs When I Go On Vacation?
We have seen that leaving your guinea pigs unattended even for a weekend trip is not a good idea. You have planned to stay at a hotel, maybe you are going for a city break or spa & wellness retreat so taking your furry pals with you is not an option either. What to do?
Get A Pet Sitter
One of the options is to hire a pet sitter. That could be a professional care giver who will stopping by your house and checking your pets at least twice a day for a fee. Of course if you have a reliable person you can trust, a friend or neighbor, you can ask for a favor.
Getting a person who will look after your piggies in your home has a big advantage as your pets don’t change the environment. Every change of habitat is pretty stressful for these cute animals so if they can stay in their own home where they are familiar with environment and smells, that’s great.
On the other hand, disadvantage of this solution is that the person who will look after them is just someone who will stop by, won’t be around constantly.
If possible introduce a caregiver to your pets before you go. This way your guinea pigs will feel much more comfortable with a person who is not you. A few treats given by the new caregiver is a great way to say hello.
Write down your guinea pigs’ daily routine. This will make the job of caregiver much easier and it’s quite important for piggies to maintain the same routine they have when you are around.
These cute creatures don’t like their schedule to be changed. For example, if they learn to expect treats at a certain time and don’t get them, they can become fairly loud.
Be very clear when you explain a caregiver his/her duties. Usually, some interaction and playtime, water and food supply, and basic cage cleaning would be just fine. Be aware that people who don’t look after guinea pigs on daily basis don’t know what to do. If you hire a professional, that is totally different story.
Also, label clearly what is what. For example- you have one type of hay for bedding and another one for consumption. Put labels on the pack so the caregiver doesn’t have to think twice.
Show him/her where you store the food ( pellets ), how much food your guinea pigs should get, what about treats ( moderation is the key), fruits, veggies ( only safe types)… Don’t forget to mention medications ( if there is any).
Emphasize the importance of unlimited water supply. Explain to your caregiver that food leftovers should be removed in the early evening so they don’t spoil over the night.
If you go for a longer vacation – a week or two, it’s a good idea to take your pets to the vet for a quick check-up before you go. Even if you do that, share your vet’s emergency phone number with your caregiver as well as your phone number or other contact information.
It would be also good if you do detailed grooming, cut the nails, trim the coat if needed, check the teeth.
Explain to your caregiver ( if he/she is not a professional ) what are the signs of most frequent illnesses. Teach him to spot changes in your pets’ behavior or eating /drinking habits which could indicate that something is going on with your Cavy.
My Place or Pet Sitter’s ?
Both options have pros and cons. We have seen that the huge advantage of keeping your guinea pigs in your home while you are away is that they don’t have to change their environment.
In some cases, this wouldn’t possible. Maybe the person you trust lives far from your home and won’t be able to come over twice a day ( or even more often ) So it’s much more convenient ( even though is not so advisable) to move guinea pigs to his/her home.
Think first about the home where you plan to send your pets. Is it significantly different from yours? Is there enough space for your guinea pigs’ cage?
Are small children will be around ( kids interaction with guinea pigs must be closely supervised)? Is it going to be some other pet around? Especially predators like cats and dogs? Cats are huge trouble when it comes to guinea pigs.
Are your friend ( who else you have found to be a caregiver) familiar with how vocal guinea pigs can be?
If the new environment is OK, there is plenty of space, no kids nor other pets and your caregiver knows a lot about guinea pigs and wants to help you, then it’s ok, you can try but note that any change in your guinea pig’s life is very stressful to them.
Pack everything your guinea pigs might need, a cage, bedding ( fleece or other types), toys, hideouts, hay, dry food. Make sure your pack everything in a larger number or quantity, just in case.
Small Pet Hotels, Rescue Centers, Boarding Facilities
Small pet hotels and boarding facilities are excellent options. Check the web and find some nice pet hotels in your vicinity. Most pet hotels are only for dogs but it’s not that difficult to find facilities that welcome different small/pocket pets as well.
They offer a wide range of services and have a great variety of packages so I am pretty sure that everyone can find what he needs. Many facilities offer webcam access so you can check how is your pet going.
The price is not as high as someone would expect. Depends on the location and the package but it’s about 10$-30$ night. This price is usually for a hutch for 1-4 guinea pigs and includes food as well. So it might be a good deal.
Your guinea pig must be healthy and groomed before he comes to the facility. In case grooming is needed you will pay an additional fee. If your guinea pig is receiving some therapy, administrating medicine will also increase your final bill.
In order to find the good facility check following things:
- How large are hutches /cages ?
- Are they keep guinea pigs indoors or outdoors?
- If guinea pigs are housed outdoors, are they safe from predators?
- Will your guinea pigs have some time out of the cage during the day?
- What kind of bedding do they use?
- Do you need to bring a supply or dry food or they have their own? What kind of pellets they use?
- Are they going to give a fresh food to your guinea pig? Can you ask for a fresh food type your pet eats at home.
- Does guinea pig’s accommodation is well heated or ventilated ?
