How Much Does a Guinea Pig Cost Per Year?
Guinea pigs are adorable and popular pets, beloved for their social behavior towards humans. However, the cost of a guinea pig is more than just the adoption fee or purchase price. It’s an investment in its life. Its cage, food, bedding, and health are all regular expenses you need to know about in order to tell how much you’ll spend every year. Read more to learn about a guinea pig’s annual cost.
Initial Costs of a Guinea Pig
The adoption fee or purchase price is not the only upfront cost you have to pay. That alone can be anywhere from $10 to over $100. It is usually $10 to $40 from an animal shelter and $25 to $50 from a breeder. If you are helping to rehome a guinea pig, you could get it for free.
Initial costs total anywhere from $100 to $500 with an average of around $150, which includes the supplies such as the hutch, bedding, food and water dispensers, food, and optional items such as toys:
- Cage or hutch: $50-500
- Food bowls: $10
- Water bottle: $10
- Hay rack: $20
- Hideaway: $25
- Bedding: $10
- Guinea pig pellets: $15
- Grass hay: $10
- Fresh vegetables: $5
- Vitamin C supplement: $7
After that, it’s about the ongoing costs of taking care of your guinea pig. An annual cost gives a good estimate of the cost per year you spend on your guinea pig.
On the other hand, there are also different breeds of guinea pigs to consider. In the USA there are 13 main recognized breeds, while the British Cavy Council recognizes 50. Regardless, here are the adoption costs of some of the more expensive breeds:
- Alpaca, long-haired and the most attractive: $45
- Abyssinian, the friendliest: $50
- American, a popular shorthaired breed: $25
- Peruvian, a long-haired breed: $40
Eric Isselee/Shutterstock.com
Guinea Pig Care Annual Cost
The annual cost of guinea pig care can be broken down into each specific expense after a monthly estimate. You can expect to pay about $70 a month to take care of your guinea pig, which will give you an idea of the cost per year minus additional guinea pigs, regular veterinarian visits, and any unique medical needs. You can expect to pay a cost per year of between $100 and $500 per guinea pig, with a higher-end cost of $200 to $1,000. The low end is $500, the high end is $800 and the average is $650, while food, bedding, and healthcare total an annual cost of at least $200. You can save money on supplies, for example, by purchasing bedding in bulk whenever possible, or purchasing secondhand hutches and other items.
Hutch maintenance and bedding
The hutch should measure at least 10.5 square feet to house two guinea pigs. It should have a sheltered area the guinea pig(s) can hide in to feel safe or sleep. You can expect an annual cost of $50 to $200 for hutch maintenance and bedding, while bedding alone has a cost per year of $50 to $100 with straw or other bedding costing up to $10 a month.
Grooming
Guinea pigs don’t generally need a bath unless they are dirty. Short-haired guinea pigs need a good brushing and once-over weekly, while long-haired guinea pigs need daily brushing. A slicker brush, the same as the kind used on dogs, is best for brushing long-haired guinea pigs such as the Peruvian or the Sheba — just get the size for smaller animals. Alternately, you can trim the fur of a long-haired guinea pig to make it easier to manage.
Your guinea pig will also need nail trimming, so you’ll have to buy a nail trimmer for rabbits or small animals. For the cost of a slicker brush and a nail trimmer, you will be making a one-time purchase that will probably only count for the first year. A slicker brush usually costs $8 to $10, while a nail trimmer costs $4 to $14 for a total of $12 to $24.
Food
The annual cost of food for your guinea pig is between $100 to $500, with the following monthly average costs:
- Grass hay: $10
- Guinea pig pellets: $15
- Fresh vegetables: $5
- Vitamin C supplement: $7
Healthcare
There are many considerations with regards to healthcare for each guinea pig that affect their cost per year. Healthcare can have an annual cost of $200 to $1,000. That includes:
- Checkups: $50-100
- Dental: $0-200
- Parasite treatment (deworming every 3 months): $10-50
- Emergencies: $0-500
- (Optional) insurance: $50-200
- Any ongoing medical conditions: $0-100
Optional items
Providing entertainment for your guinea pig is not always necessary, but highly desirable for their emotional health and stimulation. Toys and chews can have a cost per year of $0 to $100.
One Guinea Pig vs Two Guinea Pigs: What If You Double the Fun?
One should also consider the possibility of adopting two or more guinea pigs instead of one. Guinea pigs are social with humans but also need interaction with their own kind. Although maintenance costs will increase, guinea pig owners can expect to have happier, healthier pets when they give them at least one companion, which allows them to decrease stress. The emotional well-being of your guinea pig will factor into your annual cost of taking care of it and can make the difference between a much higher cost per year with one guinea pig or a moderately higher cost per year with two.
The guinea pig is a social pet that is relatively low-cost to purchase and maintain. However, an investment in two guinea pigs is a wise choice for ensuring it gets the interaction. The number of guinea pigs, the breed, where you purchase it, and optional items factor into the initial cost as well as the annual cost with regards to grooming, medical needs, food, and other expenses.
