Ideas to Improve Your Guinea Pig's Cage
Guinea pigs are social, appreciative, and expressive animals. They’re happy with very little, but you can easily improve your guinea pig’s cage and quality of life.
Before You Improve Your Guinea Pig’s Cage…
Before you improve your guinea pig‘s cage you need to make sure the cage meets his basic needs. For example, your guinea pig shouldn’t be living in a fish tank because it creates a lot of moisture and what he needs is fresh air like a wire cage.
Another basic requirement is a food bowl. You’ll need two if you’re going to give them fresh greens and pet food so your guinea pig doesn’t mix the two and end up spoiling them. Even though guinea pigs usually drink from a water bottle, some prefer a bowl. No matter what, make sure they always have fresh and clean water available.
Some of the cages you can buy have a special compartment for hay. Even if the cage you have doesn’t have a special compartment, don’t forget that a guinea pig’s diet is still based on dry hay. You can do this by spreading it on the floor of the cage, just remember it’s really important for them always to have access to hay.
Finally, guinea pigs like to sleep in a little box. They should at least have a little wooden hideaway or one made out of a different material so they can gnaw on it.
Once you have all of these basic elements, you can start thinking about how to improve your guinea pig’s cage.
The Floor
The floor of your guinea pig’s cage should be smooth without the grid showing. It should have some absorbent material to get rid of any moisture. There are many different materials you can use, but if you want to improve your guinea pig’s cage, think about trying some new materials.
Don’t cover the floor of the cage with hay because it’s your a guinea pig’s food, not something to walk on or his toilet. You can buy pellets of pressed straw, recycled paper etc. Make you use a non-toxic material and that its comfortable for your pet. Once you get, try it out to see if he likes it.
Don’t get an exercise wheel because they can be harmful to their backs. These devices are designed for hamsters which are completely different animals.
Instead, you can add some tunnels, hammocks, cereal bars to gnaw on, or different levels in the cage for them to climb up and down. Guinea pigs don’t need to do too much physical exercise. They’re very calm animals.
The Best Bowls
Many guinea pigs tip over their food bowls and spread the food over the floor. Pet food is dry and doesn’t smell, but fresh greens can begin to spoil quickly, especially if your guinea pig hides it in it’s sleeping box or underneath his food bowl.
For both you and your guinea pig it would be better to have a heavier food bowl to prevent it from being thrown around. You could even get a feeder which is tied to the cage bars. This can help you keep the cage cleaner which is much better for both of you.
Add Extra Levels and Increase the Floor Space
If you think that the cage already has all of the things above, then you can start turning your attention to increasing the floor space. Guinea pigs don’t like climbing and they are quite clumsy animals. However, many cages allow you to add a second floor with a ramp.
The more space your guinea pig has to run around and explore, the better he will feel. Plus, you can add extra toys or compartments to make him even happier.
Although it might seem a little paradoxical, a larger space will be easier to keep clean because, with more space, you’ll be able to keep the food in a certain area.
Guinea pigs are lovely, affectionate, and expressive little creatures. They don’t need much to live happily, but you can always make improvements on their homes and give them more toys to keep themselves entertained.
Likewise, don’t forget to provide them with the right diet and keep their cage clean so you can enjoy having a guinea pig for many years.