GUINEA PIG CARE
HOUSING
Piggies love space! Please bear this in mind when getting ready for your piggies to come home. The rule is - the bigger the better!!
It is important to remember piggies do not sleep the same as us humans, they will take short naps throughout the day and night and will be awake eating hay and running around inbetween times, this is why if you are planning on shutting your piggies into a different place at night the space you provide must be still within the housing requirements.
These days there are a variety of cages on the market, mainly divided into all in one cages, indoor hutches and C&C grids.
RECOMMENDED MINIMUM SIZES.:
GIRLS
OUTDOOR LIVING.
BEDDINGS
When looking for types of beddings it can be quite overwhelming with all the options available in shops and online this is a small list of some of the most used beddings in the guinea pig community:
FLEECE OR BATHMATS
WOOD SHAVINGS
HAY AND NEWSPAPER
FEEDING
- 2nd cut is a slightly leafier and softer with a few seed heads and stems, it is a nicer mixture of the seed heads and leafy grass than 1st cut, this is the cut you will see most commonly.
- 3rd cut is the leafiest and doesn't have very many coarse stems so for piggies that prefer the leafy hay this is a good option.
HOUSING
Piggies love space! Please bear this in mind when getting ready for your piggies to come home. The rule is - the bigger the better!!
It is important to remember piggies do not sleep the same as us humans, they will take short naps throughout the day and night and will be awake eating hay and running around inbetween times, this is why if you are planning on shutting your piggies into a different place at night the space you provide must be still within the housing requirements.
These days there are a variety of cages on the market, mainly divided into all in one cages, indoor hutches and C&C grids.
- INDOOR CAGES- These have a plastic base with a cage mesh on top. They come in a size range from 80cm, 100cm, 120cm, 140cm and 160cm. We will NEVER rehome pigs into 80,100 or double layered 120 cages, as these are too small.
- HUTCHES - Hutches come in a variety of shapes and sizes most that can be bought are double layered hutches that have a ramp between layers, due to piggies not being climbing animals some may not use the ramp meaning either layer could be blocked off for the piggies and the other for storage. Ramps also can also cause friction between dominant pairs as one can take one layer as their own and not let the other into that layer, this is when you should think about having the ramp blocked off so they can live peacefully together, Alternatively you could find a single layered hutch which would solve the issue of the layers. Chicken coop style hutches usually cannot be accepted as the living section is far too small for them to ever be shut into.
- C&C CAGING- for indoor use - this is a very flexible system of grids which can be purpose built to fit into areas of your house. It comes in a variety of forms, solid or in grid squares (the best grids are 8x8 or 9x9 to avoid heads being stuck.) It can even be built onto a craft table to keep pigs out of reach of other family pets or for people with mobility difficulties. It gives a good storage area underneath the table. It can also be attached to indoor cages to give more activity space.
RECOMMENDED MINIMUM SIZES.:
GIRLS
- 2 girls - minimum 2x4 C&C caging or something of similar square footing
- 3 girls- minimum 2x5 c&c caging or something of similar square footing.
- Bigger herds - please message for size (depends on amount of piggies!)
- 2 boys who live peacefully 2x4 C&C caging or something similar in square footage
- 2 dominant boys- a minimum 2x5 C&C caging .
- All pigs are different and some may need extra large caging. Please pop in or message and we can match you up to your perfect pigs depending on their temperament and your home environment.
OUTDOOR LIVING.
- Piggies can live outside in a secure hutch, sizing as above, but in the winter months they should be brought inside, either in the house or a warm dry shed which has plenty of light and draught free
- If you keep them in the garage please keep your car outside as the exhaust fumes can kill them
BEDDINGS
When looking for types of beddings it can be quite overwhelming with all the options available in shops and online this is a small list of some of the most used beddings in the guinea pig community:
FLEECE OR BATHMATS
- These options have become an increasingly popular bedding in recent years due to it being dust free and looking pretty!! It is a great option as it is easy to manage. There is many different ways of using fleece for piggies there is:
- Specifically made cage liners that are usually made to fit C and C style caging. These liners come in many different shapes and sizes, ones to fit large secions of the cage or smaller ones to fit into high use areas and beds. These are very popular but can be an expensive option especially if you also get matching beds.
- Fleece blankets is another option it is just as soft and easy to clean as liners and you can find lots of diffrrent patterns and designs out there. Fleece blankets on their own however arent absorbant for all the pee so should be laid over old towels, puppy pads or any other type of absorbant layer.
- All types of fleece does require washing which is the main downfall of this type of bedding as it does mean hay and hair could be going through your machine and potentally clogginh it. To prevent this, we suggest giving it a good brush to get all the excess hair and hay off then putting the fleece into a laundry bag or horse rug bag so it can catch all the hair and hay. You can also pour a little vinegar in with the washing liquid which will help break up hair fibres that may have got loose.
