Is it Good for a Pet Guinea Pig to Have Cherry?
Fresh cherries are going to be a nice snack that anybody can enjoy during the summer months of the year. While they are only going to be in season for a relatively short period of time, when you are able to get your hands on some, they are going to be simply delicious. With that being said, there is a very good chance that you have wondered whether or not you are able to share these delicious treats with your pet guinea pig?
While cherries are not going to necessarily be bad for your guinea pig to eat, they are going to be a treat that will need to be enjoyed by them in a very limited quantity. So, to answer the question of whether or not you can feed cherries to your pet guinea pig, the answer is going to be yes, you can feed them cherries. But as was just mentioned, you are only going to want to give them cherries in some very limited quantities, and not very often. Here is everything that you need to know when it comes to feeding your pet guinea pig cherries.
The Nutrition of the Cherry
Packed full of many different antioxidants, cherries are going to be a very delicious snack that you are more than likely not going to be able to stop eating until they are all gone. With that being said, cherries are just one of those special treats that you will only be able to get a couple months out of the year as they are going to be extremely seasonal. With that being said, cherries are also going to be packed with many different nutrients that are good for both you and your pet guinea pig.
In just one cup of ripe cherries that still have the pits in them, you can expect to receive roughly:
- A total of 87 calories
- 1 gram of carbohydrates
- 9 grams of fiber
- 5 grams of protein
- .3 grams of fat
As you can see, cherries are not necessarily going to be very high in any one particular nutrient, but overall, they are going to be one of the best and tastiest fruits that you can eat. So even though you will not really be able to share with your furry little guinea pig friend, you can still enjoy them while they are available!
As for the vitamin and minerals that the same one cup serving size of cherries is going to provide you with, it looks like:
- A total of 3 iu of vitamin A
- 306 mg of total potassium
- 7 mg of vitamin C
- .1 milligram of vitamin B6
- .1 milligram of manganese
- 2 milligrams of magnesium
- .3 milligrams of pantothenic acid
- .1 milligram of copper
- 4 milligrams of choline
- 9 mcg of vitamin K
- 9 milligrams of calcium
- 29 milligrams of phosphorus
So, with all of the different vitamins and minerals that cherries are able to provide you with, can you feed them to guinea pigs safely?
Are Guinea Pigs Able to Have Cherries?
As mentioned earlier, the answer to this question is going to be yes, but there are going to be restrictions on that yes. These restrictions are going to be that they are only going to be able to eat a smaller amount of cherry, and only able to eat them on an occasional basis. While that is more than likely not going to be the answer that your guinea pig was hoping for, there is going to be a good reason behind that answer.
You must understand that cherries are going to be very high in sugar for how small they are, and to be honest, there are many other fruits out there that your guinea pig will love that will provide them with more health benefits. This is because cherries are not going to provide your guinea pig with many nutrients that they will be able to use in exchange for the amount of sugar in them. While they are not going to be the worst treat that you can offer your guinea pig, they are not necessarily going to be the best treat you can offer them either.
Are Cherries Going to be Goof for Guinea Pigs?
The answer here is going to be not really. While cherries are going to pack some nutrition, your pet guinea pig is not necessarily going to be the best candidate to take advantage of what it is that the cherry has to offer. Now you must understand that this does not mean that your guinea pig should never eat cherries, it just means that you are going to need to be extra careful when it comes to how much of the cherry you are actually giving to them. Just be sure that you are feeding them the right amount for their size.
Do Guinea Pigs Even Like Cherries?
It is going to be a safe assumption to say that guinea pigs are normally going to very much enjoy cherries. This is what makes the entire guinea pig and cherry situation so sad. You can give your pet guinea pig a cherry, watch them nibble on it to their heart’s content, eventually realizing that you can never give your guinea pig another cherry again, or at least until a month has gone by. To a guinea pig and cherry lover, one month is going to be a very long time to have to wait for another cherry. And that is assuming that there are still going to be cherries around for them to eat.
When it comes to your guinea pig and eating cherries, they are simply going to love them. While it is ok for you to feed them to them, you must make sure that you never allow them to eat more than one cherry in a single month, and that is for adults only. If your guinea pig is just a baby, they should not be eating cherries at all.
