Our two little piggy girls 'Pig'and 'Giggles'
Please visit these links, there are some excellent and fun ideas on guinea pig housing.
This DIY Bunny Cabin idea is fantastic for rabbits or guinea pigs.
C&C cages (cubes and coroplast)
An excellent and affordable idea and a great alternative to what you would normally find. You can ask your local Woodies D.I.Y. store if it is possible to order it for you. Argos no longer has them but if you hear of a place that does sell them in Ireland contact us to let us know. Also check out zooplus.ie for pens which could be an alternative for you.
The size guide on this site is very useful, it is a good idea to read over the size guide even if you are not using C&C cages and are building your own. Size guide and advantages of C&C cages Cavy Cages. The website also has C&C pictures and ideas pictures and ideas for C&C cages. http://exoticpets.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=exoticpets&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fkathyskritters.com%2Ftales%2Fpgallery%2Fcages.html
D.I.Y. Hutch plans
Burke's Backyard DIY Hutch Plans
Regular pens.
Again please use common sense and make sure there are no cats or dogs to knock over these pens. It is unwise to leave pets in these pens outdoors and unsupervised. Lino can be gotten free as an off cut at most carpet stores and makes a great base for guinea pigs housing. Stockists of guinea pig/rabbit pens include your local Argos, petshoponline or www.zooplus.ie other pet shops usually have them or can order them for you. The advantage of some of these pens is that you can extend them and add on more space or keep guinea pigs side by side if they won't tolerate living together.
Plywood pens.
We made our own pens for the sheds out of plywood, it is basically a plywood box shaped pen made to any size you like. You can put a base on them or leave it hollow and just sit it on top of an off cut of lino. Of all the different housing we have tried we have found this the cheapest and most practical and the guinea pigs love them! They are very accessible and easy to clean. For a water bottle and hayrack you can just nail some aviary wire to the side. If your guinea pigs are housed near other animals you can make a strong wire lid for the top.
Size Matters!
This is our basic guideline, the very least guinea pigs require it is better if they have more space plus floor time daily.
One guinea pig: 3 by 3 feet of space plus floor time daily.
Two guinea pigs: 4 by 4 feet of space plus floor time daily.
Three guinea pigs: 5 by 5 feet plus floor time for interaction with humans and so on.
Shop bought indoor cages - why they aren't suitable.
Sometimes the length is fine on these cages, i.e. the ones classed as large rabbit ones are about 4 feet long, which is fine for a pair of guinea pigs but not wide enough. When you add in the hayrack that takes up at least 6 inches of the space. The smaller guinea pig and rabbit cages are not really suitable for guinea pigs and most certainly too small for any rabbit. Go for the largest one possible.
People choose these cages because they are small, easy to clean and can be kept in a child's bedroom etc. However the smaller the area the more often it needs to be cleaned. Guinea pigs cannot run about in it or 'popcorn' properly. Guinea pigs housed like this unless given many hours of floor time will become too fat and unhealthy and bored.
These cages are also very expensive the smaller ones are not much bigger than a hamster cage, and frankly a hamster itself requires 3 feet of space at least. You can expect to pay anything up to 100 euro for a 3-foot indoor cage when you could make one for half that yourself.
Hutches are not much better and many nowadays have a large wire door and a very small solid door where and these are very draughty. Hutches are fine for outdoor runs in summertime as a shelter but a guinea pig would need to have access to the run for the day every day, and not forgetting to be moved in winter to a warm shed.
Please never ever house guinea pigs in aquarium tanks, they are totally unsuitable and unhealthy. Also never give a guinea pig an exercise wheel, no matter what it says on the pack no.1 they probably wouldn't use it anyway, and no 2 they cause damage to their backs if they did.
2 Story hutches
I am not totally anti hutch; I am totally anti small hutch.
If you are buying a hutch for a guinea pig the better ones are two story hutches raised well above the ground and kept close to the house and away from prying dogs/cats etc. Don't house guinea pigs housing near ferrets. The hutch would still need to be moved into a shed before the cold weather approaches.
I do understand that sometimes there is no possibility of a guinea pig being housed indoors or in a shed, before you decide to get a guinea pig it is basically better not to unless you can provide this. However there are people out there who already have them so to make these guinea pigs more comfortable some suggestions are. Move the hutch to an open shed, or against a sheltered wall. Use heavy blue tarp (like the one to keep cars clean not the clear plastic one) to cover the hutch at night and when raining, weigh it down with large stones. Ensure there is some air flow though.
Make sure you guinea pig has enough hay to keep warm i.e. enough to bury itself in it. Ideally your guinea pig should have the company of at least one other, snuggling up together will help keep them warm. Vet bed is excellent for keeping guinea pigs warm in a hutch, you can also use a Snuggle Safe heat pad which will stay warm for a number of hours. Snuggle Safe heat pads are an excellent investment for anyone with critters, you can even use them yourself! ask your local pet shop to order one for you.
There are many companies that build larger 2 story hutches although most are in the UK. You might find a handy man or carpenter in your area willing to build one for you. Again, it works out easier and usually cheaper to just buy a small shed.
Here are some UK links; some perhaps deliver to Ireland but there might be a hefty charge. When choosing a hutch (if the animals must live in one) for guinea pigs it is best to choose one labeled rabbit hutch for size.
Happy Hutch Company Hutch and Run
It is best not to house guinea pigs in an aviary with birds, however a vacant aviary could work out to be an excellent home for guinea pigs. Forsham Cottage Arks make a wide range of good bird housing that could be adapted for guinea pigs.
Runs
Runs are essential for quality of life and exercise whether they are runs as in extended pens indoors or runs outside on nice days.
Security
Again security is very important. Runs MUST be wired top, bottom and all the sides. Aviary ½ inch wire is best; anything larger and mice can squeeze their way in. I am not too fond of hutches with attached runs that are on the same level; these can be knocked over and are awkward to clean. It is a good idea if building one to have the hutch inside the run itself. Or have the hutch securely attached to the run with a locking system.
Shelter in runs
Have the run in a sheltered position if possible, you can cover it with heavy blue tarp. A hutch inside it provides excellent shelter, although keep in mind that your guinea pigs will still have to be brought inside or to a shed at night. Other forms of shelter are Cocoons (available from Pet Bliss) or igloos, or upturned safe wooden boxes with a hole cut out. Guinea pigs require draught free, dry warm shelter and a place to hide so keep this in mind when designing the run. Ideally the door to the run should be on the top, you could put in a side door if the hutch is heavy so you can take it in and out.
There are lots and lots of ideas for housing guinea pigs, and you may come up with some new ones yourself. We would be delighted to hear from anyone who has thought up new and inventive ways of housing their guinea pigs. Remember to ensure the material and wood stains you use are safe (no sharp edges etc) and non toxic. Ensure any door ways are wide enough and also that it is practical for you, guinea pigs are messy creatures so anything that makes it easier to clean is always a bonus.