- What happens if your guinea pig gets sick?
- Do they board other animals except guinea pigs and which ones?
- Do they have webcams? Are they going to call you on regular basis, send you photos?
- How long this facility exists? Ask for credentials
- In case you have more than one guinea pig, do you receive a discount for another one or two or three?
- If you have a bonded couple, will they be housed together?
- Do you need to bring some kind of proof from the vet that your pet is healthy?
If there is not a small pet hotel in your vicinity or it’s above your budget, check with the local guinea pigs rescue center. The people who work there are very experienced with guinea pigs, they have proper space to house your guinea pigs.
They constantly need funding to support their activities so they might accept to look after your pets for some fee.
Some vet’s practices do the same thing as rescue centers so do ask your vet for help. If he cannot help you maybe have other ideas in whose safe hands you can leave your pets while you are on vacation.
Can I Take Guinea Pigs With Me On A Vacation?
If you have decided to take your guinea pigs with you, you should consider the way of transport to your final destination.
Some airlines are willing to accept small animals such as guinea pigs in the cabin ( like United Airlines and Frontier Airlines) for an extra fee. That fee could be 50$ but it can go to several hundreds of dollars as well.
There are other airlines that are not willing to accept small animals on board at all or they welcome them but only in the cargo area, which is totally inappropriate for your furry pals for multiple reasons ( noise, temperature change, presence of other pets- predators, etc).
As per car ride, yes, guinea pigs can travel by car but this is something that requires some planning ahead. The most important thing is a safe place/container/carrier in which you will transport your pets to your vacation destination.
If you are not going to have a long car ride, but just one hour or so , a soft carrier made of fabric will do the work. If the trip lasts longer than one hour or so, this option is not good, as your pets will be sitting in a small space on a very soiled fleece full of poop and pee.
So if you plan to travel more than one hour, think about different kind of travel carriers. The best option is the cat carrier. It’s made plastic, it’s bigger so you can place two guinea pigs or even three if necessary.
You need to fill the bottom with usual bedding, put a lot of hay, some food bowl with pellets, one or two smaller toys.
When talking about toys, these should be their regular ones but also you can put some stuffed toys or a bunch of towels to hide behind them. Some piggies that are not used to travel by car could be really scared of all that noise and movement so try to make them comfortable as much as possible.
Add some fresh veggies, especially those with high water content as Roman lettuce or cucumber to keep your piggies hydrated. Put some carrots or similar vegetables in case your furry pals need additional food and distraction.
Do not place a water bottle as it can leak and make a mess in the carrier. That is why you put cumber or lettuce and you offer the water from the bottle during breaks.
If you are going to travel for many hours or you are moving across the country, it’s better to take one of those real pet cages you can find in pet shops that are designed for guinea pigs or rabbits. These are not good as a permanent habitat as they are away too small but for this purpose are great.
Place a cage/ container on a back seat and try to put a seat belt on. If you don’t have a travel companion who is sitting on the front seat, lean the seat back to prevent the cage/container go flying during the drive.
If you place your piggies in the wire cage, make sure you cover the top with a towel, especially if there is direct sunlight.
During flight leave the door of the cage facing you. Once you need to get your guinea pigs out or to give them some treats, you can stop, move the front seat and reach them easily.
I am sure that you know what you need to pack if you take your guinea pigs with you. In short- pretty much everything they use every day.
- Playpen to make a cage for your piggies
- fleece, or other types of bedding ( in the quantity needed for the number of days you are going to be away from home).
- Lots of hay
- Dry food which you can pack in nice, plastic containers. Measure the exact quantity you need for the number of days of your vacation and add the quantity for another 2-3 days, just in case.
- the toys, hideouts
- water bottles, food bowls
- grooming tools
Find the vet’s practice or animal hospital in the area where you are going to spend a vacation. Don’t forget that you need a vet specialized in exotic animals who are a bit harder to find comparing the ordinary vet who is treating dogs and cats.
If you are going to use private accommodation and not your holiday home or house of your friends, make sure the owners are OK with the idea that you are coming with guinea pigs.
If you need to make an overnight stay on road in some hotel, don’t leave your guinea pigs in the car. They need to get some fresh air and stretch the legs before you continue the ride. Of course, make sure you hit the pet-friendly hotel.
Conclusion
Never leave your guinea pigs unattended for more than 24 h. Ideally, find someone to stop by and check them twice during that period.
If you go on a vacation you have several options. First, you need to decide if you are going to bring piggies with you or not.
If they don’t go with you make sure they get proper care while you are away. You can either hire a pet sitter or ask a friend for a favor. It’s important to get someone who you really trust and know that he /she will look after your pets the best possible.
If you decide to bring the guinea pigs with you, bear in mind that any change of environment and daily routine cause them stress. Think about their safety during car ride by purchasing a proper travel carrier.
Not all guinea pigs are the same. Some of them find travel extremely stressful while others are not so frightened with the idea of having a trip with you. You’ll never know to which group your Cavy belongs until you try.
Good Luck!
