Adoption houses are full of homeless cavies, abandoned by overwhelmed owners who are in over their heads. This article is aimed at helping you become aware of whats involved when you breed cavies.

The female guinea pigs can mature sexually as early as four weeks of age. The gestation period is between 59 and 73 days, and the average size of the litter is usually between 1 and 4. Guinea pigs have been known to have as many as seven babies in a single litter, but that is a rare case and highly unlikely with your guinea pig.

Breeding cavies is usually discouraged by most experts, as the birthing process is very risky.  There are many complications when your guinea pig gives birth, mainly because babies are born ready to run and fairly large.

Many sows are unable to give birth after turning 6 months, and it can be fatal for a sow that is more than 8 months old. This is because there is a joint of cartilage that joins the sows two pubic bones, and this cartilage becomes stiff and impedes her from giving birth unaided.

Many guinea pigs that suffer from the stiffening of this cartilage joint require a Caesarian and this is usually a fatal procedure for the mother. Even simply having your guinea pigs neutered or spayed is a risk that may end up killing them.

If you do decide to breed guinea pigs you must be prepared and understand the potential risks involved. The birthing process can have a number of different complication occur however I won’t discuss these today, as it is an entire article on it’s own.

Some important tips to remember when breeding are:

• Feeding the right diet during your sow’s pregnancy is vital.  A pregnant guinea pig needs higher amounts of vitamin C than normal, so it is important that you find a way to add more vitamin C to its diets. Pellets often contain high doses of Vitamin C, or fruit such as oranges can also be introduced to the diet to ensure that she remains healthy and receives the necessary vitamin levels.

• Ensure that the boar is taken out of the cage before the birth to avoid one pregnancy after another.

•  It is important that you have a plan for the pups once they are delivered. If you have a large enough cage, then you can keep the pups at home. If not, then you need to ensure that the pups have a home even before you begin the process of breeding guinea pigs. Without a home, the pups are destined to an untimely death, and it is your responsibility as the breeder to ensure that they are well cared for.

You are the one that makes the final decision whether or not breeding guinea pigs is the right choice, but you should take the life of your cavies into account. If you don’t want to end up with a dead sow or way to many pups, than you should think hard before deciding to breed.

If you want to get a pet for your child, then you should definitely consider getting one of these cute creatures. Before you purchase your cavy, you need to know alittle about caring for one by reading up on guinea pig information.

The most important part of caring for a guinea pig is the house in which it will live. Many websites offering  information will tell you that 2 to 4 square feet per pig is sufficient.

That is not truly the case, and you should try to find a larger cage at least 7 square feet for one pig or 10 square feet for two. You can actually find a home for your guinea pig that will cost you between $60 and $80 for a large cage.

Alternatively, you can make your own cage using no more than $50 worth of materials, or you can spend $40 on a CC cube that is large enough for two.

Once you have bought the home, here are a few other things you’ll need:

• Water bottles will run you around $10 to $15 for a pack of three to five bottles. These will usually be enough to last a year or two, as you can simply clean the bottle and reuse it a number of times before it gets too dirty.

• Food dishes can be found at your dollar store for $1, though you can find costlier dishes if you so choose. A dish can last you many years, as you simply wash it thoroughly and frequently to keep it clean.

• Hidey houses are perfect for  guinea pigs, as it gives them somewhere quiet and dark to rest, hide, and sleep. You can usually find a set of 3 or 4 hidey houses for $5 to $8 at your local department store, or you can pay a slightly higher price at your local pet store. You can also make your own at home using plastic bowls, cardboard, or anything else that you can come up with.

• Guinea pigs need toys to play with, though usually these toys will consist of cat or bird toys. You can find them for $4 to $8 at your local pet store or department store.

The above items required a single purchase or an infrequent purchase in order to care for your piggies.

There are some items however that you will need to purchase regularly in order to provide a healthy home environment:

• The bedding that you use is important, as you want it to be soft and absorbent for your pig. You can buy a bale of hay for roughly $5 to $10, and that bale of hay can last you as long as six months, this is a cheap alternative to Timothy Hay BUT you must be careful when buying pasture hay. Only buy it from a trusted vendor and make sure it does not contain mould or thistles.

