Guinea pigs make great pets, yet many people may be surprised to know there are over a dozen recognized breeds. One such popular guinea pig breed is the Texel Guinea Pig with its classic long fur with waves and curls; find out more about them today and how you can provide the care required for their happiness and wellbeing!
Texel Guinea Pig Behavior and Temperament
Texel guinea pigs are beloved pets for many reasons, not least of all their gentle temperaments and social personalities. Although not loud like dogs or parrots, these friendly little critters still can make some noise! Like their counterparts, texels make noise through various means but this may mostly be down to being so social – they prefer living in groups, loving being handled and petted, developing individual personalities over time, not usually aggressive and even love cuddling sessions!
Size Information
Texel guinea pigs are small yet robust pets that weigh an average of two pounds, featuring short legs and cobby bodies that measure eight-10 inches long. Their small stature makes them easy for children or adults alike to carry around as pets.
Housing Guinea pigs may not be particularly large animals, but that doesn’t mean they should be kept in a hamster cage. Teckel guinea pigs require at least a 30″x 36″ enclosure but since multiple animals will most likely need housing it is likely that your enclosures will measure at least two 30″x 50″. This size should allow two guinea pigs enough space for play, eating and sleeping purposes without feeling cramped; floor space being more important than height when selecting housing.
Specific Substrates Need
Guinea pig bedding helps absorb urine and spilled water in their enclosure. Recycled paper substrates or aspen wood shavings are good choices. Pine and cedar beddings may cause respiratory irritation.1
What Do Texel Guinea Pigs Eat & Drink? mes For optimal health, Texel guinea pigs require a diet consisting of grass hay (70% of their diet) and fresh, leafy green vegetables (8%) in addition to minimal fruit offerings and vitamin-enriched daily pellets (20%) with treats making up no more than 2% of their overall dietary requirements.
Your guinea pig needs access to fresh drinking water at all times and should receive vitamin C supplementation in their diet – whether that be liquid vitamin C capsules, treats or cookies in other forms, vegetables containing sufficient levels of Vitamin C in their food sources or supplementation through water or treat forms as many don’t consume enough foods with Vitamin C content for proper supplementation. Both water bottle and bowl should be available to encourage your texel to drink as much water as possible.