Piggy Food of Varieties :P

Found this piece of info in a website. For those who are interested in having a cavey can refer to it. The Guinea Pig Web site
Didn't know they like Apples too!

Guinea's Food:
Cucumber: If you own a Guinea Pig then you must have 'Plenty Of Cucumber!'

They love it! All four pig's with a plate in front of them with EVERY THING you can imagine on will always pick cucumber first!. When I got Kornage I hadn't kept Guinea Pigs before and didn't really know a lot about them. I did notice he didn't drink as much as my hamster so I was concerned. I fed him cucumber initially because I felt it meant he was definitely getting some kind of water intake. I have since noticed that Guinea Pig's do not drink a lot. Millie however is an exception to this and can drink a bottle of water in 24 hours. She seems to always be at the water bottle. I was worried she wasn't able to use the bottle but the fact that air bubble rise when she drinks is an indication that it works fine.

First thing in the morning I always give my piggie's a slice of cucumber each. When I come downstairs and go in the kitchen to make a cup of tea as soon as I open my fridge they will start mweeping to remind me not to forget them. It's the most awful feeling to hear them mweeping when you have run out of cucumber! This is why I buy plenty, at present a weeks shopping consists of at least 4 cucumbers. That's a cucumber per piggy, however I normally start to run out towards the end of the week and have to get more.

I give my piggie's about 4 slices each per day of cucumber. It really depends, if it's a hot day I feed them cucumber that's been in the fridge and is chilled. I think it must be refreshing for them and help to cool them down even if only for 5 min's. I also keep one out on the side so it ripens more. When they are ripe they become very juicy and I feel are a good source of water on days when they could become dehydrated.

As much as they love cucumber it however does not contain any goodness for them as its made up of water. Cucumber should not be given as a source of vitamin C It is more of a treat for them.


Carrots: I would say they are not over keen on carrots. However I find out of most of the fresh vegetables these do tend to keep well in the fridge. When you can buy carrots with the leaves still attached you should because they like the leaves too.

Celery: All of the celery is good. I used to buy celery with no leaves. Now I buy the most leafy bunch I can.

Peppers: These are very full of vitamin C and very good for Guinea Pigs. I have read online that 1/7th of a green bell pepper is enough vitamin C for a piggy a day. I tend to buy lots of different coloured ones and give a different kind each day. I cut up half of one to share out between them. Clean out all of the seeds when you give them to your Guinea Pig. I have read time and time again that no kind of seeds should be fed to Guinea Pigs. I am not sure if its because they can be toxic or fattening. However seeds is something I avoid giving them.

Parsley: This is a great source of vitamin C and they love it. Also you can grow it very easily in your garden. Supermarkets sell this fresh and its very cheap.

Baby Sweet Corn: My Guinea Pig's love baby sweet corn when it is still fresh and crunchy. Be warned if they are sat on you when they eat this it makes a real mess!

Fresh corn on the cob: When you can buy these fresh in season (Not the frozen type) I buy one and put it in the cage. The pigs are not over keen on this but do like to drag it in to a hidey hole and sit and munch on it.

Apple: My piggie's only like certain kinds of apple. I buy old fashioned english apples, the yellowish with red splashes on. I do not feed them this often as I have read that apples can cause blistering around the Guinea Pig's mouth from the acid in them. I have never experienced this but have noted this and only feed apple about twice a week.

I think the green crunchy apples are more acidic than the old english and never feed them that kind.

Melon: My lot like to eat the skin of honey due melons. They are not so keen on the other kinds. I give them chilled melon on hot days when I have one.

Cauliflower leaves: It occurred to me when throwing away the leaves on a cauliflower that my pig's may actually like them. They do like the leafy part but not the stalk. They do not like the flower of it.

Broccoli: This is a good source of vitamin C but sometimes my pig's eat it and others they wont touch it.

Grapes: You can give Guinea Pig's a grape occasionally but they must be seedless. I haven't read anything about it but I do assume that if you gave a Guinea Pig too many of these it would surely upset their stomachs. So I would make this a treat now and then rather than part of their diet. If anybody knows different then do contact me and put me straight.

Spring Onion: I have no idea if they are allowed these but my piggie's like the very dark green end of them. I do not feed often but if I am cutting some up will give them the leafy end rather than bin it.

Cranberry Juice: My pigs like this sometimes. It's a very high source of vitamin C and can be fed to them with a syringe. I have found my piggie's like cranberry and raspberry juice but I assume if I give them too much it will upset their stomach.

I have found that my pigs definitely do not like strawberries, oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes.