Hides and houses
Shelves and ledges
Foraging and toys
Cage accessories
Kits and bundles
Fairy forest
Spooky mischief
Sweetie stash
Game mode
Forest floor
Castles and cathedrals
What fruit can guinea pigs eat?
Most fresh fruit is safe for guinea pigs in small amounts. The RSPCA puts sugary foods such as apple in its treat group, to be given in small amounts a few times a week, and VCA says fruit should be offered sparingly, if at all. Woodgreen says even fresh fruit should be fed sparingly, as part of the small share of the diet that is not hay.
The trick is that several things you think of as vegetables are fruits. Bell pepper, cucumber and courgette are all fruits of their plants, low in sugar, and the RSPCA lists peppers and cucumber among foods guinea pigs can eat often. Those are the fruits to feed most days. Sweet fruit is the treat. Our guide to guinea pig diet shows how fruit fits around hay, greens and pellets.
The full guinea pig fruit list
Every verdict below comes from our own page for that fruit, linked by name, checked against the RSPCA, Woodgreen and Humane World for Animals. Where they disagree, we say so in the note.
| Fruit | How often | How much | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most days | |||
| Bell pepper | Daily | A strip or two | One of the best sources of vitamin C; never chilli or hot peppers |
| Cucumber | Daily | A slice or two | Skin and seeds are fine; watery, so not the whole bowl |
| Courgette (zucchini) | Most days | A slice or two, raw | Low sugar; the flowers are fine too |
| Once or twice a week | |||
| Strawberries | Once or twice a week | One medium berry, halved | Good vitamin C; Humane World advises cutting them for guinea pigs prone to bladder stones |
| Raspberries | Once or twice a week | One or two | Lower in sugar than most fruit |
| Blueberries | Once or twice a week | One or two | Fresh only |
| Apple | Once or twice a week | A thin slice or two | Pips out; skin on is fine |
| Pear | Once or twice a week | A thin slice | Pips and core out |
| Grapes | Once or twice a week | Two seedless grapes, halved | Never raisins or seeded grapes |
| Melon | Once or twice a week | A small cube | Skin and seeds off; cantaloupe is the best pick |
| Watermelon | Once or twice a week | One 2.5 cm (1 in) cube | Seeds removed |
| Pumpkin | A few times a week | A few small cubes of raw flesh | No seeds, skin, cooked or tinned pumpkin |
| Tomato | Once a week | One cherry tomato, cut up | Ripe red fruit only; never leaves, stalks or green tomatoes |
| A rare treat: once a week or less | |||
| Banana | Once a week at most | One thin slice, about 1 cm | One of the most sugary fruits |
| Kiwi | Once a week | A teaspoon-sized piece, peeled | Rich in vitamin C but sugary and acidic |
| Mango | Once a week at most | One peeled cube, 2.5 cm (1 in) | Very sugary |
| Cherries | About once a week | One fresh cherry | Stone and stalk out; never tinned or glacé |
| Peach | Once a week at most | One thin slice | Never the stone or tinned peaches |
| Pineapple | Once a week at most | One small cube | No skin, core, leaves or tinned pineapple |
| Never, or best skipped | |||
| Avocado | Never | None | Every part of the plant and fruit, says Woodgreen |
| Orange | Best skipped | None | RSPCA lists citrus as harmful; Woodgreen allows small amounts. We follow the RSPCA |
| Lemon, lime, grapefruit | Never | None | Listed as unsuitable by Woodgreen and the RSPCA |
| Coconut | Never | None | On both the RSPCA and Woodgreen avoid lists |
| Dried fruit | Never | None | Much higher in sugar, says Woodgreen |
| Tinned or frozen fruit | Never | None | Woodgreen lists both as unsuitable |
| Rhubarb | Never | None | Any part of the plant, says Woodgreen |
Our orange page says a thumb-sized piece once a week at most. Because the RSPCA lists citrus among foods that can be harmful, we have put it in the skip group here and would give pepper for vitamin C instead. For the rest of the fresh food list, see our guide to what guinea pigs can eat.
How much fruit can a guinea pig have a day?
