The number 1 question in everyone’s mind when bringing home a guinea pig is: What can I feed him?
Let’s take a look what’s safe for guinea pigs to eat and what’s not.
A perfect well balanced diet for guinea pigs consists of: hay, pellets, vegetables, fruit and water.
What are the essentials that your guinea pigs need?
1. Hay
There should always be unlimited hay in the cage available for the guinea pigs to eat. Hay should make up about 80% of your guinea pig’s diet and they should never run out.
We refill our piggies’ hay twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
2. Pellets
Guinea pigs should have an 1/8th cup of pellets a day.
3. Fresh Vegetables
You can feed your guinea pig one cup of vegetables a day.
4. Fruit
Fruit can be served as a treat, but veggies should be part of their daily diet.
5. Water
Guinea pigs should always have an unlimited supply of fresh water.
List of safe foods that your guinea pigs can eat:
| Apple |
| Bananas |
| Basil |
| Bell Peppers (red, yellow and green) |
| Blueberries |
| Broccoli |
| Carrots |
| Cauliflower leaves (not the flower) |
| Celery |
| Cherries |
| Cranberries |
| Cucumber |
| Grapes (without seeds) |
| Grass |
| Green beans |
| Kale |
| Kiwi |
| Lettuce (Romaine and Red/Green leaf) |
| Mandarines |
| Mangoes (not skin) |
| Mint |
| Oranges |
| Papayas |
| Parsley |
| Parsnips |
| Pear |
| Peas |
| Pineapple |
| Radicchio |
| Raspberries (and raspberry leaves) |
| Red Tomatoes |
| Spinach |
| Strawberries |
| Swiss Chard |
| Watermelon |
| Wheatgrass |
| Zucchini |
This is what your guinea pigs can’t eat:
| Avacado |
| Beans |
| Bread |
| Cereals |
| Chocolate |
| Coconut |
| Dairy |
| Garlic |
| Grains |
| Iceberg Lettuce |
| Meat |
| Mushrooms |
| Nuts, Seeds and Pips |
| Onion |
| Onion grass |
| Parsnips |
| Peanuts |
| Pickled foods |
| Popcorn |
| Potatoes |
| Raisins |
| Sugar |
| Sunflower seeds |
| Tomato leaves or stalks |
