Housing Guinea Pigs
Ensuring that your Guinea Pigs are housed correctly is very important. A good cage should be escape proof, and, if outdoors, watertight (among other things).
Cages should be equipped with the correct products, including bedding (to absorb their waste and pee) and some toys to keep them amused. In this care guide we will cover all this and more. |
Housing overview
There are two types of housing available for Guinea Pigs to live in: Hutches and Cages.
Hutches are for outdoor use, and are usually much bigger than cages.
We have two sections below: Housing for your Guinea Pigs indoors, and Housing for your Guinea Pigs outdoors, and these sections contain all the information you need to know about housing your Guinea Pigs in these two different types of cages.
Below that, we have information about what all houses need to be equipped with, and links to care guides on cleaning out hutches and cages.
Hutches are for outdoor use, and are usually much bigger than cages.
We have two sections below: Housing for your Guinea Pigs indoors, and Housing for your Guinea Pigs outdoors, and these sections contain all the information you need to know about housing your Guinea Pigs in these two different types of cages.
Below that, we have information about what all houses need to be equipped with, and links to care guides on cleaning out hutches and cages.
Housing for your Guinea Pigs
|
|
|
Guinea Pigs can be kept inside in a simple wire cage, and this is a particularly good idea if the temperature where you live tends to get quite cold, although it can bring mess inside your house.
This generally takes up little space. The cage can fit nicely on a coffe table, the floor or even on a big desk. Finding space for this cage inside your house shouldn't be too hard, and the typical places to keep them include bedrooms, or the dining room.
These cages listed above are relatively small (yet suitable in size for at least two Guinea pigs)
Even so, the cages do not have a small play area and a separate sleeping area, like the Outdoor hutches do (see right). This could be a problem for your Guinea Pig, maybe it could cramp them. If you are going for an indoor cage option, you should think about buying a separate run, or even making one with some cardboard boxes, which you could place your Guineas in once a day, allowing them to run around and exercise.
This generally takes up little space. The cage can fit nicely on a coffe table, the floor or even on a big desk. Finding space for this cage inside your house shouldn't be too hard, and the typical places to keep them include bedrooms, or the dining room.
These cages listed above are relatively small (yet suitable in size for at least two Guinea pigs)
Even so, the cages do not have a small play area and a separate sleeping area, like the Outdoor hutches do (see right). This could be a problem for your Guinea Pig, maybe it could cramp them. If you are going for an indoor cage option, you should think about buying a separate run, or even making one with some cardboard boxes, which you could place your Guineas in once a day, allowing them to run around and exercise.
Housing for your Guinea Pigs
OUTDOORS
|
|
Cages outdoors tend to be bigger than indoor cages
You will need to take into account the typical temperature where you live. Will it get too cold or too hot? WIll you need a cover to insulate them in the winter?
These hutches are much larger in size than the indoor hutches, but if you have a medium to large size garden, this shouldn't be an issue.
You do not need to have a lawn on your garden, stone slabs are fine, as is soil, but guineas would prefer to have their hutch based over grass as it is the perfect healthy food for them, and it would make a change from dry hay.
Another bonus about these outdoor hutches, is there are three separate compartments: Sleeping area, feeding area (I like to call it the dining room) and the downstairs area (the garden, or play area). This is great as your Guinea Pigs have lots of space to live in, and can choose when they want to go to sleep, for example they could stay up for as long as they wanted, and then go up to the sleeping area (which stays dark all the time) when the feel like it, instead of having to sleep when you turn the lights off (if they are kept inside).
You will need to take into account the typical temperature where you live. Will it get too cold or too hot? WIll you need a cover to insulate them in the winter?
These hutches are much larger in size than the indoor hutches, but if you have a medium to large size garden, this shouldn't be an issue.
You do not need to have a lawn on your garden, stone slabs are fine, as is soil, but guineas would prefer to have their hutch based over grass as it is the perfect healthy food for them, and it would make a change from dry hay.
Another bonus about these outdoor hutches, is there are three separate compartments: Sleeping area, feeding area (I like to call it the dining room) and the downstairs area (the garden, or play area). This is great as your Guinea Pigs have lots of space to live in, and can choose when they want to go to sleep, for example they could stay up for as long as they wanted, and then go up to the sleeping area (which stays dark all the time) when the feel like it, instead of having to sleep when you turn the lights off (if they are kept inside).
Recommended size per animalVets recommend that you have 4 square feet per Guinea Pig, as this will stop them getting cramped
If they don't have enough space each, they could start fighting, and being picky over who own's what territory. |
Outside vs InsideGuinea Pigs generally do not mind whether they live inside or outside.
However, if they are kept outside, they must always be kept outside for the rest of their lives (except when bought in for their daily cuddle), and if they are kept inside, they must be kept inside for the rest of their lives. This is because they will grow thick coats during the winter and short coats during the summer if they live outside. If they live inside they grow a small thin coat, and it stays that way. Therefore, if you decided to make them live outside, they could not possibly stand the outside temperature conditions, and it would take a long while for their coats to adapt to the changing temperatures. |
Other pages in the 'Basic Care' section of The Guinea Pig GuidesCleaning Out
|