• Guinea pig pellets are an important part of ensuring that your pet has sufficient nutrients in his/her diet, and you can purchase a huge 25 pound bag of pellets for about $25. That bag should last you 3 months or so.

• Vegetables to feed your guinea pigs can be grown in your own garden, but you may end up spending $10 or more every week just to get enough fresh vegetables to feed two.

Original purchases aside, you will end up spending about $12 a week on caring for your pig, due to the costs of food, bedding, and pellets.

As you can see, caring for your guinea pig is actually fairly easy, and you will only spend a bit of money on your cavy each week. For a low cost pet, guinea pigs are hard to beat, and they are far cuter and easier to care for than a dog. By purchasing a guinea pig, you are getting a great pet for your kids that will be easy and cheap to care for.

Bigger is Better

The first thing that you need to know about housing your cavy is that bigger is better. There are a number of benefits to  having a large cage including: your pet will have more space to run and play, this will promote good health as your cavies can exercise all day.

Cleaning and maintaining a large cage is also be much easier, it’s less promblematic and you can actually access all spaces of the cage when cleaning soiled areas.

Being territorial creatures a number of guinea pigs will not coexist well in a small environment. If you want to provide the best conditions in which to care for multiple guinea pigs, then you need to find houses that are large.

Having plenty of space in which to move around in makes it easier for your guinea pigs to get along.

It is vital that you choose guinea pig homes that have the right grids. Certain types of grids have larger spaces between the bars, which means that your pig can easily squeeze right out of its cage.

In order to ensure that you can protect your pet, you need to know that there is no way for it to get out of its cage by selecting a grid with smaller holes.

Finding the Right Bedding

The bedding is one of the most important aspects of guinea pig houses. Choosing the right bedding means that your furry companion has a clean, fresh, and safe home environment in which to live.

Placing a newspaper on the bottom of the cage and covering it with fresh hay (timothy hay) is the best bedding, as the combination of these items will ensure that your guinea pig isn’t wallowing around in his own urine or fecal matter.

Plus it’s much easier to clean, and yes we all like that!

C&C Cages

One of the best choices housing guinea pigs is to use CC cubes. These cubes are simple metal grids that have wires coated in plastic.

You can use these grids to build a home of whatever size you desire and they are easily taken apart to modify, adjust, or move. You simply connect each grid using special connectors and you immediately have a lightweight, easily portable cage.

One of the best things about these CC cubes is the fact that they are so lightweight. You can easily transport your pig around wherever you go, and the cage can always come with you.

These cubes are also incredibly easy to clean, thanks to the fact that they have a plastic coating over the wires that make the cubes easy to wash.

They are also fairly cheap to buy. You can find a box of 30 CC cubes at Costco, Target, or a number of other department stores for between $18 and $35.

This makes them a great choice for anyone looking for a cheap solution for their guinea pig homes, and can save you a lot of money that would be spent on building a wooden guinea pig cage.

You can easily set up these CC cubes in a matter of minutes, using the connectors to make the perfect walls for your cage. You can make a tall cage with many levels, or a long cage with plenty of floor space.

You have the ability to alter the design, shape, and dimensions of your guinea pig cage according to your desires (and your furry companions of course).

If you want the best home for your pets, then you will need to invest a little in the right equipment. Finding a home that is big enough to run around in is vital, and make sure that the environment has everything that your cavies need to be happy.

Again these include clean bedding, toys, fresh food and water. If you do all this you will receive plenty of nose touches from your furry companions as thanks!

Understanding the vast range of guinea pig sounds will make your job as an owner dramatically simpler and more fun. This is especially true when you discover that certain noises will relate to different emotions and actions, as your pet communicates his, her or their thoughts and feelings to you! Below you will find a list of sounds and their meansing.

Rumbling

The rumbling sound will often be heard during mating season. This sound is made by a male (boar) attempting to seduce a female (sow) and it is also made by a sow that is in season ready to mate.

The rumble will be a deeper sound than a regular purr and you will often see this noise accompanied by the boar walking around the female, swaying his hips.

When you hear this noise, you can be certain that it is time for some love between your guinea pigs. So if you don’t want to start breeding, immediately relocate your stud to another cage!

Wheeking

Wheeking is the word used to describe the guinea pig noise associated with your pet being hungry. They will usually only make the sound when they know it is time for their regular feeding or if they think that food is coming, for instance when they hear the fridge door open or the back door close.

Purring

Purring is often an indication that your cavy is happy or content. They will often make this noise when being pet, because they are being fed or simply life is just too good!

There is a similar noise to the purr that a guinea pig makes when feeling afraid, and you can tell which noise is being made by the fact that your pig freezes when it is afraid. It will usually resume purring once they feel that the threat has passed.

Shrieking

When your guinea pig starts making very loud and very high pitched noises, you can know that thet are shrieking. This sound is often made if it is terrified or in pain.

For examply if your boar nips his fellow residents, you will usually hear this noise. The same noise is also often produced at the vet, when the little guy gets his injections. They may also shriek as a method of warning other cavies to back off, and is usually made when one pig is afraid of another aggressive pig.

Sometimes the shriek will be an alarm or warning call, and pigs who have been separated from their mates may make this call frequently.

Chubble or Chutting

The sound that a guinea pig makes when it is minding its own business happily is known as a chubble or chut sound. They are usually simple muttering to themselves as they go about their day, happy as any guinea pig should be. This noise signifies contentment, and is often accompanied by purrs.

Whining

Whining or complaining guinea pig noises means that your pig is being disturbed from its rest. Guinea pigs will usually moan or whine loudly when something wakes it up, or they will moan at their caretakers if they don’t like being handled in a certain way.

Chattering

When you hear a sound like your pets teeth chattering or rattling, you can be certain that he or she is upset. Though many pigs will chatter their teeth when first introduced, as it helps them to rank each other in the natural order of things.

Also when your pigs begin to chatter, you can know that they are about to fight. They may also chatter at you to show you that they are displeased at you, and you had best watch your hands when they begin.

Chirping

Chirping is the least common of the guinea pig noises, and is the equivalent of a guinea pig singing.

Identifying each of the guinea pig noises is the best way to ensure that you can provide the proper care for your pig, as you can understand what they are trying to communicate through each of the noises. Hopefully by learning what each noise means, you can make life for your guinea pig easier and provide better care for it.

If you are looking for the best pet for yourself or child, you should read through the list of guinea pig breeds below to find which one is best suited to your level of experience. This is because some breeds will actually be harder to care for and require more work then others.

Guinea pigs are usually classified according to two factors: their color or their coat. The following list of breeds is classified according to their coat (but you can easily find information on guinea pigs according to their color).

Smooth-Haired Coats

Cavies that have smooth haired coats are also known as normal coated pigs. The hair on these animals tends to be about 30 millimeters long, and is usually lying tightly against their skin. The out layer of hair tends to be fairly coarse, but they have a soft undercoat. Usually soft coated guinea pigs have a shine to their skin, thanks to the oils that protect the short hairs.

The thing that has made smooth haired guinea pigs so popular is the fact that there is hardly any maintenance required to keep these pigs clean. There is little hair to be brushed, meaning that it is nearly impossible for straw, hay, sawdust, and other food items to get caught in the fur. Smooth coated guinea pigs are by far the easiest to care for.

Satin Coats

Guinea pigs with satin coats are similar to smooth haired pigs, but the difference lies in the texture of their hair. Where the outer coat of the smooth haired guinea pig tends to be coarse. The hair of the satin coated cavy is soft and smooth, it is usually more lustrous and has more color. The color of the satin coat tends to be much richer and warmer. The hair itself is as long as the hair of the smooth coated cavy and they also require little maintenance to care for.

Crested and Crowned Guinea Pigs

Crested and crowned guinea pigs have tufts of hair on the crown of their heads, which is where their name comes from. This tuft of hair will always grow on the offspring of any crested guinea pig. The genes of crested guinea pigs are stronger than other genes, and the result of a mating with any any type of guinea pig will always result in a pig with a tuft of hair on its head.

Abyssinian

Abyssinian guinea pigs look a great deal like small rabbits though without the long ears and fluffy tail. And they have longer hair in their coats than the previous cavy types. They were bred in Britain, and rank in second place after the smooth coated guinea pig for being the most popular to be purchased as a pet. There is usually tuft of hair over their nose that looks like a moustache, and they tend to have very coarse fur. There are usually eight rosettes in their fur, or points where their hair radiates out in a symmetrical pattern. They come in all colors, sizes, and with all kinds of markings.

Rex-Coated Pigs

The Rex-coated breed of guinea pigs is fairly new, due to a recessive gene that results in the hair of their coat being coarse and curly. The hair usually stands straight up and is fairly springy, while the hair on their head will usually be a bit shorter than the hair on the rest of the body. They can be crossbred with other guinea pigs.

Long Haired

Long haired guinea pigs tend to have longer hair than the other breeds, and this can often result in bits of straw, hay, food, or other items getting stuck in the fur and the fur being soiled around their rear. Long haried cavies require a lot more care than other cavy types, so it is vital to consider this before purchasing one.

You should ask your pet store owner about the different guinea pig breeds he has in stock, as well as how to care for them. Always request information on the guinea pig you are going to purchase, as you will need to know how to care for them properly.

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It doesn’t need to be stated but I will, the benefits of this type of understanding are huge! Not only will you understand their needs and wants, but through this you’ll be able to develop a close rewarding relationship with your pets. Furthermore it will make caring and training your guinea pigs a heck of a lot easier!

So let take a look at a range of common guinea pig behaviors:

Aggression

Although guinea pigs are generally sociable and friendly, like any animal it is not unusual for them to display signs of aggression, either towards a fellow cavy or (believe it or not) you! Aggressive behavior is pretty obvious, you will notice one or a number of different signs – from your cavy hissing, chattering his or her teeth while showing their teeth with an open mouth to rising up with stiffened legs.

Acts of aggression will largely depend on your pets individual character, however the main reasons for their aggression can range from being in an unfamiliar place, feeling threatened to fighting over territory. While cavies rarely bite humans, it can happen! So the best thing for you to do, is give your pet plenty of space.

If fighting however breaks out between two guinea pigs sharing a cage, you can stop the fight by separating them and placing one in a different cage. The best way to do this without getting bitten yourself is to simply place a towel over one of your guinea pigs and then remove them from the cage.

Coprography

Whenever your cavies are munching on something other than hay or vegetables, you may catch them eating their poop. Although it sounds weird for most humans, coprography is actually a normal cavy behavior.

They tend to eat their soft poops because their digestive systems are not capable of extracting all the vitamins and nutrients from their food right away. Eating the poop of a healthy guinea pig can actually help them acquire the right amount of nutrients they need!

Licking

A guinea pig won’t just lick anyone and if you are licked by your pet you should feel honored and proud of yourself. As this is a sure sign that you have created a close loving relationship with your furry companion.

When your pet licks you it is a sign of affection and love he or her feels towards you. With this said however there are people who will argue that guinea pigs simple love the salty taste of human skin. Though I tend to disagree with this.

Popcorning

Most owners consider popcorning as the most interesting aspect of any guinea pigs behavior. This refers to the event when cavies suddenly start leaping in the air, giving the little bodies a twist. Young guinea pigs usually jump straight up as if they were wearing pogo sticks.

When cavies engage in this behavior, they are trying to show you that they are very happy and contented with their life. Since only healthy cavies exhibit this behavior, you have the right to swell with pride every time your guinea pigs start leaping to the air.

Sadness and depression

Guinea pig can become depressed and frustrated for a number of reasons. One common reason is due to loneliness. This is especially so with new owners who decide to buy only a single guinea pig from a pet shop or backyard breeder.

Generally new owners who are also uneducated on guinea pig care, hold the common misconception that owning a single cavy is the simplest, easiest and cheapest option. But this could not be further from the truth!

Guinea Pigs are social animals who not only need but love company, from their owners but especially from other guinea pigs. And if they don’t get the company they desire they will literally cry (or more to the point wheek) for it, becoming upset. If the situation isn’t changed (e.g. you buy or adopt another little friend) your pet will become depressed, stop eating and has high chance of becoming ill.

Signs of depression or frustration include constant crying out or wheeking, withdrawn behavior – your guinea pig will hunch up in a corner, hide and/or refuse to eat. This therefore means it’s vital that you always buy or adopt guinea pigs in pairs. Also if you even notice your pet refusing to eat or drink, take them to your exotic vet immediately.

Lastly for your knowledge, here are some other guinea pig behaviors and their meanings:

Rises up with legs stiffened: Threatening
Shows teeth with an open mouth: Threatening
Stretches:  Comfort and relaxation
Popcorn jumping: High spirits
Stretches head forward: Watchfulness, interest
Grunts, gurgles, squeaks: Contentment, & connection with other cavy’s
Squeals or shrieks:  Warning, loneliness, pain, fear
“Wheeting”: Begging for food
Cooing: Reassurance
Rumbles: Warning, dislike
Hisses, teeth chattering: Aggression, threatening

Importance of a Balanced Diet

It should be pretty obvious, but a direct relationship exists between your pet’s health and the food they eat. Since guinea pigs are more susceptible to illnesses than any of their fellow critters are, you have to pay extra attention to what your guinea pig consumes. This way, you can make sure that he or she is getting all the nutrients and minerals needed for a healthier and stronger body.

I really want to stress a fact here, and it’s that guinea pigs like humans cannot produce vitamin c for their bodies. So it’s important that adequate sources of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) are supplemented into your cavy’s diet every day.

Feeding your piggies with a good selection of fresh fruits and veggies daily is probably one of the best ways to supplement their diet with vitamin C. Guinea pig pellets can also help you ensure that your pet’s vitamin C requirements are being met.

Without a diet rich in ascorbic acid, your cavy will become susceptible to scurvy. Drastic loss of weight, eye discharge, unhealthy flesh condition, and stiff limbs are only some of the symptoms related to this condition. To help prevent your guinea pig from every experiencing these painful conditions, make sure that they receive 100mg of vitamin c every day. It’s best from a combination of fruit, vegetables and pellets!

It is quite common for guinea pigs to become susceptible to respiratory problems and allergies as a direct result of a poor or unhealthy diet, lacking in the necessary vitamins and minerals. Constant coughing, continuous sneezing, skin allergies, and infection may lead to pneumonia, a serious illness that can put the life of your precious pet at risk. By simply maintaining a healthy diet, feeding your guinea pig with the right foods, you can prevent him or her from developing illnesses that can lead to death and other serious consequences.

Essential Elements of a Healthy Diet

Learning how to feed your guinea pig properly will be so much easier if you know the essential elements of a healthy diet. So far we have established that – No matter how young or old your guinea pig is, he or she will still need the right amount of nutrients and vitamins to help prevent him or her from acquiring numerous diseases and illnesses.

Vitamin C is an important element in a proper guinea pig diet, that can be acquired from fresh fruits, vegetables, and pellets (Important: only EVER buy pellets that are stabilized with vitamin C) to help boost your pet’s immune system and prevent him from acquiring major illnesses like scurvy.  You can also supplement your guinea pigs diet by sprinkling crushed vitamin C tablets on their food.

While alfalfa pellets are best for young guinea pigs, hay-based pellets are best for adult cavies. Avoid choosing pellets with corn products, nuts, animal by-products, and other fillers, they are not safe and will be harmful to your pets health. You should feed your cavies fresh pellets every day in order to prevent him from developing ascorbic acid deficiencies, and before feeding these fresh pellets make sure you clean out the old ones.

Hay is also an important element in your cavy’s diet, it actually makes up the bulk of their diet. Give your pet something to snack on by providing him or her with fresh supplies of orchard grass and timothy hay. For nursing and growing guinea pigs, alfalfa hay is better because of its high calcium content. Make sure that they have a steady supply of hay, not only does it make up an important ingredient of a balanced diet but it means your cavies have something to nibble throughout the day which will help to wear their teeth down.

Your cavy needs fresh vegetables and fruits every day. Feed him large amounts of leafy greens and offer other vegetables and no more than a cup of fruit each day. Spinach, parsley, turnip greens, and dandelion greens are only some of the most nutritious vegetables included in a well-balanced guinea pig diet. Avoid feeding him too much collards, cauliflower, and cabbage because this can abnormally increase their gas production. Moderate amounts of blueberries, bananas, oranges, and apples can also be included in his diet.

Developing the Right Feeding Schedule

Now that you already know what to feed your guinea pig, you can already start developing the perfect feeding schedule for him. A clear and well-defined feeding schedule can help your cavy develop a healthy daily routine. It will also make it easier for you to train your pet and to prevent him from developing nasty behavioral problems.

Set feeding routines to make your cavy understand what he needs to expect every day. You can choose particular times of the day that are convenient for you and your cavy. Provide them with fresh sources of hay twenty-four hours a day and give them unlimited access to clean water. Unless your cavy is already showing signs of obesity, you can keep his dish full of nutritious pellets at all times. No matter how healthy a guinea pig diet is, it will remain useless without the right feeding schedule.

You’ll be amazed a just how simple life is for all involved, once you have established a well-balanced diet with a regular feeding schedule. Not only will you be rewarded with less veterinary bills and more quality time with your precious furry companions but you’ll also discover that you will start to forge even stronger bonds with your pets… you will literally win you way to their hearts and loyalty!

By the way…

If you would like additional information of how to feed your guinea pig a well-balanced diet, including learning exactly what foods you can and cannot feed your guinea pigs. As well as discover a whole range of cool tip on what to feed your cavies including the recommended daily amounts of each food group or where you can buy different foods for less.

Plus if you want a load of tips on how to provide your pet with better care… then then sign up for my mini-email course! It doesn’t cost anything and all you need to do it enter your name and email address in the form above to receive the first installment instantly.

Today, we’re going to take a look at food & vitamins, companions & mates and grooming & hygiene. And you will discover just how important having an understanding of these three areas are to providing your pets with the best care possible.

Food and Vitamins

The most important part of complete guinea pig care involves feeding your pet a balanced healthy diet. Your pets good health, the number of time you visit the vet and your cavies overall happiness will largely depend on the feeding schedule you establish and the foods you feed. If you feed too much of a certain food group, not enough or you feed a food group which will for example create digestive problems… then your guinea pig could become very unwell.

This is why you must understand everything there is to know about the right guinea pig diet. Guinea pigs need regular hay, which will make up the basis of their diet. This should be supported by pellets, a regular serving of treats from the right vegetables and fruits.

Your pet should also be given a constant fresh supply of non-contaminated drinking water. Make sure that they also get their daily 100mg dose of vitamin C, guinea pigs cannot naturally produce vitamin c therefore they need to obtain it from their diet. Without this daily requirement of vitamin c they can become extremely sick with scurvy!

Companions and Mates

Guinea Pigs need the company of companions. You need to remember that they are a herd animal meaning they naturally live in groups, making them social creatures that constantly need attention, something that you cannot give everyday. Any reputable pet provider will never let you buy or adopt a single guinea pig. Unless they know you already have another guinea pig at home waiting for a new friend.

Guinea pigs living on their own will become upset and distressed easily. This in turn can lead to them becoming withdrawn, they will stop eating and become sick. This is why it’s important they have other guinea pigs to keep them company. And not other animals like your dog or pet rabbit, these pets even though friendly could accidentally injury or kill your guinea pig.

Ideally, guinea pigs live well with companions of the same sex but there are times when fight breaks out especially among two males. But this will largely depend on their personalities. You should really only mix cavies of the opposite sex if you want baby guinea pigs as they tend to breed extremely easily. Otherwise it would be smart to get your boar or sow de-sexed.

Grooming and Hygiene

Guinea pig care also involves giving your pet’s proper hygiene, cleaning and grooming. Guinea pigs do not require frequent bathing and should only be showered when their fur gets too soiled, in such a case use a shampoo that is soft on the skin formulated for guinea pigs alone. If you can’t find any, then a ultra mild shampoo used for kittens or babies will do.

