FAQ

Q. Do the guinea pigs like to paint?

A. The guinea pigs all love to paint and always get excited when I bring out the painting gear. Before I am even set up, I usually have four or five guinea pigs standing up at the side of their cage waiting for me. Teaching tricks like painting provides a great source of enrichment for guinea pigs and they certainly love it!

Q. Do you starve the guinea pigs to make them paint?

A. Not at all! All my piggies have free access to Timothy hay 24/7, as well as a scoop of pellets daily. They also receive veggies every evening consisting of a slice of bell pepper and a rotation of other veggies like radicchio, collard greens, dandelion, tomatoes, cucumber, and occasional blueberries (their favorite fruit!) My older piggies also get Vitamin C cookies daily to provide an extra boost of Vitamin C in addition to their pellets and veggies.

I generally save lettuce and carrots exclusively for training or bonding time as a special treat, but all their nutrient-rich veggies and other foods are provided daily outside of their painting sessions.

Q. How long does it take to create a painting?

A. From start to finish, it usually takes about a week to create a custom painting. Smaller paintings and magnets generally take less time, but it can vary depending on how many colors are used.

We only paint with one color at a time and allow it to dry before adding another color. This keeps the colors rich and bright and prevents them from bleeding together and creating a brown mixture. As such, it usually takes several painting sessions to complete each piece of art.

Each painting session is generally about 5-7 minutes in length. The guinea pigs get a treat in between almost every brush stroke, so most of the painting session is spent eating! While they are munching, I wipe any excess paint off the brush and dip it in fresh paint so everything is set for the artist’s next brush stroke. Each piggy generally paints 1 or 2 times per day for a total of 5-15 minutes of painting time daily.

Q. Is the paint non-toxic?

A. We use completely safe non-toxic water-based paint. It is harmless to the guinea pigs even if they get some on their fur, skin, or feet, or accidentally ingest small amounts. Of course, we always strive to avoid this, but the paint is not going to cause any stinging or health concerns if it does come into contact with them.

Q. How do you teach the guinea pigs to paint?

A. The guinea pigs learn to paint through a process of shaping and positive reinforcement. This means that the guinea pigs are rewarded with bits of their favorite veggies for gradual progress toward the goal.

I first start by rewarding any interactions with the paintbrush no matter how small. We first work towards picking up the paintbrush consistently, then add in a canvas and reward with lots of food and praise whenever they come close to touching the canvas with the tip of the brush. From there, we practice this skill until it’s consistent before adding in the paint and honing their artistic skills.

Q. Do you ship internationally?

A. Yes, we ship internationally to most countries! We are local to Ontario, Canada, but can ship to the USA, UK, Australia, and many other international destinations.

Paintings are generally shipped via regular mail within Canada for $2, Tracked Packet to the USA, and Small Packet International Air to other countries, which costs about $10.

Shipping within Canada and internationally (aside from the USA) generally does not include tracking, so if you would like to upgrade to a tracked shipping method, please reach out before placing an order for a quote.

Q. What does the money from the paintings go toward?

20% of proceeds from the paintings go to support a different guinea pig rescue each month. The remaining money from paintings helps contribute to any vet bills, extra toys and treats, and other goodies for our artists. Additionally, money raised from the paintings goes toward our rescue fund and/or any foster piggies currently in our care.

Have any more questions that are not covered here? Reach out via the contact page and I may add your question to this page!