Are you clueless about where to keep your little guinea pig?
Instead of settling for cardboard boxes or glass aquariums, we suggest investing in a guinea pig-friendly cage to keep your cute pet happy. However, picking the right one can be daunting if you’re a first-timer.
We’ve got your back with our brief yet handy guide! So, keep reading to find out how to choose the right guinea pig cage.
How To Choose The Right Guinea Pig Cage?
Picking the right cage for your little buddies is essential and directly affects their quality of life. So, here are the factors that you must consider while buying one:
1. How Many Guinea Pigs Do You Have?
Do you own just a pair of guinea pigs, or have they been breeding lately? The more the headcount, the larger the cage should be. A small cage is 48 inches long and is suitable for only one pet, so do not use it for multiple guinea pigs. To help you understand it better, here’s a list of cage dimensions depending on the number of your little pets:
- One guinea pig: 7.7 square feet or 60cm x 120cm
- Two to three guinea pigs: 9.0 square feet or 70cm x 140cm
- Four guinea pigs: 11.6 square feet or 60cm x 180cm
Simply extend the cage area by 60cm x 30cm for an additional pet guinea pig. Since they don’t climb much, 30cm high cage walls are enough, and the top can be kept open. Several rescue organisations suggest using cubes and coroplast (C&C) cages.
Guinea pigs shouldn’t be housed in glass structures, cages with wire floors, or plastic tubes.
2. Where Will You Keep The Cage?
Location is another factor influencing the type of cage you should buy. Indoor cages usually have a wire mesh or plastic construction to give the guinea pigs easy access to their surroundings. But it wouldn’t work outside due to lack of protection from other pets or animals and harsh weather.
In contrast, outdoor cages are built of plywood and have a sloped roof and a fox-proof mesh facade. They also have legs to keep them above ground for temperature regulation and safe from water overflow. Not that you are not free to use these hutches for inside use, but they are pretty bulky, which is why pet owners prefer keeping them outside.
Consider the following factors to decide on a suitable location for your guinea pig cage:
A. Temperature
A guinea pig’s preferred temperature range is 18° to 25°c, so ensure it is within this limit wherever you keep the cage. Also, please keep it away from warm surroundings or heat sources, such as direct sunlight, fireplaces, heat vents, or stoves. That’s because guinea pigs cannot regulate their body temperature through sweating and are prone to heat stroke.
B. Activity
These little creatures love being the centre of attention and benefit from social activities and family gatherings. Therefore, keep your guinea pig cage in the living area or an active and lively room.
C. Noise
Another important thing to note is that guinea pigs have very sensitive hearing. Hence, please do not keep them near televisions, sound systems or stereos. The kitchen isn’t a great place either, as several noise-producing appliances would disturb your pets.
3. What Areas Do You Want?
When buying guinea pig housing, you should know the areas you’d want to include. While bedding, living and play areas are necessary, hay beds, play equipment, and toys are optional. Like rabbits, guinea pigs are also prey species and need space to hide, for which a hay bed is an excellent option.
Why Are Large Guinea Pig Cages Better?
Guinea pigs are counted among the largest existing rodents, and yet owners generally keep the cage only a bit larger than that for gerbils and hamsters. While some cages are vertically spacious and encourage climbing and digging, guinea pigs aren’t jumping or climbing species. They depend on the floor area for daily exercise apart from outdoor playtime.
That’s why keeping the house roomy is better, allowing them to move about freely. On top of keeping them active and fit, it will also keep them content and excited.
The perfect-sized guinea pig cage would be something like this on Garden Depot.
Finding The Right Home For Your Guinea Pig
A separate tiny house for your little furballs safe from predators is a great way to keep them alive for a long time. They’ll be happier, healthier and more playful in their cage. That said, we’ve reached the end of our guide.
Our Planet Pet online store offers a wide selection of cages, toys, food, bedding, and accessories that guinea pigs enjoy. Feel free to reach out to our team for further assistance in selecting the ideal cage for your new pets. We look forward to assisting you!
Until next time, take care!
