Guinea Pig: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet [Hardcover]

Audrey Pavia (Author)

Book Description

Series: Happy Healthy Pet | Publication Date: July 30, 1997

This is our sixth set of Happy, Healthy Pet titles. Like the others, they are books pet owners can turn to for the essential information they need to raise a healthy pet.

All books contain information on:

• feeding
• housing
• grooming
• health care
• what to expect from the pet
• basic training

As our series expands and focuses on different kinds of pets, the emphasis remains on making the pet a companion. In addition, owners of more unusual pets will particularly appreciate the expert advice in these books because professional care for their animals may be difficult to come by. As always, the instruction is from expert—people who know their pet intimately, but also remember what it was like to have one for the first time.

Happy, Healthy Pet guides are rich with professional quality color photos and are designed to be enjoyable and easy to learn from.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

At last, a book about your pet that emphasizes total care, training and companionship!

The Guinea Pig includes beautiful color photos of these wonderful pets, a description of recognized guinea pig breeds, sound advice on keeping both indoor and outdoor guinea pigs, insights into your guinea pig's behavior and much more. You'll learn the right way to hold your guinea pig, how to introduce your guinea pig to other pets in the family, as well as the latest in small animal health and emergency care.

The Guinea Pig is written by a small animal expert, and best of all, it's full of easy-to-reference sidebars and fun facts to make caring for your pet guinea pig easy and enjoyable.

About the Author

AUDREY PAVIA has been an animal lover since childhood, beginning with her days as a member of her local 4-H project. She has been a frequent contributor to numerous pet publications, editor-in-chief of Horse Illustrated and senior editor of The AKC Gazette.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Howell Book House; 2nd edition (July 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876055277
• ISBN-13: 978-0876055274
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,514,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in New York City, where I lived until the age of two. When I was still a toddler, my family heeded the westward call and moved to Los Angeles, where I spent my youth. I fell in love with animals and science at a young age, and played "mom" to a variety of pets including dogs, cats, rabbits, lizards, mice, hamsters, birds, snakes, guppies and a horse.

After graduating El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, Calif., I worked at various jobs including key shop manager, and cashier at Sears. At the age of 21, I returned to New York City and became a student at New York University in Manhattan. I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Journalism and a minor in Astronomy.

While living in New York, I worked for several years as an editor for a home fashion trade magazine, then moved on to become an editor for the American Kennel Club Gazette. After five years with the AKC, I accepted a position as managing editor on Dog Fancy magazine in Irvine, Calif., and moved back to the Golden State. Shortly after, I became editor of Horse Illustrated magazine. I left the position in 1995 to pursue a full-time career in freelance writing and editing.

I live in Norco, Calif., with my husband, Randy Mastronicola. We share our home with an Appaloosa gelding named Idaho Hawk (Bailey); a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Nigel; four cats named Murray, Holly, Cheddar and Stanley; and two rabbits, Prudence and Karma.

Nigel (Ninacorte Nigel Tuff S Nails, NA, NJ) and I compete in American Kennel Club agility events, and are currently working on our Open title. I am also preparing Bailey for a career in competitive trail riding.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guinea Pigs Everywhere Breathe A Sigh Of Relief, January 11, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Lancaster PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guinea Pig: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet (Hardcover)

FINALLY!!! A book devoted to the joys of pet guinea pigs--not breeding fuzz factories, not commercial commodities, but COMPANIONS! Proves guinea pigs are playful and fun--they don't just sit there. A joy to read--especially for those of us who remember Audrey when she was the editor of Horse Illustrated. Engaging, informative, helpful text written by a true lover of animals. The illustrations are also lavish, helpful, at times hysterical and heavy on cute. Also has a big listing of books, clubs and a tiny website listing--still, very accurate. The only quibbles are that housing piggies outdoors is information grudgingly given as Audrey advocates keeping them indoors. No information about pregancy and raising young is to be found, as she advocates letting breeders do that. However, so many people find that their new piggie just happens to be pregnant, not due to any planned breeding, that this information is needed for those caring piggy slaves who have no idea what to expect. Still, quibbles aside, a must have book for those who love guinea pigs.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best guinea pig care guide, June 6, 2003

By 

Nea (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guinea Pig: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet (Hardcover)

This book covers all aspects of guinea pig ownership, and presents it in an easy to read, easy to find what you're looking for way. There are differnt sections for indoor and outdoor guinea pigs, so however you are going to keep your pig you get information how to in this book. Then there are sections to help you understand the guinea pigs lauguage and body launguage, showing, breeds of piggies and alot of other things. There is a list of common health problems that guinea pigs have with descriptions of the symptoms. One thing I found very helpfull was the section on how to introduce a guinea pig to other pets, and how to potty train them.
I read this book over and over again not just for the information but also for the nice pictures and the great way that a guinea pigs wonderful personality that guinea pigs have. If you have a guinea pig you should have this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars informative book!, September 13, 2010

By 

Ruthann Baldwin "Mom of 6" (El Paso, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Guinea Pig: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet (Hardcover)

My son and I have enjoyed reading this book. We have been able to find out a lot of great information about Guinea Pigs. We especially liked the history section. It has been very helpful in figuring out how to care for ours.