The domesticated Guinea Pig is believed to have been developed from the Peruvian animal.  Just as in the case of wild Guinea Pigs, the domesticated breed develop so quickly that they shed their lacteal teeth in the womb before birth and have their definitive teeth when born.  If left to nature, domesticated Guinea Pigs will breed up to 5 times a year with the litters of 2 to 4.

The origin of the name guinea pig is still a mystery.  Some believe it may come from Guineamen, who dealing in slaves and possibly be the first to bring them to England from South America.  And then there are others who believe that guinea is a version of the word coney; this is because in 1607, guinea pigs were called coneys.

Cage size should be considered as well, when we received our 3rd pig, he was brought to us in a small aquarium; now this would have been suitable for hamster, gerbil or mouse, but not for a Guinea Pig.   We were fortunate to have a cage given to us for him and he has a large space for living quarters.  Our other 2 pigs each have their own large cage, with a connecting tunnel between the two of them.  This allows them to visit one another, but still each have their own space.

First I would like to stress the importance of Vitamin C.  Like us, Guinea Pigs need a daily source of Vitamin C; if this need is not provided, they can get Scurvy.  Scurvy in Guinea Pigs causes hair loss, eye infections and pneumonia.  If you buy Guinea Pig pellets, they are fortified with Vitamin C.  But remember that after a few months of shelf life, this vitamin is lost; so it might be better to add it to their drinking water (500mg Vitamin C to 500ml of drinking water).  These additives can be purchased at your pet supply store.

In addition to pellets, I feed my pigs Guinea Pig seed mixture, Dandelion leaves (bought from grocery store or picked from lawn), Timothy hay, carrots and romaine lettuce.  As treats we also feed them apples, watermelon, Alfalfa Hay and the occasional handful of grass.  Be sure to wash all vegetables (and fruits) before serving them.

Other items that Pigs eat:

Orange, Kale, Celery (some say it is to stringy), Rutabaga, Snow Peas, Alfalfa Sprouts, Turnip, Cauliflower, Parsnip, Brussel Sprouts, Cucumber, Chicory, Spinach, Tomato, Grapes, Corn, Bell Pepper, Peas, and Pear.  Like above be sure these items have been thoroughly washed and pesticide free.

Note:  I would be cautious when it comes to Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts, Rutabaga, Turnip and Parsnip.  I have heard that they can cause gas and even diarrhea, so I would only use these as a treat.  And anything sweet as well, as they will leave their normal food alone if provided with a constant source of sweet foods.

About Us

We are a small family run business whose initial purpose was to provide a comfortable, easily adjustable harness for our three pigs; Pumpkin, Angel and the newest arrival, Chipper.  After other friends and acquaintances seen the harnesses on our pigs, they wanted to know if I could make them one.  Then I seen a need for harnesses for these wonderful little creatures, and our small business was born.

Our harness, leashes and couplers are made from a 3/8" nylon-type webbing which is soft, but strong.  Making them at home began when the one harness I bought was a bit to small and you could not slide the neck/waist collars to make size adjustments.  My pigs didn't like me trying to adjust the collar under their chin.  Our collars are adjusted by sliding the webbing through 2 small O-rings and brought back through 1 O-ring.  This allows for easy adjustment and offers a sturdy hold.  This harness design also allows for changing to different colour neck/waist collars to give your harness a new look.

 I also sell collars (1 or 2 pks), 11" couplers (for walking 2 Guinea Pigs from 1 leash), 4 ft. leashes and combos in four colours. 

Thank you for visiting my online store, and for your interest in my products.

Sincerely,

Susan Laffan

Owner, Guinea Pig Gear

If you would like more information on our products or have any problems with our links below.  Please note that to order products through our online shopping cart, we only accept PayPal as means of payment.  For more information on signing up for a PayPal account, visit http://paypal.com ; it's free to sign up and send money, fees are only applied for receiving payments.  If you wish to make a payment via money order or certified check, click here to email us with your inquiries.

Harnesses

Shown above is our 8" - 10" Harness on our Pig, Pumpkin.  We have two other sizes listed below, available in the colours in the chart above.

  4" - 8" Neck and Waist Size

Collars

  4" - 8" Neck Size

  8" - 10" Neck Size

$ 1.49 ea.   

Also available in 2 packs;  these can be used to change up your harness for a different look.

  4" - 8" Neck Size

  8" - 10" Neck Size

$ 2.49 ea.   

  10" - 14" Neck Size

$ 3.49 ea.   

Leashes

Couplers

$ 2.95 ea.   

Want to add a leash to your harness, collar or coupler order and save money?  No problem, just add "Combo" to your order and we'll add a leash in the colour you want for only $1.49.  This gives you $1.00 off the regular price if you were to purchase these items separately.

$ 1.49 to be   

added  to order   

This is my daughter Caitlin's Guinea Pig "Pumpkin"

He is over a year old and is the baby of our family.

"PUMPKIN" is very sensitive, he will "wheek" when I am talking to one of the other pigs, or even when I call out to him.  When taken out of his cage, he loves to explore, and pretty quickly too.  Most pigs don't walk when on a harness & leash, but he does.  Always the ham, he is very special to us.

This is my daughter Alexis' Guinea Pig "Angel"

He is also over a year old and is a very shy Guinea Pig.

"ANGEL" is very timid, he stays perfectly still, and we think that in his mind, no one can see him.  He is very gentle and loves to be petted.  Only once in a while will he squeak, he loves to be quiet and lay on his side with his head down.  He really is a little angel.

This is our newest Guinea Pig "Chipper"

He is not quite a year old and loves to "Peep".

"CHIPPER" is a very squirmy, wiggly pig.  He came to us because his previous owner had allergies.  Not much for being picked up, he does love being rubbed behind his ears.  He seems to be adjusting to the other "big brothers" and we hope soon to connect his cage so he can visit them when ever he wants.  Someone offered to take him, but we've grown to love him, so he's staying put.

This is a pure bred Abyssinian Guinea Pig and his name is Babe!!  He is owned by Tracy, Jenny and Kaitlyn.

He is 5 months old and is so adorable.

"BABE" loves to go outside and eat all the grass he can.  He also loves to eat carrots, Timothy hay, celery, green peppers, cabbage.  Other special treats he likes are apples, grapes and Alphalfa hay.  He especially likes to play in his Guinea Pig playpen.

BABE's owners just purchased a 8" -10" Guinea Pig Harness & Leash in black.  Here is what they had say:

"Awesome product, thanks so much.  My Guinea Pig "BABE" love's it, thanks!!"

Order Total

Shipping &

Handling Charges

At this time, we are only taking enquiries via email. 

We can be reached at guineapiggear@hotmail.com.

If you would like more information on our products or have any problems with our links above,

click here to email us with your inquiries.

Thank you for your interest in our products and have a nice day.

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