Building the Right Cage
There are many things to consider when building guinea pig cages. Building materials, cage filler, toys, cage style and cage size are all elements that carry some weight when planning the cage. All of these elements are affected by the number of animals that will be residing in the cage, the location of the cage and the guinea pigs' lifestyle.
Appropriate Building Material
Selecting the right building material for guinea pig cages is important. Obviously, the material needs to be strong enough that the guinea pig cannot chew through it. Also, the material needs to be safe. Guinea pigs can be seriously injured by certain types of building materials, such as those made of wire and those with narrow gaps. The bottom of the cage needs to be some sort of solid material. Shallow plastic tubs, homemade wooden bins or simply the ground if outside are all acceptable options. Do not to use wire or any other material with gaps in it for any areas that the guinea pig will walk on. Guinea pigs can get their feet and legs caught in narrow spaces, which causes very serious injury. The sides of the cage should be made of something sturdy, yet porous so that there is air circulation. For example, if building a hutch, create the bottom and frame out of wood and then staple wire mesh around the sides. Squares of wire grid can be purchased at home organizational stores. These items make excellent cage walls because they snap together with plastic joints, which can also be connected to solid plastic objects. Make sure that the holes in the wire grid are too small for the guinea pig to slip through.
Cage Style and Size
Cage style really depends on three factors: where the cage will be kept, the number of guinea pigs that will reside in it and how much time the guinea pig will spend in it. You'll want to choose an area that can accommodate a fairly large cage. The industry standard is that each guinea pig requires 2 square feet of space within a cage. However, many pet owners find this to be far too small and prefer to build a cage that allows at least seven square feet of space per animal. Under the more generous guidelines, if there will be two guinea pigs living in a cage, the cage should be a minimum of 14 square feet. However, you may want to make the cage even larger if the guinea pigs will spend the majority of their time in it. Conversely, if the animals will spend most of the day roaming free either inside or outside, the cage can be a bit smaller. Cage styles vary. Some are large and sprawling while others have multiple stories. However, one thing remains constant. All guinea pig cages must contain a nest box, made either of cardboard, rubber or plastic. The box needs to be dark, solid shelter that the guinea pig can hide in. Keep in mind that guinea pigs are not particularly voracious climbers, so cages that have more than two stories will most likely not be utilized to their fullest extent.
Appropriate Cage Filler
After the cage style and size is selected, you'll want to choose bedding. Though in the past many people have used cedar and pine shavings as cage filler, this is no longer deemed appropriate by most vets. These shavings can cause respiratory issues in the animals and are best avoided. Most pet supply shops sell cage filler made of recycled paper. This bedding is easy to handle and clean, and is perfectly safe for guinea pigs to reside in. Other choices include aspen shavings and cage filler created from a blend of natural products shaped into pellets.
Creating Safe Accessories
Guinea pigs do need items to keep them entertained, particularly if they are residing in cages alone. Brick and rocks are great additions to any guinea pig cage because they give guinea pigs a climbing area, as well as a surface on which to wear down their claws. Wide plastic tubes are great for these burrowing critters. PVC pipe fittings work the best and the 4-inch segments are the perfect width for guinea pigs. Paper tubes give them something to chew on. If you're purchasing toys at a pet supply store, make sure that they don't have any parts that can be chewed off. Guinea pigs can choke on these pieces or become sick if they swallow something they shouldn't.
