How to House a Pet Guinea Pig

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18-02-2021, 10:00
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Guinea pigs make sweet, sociable pets that are easy to care for. To ensure that your guinea pig is healthy and happy, you’ll need to provide a spacious cage with a few hiding areas and fun toys. Make sure you place the cage in a part of your home where the guinea pig will feel comfortable and safe, but not where they’re isolated from people. It’s also important to clean the cage regularly to prevent bad odors and disease.

Choosing a Cage

  1. Buy a cage that’s at least 24 inches (61 cm) wide and 3–6 feet (0.91–1.83 m) long. Guinea pigs need room to roam around and exercise in their habitats. In addition to getting a cage that is long and wide enough, try to find one that’s at least 18 inches (46 cm) tall.
    • Most guinea pig cages that are sold in pet stores are designed to house a single guinea pig. If you want to keep more than 1 guinea pig in the same cage, add an extra 2–4 square feet (0.19–0.37 m) per guinea pig.
  2. Choose a cage with a solid bottom. Guinea pigs can hurt their feet on wire mesh cage bottoms, so make sure your cage’s bottom is solid. Some cages or hutches have slide-out trays on the bottom to make cleaning easier.
  3. Find a well-ventilated cage. Guinea pigs need good airflow to prevent damp conditions and disease. Choose a plastic or wire cage with a mesh top to provide plenty of ventilation. Don’t house your guinea pig in a glass tank, since these are prone to dampness and overheating.
    • Since guinea pigs aren’t big climbers, you may not need a top on your cage if the walls are high enough.
    • If possible, your cage should have walls that are solid for the bottom 3 inches (7.6 cm) or so. This will prevent food and bedding from spilling out.
  4. Get a cage that’s easy to take apart and clean. Ideally, you should at least partially clean your guinea pig’s cage every day. For this reason, it’s a good idea to get a cage that can be easily disassembled and is made from easy-to-clean materials, like rust-proof metal or plastic.
    • Look for a cage with large doors and a base that easily separates from the top. If the cage has a lid, it should lift or come off easily.

Equipping the Habitat

  1. Put bedding in the bottom of the cage. Your guinea pig will be happiest with bedding that’s deep enough to hide, nest, and tunnel in. Choose paper-based bedding, such as shredded newspaper. Pour in enough to cover the bottom of the cage to a depth of about 2 inches (5.1 cm).
    • Don’t use sawdust, pinewood, or cedarwood shavings in your guinea pig’s cage since these can cause health problems.
    • You can also use hay, which does double duty as a bedding material and a food source.
  2. Offer your guinea pig places to hide. Your guinea pig will feel more secure if it has some safe spaces for hiding and napping. You could use wooden boxes, cardboard shoe boxes, or plain, untreated wicker baskets for this purpose. You can also purchase plastic or wooden guinea pig hideouts at most pet supply stores.
    • If you’re keeping more than 1 guinea pig in the same cage, offer at least 1 hiding or sleeping place for each guinea pig.
  3. Add accessories for exercise and play. To encourage your guinea pig to move around and explore, try making a mini gym inside the cage. Put in 1-2 play items, such as wooden ladders, a bridge, or some wide plastic pipes that your guinea pig can use as tunnels. Do not use wheels or balls, as you would for a hamster or other rodent, as it would cause their backs to unhealthy curve.
    • You can also provide wooden chew logs or fruit tree branches for your guinea pigs to gnaw and climb on. Make sure to use untreated wood, and avoid cherry wood, which is toxic to guinea pigs.
  4. Provide heavy earthenware food bowls. Earthenware bowls are a good option because they are hard to tip over. Alternatively, you can put food in stainless steel bowls that attach to the side of the cage.
    • In general, guinea pigs prefer to have their food dishes on the floor for easier access.
  5. Install a water bottle. Instead of a water dish, which can easily become contaminated with food, droppings, and bedding, give your guinea pig a gravity bottle. These water bottles clip to the side of the cage and dispense water from a metal spout when the guinea pig wants to drink.
    • Don’t provide a water bottle with a plastic spout since your guinea pig will easily chew it up.

