Ideas To Improve Your Guinea Pig’s Cage
Guinea pigs are social, appreciative, and expressive animals. They settle for little to live, but you can easily improve your guinea pig’s cage and thus increase its quality of life.
Before upgrading your guinea pig’s cage
In order to improve your guinea pig’s cage, you first have to make sure that the cage it has meets its basic needs. For example, don’t make the rodent live in a fish tank: it generates a lot of humidity and needs to be in an open space, like a cage with bars.
Another of the basic requirements are the food bowls: two if in addition to the fresh vegetables you give them feed, so that they do not mix and spoil. Guinea pigs often use ball waterers, although a few prefer a bowl ; Either way, make sure you always have fresh, clean water at your disposal.
Some cages are sold with a special compartment for hay: even if your cage does not have it, do not forget that the basis of the diet of guinea pigs is dry hay. Whether you put it on the ground, or use a henera, it is essential that your guinea pig always have access to it.
Finally, guinea pigs like to sleep sheltered in a hut. At the very least it should have a hiding place made of wood, or some material that could be gnawed, so that it could rest.
Once you have all these basics, you can start thinking about how to improve your guinea pig’s cage.
The substrate
The floor of the cage should be smooth and without bars. In addition, it must have an absorbent substrate that can eliminate or contain all the moisture that your rodent will generate. There are many different types of rodent substrates, but if you want to improve your guinea pig’s cage you can consider trying new soils.
Avoid making the floor of the cage out of hay: for guinea pigs it is food, not a place to step on and relieve themselves. There are pressed straw pellets , recycled paper … Find a type that is not toxic and that is comfortable for the guinea pig and try if you like it.
Toys
One of the easiest ways you can improve your guinea pig’s cage is to add toys or distractions. The toys must be suitable to be gnawed, by what could happen, comfortable to use and without removable parts that the animal could swallow.
Discard the exercise wheels, as they hurt your back a lot; They are designed for hamsters, which are completely different animals. Instead, bet on tunnels, hammocks, cereal bars to gnaw on and different floors to go up and down. Guinea pigs do not need to do much physical exercise: they are calm animals.
Best bowls
Many guinea pigs dump their food and scatter it on the ground. The feed is dry and does not give off odors, but fresh vegetables quickly start to rot, especially when rodents hide them inside the stalls or even under the bowls themselves.
For your guinea pig and you, heavier bowls could be more useful, with a shape that does not allow to be overturned or, even, making containers that are tied to the bars of the cage. This detail can make cleaning much easier for your rodent and you.
Add floors and increase the surface
If you think that your guinea pig’s cage already has all of the above, you can consider increasing its surface area. These animals do not like to climb and are rather clumsy, but many cages allow a second floor to be built that is accessed by a ramp.
The more space your guinea pig has to walk and explore, the better it will feel. In addition, so you can add more toys or huts without hindering his step. Although it seems paradoxical, with more space you can dedicate a corner to food and thus cleaning will be easier.
Guinea pigs are affectionate, expressive and friendly little rodents. They need few comforts to live happily, but we can always create better cages for them and give them more toys to keep them entertained. Do not forget to give it an adequate diet and maintain the hygiene of your cage to enjoy your rodent for many years.
