How long do guinea pigs live for? This is probably the most common question people ask about piggies. The average lifespan of a guinea pig is 5-8 years, but some live much longer. According to the Guiness World Records, the oldest guinea pig, Snowball, was almost 15 years old! (source) So, if a domesticated cavie is well looked after, it´s possible to live longer lives than an average lifespan.
Guinea Pigs have a longer lifespan compared to other small pets, such as gerbils, hamsters or mice. Therefore, having a guinea pig is a long-term commitment and it is important to perform research on the species before bringing one home. Guinea pigs have specific needs when it comes to their diet, housing, medical needs etc.
Guinea pigs´ long lifespan ensures that you will have enough time to build an affectionate relationship with these adorable creatures.
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Why Some Guinea Pigs Live Longer Than Others
Naturally, genes play a big role in guinea pig life expectancy. However, genetics is not all there is; having a happy and healthy guinea pig around for years requires that a pet parent understands how to best care of a furry little friend. This includes:
- A proper diet that includes unlimited amounts of high-quality hay. About 80% of guinea pigs diet should be hay, so you really can´t give too much of it to your furry little friend. The constant grinding and chewing on hay ensures that their digestive system runs properly, and that their teeth don´t grow too long.
- Unlike many other animals, guinea pigs cannot manufacture their own vitamin C, so you need to give them vitamin C supplementation. C vitamin a vital nutrient for health. Guinea pigs require 10-20 mg of vitamin C every day to maintain good health. Pregnant or nursing guinea pigs need more than that (30-40 mg) and unhealthy guinea pigs may need up to 100 mg of vitamin C a day!
- Provide them with high quality pellets to provide more nutrients.
- Offer multiple vegetables and fruits on rotation not to cause stomach upset (you don´t like to eat the same foods every day either). Also, change their water on a daily basis and keep their bowls clean.
- Keep their living habitat clean.
- Entertain, enrich, and exercise your guinea pig with safe and proper toys. Guinea pigs LOVE to chew things, so you should provide them also chewable toys.
- Daily floor time/exercise outside their cage to provide mental stimulation. The recommended playtime is minimum 2-4 hours per day depending on their cage size and the companion of other cavies.
- Avoid extreme heat, cold or draft.
- Proper veterinary care and regular veterinary checkups.
- Never keep your guinea pig alone as they are herd animals (unless extreme health and temperament problems).
Human Age vs. Guinea Pig Age, equivalency time
In human years, a year-old guinea pig would be about 10 years of age. This means that a guinea pig would be around 50-70 years human years once they reach their golden years.
Please note, that the below table is indicative; I have calculated the equivalency years using the 2022 statistics of the average life expectancy in the World (source).
The Life-Cycle Of A Guinea Pig
Guinea pigs stay with us seemingly a very short period of time. However, they experience the same periods in their lives as us humans do: baby months, adolescent phase, grown-up years and senior years.
Baby months and adolescent phase (0 – 14 months)
Guinea pigs pack a lot into their first 14 months. Once born, a newborn guinea pigs grow steadily and quickly – in a few weeks time they can double their size! They reach their true skeletal size before their one year birthday, but may continue to put on weight slowly until they are about 18 months old.
On top of growing fast, guinea pigs go through their own “teenage” period during their first 14 months. Some guinea pig parents may see signs of that already with 2-3 months old guinea pigs while other piggie parents notice behavioural changes with 8-10 months old guinea pigs. Just like us humans, the timing and intensity of puberty varies in guinea pigs.
Teenage guinea pigs may squabble with each other and show behavioral changes like rumbling, humping on each other and teeth chattering. Some teenage guinea pigs might get aggressive and chase and bite each other. You might have to separate your piggies temporarily if things get serious.
The teenage phase of a guinea pig can last months, but usually no longer than 12 months. As difficult as the teenage phase of a guinea pig can be, it´s comforting to know that it will soon be over as their hormones settle down.
Adult guinea pig (14 months – 5 years)
Both sexes are fully grown and considered adults at 14 months.
During their adulthood years, it´s important that guinea pig can safely run, play and explore. It´s important to set aside time for daily interaction, and also make sure they have enough mental stimulation in their daily lives.
All this will help to support their overall quality of life.
Senior guinea pig (5 years- )
Guinea pigs are usually considered seniors once they are more than 5 years old.
With seniors, it´s important to perform daily wellness check, and have your senior pig evaluated annually by a veterinarian. Daily interaction and age appropriate exercise will ensure you have a healthy and happy guinea pig!
The Golden Years
There are, naturally, individual differences to when signs of aging usually appear. A four-year-old guinea pig is often considered to be approaching its´ golden years. You might see some signs of aging, such as:
- slowing down
- less active
- fatigue
- less appetite
- melancholy
Like us humans, guinea pigs tend to suffer from ailments associated with old age, such as cataracts, arthritis, heart attacks, stroke, dementia, graying (around the mouth and nose area). Unfortunately, also tumours are quite common. Therefore, as as piggy parent you must visit veterinarian anytime you notice something aberrant.
Being prey animals, it´s quite natural that guinea pigs don´t show their ailments. So, even if everything seems to be ok, it is recommended to have your senior pigs evaluated annually by a qualified and experienced vet to ensure they are healthy.
Remember, that if your guinea pig is suffering from an inoperable or untreatable condition and isn´t well, you may want to consider the possibility of vet-assisted euthanasia.
To Sum Up!
Guinea pigs are quite long-lived compared to other small pets. So, if you´re just thinking of having a guinea pig, be aware that it is a long-term commitment.
Just as us humans, the life expectancy of a guinea pig is partly due to genetics and partly due to their diet, husbandry and environment. Therefore, how you take care of your little furry friend makes all the difference in their lives!
The best advice is to enjoy every minute you have with your guinea pig, so that you have many happy memories to look back on after they pass away.
I hope you find this article helpful and eye-opening! It would be awesome to hear from you! If you have any questions or comments whatsoever, please let me know in the comments below. I will be more than happy to help you out!
