Guinea Pig Age Chart: Years to Human Years & Life Stages
Knowing roughly how old a guinea pig is in human terms helps explain a lot, from why a two year old is still bursting wi…
Guinea Pig Health & Nutrition
Guinea Pig Care Tools & Calculators
Educational calculators, feeding guides, cage planning tools, and nutrition resources designed to help guinea pig owners make informed decisions. All tools are free, instant, and require no account.
Hay & Vitamin C focused
Educational estimates only
Updated for 2026
Popular Guinea Pig Tools
Guinea Pig · Lifestyle
Take the Quiz
Guinea Pig Breed Selector Quiz
Find the guinea pig breed that suits your home, handling style and coat preference.
Most Used
Search Food Database
Can Guinea Pigs Eat This?
Search our database of 75+ vegetables, fruits, and herbs to find out instantly whether a food is safe, occasional, or toxic for your guinea pig.
Popular
Calculate Daily Portions
Guinea Pig Feeding Calculator
See the daily hay, fresh produce and pellet amounts Merck and PDSA give for your guinea pig, with a veterinarian note.
Essential
Calculate Cage Size
Cage Size Calculator
Find the minimum, recommended, and premium floor space for your guinea pig group. Includes C&C cage grid suggestions and activity ratings.
Food & Nutrition Tools
Guinea Pig · Safety
Search Foods
Can Guinea Pigs Eat This?
Instantly check whether any vegetable, fruit, herb, or plant is safe, limited, or toxic for guinea pigs. Database of 75+ commonly asked foods.
Guinea Pig · Nutrition
Calculate Food
Guinea Pig Feeding Calculator
See the daily hay, produce and pellet amounts Merck and PDSA give, scaled by group size. Ask your veterinarian.
Guinea Pig · Nutrition
Calculate Vitamin C
Vitamin C Calculator
See the Merck daily vitamin C figure for your guinea pig's weight, age group and condition, including the higher figure for pregnant and nursing guinea pigs.
Health & Housing Tools
Guinea Pig · Health
Check Weight
Guinea Pig Weight Checker
Check whether your guinea pig's weight falls within typical healthy ranges for their sex and age group. Includes a visual 4-zone weight scale.
Guinea Pig · Housing
Calculate Space
Cage Size Calculator
Calculate the minimum, recommended, and premium floor space for 1-6+ guinea pigs. Get C&C grid layout suggestions based on your group.
Breeding & Pregnancy Tools
Guinea Pig · Pregnancy
Calculate Due Date
Pregnancy Calculator
Estimate the expected birth window from a breeding or conception date. Tracks pregnancy progress across 4 developmental milestones with a visual timeline.
Age & Life Stage Tools
Guinea Pig · Age
Calculate Age
Guinea Pig Age Calculator
Convert your guinea pig's age to human-equivalent years using our own model and see which of our age bands applies, with lifespans from Merck, PDSA and RSPCA.
Why These Tools Exist
Why Guinea Pig Tools Are Helpful
Guinea pigs have specific care requirements that differ significantly from dogs, cats, and even rabbits. Getting the details right matters - and these tools are designed to help.
Feeding Guidance
Guinea pigs need unlimited hay, a cup of fresh vegetables daily, measured pellets, and constant water. The exact balance depends on weight and age. Getting the ratio wrong leads to dental disease, obesity, or nutritional deficiencies.
Cage Planning
Most commercial cages are too small for guinea pigs. Inadequate space contributes to stress, obesity, and social problems, particularly in male groups. The cage size calculator helps owners plan the right enclosure from the start.
Weight Monitoring
Weekly weighing is one of the most effective ways to catch illness early in guinea pigs - they hide symptoms well. A sudden weight drop of 50-100g can indicate a health problem before any other signs appear.
Vitamin C Support
Guinea pigs cannot synthesise their own Vitamin C, making dietary intake essential. Deficiency leads to scurvy - a painful and preventable condition. The Vitamin C calculator helps owners ensure adequate daily intake through food.
Safe Food Checking
Not every vegetable, herb, or fruit is safe for guinea pigs. Some foods - like onions, garlic, avocado, and iceberg lettuce - can cause harm. The food checker removes the guesswork from introducing new foods.
Pregnancy Planning
Merck gives guinea pig gestation as 59 to 72 days with an average of 68 days. The pregnancy calculator shows that window for the date you enter. Only a veterinarian can confirm a pregnancy, so contact a licensed exotic-animal veterinarian.
