Guinea pigs are popular companion animals whose welfare is frequently compromised by inadequate housing, social deprivation, and poor diet. Understanding their needs is essential for good care.
Guinea pig welfare is systematically neglected partly because they are marketed as easy starter pets requiring minimal care. In reality, guinea pigs have complex social, dietary, and environmental needs. Social deprivation causes measurable stress and is associated with behavioral problems and reduced lifespan. Inadequate vitamin C intake causes scurvy, which is painful and common. Dental disease, stemming partly from insufficient hay consumption, causes chronic pain. Commercially available housing is frequently far too small. The welfare solution requires education at point of adoption, retail reform in cage sizing and diet recommendations, and pairing requirements as adoption conditions.