Many people regard guinea pigs, also called cavies, as cute little pets. Not only are the little pets active and playful, but guinea pigs also get along with their humans very well too, thanks to their curiosity and delightful squeaks. Still pets of that kind come with certain obligations, especially as far as their living accommodations are concerned.
So, if you are thinking about keeping a guinea pig at home, you should be aware that the proper arrangement of its cage is not only sufficient for its comfort, but is also important due to the health aspect.
This manual will help you figure out all the essentials for guinea pigs in their hutch whether it’s the space, the food or the toys.
Cage size: big or large is correct size
One of the most important things to get right from the start is the size of your guinea pig’s cage. It’s worth noting that guinea pigs are distinct from hamsters and gerbils in that they require a good amount of room. In the wild, a guinea pig might scavenge for food from location to location and be very active. Even domesticated guinea pigs relocate from cage to cage whenever one is available.
Minimum cage size recommendations:
Ideally, for one or two guinea pigs, breeders hope for a cage that is at least 7.5 square feet of area (30” x 36” is about the size) within the cage dimensions. This is what is considered the bare minimum.
Cage dimensions for three guinea pigs should be no less than 10.5 square feet (about 30” x 50”). For the purpose of keeping two guinea pigs, the cages should cover an area of no less than 51 square feet.
Expanding the space: read moremilow says that upgrading at the very least to space more cages should give you no issue since guinea pigs love as much area as possible. Cages that are bigger also allow for the spanning of more enrichment items, toys, tunnels, and even extra hideouts to be included to combat boredom quicker.
Why it’s important: keeping guinea pigs in small areas is bound to enhance their rate of deposition of fat and cause severe stress which can lead to boredom. They want space for activity, lack of which creates negative thoughts for them like chewing the cage bars or becoming too inactive. More space, more happy guinea pigs! More space, more cute, happy and funny guinea pigs.
Bedding: comfort and cleanliness matter it is also necessary to select appropriate bedding for the floor of the guinea pig cage. In as much as bedding is not a primary resource for guinea pigs, it serves many important purposes. It is one of the most essential things that every pet and a pet owner would benefit from.
Best bedding options:
Fleece liners: fleece has found its way into becoming very ideal as bedding for guinea pigs because it is soft, can be reused, and is regularly washed. The fleece liners should be combined with an additional layer to be wicks the moisture away, like towel or pad.
Paper-based bedding: there are safe, absorbent, paper-based bedding options like care fresh or keyite clean & cozy bedding. It’s disposable as well as clean, soft and easy for guinea pig’s feet.
Aspen shavings: aspen shavings, which are safe bedding for guinea pigs, are dryer and cheaper than fleece bedding or paper bedding. It is absorbent and has odor control property on its own, without any petroleum oils of pine/cedar.
Bedding to avoid:
Cedar and pine shavings: this wood shavings also belongs to the category of wood shavings that has irritating aromatic oils that are harmful to the guinea pigs lungs. Even the kiln dried versions are still equally irritating to their lungs.
Straw or hay as bedding: while no guinea pig’s owners say hay is important in their nutrition, hay as bedding is not appropriate. It does not soak up water effectively, hence, can get wet and musty.
Cleaning and maintenance:
Irrespective of the kind of bedding used, it is recommended that the cage be cleaned thoroughly every now and then. This is because guinea pigs tend to pee quite often and if there is any soiled bedding on the cage, it will facilitate the increase of ammonia which is harmful to their respiratory system. A good guideline is to spot the cage on a daily basis and clean it all the way with new bedding once or two times a week.
Why it’s important:
The appropriate bedding not only provides comfort to the guinea pig but also contributes to a healthy environmental condition. Soft and absorbent bedding helps them remain dry and clean and decreases the chances of them developing skin diseases or respiratory diseases. Sticking to the cleaning of the cage also eliminates bad smells and improves the comfort of yourself and the animal.
Hiding spaces: safe havens for your guinea pig
By nature, guinea pigs are prey creatures, so they tend to be where they are safe and how they are wary. In nature, they would hide themselves well by digging or finding a dead end from a dangerous animal, and even in cages, this biological trait is still retained. If there are not enough hiding places guinea pigs can get stressed feeling that they are out in the open.
Types of hiding spots:
Plastic igloo or hut: these can be purchased in most pet supplies shops and are very easy to hide so it’s been washed out.