Care Framework
Essential Areas of Guinea Pig Care
A well-cared-for guinea pig needs attention across six key areas. PetNurture's tools support each one.
Nutrition
Hay-first diet with daily fresh vegetables and measured pellets.
Housing
Spacious, enriched enclosures with hides, ramps, and foraging areas.
Exercise
Daily floor time in a safe area to run, explore, and socialise.
Weight Monitoring
Weekly weigh-ins using a kitchen scale to detect illness early.
Vitamin C
Daily dietary Vitamin C through vegetables - guinea pigs cannot synthesise it.
Pregnancy & Breeding
Understanding gestation, separation, and pup care from day one.
Quick Answers
Most Common Guinea Pig Owner Questions
These are the questions that bring most new owners here. Each answer below links to the relevant tool for more detail.
Tools by Question Type
- What can my guinea pig eat?Food Checker
- How much to feed?Feeding Calculator
- Is my guinea pig a healthy weight?Weight Checker
- How big should the cage be?Cage Size Calculator
- How much Vitamin C is needed?Vitamin C Calculator
- When will my guinea pig give birth?Pregnancy Calculator
What should guinea pigs eat every day?
A guinea pig's daily diet should be based on unlimited Timothy hay (the single most important component), approximately 1 cup of fresh leafy vegetables per pig per day, and around 1/8 cup of plain pellets. Fresh water must always be available. The Feeding Calculator provides weight-adjusted portion estimates.
How much space does a guinea pig need?
The Merck Veterinary Manual gives a minimum of 7.5 sq ft for one guinea pig plus about 2 to 4 sq ft for each additional animal, while the AEMV gives at least 2 ft × 3 ft (6 sq ft) per guinea pig. The sources differ, so the Cage Size Calculator shows both. Ask your veterinarian about your guinea pigs.
Do guinea pigs need vitamin C every day?
Guinea pigs cannot synthesise Vitamin C and must obtain it entirely through diet. Merck and VCA name produce that is high in vitamin C, and the calculator lists it. Contact a licensed exotic-animal veterinarian if you are unsure your guinea pigs are getting enough. The Vitamin C Calculator estimates daily needs by weight and life stage.
How often should guinea pigs be weighed?
Once a week using a digital kitchen scale is the standard recommendation for healthy adults. A weight loss of roughly 50g or more over one week without a dietary explanation is a common reason to call your vet. Weight tracking is one of the most reliable early-warning tools for illness in guinea pigs, which typically conceal symptoms until serious. Use the Weight Checker to interpret results.
Guinea Pig Guides
Guinea Pig Care Guides & Resources
These tools work best alongside our guinea pig care guides. Explore articles on housing setup, diet planning, safe vegetable lists, and breed-specific care.
- ● Cage Setup Guides: Learn how to build a C&C cage, what bedding to use, and how to arrange hides, ramps, and enrichment items for an active, stress-free environment.
- ● Diet & Vegetable Guides: Detailed guides on safe daily greens, weekly rotation vegetables, and which high-calcium foods to limit for urinary health.
- ● Breed & Bonding Guides: Whether you have a smooth-haired American, a long-haired Peruvian, or a hairless Skinny pig, guinea pig care basics remain the same - but bonding and grooming needs vary.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about guinea pig care tools, calculators, and resources on PetNurture.
PetNurture offers six free guinea pig tools: the Can Guinea Pigs Eat This? food safety checker, the Feeding Calculator for daily portions, the Cage Size Calculator for space planning, the Weight Checker for health monitoring, the Vitamin C Calculator for nutritional needs, and the Pregnancy Calculator for due date estimation. All are free, instant, and require no account.
A guinea pig's daily diet should include: unlimited Timothy hay (available 24/7 - the most important component), approximately 1 cup of fresh leafy vegetables per guinea pig, and around 1/8 cup of plain pellets. Fresh water must always be available. The Feeding Calculator provides weight-adjusted estimates for different life stages.
Merck Veterinary Manual gives a minimum of 7.5 square feet for one guinea pig plus about 2 to 4 sq ft for each additional animal, while the AEMV gives at least 2 ft × 3 ft (6 sq ft) per guinea pig. The sources differ, so the Cage Size Calculator shows both. Ask your veterinarian.
