Guinea Pig Cage: Full Review

Guinea pigs are animals that need a separate house. You can’t just keep a pig in an apartment like a cat or a dog, so be prepared to spend some money together with the pig to purchase a home for your future pet.

Let’s figure it out, what should be a home for a guinea pig.

The Svinki.ru community has been dealing with the keeping and breeding of pigs for more than 17 years, so we know everything about cages for guinea pigs!

If in a good way, then NO!

Cages are generally not suitable for keeping guinea pigs.. But, unfortunately, they remain one of the most common types of housing for them in Russia. Whereas in Western countries, special enclosures or racks have been used for a long time to keep pigs (examples – “here”)

Guinea pigs are animals with a wide soul 🙂 A large living space for them is not a luxury at all, but a necessity, since in nature these animals spend most of their lives in motion – they walk and run a lot.

Experts recommend keeping these cute animals in general, not even in cages, but in aviaries, because nature itself is designed for them to move a lot. Ideally, each individual should have 1 sq.m. area. Again. One (!!!) square meter! For example, like this.

It is clear that these are absolutely ideal conditions, and it is not easy to provide such conditions. It is quite difficult to allocate one square meter in an ordinary apartment, even for a beloved pet.

Let’s not be idealists and look at things realistically: there is no getting away from the cells.

But let’s take into account an important condition: if, nevertheless, a cage for a guinea pig, then BIG!

The photo below shows examples of cages that are too small for guinea pigs, although cage manufacturers usually claim that this is the “ideal size for your guinea pig.” In fact, the area of ​​the cells in the photo is 2-3 times less than the recommended area!

Please do not buy such “cages” for your pigs (it would be more correct to call these structures cages)!

There is no ideal cage for pigs, because, as mentioned above, these animals are not intended for keeping in a cage due to natural features.

Reflections of experts on why Russian guinea pigs still live in cages, read in this article

The ideal home for a guinea pig is an aviary with an area of ​​u1bu0,5babout XNUMX square meter per animal. When keeping two or more individuals – plus XNUMX square meters for each.

But ideal conditions in life are rare, so let’s get back to the cells.

It is also possible to equip a dwelling that is quite comfortable for a guinea pig in a cage, if you take into account the recommended standards.

Recommended cage sizes for guinea pigs

If you have males, then the preferred size will be more of a requirement, as the “boys” are more active and usually need more space.

If you plan to buy a guinea pig cage from a pet store, 90% of the time it will be too small. It is still a surprise to see so-called “consultants” in pet stores who assure customers that a hamster cage is fine for a guinea pig.

Typical the first thought of a novice pig breederwho sees a good cage for a guinea pig: “So big???” Experienced breeders already know that, yes, such a big one is needed!

The same is elementarily confirmed by the example of the proportions that we all went through at school: the proportional ratio of the size of an adult guinea pig to the size of the cage, which are usually sold in a pet store. It’s like keeping a hamster in a shoebox!

If a pig can turn around in a cage and even take two or three steps, this does not mean at all that such a cage is suitable as a permanent home. It is especially “touching” when some still manage to shove a house for pigs and even a wheel into a 30×40 cm cage (which, generally speaking, are not recommended for pigs)!

Another an important plus of large cells – this is an opportunity to get out of them less often. Paradoxical at first glance, but true. When using small cages, the illusion of saving the filler is created: the smaller the cage, the less filler will go away. In fact, it will take more, since in a small cage it gets dirty faster, therefore, you need to clean it more often. And sometimes you have to change the filler in the whole cage, while in a large cage the situation is completely different. Guinea pigs tend to defecate in the same places (usually corners). So in a large cage, it’s enough just to change the filler in the corners, adding a new one. The savings are there!

If a large cage cannot be placed in a room, then a great option would be second floor in a cage or shelving. Jogging up and down the stairs is a good physical activity!