Next Up: Types of Hunting Dogs
More from A-Z Animals
Guinea pigs are adorable and popular pets, beloved for their social behavior towards humans. However, the cost of a guinea pig is more than just the adoption fee or purchase price. It’s an investment in its life. Its cage, food, bedding, and health are all regular expenses you need to know about in order to tell how much you’ll spend every year. Read more to learn about a guinea pig’s annual cost.
Initial Costs of a Guinea Pig
The adoption fee or purchase price is not the only upfront cost you have to pay. That alone can be anywhere from $10 to over $100. It is usually $10 to $40 from an animal shelter and $25 to $50 from a breeder. If you are helping to rehome a guinea pig, you could get it for free.
Initial costs total anywhere from $100 to $500 with an average of around $150, which includes the supplies such as the hutch, bedding, food and water dispensers, food, and optional items such as toys:
- Cage or hutch: $50-500
- Food bowls: $10
- Water bottle: $10
- Hay rack: $20
- Hideaway: $25
- Bedding: $10
- Guinea pig pellets: $15
- Grass hay: $10
- Fresh vegetables: $5
- Vitamin C supplement: $7
After that, it’s about the ongoing costs of taking care of your guinea pig. An annual cost gives a good estimate of the cost per year you spend on your guinea pig.
On the other hand, there are also different breeds of guinea pigs to consider. In the USA there are 13 main recognized breeds, while the British Cavy Council recognizes 50. Regardless, here are the adoption costs of some of the more expensive breeds:
- Alpaca, long-haired and the most attractive: $45
- Abyssinian, the friendliest: $50
- American, a popular shorthaired breed: $25
- Peruvian, a long-haired breed: $40
Eric Isselee/Shutterstock.com
Guinea Pig Care Annual Cost
The annual cost of guinea pig care can be broken down into each specific expense after a monthly estimate. You can expect to pay about $70 a month to take care of your guinea pig, which will give you an idea of the cost per year minus additional guinea pigs, regular veterinarian visits, and any unique medical needs. You can expect to pay a cost per year of between $100 and $500 per guinea pig, with a higher-end cost of $200 to $1,000. The low end is $500, the high end is $800 and the average is $650, while food, bedding, and healthcare total an annual cost of at least $200. You can save money on supplies, for example, by purchasing bedding in bulk whenever possible, or purchasing secondhand hutches and other items.
Hutch maintenance and bedding
The hutch should measure at least 10.5 square feet to house two guinea pigs. It should have a sheltered area the guinea pig(s) can hide in to feel safe or sleep. You can expect an annual cost of $50 to $200 for hutch maintenance and bedding, while bedding alone has a cost per year of $50 to $100 with straw or other bedding costing up to $10 a month.
Grooming
Guinea pigs don’t generally need a bath unless they are dirty. Short-haired guinea pigs need a good brushing and once-over weekly, while long-haired guinea pigs need daily brushing. A slicker brush, the same as the kind used on dogs, is best for brushing long-haired guinea pigs such as the Peruvian or the Sheba — just get the size for smaller animals. Alternately, you can trim the fur of a long-haired guinea pig to make it easier to manage.
Your guinea pig will also need nail trimming, so you’ll have to buy a nail trimmer for rabbits or small animals. For the cost of a slicker brush and a nail trimmer, you will be making a one-time purchase that will probably only count for the first year. A slicker brush usually costs $8 to $10, while a nail trimmer costs $4 to $14 for a total of $12 to $24.
Food
The annual cost of food for your guinea pig is between $100 to $500, with the following monthly average costs:
- Grass hay: $10
- Guinea pig pellets: $15
- Fresh vegetables: $5
- Vitamin C supplement: $7
Healthcare
There are many considerations with regards to healthcare for each guinea pig that affect their cost per year. Healthcare can have an annual cost of $200 to $1,000. That includes:
- Checkups: $50-100
- Dental: $0-200
- Parasite treatment (deworming every 3 months): $10-50
- Emergencies: $0-500
- (Optional) insurance: $50-200
- Any ongoing medical conditions: $0-100
Optional items
Providing entertainment for your guinea pig is not always necessary, but highly desirable for their emotional health and stimulation. Toys and chews can have a cost per year of $0 to $100.
One Guinea Pig vs Two Guinea Pigs: What If You Double the Fun?
One should also consider the possibility of adopting two or more guinea pigs instead of one. Guinea pigs are social with humans but also need interaction with their own kind. Although maintenance costs will increase, guinea pig owners can expect to have happier, healthier pets when they give them at least one companion, which allows them to decrease stress. The emotional well-being of your guinea pig will factor into your annual cost of taking care of it and can make the difference between a much higher cost per year with one guinea pig or a moderately higher cost per year with two.
The guinea pig is a social pet that is relatively low-cost to purchase and maintain. However, an investment in two guinea pigs is a wise choice for ensuring it gets the interaction. The number of guinea pigs, the breed, where you purchase it, and optional items factor into the initial cost as well as the annual cost with regards to grooming, medical needs, food, and other expenses.
Next Up: Types of Hunting Dogs