Table 1( part 1 of 4). Summary of findings.
Reference and country Sample Findings
Harrup AJ, Rooney N. Current welfare state of pet guinea pigs in the UK. Veterinary Record. 2020; 186( 9): 282. Available from https:// doi. org / 10.1136 / vr. 105632.
United Kingdom
• 4,590 owners were surveyed
• Total of 4,719 responses but 129 respondents excluded as they did not live in the UK
• Information on 14,079 guinea pigs – authors calculated this to represent roughly 3.5 % of the estimated UK guinea pig population at the time of 400,000
A hutch or a cage without a run, indoors was most common
Diet
• Continuously accessible hay( 72.8 %) – Timothy hay( 34.4 %)
• Daily green vegetables( 69.9 %), less frequent than weekly( 3.9 %)
• Vitamin C( 99.1 %) – pellets( 12.7 %), water( 12.7 %)
• Daily – fruit( 16.2 %), root vegetables( 59.4 %)
Enclosures
• Most guinea pigs lived indoors( 53.4 %)
• 23.8 % had attached runs but enclosures without permanent runs were most common
• 94.7 % had separate exercise runs that were regularly used
• Most enclosure sizes met or exceeded the British Cavy Council recommendation
• Smallest enclosures were mostly hutches or cages( less than 0.28 m ²)
• Most used hay as bedding( 72.4 %)
Cleaning
• Full weekly cleans( 59 %)
• Removal of soiled materials occurred multiple times per week( 42.2 %)
Companionship
• Housed with conspecific from the outset( 88.2 %) – showed more positive behaviour
• Housed initially alone( 9 %)
• Acquired to be companion( s) for already-owned guinea pigs( 22.4 %)
• Living with a rabbit( 0.8 %) – showed more negative behaviour
Appendix 2( to page 25 of VNJ). Summary of findings.
4 Veterinary Nursing Journal | Volume 40( 5) • October 2025 | EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL CONTENT