Picking the Right Hutch for Your Guinea Pig

Posted in Articles on 11/26/2009 03:49 pm by Guest Author

Did you understand that of all the guinea pig supplies you are going to need, the most essential one for keeping your guinea pig healthy and happy revolves around your guinea hutch?

That’s right and the hutch is far and away the biggest investment you can make in terms of money spent on your guinea pig so you want to make sure you do this right so you will have a healthier and happier guinea pig for years to come!

The first point you need to think about when looking at a hutch is the size. Think about your guinea pig for a minute here… guinea pigs are playful and enjoy running around. A little hutch means not much running and the running you are doing is happening within your toilet. This isn’t a pleasing thought for anyone.
 
I’m not suggesting that the guinea pig hutch has to be so large that it takes over an entire room, however, do make sure you buy a cage big enough for your guinea to both take cover (utilize as a cave) and scamper about (to get some exercise).

If you have the room, a 4 ft x 4 ft guinea hutch would be great… but don’t purchase one any smaller than 2′ x 2′.  However, if you have more than one guinea, you want to go with a larger hutch. Remember, if your guinea pig (just as with other pets) doesn’t have the ability to play and exercise, then you will have a fat pet which will probably lead to disease and depression.

When looking to purchase a hutch one other thing you should keep in mind is that the cage has a solid bottom.  A solid floor is much better than a wired bottom.  If you use your imagination for a minute, you are able to imagine numerous reasons why a wired botton would not be satisfactory for your pet or for you. The most common form for a floor in a guinea hutch is a plastic floor. This solid floor is much easier to clean and look after. As a bonus, if you can find one that slides in and out with ease you are going to be a lot happier in the long run.

One thing that many of people do not think about when they are looking at cages is the door. You will want to focus on to this element and make certain that you (or the person with the biggest hand in your household) is able to get your hand in the cage and be able to shift around in the hutch with ease. You don’t want to be struggling when you need to get inside!

Once your cage has been decided upon, you will want to decide what type of bedding you intend to utilize. I have used just about all types of bedding available and hands down I would pick a product called Timothy Hay. This is very safe for your guinea pig and they love to play in the hay and will even eat it. As well as the bedding you will want to consider buying a few toys for your guinea. These will be places for him/her to take cover and to play with. You can get items such as balls, rocks, large PVC pipes, spinning wheels, etc. Become creative and make your guinea cage a fun place for your guinea to play and sleep!