When you go away on vacation, chances are, your guinea pigs will not be going with you. But, if you’re like me, you want your pets to get the best care, whether you are there or not.
Here are 4 ways to make sure that your piggies are well cared for:
- Choose the right pet-sitter
- Keep the care simple
- Make sure that the pet-sitter can contact you
- Go over the care with the pet-sitter before you leave
Let’s dive a little deeper!
Choosing the Right Pet-Sitter
It’s very important to choose the right person to take care of your precious guinea pigs!
If possible, have someone you know (preferably someone you know well) take care of your guinea pigs. Also, try to find someone who loves guinea pigs to pet-sit yours.
However, if you don’t have someone you know who can watch your guinea pig, here is how you could choose a pet-sitter that you don’t know personally.
- Ask your vet about pet-sitters
- Ask a local guinea pig shelter or rescue
- Look for pet-sitters online
Asking Your Vet about Pet-Sitters
If you are looking for someone to pet-sit your guinea pigs, ask your vet! Many veterinarians are connected to local pet communities, and will know about trustworthy, reliable pet-sitters.
Asking a Local Guinea Pig Shelter or Rescue about Pet-Sitters
Another great way to find someone to take care of your guinea pigs is by calling a local guinea pig shelter or rescue and asking them about local pet-sitters. They are also connected to pet communities and should be helpful in your search!
Looking for Pet-Sitters Online
Many pet-sitters will have posted about their pet-sitting businesses online, so that is another good place to look!
Keeping the Care Simple
This is also important because if you make the guinea pig care too complicated, it can just make it more difficult, for both you and the pet-sitter.
Here are some ways to keep the care simple:
- Clean the cage the day before
- Prep the veggies and fruits
- Create a guinea pig care sheet
Cleaning the Cage the Day Before You Leave
Fully cleaning your guinea pigs’ cage the day before you leave makes it so that your pet-sitter won’t have to clean the cage as much–or at all if you’re only gone for a few days.
If you just did a thorough cage clean a day or two before, at least spot-clean the cage before you leave.
Also, you may want to use bedding instead of fleece when someone is pet-sitting, so they won’t have to clean the cage as often.
Prepping the Veggies and Fruits
Before you leave, prep your guinea pigs’ fruits and veggies.
This helps keep the care simple because after all, it’s a lot easier to tell your pet-sitter to feed the guinea pigs a bag of veggies that have been cut and washed already than to say to wash and cut up whatever vegetables you feed.
Preparing Fruits and Vegetables
Preparing fruits and veggies for your guinea pigs is not hard to do.
First, get all the materials you’ll need, which are:
- The vegetables and fruits you’re going to prepare
- Measuring cups
- Knives
- Cutting boards
- Small plastic bags or Tupperware containers
Now, depending on how many guinea pigs you have, prepared veggies and fruits should be put into either small plastic bags or larger Tupperware containers.
After you have gotten all the needed materials, label your bags or Tupperware containers.
Write on the containers that the veggies are for the guinea pigs and which day (and possibly which time of the day) they should be fed. Something like, ‘Guinea pig veggies; Monday morning’ would work well.
After labeling the containers, wash and cut up the vegetables; then store them in the right container. It’s also a good idea to ask a friend to prepare the veggies with you so that it goes faster. Only cut up a few day’s worth of veggies at a time, though.
If you are going to be gone for longer than this, try partly-prepping the veggies. To do this, have all the vegetables that you want them to feed to your guinea pigs all in one place so your pet sitter can easily find and access them. Also, write down which (and how much of the) vegetables they should cut up, wash and feed.
Creating a Guinea Pig Care Sheet
Making a care sheet helps make it easier for the pet-sitter to remember how your guinea pigs should be cared for because they can look at it.
Your care sheet shouldn’t be too complicated.
It should say what to feed the piggies and in what amount (and possibly what not to feed), when to clean the cage, etc.
Also, if any of your guinea pigs need special care (e.g. it has very long hair which has to be brushed daily or it is on any medication) say which guinea pigs need the special care and what the care is.
Making Sure the Pet-Sitter Can Contact You
This is super important! Your pet-sitter may have questions about the care, even if he or she has taken care of or owned guinea pigs before.
If you don’t give the sitter any way to contact you, he or she cannot ask for help if they need it! So make sure to give your pet-sitter at least one way that they can contact you. This can be your phone number, e-mail address, etc.
On the bottom of your guinea pig care sheet, write at least one way the sitter can contact you so they can ask you about the guinea pig care.
Your pet-sitter may not contact you because they understand what you’re asking them to do. Even then, make sure you give them some way to ask you for help.
Going Over the Care With the Pet-Sitter
To help your pet-sitter understand how they should care for your guinea pigs, have them come to your house before you leave, and show them where the vegetables, bedding, playpen, etc, are kept.
Also, explain what they are to do with the items. For example, when you show the pet-sitter where the bedding is kept, tell them how often they should clean the cage.
In addition to this, introduce your guinea pigs to the pet-sitter (unless they have already met). Let the sitter talk to them, and even hand-feed them if they are willing.
After you have gone over the pet care with the sitter, give them the care sheet as a reminder.
I wish your guinea pigs the best time with their pet-sitter!
