Housing

From G-Cam

Proper cage placement and design is critical to the health and well-being of your guinea pig. Ours live in a pen that we designed and built ourselves. Over the years we have experimented will all kinds of set ups, but the most successful ones have been made of Creative Cubes and Coroplast.

Here are a few examples:

If you aren't up to that challenge (it's time-consuming and very labor intensive), you can buy a ready to assemble cage from Cavy Cages.

Temperature

We keep their location at a consistent temperature. Pigs are susceptible to respiratory ailments - so that's something to keep in mind. No drafts, no temperature extremes.

Square Footage

Size matters. Cavy Cages suggests 7.5 square feet for one pig or 10.5 for two. I think those are reasonable numbers.

• Bigger is always better.

Location

• A quiet, centralized location is best.
• Be aware of ambient noise levels. (see note)
• Guinea pigs love to sun-bathe in the afternoon - but make sure they can get away from the sun when they become too hot.
• If you have red-eyed pigs, they are likely to be quite sensitive to bright light. Make sure they can get to their food, water, and nesting boxes without being blinded.
• Don't place the cage where other pets may be able to harm or harass your pig.
• Don't place the cage in a bedroom or bathroom.
• Don't place the cage near a draft-prone area - such as a entryway.

Note: If you have a home theater system or other devices that create significant amounts of noise - be very mindful of the effects they have on pets. Loud noises and vibrations will traumatize them. A guinea pig's hearing is remarkably good - so good that they will hear (and react rather strongly to) plastic bags being removed from a refrigerator two rooms away.

• Plastic-bag-full-of-veggies is a happy noise.
• Jurassic Bombmageddon of the Rings is not.

If you can hear it in the next room - it's too loud. Simple as that.

Flooring

Learn this mantra: It has to be flat and solid. We use Coroplast as a cage bottom. It's inexpensive, easy to clean, and can be cut to any size/shape we wish.

• Never use a cage with a wire floor. This one is non-negotiable.
• Never use a cage designed for ferrets or other climbers. Pigs don't climb. Again, non-negotiable.

Layout

Give them places to hide. Ours love their wooden (untreated pine) hide aways. The Super Pet Giant Igloo works well for this. Make sure the opening is large enough for them to pass through with ease.

• Keep food and water near each other.
• Never place the water bottle where direct sunlight will fall on it.
• Use a four-sided hay rack for easy access. You can even DIY one.

Bedding Materials

Avoid stuff that stinks. (I'm talking about bedding made from or corrupted with strong aromatics.) Imagine trying to sleep after someone dumped a bucket of cheap, nasty perfume all over your bed. If you can't imagine just how awful that is - go to your local mall/department store's perfume counters and try ALL of the samples. Don't stop until you're soaked in the stuff. Then go home and lock yourself in a small space such as a closet. Not much fun, is it? Don't do that to your pigs.

• Never use cedar shavings. Use kiln-dried Aspen shavings or better yet, use Carefresh