Baby guinea pigs are the cutest little rodent pets that you can have. They’re easy to take care of, friendly, and make for great companions on a bad day. They’ve got their own way of chattering and communicating, and spend their days playing with toys and nibbling on food.
If you’ve got a female guinea pig or a sow, and she’s about to give birth. A sow typically gives birth in around 2 months, and you may be wondering—are baby guinea pigs born with fur?
Yes—a baby guinea pig, or a pup, is born with fur. In fact, baby guinea pigs are precocial, so they even have all their teeth and know how to walk from the moment they’re born.
The sow usually gives birth to a maximum of 4 pups in one litter, and they will weigh about 110 grams at birth.
Read on to learn more about baby guinea pigs and what they look like.
What Do Baby Guinea Pigs Look Like?
When a baby guinea pig is born, its size can depend on the size of the litter it was born in.
The larger the litter, the smaller each individual pup. The smaller the litter, the larger each pup.
The smallest baby guinea pig weighs around 60 grams, which is the weight of a small kiwi fruit! A larger baby guinea pig can go up to twice that weight, weighing around 110-115 grams.
A pup is born with its eyes wide open, with a mouth full of teeth. They’ll have claws and, as I said above, fur as well.
A baby guinea pig can start walking soon after birth, and in a few weeks, they’ll be independent enough to be separated from their mothers.
The Kinds of Fur Different Guinea Pig Breeds Have
Different guinea pigs have different kinds of coats, depending on their breed. Here are a few common breeds of guinea pigs and the types of coats they have.
Abyssinian
These guinea pigs have the most noticeable kind of coat that makes it easy to differentiate them from the rest. Their coat has a spikey look to it, almost like tiny mohawks all over their body because of the way the hair grows outwards.
Because of this, their coat doesn’t look as smooth and silky as other guinea pig breeds, and instead, they look fluffier and larger than their actual size.
Their coats can be a variety of shades or even mixtures of different colors. For example, they can be white and red or even black and red. Other times, they can be a solid color, such as gray.
Coronet
These guinea pigs have silky hair that grows all the way down to their feet. Their coats are long and smooth, with a small bit of hair at the top of their heads that grows against the direction of the rest.
This patch can be a different shade than the rest of the coat, making it a distinguishable feature of Coronet guinea pigs.
If you’ve ever seen Silkie guinea pigs, you’ll notice their coats are similar to Coronets.
American
American guinea pigs have coats that come in several different colors and are one of the most common guinea pig breeds to have as pets. Their coats are shorter than the others, which makes them a prime choice for pets because they’re easier to clean up after.
Teddy
Another popular breed that’s preferred for its coat type is the Teddy guinea pig.
Their coats are fluffy and soft, which gives them a friendly appearance. Because of the variety of colors, their coats come in and the feel of their hair, they’re commonly kept as pets.
How Many Kinds of Coats Are There?
There are short-haired coats and long-haired coats.
Short-haired coats are easier to take care of because they don’t get as dirty or matted as long-haired coats.
Long-haired guinea pigs need extra care and attention because you need to comb their coats and regularly groom them, so there are no chances of dirt building up under the coats.
Short-haired breeds include American, Teddy, and Abyssinian, while long-haired breeds include Coronets, Peruvians, and Texel guinea pigs. Some even have little to no fur, they are most often skinny guinea pigs.
Some guinea pigs have smooth coats, while others have coats that grow upwards and look spikey. You can use the type of coat of a guinea pig to determine which breed it is.
Do Baby Guinea Pigs Get Fur Mites?
Mites are more common in long-haired guinea pigs, which is why you need to practice patting their coats and checking for any signs of a problem. If you feel as though there’s redness, patches of missing fur, or your guinea pig has had a particularly itchy spot for a few days, you should investigate.
The more often you thoroughly check your guinea pig’s fur for tangled and matted patches or small scabs, the quicker you’ll be able to catch the fur mites and have them removed before they cause your pet any added irritation.
Do Baby Guinea Pigs Have Hair or Fur?
A guinea pig’s coat is most often referred to as hair, in terms of short-haired and long-haired coats. However, most people believe that guinea pigs have fur, not hair.
The important aspect that matters is the kind of texture and type of coat they have because it helps in identifying the breed and understanding how to care for that particular coat type.
What Happens in the First Few Weeks After Birth?
It’s obvious that a baby guinea pig needs much more care and attention than a grown guinea pig.
For the initial three weeks after birth, they need to be with their mother so she can nurse them and give them the strength they need to develop properly.
Baby guinea pigs also need to be around their mother to learn their initial social skills. If there is more than one pup, you’ll see that they love playing with each other but also prefer to play near and with their mother.
Taking these pups away from their siblings and mother too early can be very detrimental for their physical health, and also cause them to be isolated and anti-social when they’re living in a cage on their own.
After a maximum of 6 weeks, a baby guinea pig will stop relying on its mother for food and can start eating grass and dry foods like alfalfa hay, which is a guinea pig favorite. At this age, you can also take them from the rest of their litter and their mother and place them in a new home.
How Do You Take Care of a Baby Guinea Pig?
It’s important to remember that guinea pigs are very sociable creatures. They love interacting with their owners and any other guinea pigs that you already have.
You need to give time to your baby guinea pig so it can bond with you, socialize with you, and learn to trust and love you. Otherwise, baby guinea pigs are prone to becoming sad and lonely if they do not get the stimulation they need.
When picking out a cage, you should ideally try to go for the biggest cage you can fit into your home. However, if that’s not an option, you must purchase one keeping the number of guinea pigs in mind.
If you only have one pup, a 4×4 feet cage is appropriate. Add another 4×4 feet cage, if you get another pup.
This ensures your cage has enough room for your guinea pigs to eat, sleep, and play in designated areas in the cage while keeping it clean and manageable at the same time.
They’ll also need to be kept indoors at normal room temperature. Make a tiny, shaded nook in their cage, and you’ll see that they love taking naps and skittering over to their little corner to recharge.
What Food Do Baby Guinea Pigs Eat?
As mentioned above, a baby guinea pig will initially only be able to consume what its mother provides for it. Even their transition to solid food happens during the nursing phase.
When the pup is eventually separated from its mother, it’ll know how to chew on its own food.
They’ll usually eat alfalfa hay, and you can always have some fresh hay in the cage for whenever your baby guinea pig wants to nibble. However, because they’re still developing at this age, there are certain supplements that you won’t be able to provide with only hay.
That’s why you should ideally go for special baby guinea pig food from the pet store that has all the supplements and nutrients they need to ensure healthy development.
Do Baby Guinea Pigs Like Snacks?
Yes—baby guinea pigs love a small snack.
If you’ve noticed that your baby guinea pig isn’t very fond of the supplemented pup food you buy, you can try making it a more satisfying meal with a few snacks.
These could be tiny cut up fruits or vegetables — like strawberries, carrots, and romaine lettuce.
Should You Get a Pet Baby Guinea Pig?
If you’ve got the experience, patience, and commitment to take care of a baby guinea pig—they’re an excellent investment and make wonderful pets. Because they’re so small and dependent on us to feed and care for them, as well as cleanout their cage, you have to be 100% that you’re willing to take on the responsibility.
Final Words: Are Baby Guinea Pigs Born with Fur?
Hopefully, if you ever wondered are baby guinea pigs born with fur, you now have your answer. Remember, pups are gentle and social creatures—so as long as you give them proper love, care, and attention, they’re a great pet to opt for.
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Do Baby Guinea Pigs Have Teeth?