What not to feed

[MetallichicA]

I'm putting this in The Kitchen because I know that it's not what the site truly teaches...

Since before I was born, my parents and family had guinea pigs. The only one I ever knew was my sister's, Gypsy, and then later I had two of my own before going off to college and such.

This was at a time that my family and I had no idea the correct way to take care of a piggy. We never gave them any hay, only pellets (and alfalfa pellets, at that). They were fed carrots, celery, and lettuce on a daily basis, maybe the occasional green bean. They were each kept in a 2x2 cage, but taken out daily for floor time in the kitchen or family room - mostly with me in the family room while I did homework or watched tv, so it was always for a few hours. They also got to go outside probably 4 days out of each week.

Each of them lived to be over 8 years old, and never had to be taken to a vet for sickness. Pepper, my first, did end up with a tumor in her latest year and died soon after that. The others just passed away solely from old age.

My parents now find it odd that I tell them, "carrots once a week, tons of hay, give them cilantro and peppers and parsley" etc. because we never did that before.

How in the world did they survive? Were we just darn lucky?

Anyway, you can see why I put this here

[HowietheGreat]

I have no idea really......

[Susan9608]

Sorry, I don't really see this as Kitchen material. Perhaps your pigs were just lucky, who knows. But the main thing is that you know better now, and are taking steps to care for your pigs better.

[MetallichicA]

I didn't want to lead anyone the wrong way, sorry... didn't want people to think it's okay to do that to your pigs if they still don't have health probs.

I guess I'm saying... is it that much better?