Guinea Pig Housing
The possibilities for housing your guinea pig are limited only by your imagination! So, what housing is best for your guinea pigs, your space, your time and your money? Here's some of the many possibilities, including our personal recommendations and tips for everything to do with guinea pig housing!
Indoor vs. Outdoor
The first question to ask is will your guinea pigs be living indoors or outdoors? We recommend indoor housing as it helps protect from the weather, predators and generally offers more interaction time with you and your guinea pigs. However, we also realise this isn't always an option. Aside from indoor housing, two common housing options are a hutch for the patio, or something for permanent grass living. Which direction you go is ultimately your decision, so below are our cage and hutch recommendations. However, if you are intending to purchase or make your own housing, we recommend that you contact us first so we can let you know what is required to meet the minimum RSPCA recommended standards. Please note that QGPR has a range of suitable indoor housing for sale at competitive pricing. |
Free-Ranging
Free-ranging outdoors is not an option for guinea pigs. They have long lost the abilities of their wild relatives, the cuy, and are no longer able to fend for themselves. Animals such as dogs, cats, birds of prey, snakes and even rats pose risks to guinea pigs. Free-ranging indoors though, provides a suitable living environment for guinea pigs. Dedicating a safe room or area to free-range provides the opportunity for exercise, room to play and fun with hideys, tunnels, houses and more!
Free-ranging outdoors is not an option for guinea pigs. They have long lost the abilities of their wild relatives, the cuy, and are no longer able to fend for themselves. Animals such as dogs, cats, birds of prey, snakes and even rats pose risks to guinea pigs. Free-ranging indoors though, provides a suitable living environment for guinea pigs. Dedicating a safe room or area to free-range provides the opportunity for exercise, room to play and fun with hideys, tunnels, houses and more!
Bedding
It is important that you keep your guinea pigs' cage clean and dry to ensure they stay healthy and happy.
The most commonly used bedding is wood shavings, which is extremely absorbent and low-odour, but ensure you buy the type that has been dust extracted. The Refuge's favourite brand is Hysorb, which is available for sale at our open days. You can layer the bottom of your cage with newspaper or shredded paper and top with a good layer of shavings. However, wood shavings can matt in guinea pigs with longer hair and blow out of outdoor cages.
Fleece is becoming increasingly popular for those who prefer to wash and re-use their bedding. Simply layer the bottom of your cage with newspaper, then some towels and top with fleece. This bedding choice can be colourful, personalised and fun for guinea pig owners to decorate their cages. It is also inexpensive, as you simply wash it and re-use! Fleece does get dirty quickly however, so needs daily spot cleans with a dust pan, and complete bedding changes every few days. Fleece liners are also available for sale at open days.
Kitty litter and bedding pellets purchased from supermarkets and pet shops are not recommended as they are too hard and can damage your guinea pigs' feet.
It is important that you keep your guinea pigs' cage clean and dry to ensure they stay healthy and happy.
The most commonly used bedding is wood shavings, which is extremely absorbent and low-odour, but ensure you buy the type that has been dust extracted. The Refuge's favourite brand is Hysorb, which is available for sale at our open days. You can layer the bottom of your cage with newspaper or shredded paper and top with a good layer of shavings. However, wood shavings can matt in guinea pigs with longer hair and blow out of outdoor cages.
Fleece is becoming increasingly popular for those who prefer to wash and re-use their bedding. Simply layer the bottom of your cage with newspaper, then some towels and top with fleece. This bedding choice can be colourful, personalised and fun for guinea pig owners to decorate their cages. It is also inexpensive, as you simply wash it and re-use! Fleece does get dirty quickly however, so needs daily spot cleans with a dust pan, and complete bedding changes every few days. Fleece liners are also available for sale at open days.
Kitty litter and bedding pellets purchased from supermarkets and pet shops are not recommended as they are too hard and can damage your guinea pigs' feet.
Cage Sizing
Ensuring that your guinea pigs have enough space in their housing is an essential part of their health and happiness. It is recommended that guinea pigs have a minimum of 60cm x 60cm each so they can move around happily. Here are our minimum cage size recommendations according to number of piggies:
2 piggies 1.2m x 60cm
3 piggies 1.4m x 75cm
Bigger herds will need C&C or multiple storey housing. Work out the floor space you require (e.g. four piggies require the minimum of 60cm x 60cm multiplied by four), and then measure the floor space you will have available (length by width of the cage). If your second calculation is the same as or larger than the first, you've found a cage the right size!
When selecting a hutch or cage, it's important to consider the amount of space removed by ramps from both the base floor and the top floor. You also need to consider the top level only on full time grass hutches, as all guinea pigs need to be comfortably housed above the ground level.
Ensuring that your guinea pigs have enough space in their housing is an essential part of their health and happiness. It is recommended that guinea pigs have a minimum of 60cm x 60cm each so they can move around happily. Here are our minimum cage size recommendations according to number of piggies:
2 piggies 1.2m x 60cm
3 piggies 1.4m x 75cm
Bigger herds will need C&C or multiple storey housing. Work out the floor space you require (e.g. four piggies require the minimum of 60cm x 60cm multiplied by four), and then measure the floor space you will have available (length by width of the cage). If your second calculation is the same as or larger than the first, you've found a cage the right size!
When selecting a hutch or cage, it's important to consider the amount of space removed by ramps from both the base floor and the top floor. You also need to consider the top level only on full time grass hutches, as all guinea pigs need to be comfortably housed above the ground level.
Cleaning Tips
Requirements for cage cleaning vary depending on the type of housing and bedding you opt for, but here are some handy tips we've picked up along the way to make your cage clean that much easier!
Requirements for cage cleaning vary depending on the type of housing and bedding you opt for, but here are some handy tips we've picked up along the way to make your cage clean that much easier!
- Add a small amount of Carefresh to your Hysorb if you have a larger herd of piggies, as the added absorbency helps to keep the bedding dry and your costs down.
- Scoop out the dirty bedding into a rubbish bag with a dustpan, and if lining the cage with newspaper, roll it up and add that to the rubbish bag as well. You can remove all the remaining bedding with a wet and dry vacuum cleaner.
- Spot clean your fleece with a dust pan and brush daily to keep the fleece cleaner for longer.
- To remove build-up and smell from the enclosure itself, give it a quick scrub with some vinegar and then rinse. This works well for both plastic and wooden housing and will remove calcium scale.