Wooden hideouts: wooden houses or tunnels are aesthetically appealing and are safe from chewing.
Cardboard boxes: if your finances are not that favorable, a plain cardboard box can make a wonderful hiding place for your pet. They are easy to throw away and can be replaced in a hurry and provide warm nesting spots.
Tunnels: plastic or fabric tunnels help in simulating the burrowing scenario and therefore help your guinea pig be able to run through or hide in.
These places are suitable for many hiding pigs:
If you have more than one guinea pig, it’s a good idea to provide multiple hiding spaces. This is both helpful and reassuring, as guinea pigs can be quite territorial and with individual hideaways there can be less chance of violence.
Why it’s important:
A hamster cage has hide spaces because they offend sleep. They get scared or are not sure and hide deep; their hiding place makes them feel safe. Hiding spaces are essential for stress control, and without such places in the cages, stress limits, guinea pigs may live badly since this might cause a deterioration of health over the years.
Water bottles and food dishes: ensuring their quenching and supplying
It is central to their proper maintenance to have conditions for reaching water and food. Although this task seems too simple sometimes, there are a few important things that need to be followed in order to keep the pet well-nourished and hydrated.
Water bottles:
There should be fresh water supplied to the g-pigs all the time. The best approach for auxiliary limiting their water usage is using bottles with sipper tubes so as to avoid polluting the water with bedding or other debris. Look for a container that can be tightly fixed on the side of the cage, and ensure that the container is checked on a daily basis in an effort to ascertain that it is working optimally and that no blockage has occurred.
Glass vs. Plastic bottles: it is observed that glass bottles are quite harder and able to endure chewing more compared to plastic ones. On the other hand, using a plastic bottle is practically simple and light to carry. Both of these do the job effectively, but glass is probably best when considered dominantly from the perspective of investment.
Cleaning the bottle: water bottles should be cleaned regularly because bacteria can accumulate on the inside. Each time the bottle has to be taken off ,the inside should be rinsed with hot water once a week, and a bottle brush should be used to clean it as well.
Food dishes:
Guinea pigs live on hay as well as pellet food, and if the appropriate dishes are provided, their food will remain hygienic and within their reach.
Pellets dishes: choose a bowl which is made of ceramics or has a heavy base in order to resist easy tipping over such bowls as these. If it is ceramic bowls, the maintenance of it is simple but it is also hard to be either shaken or rolled round in the cage.
Hay racks: problems will occur in feeding if hays will be spread on the floor because that is the food source for them. For this reason, a hay rack should be supplied to assist in providing horse hay above the level of the ground. This also makes it possible for your guinea pig to go hunting and pull the hay through the bars which are safe behaviors.
Why it’s important:
Guinea pig health relies on proper hydration and nutrition as a vital factor. In order for them to be active and healthy, clean water and food must be available at all times. Some dishes and bottles help to reduce spills, contamination and waste.
Hay: the basic ingredient of their nutrition
Hay is the most important part of your guinea pig’s diet and very beneficial for their digestive health and teeth. Their teeth are constantly growing, and since they live in captivity, they would not be able to grind down their teeth and this extends the period benefitting from the fibrous hay that they chew.
Types of hay:
Timothy hay: this is the first-cut hay and has been the most cited and recommended hay for guinea pigs. This comprises 10-20% in the entire diet of a guinea pig. It is fibrous, has little calcium content and helps in the movements of the intestines.
Orchard grass: sweeter and softer than timothy hay. It is good in case your guinea pig is choosy or if you have a need to change things up.
Alfalfa hay: for those baby guinea pigs below the age of six months and for mothers that are either pregnant or nursing. Since alfalfa is very rich in calcium, feeding adult guinea pig this kind of hay leads to the development of urinary stones.
How much hay should you provide?
The amount of hay is enough if it is continuously flooded with strips of fresh hay. If the guinea pig does not have this advantage it is advisable to always keep replacing them with cut hay especially after a day. Most of the time spent by the guinea pig will be spent within the same period to feeding on hay.
Why it’s important:
There is important all to the benefits of hay for your guinea pig. It enables smooth digestion and helps eliminate the risk of a dangerous illness known as gi stasis where the gut movement stops. Not enough hay also causes other health problems in guinea pigs such as dental malocclusion, whereby the teeth do not grow evenly and leads to pain when eating.
