What to Look for in Guinea Pig Cages

Guinea pigs (or cavies) are best kept indoors instead of outdoors in rabbit hutches. It's not only easier to see if the guinea pig is ill when you are nearby, but the more interaction you have with your guinea pig, the more character will emerge. The best indoor guinea pig cages combine good ventilation with sturdiness.

Never pick a guinea pig cage that has a wire or wire-mesh flooring. Guinea pig toes and feet often slip through the bars or wire mesh and then break. If you are in an emergency and this type of cage is all that is about, then you need to cover the bottom with some sort of material such as a carpet scrap.

Cage Size

Guinea pigs need room to roam about. They also enjoy rooting through the bedding and scampering onto small ledges. Although all guinea pigs should have some time outside of the cage for exercise in a safe area, they will be spending a good deal of time in the cage, so it needs to be at least two feet by three feet for just one guinea pig.

However, there are many who believe that is too small for one guinea pig and that seven and a half square feet for one and at least ten square feet for two guinea pigs is best for optimal health. Remember, it's not just the piggies that are in the cage, but their nest box (which also serves as a look-out perch), their food dish, hay rack, water bottle and toys.

Ideal Features

The idea guinea pig cage needs to have a solid floor, some bars or mesh for ventilation, large space for scampering as well as being able to be easily dismantled for cleaning. In this way, wood cages are not recommended, except in temporary emergency situations. You can never really get a wooden cage clean and it traps ammonia.

A cage with a plastic bottom and a removable barred top works nicely and are commercially available. But for a true piggy palace, the guinea pig keeper can combine plastic modular devices from such online outlets like CavyCages.com. These can be truly huge and easy to keep clean. One advantage of a large cage is that it takes longer for the cavies to dirty it.

Travel Cage

You do need a smaller, portable cage or animal carrier in order to move the guinea pigs in case of emergency or if you need to take them to the vet. It's also good to have a smaller cage in case you need to keep the animals in a safe place while their palaces are getting cleaned.

Never use cardboard boxes as guinea pig indoor cages or long-term travel cages, because they will be destroyed in a few hours through urination and nibbling. They can work in emergencies such as a quick trip to nearby vet. Also, never travel with your guinea pigs in the trunk of the car. This may seem obvious, but sadly, people have tried it and guinea pigs have died because of their owners' stupidity.

References

"The Proper Care of Guinea Pigs." Peter Gurney. TFH; 1992.

"Guinea Pig: Your Happy Healthy Pet, 2^nd Edition." Audrey Pavia. Howell Book House; 2005.

"Guinea Pigs." Nancy Ferris, et al. Bow Tie Press; 2005.

"The Guinea Pig Handbook." Sharon L. Vanderlip, DVM. Barron's; 2003.

Author's own experience