Curtain up – it’s GPAW the fourth!

Nibble, Nourish, Thrive! Charismatic cavies are taking centre stage for Guinea Pig Awareness Week 2024!

What is GPAW and who runs it?

Now in its fourth fantastic year, GPAW 2024 will take place from 23 – 27 September. Led by small pet experts Burgess Pet Care, this annual campaign is endorsed by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) and in partnership with animal charities Woodgreen, Blue Cross, RSPCA and Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare.

We’re campaigning for all pet guinea pigs to be healthy and happy

GPAW recognises the importance of ensuring the nation’s guinea pigs are provided with the essential care they need to support their wellbeing, health and happiness. In fact, GPAW is the UK’s largest campaign dedicated to improving guinea pig welfare.

Nibble, Nourish, Thrive

This year’s theme is Nibble, Nourish, Thrive and will shine a spotlight on the importance of guinea pigs’ diet, as well as highlighting other key aspects of guinea pig care.

The week of piggy-powered activities will launch at Hog Springs – a charming guinea pig village located within Northumberland Zoo.

This purpose-built space was created to rehome a group of guinea pigs from nearby charity Gertie’s Lonely Guinea Pig Rescue. Designed to resemble a town from the old wild west, Hog Springs has lots of intriguing places for curious cavies to hang out including The Pig Inn Saloon, The Old Mine and some recently added wild western hills. It’s home to around 20 guinea pigs including Mississippi, Ramona and Calamity Jane – the most confident of the group, even though she only has one eye.

In the run up to GPAW and throughout the week, there will be lots of great content all about guinea pigs’ welfare, especially their diet, for you to enjoy, like and share with your piggy-loving pals.

I’m in – how do I get involved?

There are all sorts of ways!

• Visit the GPAW website, and sign up for your FREE downloadable GPAW pack filled with loads of guinea pig fun and information, including a How to Get Involved guide, posters, printable bunting, colouring-in sheets and the Perfect Piggies Programme.
• Also join our Excel guinea pigs Berry and Bramble over on the GPAW Facebook page and GPAW Instagram @GuineaPigAwarenessWeek and discover top tips, fascinating facts and, of course, see lots of super cute piggy photos! Also keep a look out for some cool competitions.

Dr Suzanne Moyes MVB, MRCVS, deputy managing director and in-house vet at Burgess Pet Care, says: “We’re so excited to see the return of GPAW for a fourth year and to launch this year’s campaign at Hog Springs, a fabulous set-up where guinea pigs’ welfare is of paramount importance and the rehomed guinea pig group is thriving.”

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Dr Moyes adds: “GPAW really matters because despite their popularity, guinea pigs are among the most misunderstood pets in the UK. A lack of knowledge means that their welfare – including their diet – is often overlooked. For example, without essential fibre, guinea pigs’ teeth can become overgrown, so it’s important they can munch on plenty of quality feeding hay to help keep their ever-growing teeth in good shape.”

Sign up today for more great guinea pig tips!

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How much do you know about gorgeous guinea pigs? This is what they want you to know!

• WE’RE OFTEN WIDE AWAKE! Although crepuscular creatures, who are most active during dusk and dawn, guinea pigs are awake for up to 20 hours of the day. This means their environment needs to enable them to have constant access to food, water, companion guinea pigs, safe hiding places, a guinea pig run, and plenty of things to do to keep them occupied.

• WE NEED SPACE TO CALL HOME Traditional small hutches do not provide the space guinea pigs need to behave normally. Instead, a hutch should just be viewed as your guinea pigs’ ‘bedroom’ and be permanently attached to a much larger guinea pig run where they can exercise freely at any point in the day or night. This can be a safe guinea pig-proofed room indoors or a large run outdoors.

• WE’RE ALWAYS ON THE SCENT Guinea pigs scent mark their stuff by rubbing their chin or cheeks across things, which helps keep their home smelling familiar and reassuring. This is why it’s important to make sure that you transfer some of the old bedding back into their accommodation when cleaning. They also drag their bottoms across the ground to leave scent secretions as messages, which are only understood by other guinea pigs.

• WE HAVE BUSY BODIES To keep healthy, guinea pigs need to keep their digestive systems busy with a mix of two kinds of fibre (called digestible and indigestible fibre) moving through the gut at all times. They can get this from eating good quality feeding hay, which also keeps their continually growing teeth in check. Like humans, they also need a daily dose of Vitamin C. Feeding, high quality guinea pig nuggets, which are high in fibre and Vitamin C and rich in nutrients, along with a small handful of leafy greens, will ensure they’re getting everything they need. Avoid ‘muesli’-style food as these have been shown to cause digestive problems and dental disease. 

• WE NEED TO BE SAFE FROM HARM In the wilds of South America, guinea pigs are constantly at risk of being a hot lunch for various mammals, birds of prey and reptiles such as anacondas and caimans. Unsurprisingly, it’s in their nature to be constantly on the alert, looking out for danger, and easily startled. What’s required is cosy, predator-proof accommodation, with places to hide and lots of high quality hay and soft paper bedding to tunnel in to help them feel safe.

• WE HAVE GREAT SOCIAL SKILLS Wild guinea pigs live in close family groups of five to 10 individuals, though several groups may live in close proximity, forming a colony. Pet guineas can only be truly happy if they have another cavy to chat to, as one of a pair or as part of a small group. The best mixes are ideally littermates – two females or a neutered male with one or more females.

• WE LIKE TO CHAT These small animals are very vocal and like to chat away to each other. They communicate using several noises, including the well-known ‘wheek-wheek’ call – a sign of excitement or to find a friend – and a low ‘purring’ sound, which they make when they are feeling content and chilled out – if you hear this when you’re petting your piggies, you can be pretty certain that they like you! They also emit a series of short ‘putt-putt’ noises when they’re happily exploring stuff and a disgruntled ‘chutt’ sound when they’re annoyed about something.

• WE WANT FEEDING TIME TO BE FUN Foraging behaviour is second nature to piggies, and you can encourage this by scattering a portion of guinea pig nuggets in different places around their accommodation, hiding it in cardboard egg cups, or mixing it with feeding hay. A few tasty Nature Snacks will add to the fun. This will keep them happily busy, which is really important, as not having enough to do is not good for their health and wellbeing.

CARE MORE Discover more about the needs of your guinea pigs with our Guinea Pig Care Guides >>

*  While it’s lovely for children to enjoy the company of guinea pigs, the responsibility for any animal’s wellbeing lies with adults. Small animals are often more complex to feed and care for than a cat or dog and require more looking after than a child can offer. *

92% of UK vets recommend the Burgess Excel small pets range

Guinea pig nuggets should be high in beneficial fibre to support your guinea pigs’ digestive health, contain vitamin C and antioxidants to support their immune system, and be fortified with vitamins and minerals to support healthy eyes, skin and coat.

All Burgess Excel small pets nuggets, feeding hay and healthy treats for guinea pigs are made using only the finest quality ingredients. And, as well as a choice of yummy Nuggets with Mint or Blackcurrant & Oregano there’s also a variety featuring Calm formula with added L-tryptophan specially for indoor guinea pigs.

Are your guinea pigs Burgess guinea pigs? Join the Burgess Pet Club for exclusive offers and rewards.

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