How to Purchase Guinea Pig Cages

Your new guinea pig will make a wonderful and entertaining pet but he or she needs a place to call home. Selecting the right cage is important. Many commercial cages are too small and are really designed for smaller animals like hamsters. Too small a cage will adversely affect your pig’s health and energy. It’s also a good idea not to substitute an aquarium tank as many owners of gerbils do. A guinea is a larger animal and needs more space and air circulation. This guide will help you to purchase a guinea pig cage and the things you need to do to set it up as a comfortable home for your new pet.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Large cage with solid (not wire mesh) floor
• Food bowl with wide bottom
• Water bottle
• Bedding
• Toys

1. Select a cage for your guinea pig. For a single pig the cage should have floor space of at least 6 square feet. For more pigs add about 2-1/2 square feet per animal (8-1/2 square feet for 2, 11 square feet for 3 and so on). Choose a cage with a flat bottom. Bottoms of wire mesh are dangerous because a guinea pig can get a leg caught in the mesh and be severely injured. Choose a cage with a pull-out litter tray in the bottom as this wall make cleaning the cage much easier. Cages are available with tops that can be raised up or with side doors. The top opening cages are easier to reach into for cleaning. However, many owners prefer one with a side door that can be left open so the guinea pig can come and go.

2. Furnish a guinea pig cage with a water bottle that hangs from the side of the cage. A water dish will quickly become dirty as bedding gets kicked around. Add a food dish with a wide bottom for stability.

3. Add bedding to provide a soft surface for walking and sleeping. Never sue cedar or pine shavings as these are toxic to guinea pigs, gerbils, and some other small rodents. Aspen or corncob bedding works well or you can use good commercial bedding such as CareFresh. Timothy hay is also excellent and is also nutritious for guinea pigs. Most experienced owners will use it only sparingly however as it does not absorb moisture or control odder as well. Cat litter can be used if nothing better is available as long s it is a kind that does not have chemical additives since the guinea pig may eat it.

4. Remember to provide toys! There are a variety of items on the market, but they tend to be overly expensive. Guinea pigs do like to have a towel or cloth they can nest in or hide under. Rather than purchase expensive “tunnel” tubes you will save money by going to a hardware store and buying some short lengths of 4-inch PVC tubing in various shapes—these work just as well and are large enough for a pig to play in!

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid cages with plastic or wood parts that the guinea pig can reach. Like most rodents they will chew on pretty much anything they can and may be harmed by the chemicals in plastic. Or they may simply chew through a wood or plastic frame and you will have the expense of replacing the cage.