Do you understand that of all the guinea pig supplies you are going to need, the most essential one for maintaining a guinea pig healthy and happy revolves around your guinea hutch?
That’s correct and the hutch is by far the biggest investment you will make in terms of money spent on your new pet so you should make sure you do this right so you can have a healthier and happier pet for many years!
The first factor you need to think about when choosing a hutch is the size. Think about your guinea pig for a moment here… guinea pigs are lively and love to run around. A little hutch means not very much running and the running you are completing happens within your toilet. This is not a pleasing thought for anybody.
I am not suggesting that the guinea hutch needs to be so large that it consumes a room, but do be confident that you purchase one large enough for your pet to hide (utilize as a cave) and run around (to get some exercise).
If you have the space, a 4 ft x 4 ft guinea cage would be perfect… but do not buy one that is any smaller than 2 feet by 2 feet. However, if you own more than one cavy, you need to stick with a larger hutch. Remember, if your guinea (just as with other pets) does not have the capability to play and exercise, then you will have an overweight pet which can escalate to disease and sadness.
When looking to buy a hutch another item you should pay attention to is that it has a solid bottom. This is much better than a wired bottom. I’m sure you can imagine numerous reasons why a wired floor would not be good for your guinea pig or for you. The most widespread type of a bottom in a guinea cage is a plastic floor. This solid floor is a lot easier to clean and maintain. As a bonus, if you are able to buy one that slides in and out with ease you are going to be much happier over the course of time.
Another thing that many of people do not consider when they are looking at hutches is the door. You want to take notice to this detail and be sure that you (or the person with the largest hand in the household) can get your hand in the hutch and be able to move throughout the the cage easily. You do not want to be struggling when you need to get inside!
Once your cage has been decided upon, you will want to choose what kind of bedding you are going to utilize. I have used just about all types of bedding offered and hands down I would choose a product called Timothy Hay. This is extremely safe for your guinea pig and they love to play with it and will even consume it. As well as the bedding you are going to need to to think about purchasing a few toys for your new friend. These will be areas for him/her to hide and to play with. You will be able to get items such as rocks, spinning wheels, balls, large PVC pipes, etc. Get inventive and make your guinea cage a fun place for your guinea pig to play and sleep!