Guinea pigs cannot synthesise Vitamin C and must obtain it through diet. Rather than water-bottle supplements (which degrade quickly), fresh vegetables are the recommended source. Bell peppers and parsley are particularly high in Vitamin C. The Vitamin C Calculator estimates daily needs by body weight, age, and life stage - with higher estimates for pregnant and nursing sows.
Once per week using a digital kitchen scale is the standard guidance for healthy adults. A weight loss of roughly 50g or more in a week without a dietary explanation is a common reason to call your vet. Guinea pigs conceal illness well - regular weight monitoring is one of the most effective ways to catch problems early. The Weight Checker provides reference ranges by sex and age group.
A number of common foods are unsuitable or toxic for guinea pigs, including onions, garlic, leeks, avocado, iceberg lettuce, rhubarb, potatoes, and most dairy or meat products. High-calcium foods like spinach and kale should be limited to avoid urinary issues. Use the Can Guinea Pigs Eat This? checker to verify any food before feeding.
Yes - fresh leafy vegetables are a daily dietary requirement for guinea pigs, not an occasional treat. Approximately 1 cup of fresh vegetables per pig per day is the standard recommendation. The most suitable daily vegetables include romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, and bell peppers (particularly for Vitamin C). Rotate variety across the week. Always introduce new vegetables gradually to avoid digestive upset.
If you're a new guinea pig owner, start with the Feeding Calculator to ensure daily diet portions are correct - diet is the foundation of guinea pig health. If you're setting up a new enclosure, use the Cage Size Calculator next. The Can Guinea Pigs Eat This? checker is useful whenever you introduce a new food.
Guinea pig gestation lasts approximately 59-72 days, with an average of 68 days. This is notably longer than most other small pet mammals because guinea pig pups are born fully developed (precocial) - furred, eyes open, and capable of eating solid food within hours. The Pregnancy Calculator estimates the earliest, average, and latest due dates from a breeding or conception date, with a visual 4-stage milestone timeline.
Yes - all six guinea pig tools on PetNurture are completely free to use. No account, email address, or payment is required. All calculations run locally in your browser. These tools are educational resources designed to help guinea pig owners make more informed decisions alongside veterinary advice.
Educational Basis
How PetNurture's Guinea Pig Tools Are Built
The estimates and guidance used across PetNurture's guinea pig calculators are derived from widely published guinea pig husbandry references, small-mammal nutrition guidelines, and exotic animal care resources - not invented by PetNurture.
- ● Feeding amounts come from the Merck Veterinary Manual (hay roughly the size of the guinea pig daily, 1 to 2 teaspoons of pellets, 1 to 2 cups of fresh produce) with PDSA figures shown alongside where they differ.
- ● Cage size figures come from the Merck Veterinary Manual (7.5 sq ft for one guinea pig plus about 2 to 4 sq ft per additional animal) and the AEMV (at least 2 ft × 3 ft per guinea pig). The two differ, and the tool shows both.
- ● Vitamin C figures come from the Merck Veterinary Manual, which gives a higher figure for growing, pregnant, nursing or ill guinea pigs. VCA gives a different range and your veterinarian can tell you how much yours needs.
- ● Weight ranges come from the Merck Veterinary Manual physiological data table for adult males and females, with birth and weaning weights from the review Biology and Diseases of Guinea Pigs.
- ● Gestation range (59 to 72 days, average 68) comes from the Merck Veterinary Manual. All tool results are educational estimates, and a licensed exotic-animal veterinarian can assess an individual guinea pig.
PetNurture does not claim authorship of any veterinary standard or care guideline. These tools present educational reference data. They do not diagnose conditions, prescribe treatments, or replace professional veterinary advice.
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Also on PetNurture
All Guinea Pig Tools & Resources
Direct links to every guinea pig calculator and related rabbit nutrition tool.
Educational Use Notice
Last updated: May 2026The information provided by this tool is for general educational and informational purposes only. Results are estimates, not a diagnosis, and may vary based on your pet's breed, age, health conditions, activity level, diet, and individual factors.
PetNurture does not provide veterinary, medical, or emergency care advice. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or qualified pet care professional regarding your pet's specific health, nutrition, or medical needs.
While we strive to keep calculations accurate and up to date, PetNurture makes no guarantees regarding completeness, reliability, or accuracy. Use this tool at your own discretion.
How we calculate results: This tool uses commonly referenced veterinary formulas, feeding guidelines, and breed-size estimates to provide general educational guidance. Individual pets may have different nutritional, behavioral, or medical needs that are not captured by any generalized formula.
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