(Endangered reptiles) Housing for Your Guinea Pig

August 11th, 2009 admin Posted in pets |

By Gary DeWitt

When you make your mind up to get a guinea pig, it’s essential to supply housing for her, before you bring him to your house. Not just any old cage or housing will work for guinea pigs. It is important that they have lots of room, and that their area is safe and sound and comfortable for them.

Unfortunately, most of the commercially sold cavy cages really aren’t sufficient for guinea pigs. Most breeders and professionals urge planning your own cage, to ensure that the pen has sufficient room. Ideally, you will provide 10.5 square feet for two guinea pigs, and approximately 7.5 feet for one guinea pig. You ought to unquestionably avoid the use of wire flooring in your guinea pigs pen.

The first thing you would like to do is build the sides of your pen. The best item to use for this is chicken wire. Note that guinea pigs will chew wood, and although they may gnaw on plastic, they cannot break hard plastic very easily. In actual fact think about the supplies that you will use for your guinea pigs pen, and look on the Internet to see the materials and designs that other guinea pig owners have used.

It is vastly imperative that you not utilize wood for the floor of your pen. Odors, including odors from urine and feces, will soak into the wood, and it won’t take long before you have a smell in your house that you cannot get rid of. Plastic is preferable, because it can be washed, and the odor won’t leach into it.

When your pen is ready, it will need bedding. You must steer clear of bedding that is made of cedar and/or pine shavings, as these can be harmful for your guinea pig. Instead, choose Aspen shavings, newspaper bedding, or pellet bedding. Top this with fresh hay, and be prepared to change the hay at least twice a week, and change the bedding weekly. Bedding can be spread over the entire surface of the pen.

Next, you need toys and other accessories. The important thing here is not to place items against the sides of the pen, as this will prevent the guinea pig from running around the interior. He needs to do this for exercise, and he will do it often unless his pen is too crowded for running.

The initial thing to add to your guinea pigs pen is a hiding place. Guinea pigs love to hide, and hiding places can easily be constructed from various materials. The best hiding place is a plastic tub, turned upside down, with a little door cut out. Steer clear of using cardboard, as it will have to be replaced often.

Your guinea pig wants more complex hiding places as well, such as tunnels. You can purchase different tunnel systems at any pet store, or make your own using PVC pipe and PVC joints. Make sure that there is plenty of airflow. Finish your guinea pigs home with a ceramic water bowl, a pet bed, a water bottle, a hay hopper, and plenty of toys that he can safely gnaw on.

Hello I’m Gary, I write articles that come to mind. Articles that are really intended to help people. If you read something that fancies you, please READ MORE HERE

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