You should only ever use a medicated shampoo when advised by your exotic vet. Make sure that you clean their ears and eyes. Dry them off and brush their hair so that it remains shiny. Clip your guinea pigs nails at least once a month, the more regularly you do this the easier it will be for you and for them. When doing this be careful to not cut too close to the quick or your guinea pig will start bleeding.

Guinea pigs are very easy pets to take care of, especially if you know how to provide them with the right care. And by providing a suitable environment with all the correct elements you’ll never have a problem getting them settled in anywhere for a long healthy, happy life.

Being an affectionate and fragile creature, the first important elements of ‘good’ guinea pig care is giving loads of love and attention. But that’s definitely not all! Today I am going to discuss one of the most basic but critical elements of guinea pig care, and that’s housing!

Housing or Caging

The first thing that you need to consider in guinea pig care is the housing or caging. Before you can bring your new pet’s home, you need to make sure that they have a great place to sleep and play in. They need to have a friendly environment that will serve as their sanctuary, the one place that they can stay and feel safe in.

There are a number of factors you need to consider when buying or building your pet home, these include:

Cage size

A common misconception many cavy keepers have when getting a cage for their pigs is the… size! They think that since their pets are small, they can have a smaller cage.

But this couldn’t be further from the truth!

If you house your piggies in a small cage, there is a greater chance they will become overweight, depressed and ill. It’s important that you provide large spaces where they can roam around and be active especially if they have companions.

You must be able to provide enough space for them to play with their friends and at the same time be able to establish their own spot away from company if they want rest. If you don’t do this, especially amongst males, problems will occur as your males start fighting for territory.

So how big does their cage have to be?

Well, it all depends on the number of guinea pigs you wish to adopt or buy.  But as a general rule of thumb…

A 7 square foot (0.7 square meters) cage must be the absolute smallest size two guinea pigs are housed in. Though, 10.5 square feet or larger would be preferable!

Bedding

Providing appropriate bedding is an essential component of caring for your guinea pigs. Not only does the bedding provide suitable cover for your pet to play, run and sleep on. But it also acts as a toilet, soaking up any urine and poop. You want to use a safe bedding which controls your pet’s bathroom odors. Keeping away from any dangerous bedding’s containing materials like pine shavings as they will cause serious respiratory problems.

My favorite bedding is timothy hay. It’s not only odor controlling and safe but because it’s hay. It is actually an important part of your pet’s diet. This means your guinea pig will always have large amounts of hay to nibble on.

It is important that you frequently change the entire cage bedding at least a couple of times a week, every day you should check the cage and remove any soiled areas. Keeping your little friends bedding clean at all times is important in order to prevent foul smells and to keep your guinea pigs away from possible illnesses.

Cage Accessories

There are a number of cage accessories that your guinea pig will love you for. They’ll make your pets home much more enjoyable, fun, comfortable and reassuring for them. Guinea pigs are very playful, active and sometime timid animals and their cage accessories will encourage them to play, be physically active and give them places to hide in.

The benefits of this are a no-brainer… helping to keep your little furry companion from becoming overweight and obese.

A number of accessories you should consider getting include houses, tunnels and pigloos made from either wood or plastic. You can buy these from your local pet store or on the internet. Just make sure they are big enough for your cavy to fit through safely and they contain no sharp edges which could cut him or her.

You can also make your own using common household equipment like cardboard tubes, brown paper bags, cardboard boxes or PVC piping. Importantly never put exercise wheels in your guinea pigs cage, as they will cause injury and back problems.

Apart from housing there are lots of other things that are important you get right if you are to provide your guinea pigs with good basic care. These include feeding the right food & vitamins, giving companionship, grooming and hygiene.

If you would like to learn more about these topics and get loads of tips on every important topic of guinea pig care including selection (buy or adopting), dieting, handling, guinea pig behavior & sounds, breeding  and much more – then sign up for my mini-email course! It doesn’t cost anything and all you need to do it enter your name and email address in the form above to receive the first installment instantly.