- Bathmats are a great alternative to the regular fleece bedding. They are usually a cheaper option and are very absorbant on their own so no need for extra layers. At the centre we use the chenille type or the memory foam mats which provide a little more comfort.
WOOD SHAVINGS
- Wood shavings is probably the most well known form of bedding for guinea pigs. It is cheap and can be found in most shops that stocks animal products. It can be quite dusty but there are dust extracted shavings which are the best ones to go for. There is a lot of waste with shavings however it is easy to spot clean and is alot cleaner for the piggies as it is very absorbent. At the centre our bigger herds are bedded on wood shavings with trays for hay, this keeps them alot cleaner.
HAY AND NEWSPAPER
- This bedding setup is a form we at the centre currently have the majority of our piggies on due to it being slightly warmer than the bathmats, it is a bit more wasteful than fleece or bathmats as the hay isnt absorbant so the newspaper does need cleaned out regularly. However It is a great option for anyone who doesnt want to use fleece or shavings but would like a bedding that is relatively easy to clean.
FEEDING
- To keep healthy, guinea pigs need the correct diet. The majority their diet must be made up of good quality hay which must be easily available to them day, and night.
- There are many different types of hay out there to choose from here is a list of the hays that are available:
- Meadow hay is possibly the most common hay found in shops that it is usually a very soft hay made up of lots of different grass types and flowers. It is slightly browner than other types but should still smell sweet, if it smells bad it is most likely damp and going mouldy. We mainly use Pillow Wad hay which is always very good quality but recently tried out Vale bale which comes in compressed 13kg bales, the quality is pretty reliable but it can be coarser and dustier than Pillow Wad.
- Timothy hay is becoming a more popular hay to use it should be very green and smell fresh. When buying timothy hay there is generally a few options to go for 1st cut, 2nd cut and 3rd cut.
- 2nd cut is a slightly leafier and softer with a few seed heads and stems, it is a nicer mixture of the seed heads and leafy grass than 1st cut, this is the cut you will see most commonly.
- 3rd cut is the leafiest and doesn't have very many coarse stems so for piggies that prefer the leafy hay this is a good option.
- Orchard grass is a very long leafy hay that is very soft and green. It can be found online rather than in shops as it isn't a commonly stocked type of hay.
- Oat hay is a more yellow hay that is slightly higher in fat than most other hays, it is a great hay to give for a bit of variety in their diet and keep them interested in their hay.
- Alfalfa hay, this hay should only be given to very young piggies that are still growing as it has a very high calcium content. It shouldnt be given to older piggies.
- A new relatively new product to the market are hay cookies, it is very important to remember these are NOT a substitute to hay and are a treat as they don't get the benefit from long strands of hay.
- Fresh vegetables and fruit should be regularly added into a guinea pigs diet to ensure they are getting the vitamins they need to be healthy. We like to feed peppers every day along with a variety of other veggies, fresh herbs and the occasional pieces of fruit. You should make sure to limit the quantity of fruit and certain vegetables as not all are good to feed everyday (please see our guide to what fruit and vegetables to feed them and how often)
- Grass is a great addition to a guinea pigs diet, they also love it!! Grass is extremely healthy for piggies and will have a good variety of other plants in it that gives them foraging opportunities which is great for enrichment to keep their brains working well. When feeding food from outside you should always be watching what you are giving as some common garden plants are poisonous.
- Good quality nuggets should also be fed every day. Pellets ensure to provide vital vitamins in their diet that they may be missing from their other foods- we don't recommend Guinea Pig Muesli as this can be very fattening and they often wont get the full benefit as they will eat the sweeter less healthy parts and leave the rest. The pellets we use are Science Selective or Burgess.
- Dried herbs are a great addition to a piggies diet, they can be sprinkled into their hay or on top of their pellets to provide foraging opportuities for them, You can find lots of different mixes with a good variety flowers and plants, all piggies love them.
- Treats are always nice to give to build your bond between you and your guinea pigs by hand feeding. As well as the shop bought treats, fruit is a good option to use as it should be limited in their diet. Pea flakes are also a very popular treat for piggies and are also a healthier than most other treats.
- Piggies should have access to fresh clean water at all times.
LINKS TO PRODUCTS WE USE:
- https://kaveecage.co.uk/
- https://smallpetselect.co.uk/?gclid=CjwKCAiAzNj9BRBDEiwAPsL0d8Pt_XXJ-Rwp5frgFZk0LcaKFtrHPiVLttvFgUmgCDHpGgWVbOrj9xoC8lEQAvD_BwE