Toys and enrichment: keeping your guinea pig happy and engaged
Guinea pigs are smart animals that require both mental and physical stimulation for their wellbeing. If there are no additional elements to make the cage interesting, your pet may lose interest in the cage and become unhappy which thereafter results into anxiety, depression, and harmful habits.
Toys for guinea pigs:
Chew toys: chew blocks, sticks made of dried fruit, and animal lozenges are some of the items that may be recommended to entertain their teeth as well as occupy them.
Tunnels and tents: the guinea pig is an adventurer and so is the design of the tunnels as they are structured in burrow like embankments to dig, and also act to extend the areas to be hidden.
Foraging toys: scatter some greens or small goodies in a toy or ball stuffed with hay so that your guinea pig can explore as they would in the wild.
Balls and rolling toys: there are some guinea pigs that prefer pushing small balls across the cage. But some such as the ones you have or another may not be interested in this idea.
Diy toys:
Spending on guinea pig toys which is not needed is definitely not recommended. Tissues, paper towel rolls or even crumpled paper can keep a guinea pig busy. The only concern is to ensure all these materials are safe for chewing and do not have ink, glue or similar stuff on them.
Why it’s important:
Enrichment is important for the piggy’s mental wellbeing. They can get stressed out, or become inactive and passive, or sometimes aggressive if there is nothing to engage them. There are toys and play opportunities, to cut the long story short, you are minimizing inactivity or disinterest over your guinea and that is important to their general health.
Temperature control: creating the perfect environment mazing temple.
Guinea pigs are very sensitive to temperature changes. They are happy and healthy in moderately tempered atmosphere and can get sick when rash in heat, cold or excessive draughts. This is more reason why guinea pigs are unique. Unlike other animals, guinea pigs do not sweat. This makes them more prone to heat strokes than other animals.
Ideal temperature range:
Guinea pig’s recommend temperature should range from 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 24 degrees Celsius). Any temperature above or below this range can become hazardous.
Things to avoid:
Direct sunlight: do not place the guinea pig’s cage at the risk of being overheated from the direct exposure to the sun. Beneath full sunlight, even inside, the temperature can change very rapidly.
Drafty areas: when setting up the cage, avoid placing it in areas such as windows, doors, or air vents since drafty places can be quite cold and prone to respiratory diseases.
Heaters or fireplaces: similarly, placing the cage near a heater or fireplace also brings the risk of overheating for the pets making them more prone to overheating and reaching potentially life threatening levels of temperature.
Signs of heat stress:
If your pet guinea pig tends to get too hot, they may seem unaware of what is happening around them, breathe very heavily, or lie down completely on their stomachs. Loss of consciousness due to heat stroke would be the last thing anyone would want to experience in their entire lifetime when attending to these pets. At the sign of these threats, rush them out of the affected zone and give them water.
Why it’s important:
Ensuring that a comfortable and steady temperate atmosphere is maintained will ensure that your guinea pig stays healthy and the occurrence of heavy ailments is kept at bay. Cages without adequate ventilation cause heat stress to the guinea pigs, which is very serious and could even cause death.
Flooring: keeping their feet healthy
What type of floors do you have in your guinea pig’s cage really affects their comfort and health of their feet. Most of the time bedding covers floors but it is important to others that are wire bases or rough bases.
Safe flooring options:
Solid plastic base: basic commercial guinea pig cages consist of a solid plastic base, which is rather useful when combined with soft bedding.
Fleece liners: some guinea pigs will be provided with fleece bedding which will create an additional layer that will be soft and soft against the base of the cage.
Why avoid wire floors:
There are some types of cages that come with a wire bottom and these cannot be recommended for guinea pigs. Using wire flooring can lead to a disease known as bumblefoot where the feet become swollen and inflamed due to pressure from rough surfaces. This is very uncomfortable for your guinea pig and is hard to manage.
Why it’s important:
In most cases, there are the beginnings of foot sores that could later end up leading to deep cuts and chronic infections and these are common during injury recuperation. However, soft bedding above a firm surface allows easy movement for the guinea pig so that foot cuts that could be problematic are avoided.
Conclusion:
Constructing the perfect cage for your guinea pig requires careful planning and consideration but eventually pays off. A well-tailored environment facilitates their physical health and mental health and cheeriness. They require different habitats including enough space, hygiene materials, and performing toys and diet. All these require proper conditions, which when availed, leads to the better living of your guinea pig.
