Depending on who you ask, or where you look, you’ll get a variety of answers on what is the most appropriate cage to house guinea pigs in. I personally don’t care what you house your pigs in, as long as they’re getting proper care and attention. A lot of pigs do just fine in cages that are “too small” and live long and happy lives.
Previously I had the boys in a single level 2×3 C&C cage, and the girls (not including the new baby) in a large store bought cage. One was on one side of the room, the other on top of the dog crates, but with adding another pig I had no place to put her cage, nor a cage to put her in! I had an idea of how I wanted to organize them into one area and I put it into action. I give you, the MULTIPLEX!!
I ordered the shelving unit from Walmart, it’s huge but I am head over heels for it. It holds all three cages, plus storage above and below. Everything else I ordered from Drs Fosters and Smith.
The Basics – Buy what you can afford and what you have room for!!
- Cage – I ordered the Midwest Guinea Pig Habitat. At 47″L x 24″W it’s one of the only store bought cages that “meets the requirement” for a pair of pigs. There is a Midwest cage that has a divider and top, that I suggest for people to use if they have cats or other animals that could get to them.
- Bedding – I have only used fleece in the past, but this past week I have been trying out Carefresh Pet Bedding. The large 60L bag was enough for two cages, but the third I had to use fleece.
Hidey Houses – Guinea pigs are prey animals, they seek comfort in having some place they can hide in. I have a variety of houses that I use with mine, the Pigloo; the JW Walk Up Barn has a larger opening for those plumper sized pigs *coughcoughPuff*; and the Lixit Igloo. The Igloo is good for shy and young pigs, they have a solid bottom and it’s easy to shoo the pigs in and lift the whole house out. Be mindful that you have some sort of bedding inside for the Igloo so they’re not sitting in their wees and poos.
- Food and Water – I ordered the 32oz Lixit water bottle. I LOVE this water bottle. It doesn’t leak and a full bottle lasts 3-4 days. I also really like to the Lixit Nibble food bowls. They can’t tip them, and it holds the 1/4 cup of pellets they get a day perfectly. HOWEVER, with the Carefresh this week they’ve been kicking the bedding into it since it’s so low. My fosters have a Super Pet bowl that has worked well with the fleece and I have some ceramic cat dishes I’ll try with the Carefresh to see which I like best.
- Hay Box – I use a small cat litter box, with an inch or so of Yesterday’s News topped with their hay. I’ve seen others use hay racks or bags, or just plopping a handful in the corner. Use what’s best for you and your pigs, but I find this helps to collect a lot of their wees.
If you have any questions about any of the items I’ve used, or why, please comment below! Don’t they look happy in their new digs?
Wheeked Good Pigs 