Key points to remember when feeding:

• If in doubt, check it out! Never feed your cavy anything that you are unsure about. Always do your research first
• Feed a good variety of vegtables (and ocassionally fruit) each day
• Make sure that fresh hay and water are always available
• Clean feed bowls and water bottles on a regular basis

Feeding Cavies

      

      A portion of fresh fruit and vegtables               Just some of the fruit and vegetables cavies can eat

Safe fruit and vegetables list

 

Feed one bowl of fresh fruit and vegtables per cavy each day. Fruit should only be fed as a treat as it is high in sugar.

 

Apple (acidic – may cause mouth sores. Feed in moderation)

Apricot

Asparagus

Banana (can cause constipation. Feed in moderation)

Beetroot (may cause mouth sores)

Broccoli (causes gas, feed in moderation)

Brussel sprouts

Cabbage (causes gas, feed in moderation)

Carrots (over feeding carrots has been linked to liver problems due to high vitamin A content)

Cauliflower (causes gas, feed in moderation)

Celeriac

Celery

Chicory

Cress

Cucumber

Grapes

Kale (can cause bloat, introduce slowly. Also, high in calcium. Feed in moderation)

Kiwi fruit

Lettuce (not iceberg. Also, contains laudanum - a sedative, feed in moderation)

Mango

Melon

Mustard greens

Nectarine

Oranges (acidic – may cause mouth sores. Feed in moderation)

Parsley (high in calcium, feed in moderation)

Peach

Pear

Plum

Pumpkin

Radishes

Raspberries

Spinach

Strawberries

Swede

Sweet potato

Sweetcorn

Sweet bell peppers (acidic – may cause mouth sores. Feed in moderation)

Turnip

Tomato (acidic – may cause mouth sores. Feed in moderation)

 

 

       

 

Eros enjoying his morning vegetables

My daily feeding regime

What you feed your cavy will depend on a number of factors including their weight, health and whether you are showing or breeding them.

The following is what I feed my cavies each day. Please note that this is in general and varies between each animal to suit their particular needs at the time.

Early Morning - One bowl of a variety of vegetables (and occasionally fruit) per cavy

Late Morning - 1/2 bowl of ReadiGrass per cavy (See Spillers Readigrass here). Big handful of fresh hay for each cavy. Check dried food and top up if necessary

Mid Afternoon - A heaped bowl full of freshly picked grass per cavy (if unable to have time out in run due to weather etc)

Early Evening - 20 - 30g of Supa Guinea Excel (See Burgess Supa Guinea Excel here) and 1/2 handful of bruised oats per cavy. One bowl of fresh vegetables for lactating sows

Late Evening - Rack full of hay to last the whole night. 1/2 small bowl of Alfalfa hay per cavy for young cavies (under 8 months)/pregnant and lactating sows. Bowl of fresh vegetables for pregnant/lactating sows 

Fresh water must always be available for your cavies.

 

PLEASE NOTE that I do not support the feeding of horse food mixes to cavies to replace a specifically designed pellet (more information to come on this at a later date).

The above foods, such as ReadiGrass, that I feed, which are marketed for horses have been well researched by myself before using. They do not represent the same problems for cavies as other horse foods do but if you have any doubt please contact the manufacturer.