Providing a Safe Environment

  1. Put your guinea pig’s cage in a quiet area. Your guinea pig will feel safest if its cage is located in an area away from loud noise and other pets that might bother it. Guinea pigs are social animals, so don’t be afraid to put the cage in an area where the family spends a lot of time. Family rooms and living rooms are good options. Just make sure the cage is not located to close to any noisy TV speakers or stereos.
    • Remind any children in the house to use quiet voices around the guinea pig. Guinea pigs are very sensitive to loud sounds.
  2. Set up the cage in a draft-free, temperature-controlled room. Guinea pigs do best in temperatures around 65–75 °F (18–24 °C). Keep your guinea pig in a room that doesn’t get too hot or too cold. Make sure any doors and windows remain closed to prevent drafts.
    • Avoid putting your guinea pig next to an air conditioner vent or fan.
  3. Keep your guinea pig away from heat sources and fumes. Guinea pigs are very sensitive to heat, so don’t keep your guinea pig near a space heater, fireplace, heater vent, or stove. Keep it away from any place where it might be exposed to harmful fumes, such as kitchens, garages, or newly-painted rooms.
    • It’s also important for your health to avoid keeping the guinea pig in any area where you tend to prepare food.
  4. Make sure your guinea pig’s habitat stays dry. Dampness and humidity can promote the growth of mold and bacteria in the cage, putting your guinea pig at risk of becoming ill. Keep your guinea pig in an area of your house that tends to stay dry.
    • Guinea pigs do best when the relative humidity in their environment is between 40 and 70%.
    • If necessary, buy a dehumidifier and put it in the room where you keep your guinea pig.

Maintaining the Cage

  1. Change your guinea pig’s bedding every day. Guinea pigs are susceptible to disease if they’re kept in damp or dirty conditions, so it’s vital to keep their bedding clean and dry. Take out the old bedding every day and replace it. Make sure you remove any spilled food from the cage and dry any damp areas on the floor before putting in new bedding.
    • You may find the bedding easier to change if you use a disposable liner for the bottom of the cage.
  2. Rinse any food bowls and water bottles daily. Every day, rinse out your guinea pig’s food dish and change out the old food. If the food bowl is especially soiled, wash it with water and mild dish soap. Rinse the water bottle daily and fill it with fresh, clean water.
    • If you notice any algae buildup in the water bottle, you can scrub it out with a bottle brush. Check the spout for blockages and food particles and clean it with a straw-cleaning brush or cotton swab if necessary.
  3. Clean the whole cage at least once a week. Every 7 days or so, take your guinea pig’s cage apart and wash it with mild soap and warm water. Rinse the cage and equipment thoroughly when you’re done, and make sure it is dry before you replace the bedding and put your guinea pig back inside.
    • For extra disinfecting power, wash your guinea pig’s cage with a solution of 1 fluid ounce (30 mL) of bleach and 1 US quart (0.95 L) of water. Make sure to rinse away all traces of the bleach solution when you’re done.
  4. Replace any worn-out toys and equipment regularly. Guinea pigs love to chew—it’s both enjoyable to them and vital to their dental health. Keep a close eye on any toys, hiding places, and chew logs, and replace them as they become worn down.
    • If you give your guinea pigs household items to chew on and play with, such as cardboard tubes or tennis balls, make sure to remove any staples or other hazardous parts first.

Tips

  • While you can keep guinea pigs in an outdoor hutch, they are typically happier, safer, and more protected from the elements when kept indoors.
  • Try to give your guinea pig a little exercise time outside its cage every day. Always supervise your guinea pig closely while it is out. Make sure to create a safe space free of loose electrical wires, heat sources, or tight spaces where your guinea pig could hide.
  • A single guinea pig will feel lonely if you don’t give it attention. Keep a pair of guinea pigs that are desexed or are the same sex to give them company if you have a busy schedule.
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