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Guinea pigs are like humans. They need to have room to play and run around
like people. Think if you were a guinea pig in one of those small cages
you get in pet stores. Would you like to live in one of those for almost
your whole life? If you wouldn't, maybe you could build your own cage!
Think of some good, guinea pig-proof supplies and make a plan of how you
would build it and how it would look. Make sure that the guinea pig couldn't
escape. A good-sized cage for a guinea pig might be something like 4 feet
wide by 8 feet long. Remember, the minimum requirements for the size of
a guinea pig cage is 2ft x 1ft per guinea pig. You would probably
want the height of the cage to be at least 15 inches tall. If you think
you might leave the cage and guinea pig with a friend while you are on
vacation,see if you can make your cage portable, too, but make sure that
your friend can both take care of your guinea pig and has space for the
cage!
Also, the cages for guinea pigs should not have a wire bottom. The bottom
should be solid becuase guinea pigs have small feet and toes. They could
easily get hurt by walking around on wired ground. If you are thinking
about using an aquarium, those aren't great cages either. There is not
much space for air to get in and they can get steamy with humidity, which
is not good for a guinea pig's health. The best thing to do is to either
buy a large cage made specifically for guinea pigs at your pet store, or
simply make your own.
Wooden
Ramp
This
ramp was made with a couple of thin pieces of wood, nails, and a screw-driver.Two
bricks on both sides support the ramp and make it tall enough for guinea
pigs to either jump on top of it or climb up on the sides. Small pieces
of wood on the sides make it possible for a guinea pig to get enough grip
to climb up.
FiddleStix
Cabin ~$12
|
Igloo
~$6
|
| A
fiddlestix cabin is great! See, guinea pigs can chew on the wood and wear
down their teeth, while they can also sleep inside of it! It is made of
wood logs and metal peices join the logs. It is bendable into different
forms. The cabin has two entrances, one in the front, and one in the back.
It can fit two guinea pigs at once, which my guinea pigs do a lot! You
can also get the fiddlestix cabin in a hamster size. |
This igloo
you can buy at almost any petstore! It is made of plastic and has air holes
at the top so that your guinea pig can breathe.There is only one entrance,
at the front, which you can see in this picture. I have found out that
sometimes two guinea pigs will go into the igloo at the same time! The
igloos come in different colors, and sizes. In fact, I have two, that all
my piggies enjoy! |
Homemade
Cage
This
cage is homemade just by you for your special piggies! Walls made of wooden
boards, chicken wire secured onto the boards, L-brackets to hold the cage
together and make it sturdy, and the bottom made of thick plasic material
called a shower liner. Just add waterbottles, food dishes, bedding,
and a GP house...and don't forget the guinea pig...and tada!
You have a
suitable guinea pig home!!!
CLEANING
THE CAGE
Your
guinea pig should have a well-cleaned cage and fresh food. Clean your guinea
pig's cage at least once a week, depending on the size cage you get. If
it is a smaller cage, cleaning it 2-3 times per week would be much better.
After every cleaning, you should feed your guinea pig a plate full of fresh
vegetables and fruits. Because guinea pigs get scared when out of their
normal cage, rewarding them with fruits/veggies will tell them that they
should look forward to the cleanings! When you clean out the cage, make
sure you clean it well. You don't want your guinea pig smelling bad, and
as I learned, if you don't clean it out before it gets too dirty, the guinea
pig's underside will become brown from lying in a unkempt cage. When you
clean the cage, put your guinea pig in a box and clean the whole cage.
Dump out all of the bedding and all of the poops. Clean the bottom of the
cage with something that will take some of the urine stains off of the
bottom. I find that if you also spray the bottom of the cage with some
sort of disinfectant, it will keep the cage cleaner and your guinea pigs
will not scratch as much. After cleaning the cage, make the it like it
was before: nice and clean!
When you give your guinea pig its pellets, make sure that it has nothing
that looks like it is not supposed to be there. If there is, don't give
it to your guinea pig, take the pellets back to the store. Change the pellets
every two to four days or whenever they need refilling. Water should be
changed everyday, to ensure clean and fresh liquid for your guinea pigs.
Remember, water is essential to a guinea pig's health; without it, they
will die. |
-Guinea
Pigs: All About Them-