Top tips for choosing a cage for a guinea pig:

• weaving is better than fifty (meaning the size of the cage – 100 cm and 50 cm.)
• wood is better than plastic
• Two floors are better than one.

Physical activity is the key to health for guinea pigs, they need to run, climb and walk a lot, just like other living creatures. If we kept a cat or dog in a pantry or closet, it would be classified as animal cruelty. So why is it still considered normal for us to keep guinea pigs in tiny cages?

And below is an example of a good home for a guinea pig. Read more about these extremely comfortable and more suitable houses for pigs in the article “Guinea pig rack”

Unfortunately, there is an opinion that guinea pigs are so unpretentious animals that they can live in almost any more or less suitable container – a cardboard box, a tin tank, almost a three-liter jar! This is a big misconception! In their homeland, in Latin America, these animals live in large families in spacious territories. They are almost constantly moving and moving, settling down only during sleep or a short rest. Therefore, the main requirement for a cage is space.

Aquarium for guinea pig – NO!

I would like to clarify right away that not only aquariums, but also terrariums, and dune-type cages with plastic walls and a hole in the upper part are included in the category of dwellings unsuitable for guinea pigs.

The main disadvantage of glass and plastic houses is the lack of necessary ventilation. Poor fresh air intake leads to the fact that animals inhale ammonia vapor from their own feces, and this is especially dangerous if the cage is not cleaned every day. Probably, few of us would want to live in a toilet 🙂

Moreover, one cannot but agree that from the point of view of cleaning, an aquarium, a terrarium and a “dune”-type cage are very beneficial for the owner and convenient in everyday life – the environment is always perfectly clean, no sawdust or hay.

But! On the other side of the scale is the pet’s health (daily ammonia poisoning) and its constant loneliness. Yes, loneliness. After all, guinea pigs do not perceive the world behind glass. They don’t participate in the life that goes on out there, outside of this transparent thing. After all, even cats do not always understand what is happening outside the window, and their brain is much more complicated than that of pigs.

We humans are a very interesting object of observation for pigs: we move around the room, we talk, sometimes we come up to the cage and say: “Way-way” or “Hello!” They do not get tired of watching us, which is probably why when we enter the room, we immediately see attentive black eyes and a curious nose that is always on the move.

Therefore, from the point of view of the socialization of a pet and the presence of entertainment in his life, an aquarium, a terrarium and a “dune” cage are a completely inappropriate thing!

Hamster cage for guinea pig – NO!!!

Immediately make a reservation that very small, hamster, cages for living guinea pigs are unsuitable. Exception: only if your pig was guilty and you put it under arrest 🙂 After all, this is not a cage, but simply a mockery of an animal!

I wonder how long an adult would have endured in a small room 2×2 meters (proportions are approximately the same)? And there he would have to eat, sleep, find entertainment and relieve himself (forgive the expression). In addition, one should not discount the fact that a person can survive for a long time without physical activity, and for a guinea pig this is almost impossible. These animals must move a lot, it is inherent in them by nature.

Having settled a guinea pig in a cage for a hamster, do not be surprised later that she will begin to gnaw on the bars of the lattice. She’s not sharpening her teeth, contrary to popular belief. It’s her psychosis from lack of movement.

This is the cry of the soul!

She demonstrates to you with her whole appearance that this is a completely unsuitable place to live.

And sends an SOS signal.

Cage for rats, birds, chinchillas, ferrets – also NO!

These cages are generally dangerous to the health of guinea pigs, as they have a large height without a clear division into floors.

For a guinea pig, a safe height is 10-15 centimeters. On such objects, animals easily climb and descend without risk to life. If you fall from a greater height, there is a risk of injury. Recall that guinea pigs do not need height, but width and length. Space, in a word.

It is better for some time (until you buy a suitable cage for your pig) to keep it at least in a cardboard box, but not in a cage, as in the photo above.

So, the main rule when choosing a cage for a guinea pig is: the larger the cage, the happier the guinea pig.