Our Guinea Pig Cage Set Up

Update! Please note, since they have grown, they now have a new cage, which you can check out in The Guinea Pigs Have A New Home!

As you know, we have guinea pigs here, Jessie and Leia. They’ve been with us since August, and we are enjoying having them in our family. When we initially got them, we bought them a big two tier hutch and they lived out on our decked area, underneath the kitchen window. Well, that lasted for about three weeks! We wanted them inside with us, so they live in our playroom in a big cage, meaning that they’re out of the cold and damp, and snuggled safe inside with us.

I think by having them inside, they became more used to us being around a lot faster than I’d imagine they would have if we’d left them outside. They are used to the kids walking in and out of the room to play, and they are used to the sounds of the household, whilst being safely tucked in there away from any drafts, kitchen smells and loud noises. They also can’t be forgotten about, as I feared that once the wetter, colder weather came and we were barely out in the garden, that the kids would lose interest. Well, who knows, but I know that by having them in with us, they talk to them every day and enjoy getting them out for a roam and cuddles. Of course, when the weather improves again, we’ll still be putting them in their outside pen for exercise and grass-nibbling!

Anyway, I thought I’d show you their home, as it is at the moment, though it changes round a bit every week when I do a full cage clean and swap things around in there to make it interesting for them…..

guinea pig cage set up

Their cage is from Zooplus, and was the biggest one I could find, and reasonably priced, too. I took the little feeding shelf out, as it took up a fair bit of room.

They bed on fleece now, as I find it’s lovely and soft for them to lie on, and as they are both long-haired, it means that they don’t get bedding stuck in their hair. They will still get hay stuck occasionally, so we either cut or soak that gently out when needs be. I buy the fleeces from B&M, and they are £3.99 for two.  I will also get a smaller fleece sometimes from the pound shop for popping down under their hay, as I have here. They also use that end of their cage as their toilet, so it’s easy to remove that fleece mid-week as a little tidy up, along with sweeping up the poos every couple of days  – oh, how guinea pigs can poo! Underneath the fleece I place puppy pads, also from the pound shop, and newspaper.

They then have various cosies, and we’ve popped that little fleecy shelf in there for the first time this week, too, which we bought at the weekend. I wasn’t sure whether they would go on it or just lie beneath it, but Leia seems to love it as she’s often reclining on it! They like those wooden steps (also from Zooplus) as they’re handy for nibbling on and hiding underneath and I tend to place fresh food on the various levels to encourage them to go up and down. They always have fresh water and hay, and I give them fresh pellets and greens twice daily. They can eat a lot, these little piggies!

Whenever they are cleaned out, they like to get in and explore…

So there they are. As I write this, an hour or so later, they’re both snuggled down and dozing!

You might also enjoy 5 Things to Consider Before Getting Guinea Pigs

Update! Please note, since they have grown, they now have a new cage, which you can check out in The Guinea Pigs Have A New Home!

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15 thoughts on “Our Guinea Pig Cage Set Up”

  1. Pingback: 5 Things To Consider Before Getting Guinea Pigs

  2. Although I loved your article and you seen to have done a lot of research before purchasing your Lil fur babies. I have to comment that even though that cage seems big to you is actually not a big enough cage to house 2 pigs. That cage is ok for one but definable not 2. A C&C cage is cheaper and can be as big as you need for two, or even more guinea pigs to live in. I found the coroplast at Home Depo for about $15.00 and the cubes at target for about $25.00..

    1. Hi Tina, thanks for reading. The cage I have is just big enough for them, but I agree that bigger is better! Your comment is well-timed as funnily enough I ordered a C&C cage for them this very week and hope to assemble it this weekend. Look out for a post on their spacious new home soon!

  3. The following guidelines are useful to determine the space needed for guinea pigs. One guinea pig: 7.5 square feet cage (minimum), but more is better; generally 30″ x 36″ is a good size. Two guinea pigs: 7.5 square feet (minimum), but 10.5 square feet is preferred; generally 30″ x 50″ is a good size.

  4. Pingback: The Guinea Pigs Have A New Home! - The Reading Residence

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