Skip to main content

3 guinea pig podcasts you just have to listen to

New to guinea pig ownership? It’s fun to dive into the cavy club, but it can be overwhelming too. Luckily, there’s a community out there ready to accept you into the fold and help you through the tricky parts of new pet parenthood. In addition to the Facebook groups, we’ve got a few podcasts to help you along, coming from experts, both vets and veteran owners. They will have your back when your piggies start to fight or you can’t figure out which cage to buy. Check out these guinea pig podcasts (and follow along by watching their videos and swiping through cute pics on Instagram).

Girl pets her guinea pig in the grass
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Tiny Vet Podcast

“The walking potato of the animal kingdom” may be charming but not bright, at least according to Dr. Nicole Su, the star of The Tiny Vet Podcast. She’s joined by her partner, Jez Watts, a comedian-biotechnologist who’s a guide for the audience, especially on the more scientific parts. While you’ll find a lot of interesting animal tidbits, guinea pig owners will particularly enjoy the two-parter “Realistic Guinea Pig Ownership” and “Hay for Guinea Pigs.” You’ll get some especially useful advice on how to keep your piggies’ ever-growing teeth short (hint: it’s just hay) and how to spot illness. Sadly, these critters do get sick easily, but we still all love them.

Popcorning Piggy – Your Guinea Pig Guide

This deep dive into all things GP is a godsend for new owners who don’t really know where to start. As host Sam explains, these guys make amazing pets and should not be considered disposable starter animals. Check out the episode “The Reasons Guinea Pigs Fight” for some helpful tips on how to make sure your herd gets along (with an accompanying video).

While Popcorning Piggy isn’t currently producing episodes, there are over 50 out there for you (and your rodents) to binge. And we certainly hope to see more from Sam someday. 

Val Talks Pets

Lastly, try out Val Talks Pets, specifically the episode titled “Small Animal Pets” that discusses guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and others. Our host Val, an expert but not a vet, takes listeners through the must-knows for taking care of a rodent and a little comparison of the different varieties. You’ll get a lot from the matter-of-fact way she discusses key topics about our favorite tiny creatures. Many of the other episodes will apply to your animal too even if they aren’t only about our littlest companions, such as the interview with Dr. Rob Hillerby, a Canadian vet.

Guinea pigs lies down in a sweater
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Even though they’re small, guinea pigs take a lot of work and will never be a simple pet. It helps to have some friends there for you along the way to learn firsthand how to get them to bond, what to feed them, and the best ways to groom and pamper them. While you definitely want to join lots of communities, you sometimes need to go straight to the real experts. These podcasts are a great start, though no replacement for your own vet of course. Together, you’ll build a neighborhood of people eager to help you care for your piggies.

Editors' Recommendations

Rebekkah Adams
Rebekkah’s been a writer and editor for more than 10 years, both in print and digital. In addition to writing about pets…
Are female betta fish worth it? Here’s why you should consider getting one of these pretty fish
Unlike males, female betta fish can live together, and get along with other fish, too
A blue female betta in a tank

Betta fish (also known as Siamese fighting fish) rocketed to fame and took a spot as one of our favorite swimming pets for their beautiful color and elegant fins. They, too, are recognized for being aggressive toward each other and will even flare (a display) to you, their owner. However, many of those characteristics only apply to the males of the species, whereas the female versions look and act a little differently. Here's why you should consider bringing one of these lady bettas home.

What are betta fish?
These underwater beauties come from Thailand and live in rice paddies in the wild. It's a myth that they only need a small tank, but bettas often do make great solitary pets that can thrive in an aquarium by themselves. They can also live with many other fish, just not other bettas. One fun thing about these swimmers is that they learn to recognize their owners and will get excited when you come to feed them every night.
How do female bettas differ from males?
You probably know that you can't keep male bettas with others of their kind, as they will fight males and sometimes aggressively mate with females (we recommend only experts breed them). Female bettas won't likely be building any bubble nests though, as that's a job for the males.

Read more
Looking to add corydoras to your aquarium? Here’s what you need to know first
Read this before bringing home a cory catfish to add to your tank
Two cory catfish hang out on the bottom of the tank

One thing you might not know about aquariums until you get one: Every tank needs a janitor, which may wind up just being you. When you first dive into this hobby, it can take a while to realize how much maintenance is really involved — don't think that the filter will do all the work. But if you want a little a help in that department, you can add a catfish to the fray. If you don't have a ton of experience with these bottom feeders, we recommend one of the corydoras since they're generally best for beginners.

What are corydoras?
This is a type of catfish, but there are actually more than 170 species to choose from. These are a well-known group of swimmers who get their name from their barbels, which look a bit like whiskers. While you'll find dozens of options in the pet store, you will likely narrow it down quickly based on the size of your tank, temperature, habitat you've chosen, and the other fish that they'll live with eventually.
Are corydoras friendly?
Yes, corydoras are sweet and gentle fish. They particularly like spending time together, but get along with many others as well. In some cases, you should not buy just one as they'll get lonely. Instead grab a pair of the same type and watch them become best friends. You'll often see them as bottom feeders, well, at the base of the tank, but cory cats also come up to the surface for air or food from time to time.

Read more
Why do guinea pigs chatter their teeth? It’s not a good thing
Sounds guinea pigs make with their teeth and what each means
Guinea pig bares her teeth

Anyone who adopts a rodent should know they'll be overwhelmed by the teeth. Guinea pigs in particular have lots of dental needs and often use their chompers to communicate as well. Sadly, you won't see a happy piggy smile, so instead, you'll have to spend some time studying your piggy to decipher the mouth movements.

Oral health can also indicate bigger issues, which means you should keep a close eye on those pearly whites when you hear your pet grind, chatter, bare, or click them. So why do guinea pigs chatter their teeth? There are a few reasons, but none of them are particularly good.

Read more