Sweet fruit is not a daily food, so think in a week rather than a day: one or two small pieces of sweet fruit across the week, on different days. A piece the size of the top of your thumb is a portion. Humane World for Animals gives a small wedge of apple, several blueberries or a thin slice of banana as a serving.
The savoury fruits count towards the fresh food bowl. Humane World suggests 1/2 to 1 cup (120 to 240 ml) of fresh produce per guinea pig per day, mostly leafy greens. VCA puts greens and vitamin C rich vegetables at about 20% of the diet and hay at 75%. No welfare body we read gives a fruit amount by body weight, so watch your guinea pig's weight and droppings, and cut back if either changes.
How to give fruit safely
- Wash it. Rinse fruit under the tap to remove dirt and sprays, then pat dry.
- Take out the hard parts. Woodgreen lists fruit seeds and pips as unsuitable. Remove stones, pips, cores and stalks.
- Cut it small. A thumb-sized piece, or one or two berries. Cut grapes and cherry tomatoes in half or quarters.
- Serve it fresh and raw. Never tinned, frozen, cooked, dried or in syrup.
- Clear what is left. Take away uneaten fruit after a few hours so it does not go off in the cage.
How to introduce a new fruit
Slowly. The RSPCA and Humane World both advise introducing new foods gradually, because sudden changes upset a guinea pig's gut.
- Start with one new fruit. Never two new foods at once, so you know which one caused any upset.
- Give half a portion. A piece about half the size of the normal treat.
- Watch for 24 hours. Check droppings, appetite and behaviour the next day.
- Build up. If all is well, give the full portion next time, keeping to the once or twice a week limit.
What to do if droppings change
Normal droppings are firm, dry and oval. Guinea pigs also make softer droppings that they eat straight from their bottom, which the RSPCA says are a normal part of their diet. If droppings turn soft and sticky after a new fruit, Humane World advises cutting fresh produce back for several days, then bringing it back in smaller portions.
Our page on guinea pig health covers other signs to watch for.
Which fruit is best for guinea pigs?
For vitamin C, bell pepper, which you can give daily. Among sweet fruits, strawberries and kiwi are named by Humane World for Animals as vitamin C rich, and raspberries are lower in sugar than most. Banana, mango and grapes are the most sugary, so keep them for the occasional treat. If you are wondering about a fruit not on this list, look it up in our guinea pig food list or treat it as a no until you have checked. Our complete guinea pig care guide covers the rest.
Guinea pig fruit questions
Can guinea pigs eat fruit every day?
Not sweet fruit. VCA says fruit should be offered sparingly, if at all, and Woodgreen says even fresh fruit should be fed sparingly. The exceptions are savoury fruits: bell pepper, cucumber and courgette (zucchini) can be part of the daily veg mix. Keep strawberries, apple and the rest to once or twice a week.
What is the best fruit for guinea pigs?
For everyday feeding, bell pepper, which is one of the richest sources of vitamin C a guinea pig can eat. Among sweet fruits, strawberries and raspberries are good picks, with useful vitamin C and less sugar than banana, mango or grapes. Even these stay at once or twice a week.
Can guinea pigs eat orange?
Sources disagree. The RSPCA lists citrus fruit among foods that can be harmful, while Woodgreen says oranges are safe in small amounts a few times a week. Because a wrong yes can hurt, we would skip orange and give bell pepper for vitamin C instead.
How much fruit can a guinea pig have?
A piece about the size of your thumb, or one or two berries, once or twice a week. Humane World for Animals suggests a small wedge of apple, several blueberries or a thin slice of banana as a serving. No welfare body gives an amount by body weight.
Can guinea pigs eat dried fruit?
No. Woodgreen lists dried fruit as a treat to avoid, because drying concentrates the sugar. That includes raisins, sultanas, dried mango and banana chips. Give a small piece of fresh fruit instead, and skip tinned and frozen fruit too, which Woodgreen also lists as unsuitable.
Why does my guinea pig have soft droppings after fruit?
Too much sugar or water at once, usually. Humane World for Animals advises cutting back fresh produce for several days, then reintroducing it in smaller portions. If droppings stay soft, stick to the back end, stop or get smaller, or your guinea pig stops eating, ring your vet the same day.
