Did you know Guinea pigs have to eat continually, and their digestive system should never stop processing? Did you know as a result of this, Guinea pigs have very small bladders? So small that they have to urinate about every twenty minutes. This means that they typically don't like to be held for longer than fifteen minutes—because they don't want to go on you.
But wait, there's more. The other half of their waste management system is also constantly at work. It is so consistent and regular that they go while they're asleep without even knowing it happens. (They sleep with their eyes open too).
This means, on average, a Guinea pig poops one hundred times every day. I know; I am as shocked as you are. Or at least I was before having them as pets for a while. They are clean little creatures and don't like living in a mess, but we have caged them, so it's on us to make sure their home is liveable and comfortable.
I now have two long folding tables with corrugated plastic on top and a mesh grid in a two-foot by ten-foot formation. There is plenty of room for them to move around, and there is plenty of room for them to poop.
With two Guinea pigs that means two hundred little presents every day. Some days I couldn't believe it was that many. Some days I thought that number was way too low. And I know, I can't believe I did either, but they're little dry things and I just had to know.
At twenty hours into the day I was at 230, which means our little Guinea pigs are over-achievers. Or we feed them too much.
Of course, you need to know too. So here you go. Walnut for scale. I won't make this image big since the small version may be all most of you want to see.
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