The photo depicts some of my cavy cages and some of my cavies...
Note that cages are all open and the cavies have free access to the floor.
QUESTION 1: How big a cage do they need?
ANSWER: Minimum 60 cm x 80 cm. Larger is a great idea!
A typical homemade cavy cage should be at least
60x100 cm (24" by 40"). This provides room enough
for two friendly males to live happily together! I have buildt all my
cages out of wasted furniture.
These cages are typically buildt
on a bottom made from an old table, and have side from
old bookshelves. The height of my cages are usually between
25 and 35 cm. The front consists of a big hatch made from wooden
bars and wire if I intend to sell the cage. That way it is easy to
open and intended as the pigs' way
in and out of the cage. The cage is well painted with several
layers of non-toxic paint inside.
Inside the cage I place two wooden houses, with open fronts
so it is easy to always see the pigs.
My own cages have no fronts, so the pigs are free to room the floor if they like.
QUESTION 2: What about wire floored cages?
ANSWER: That is a NO-NO for piggies! Their feet will get hurt, they can even get stuck. Do not house your piggy on wire EVER!
QUESTION 3: What kind of bedding can I use?
ANSWER: There are several good choices. In Sweden we use wood shavings with lots of hay on top, or newspaper (only black and white, not in colour) and lots of hay on top. Never use sawdust, it's too dusty.
You can also use any paper based cat litter, or aspen litter. I found that my guinea pigs doesn't like to walk on aspen, and I myself can't stand the smell of the paper based cat litter, but I know people who loves it.
In the USA, and maybe in England too, you cannot use woodshavings, since the trees that the shavings are made from are pine or cedar, both poisonous to the guinea pigs, and may induce cancer in humans. The guinea pigs can get liver disease from living on cedar or pine. I learned that in some areas you can get alder shavings, aspen, spruce and fir shavings, which are all fine to use.
QUESTION 4: How is it possible to keep two male guinea pigs together in the same cage?
ANSWER: First you have to introduce the males to eachother in a roomy place none of them have been before. If you don't usually let them spend time on the kitchen floor you can use this. Put both on the floor and watch them. You will have to provide them with lots of food and some piggyhouses as distraction. Be sure to do this an evening that you want to spend at home.
If the males still tries to pick a fight after 8 hours of superwised free time on the floor this two males will not be able to live together unneutered. You then will have to visit the vet to neuter the two boys.
If the males accept eachother before 8 hours have gone by, you have to get them a BIG cage (at least 100 cm * 60 cm), two guinea pig houses (one each) placed as far apart as possible inside the cage and LOTS of food. Never forget to feed them, and don't remove their houses. The overwhelming amount of food will keep them engaged in eating instead of fighting, also the houses will keep them more at ease.
QUESTION 5: Are piggy houses good for cavies?
ANSWER: Yes! Piggies need nice piggie houses to feel safe. This picture shown one of my cavies - Queenie - in front of a perfect piggy house.
QUESTION 6: How do I make the perfect piggy house?
ANSWER: A perfect piggy house is made so that the
piggies can hide in the houses or keep watch on
top of the houses!
Such a house is really easy to build out of wood. Remember
to build at least one compartment per pig! A single house
is made from one bigger piece of wood used as the roof,
and two smalled pieces used as side walls - a double house
needs an extra middle wall.
Another kind of very good piggie house is to make a shelf
in your pigs' cage. The shelf should be easy to clean and big
enough for at least one cavy to sit on. It has to be
attached high enough for the piggies to hide under.
QUESTION 7: How do I make the perfect piggy house for my freeroaming piggies?
ANSWER: There is lots of ways to make great hiding places for freeroaming piggies, but they all have one thing in common - they need to be easy to clean.
A photo of a piggie house for freeroaming piggies.
I just gave them a pet carrier, and my pet cavy
Nemo walked right
into it and them he walked around it.
The rug that the piggy lies on is called a "VetBed",
it is easy to wash and dries fast. Made for dogs to lie
on. I call them "piggy mats" and use them for my piggies.
If you give then a new house or hidingplace they are
usually very curious, but when the house is already
old news they lose interest. Try to move the house
now and then. Or exchange the house for another!
QUESTION 8: I have heard that piggies get less tame if they have houses! Isn't that true?
ANSWER: Only if you give them a really dark house where they
can hide from seeing them AND if you do not spend much time
with them!
A typical "bad" kind of house is an up turned down
shoebox. Sometimes the pig will use such a house as a turtle
and carry it around on the back. This way you will not see
much of your pigs!
QUESTION 9: What are the best guinea pig toys?
ANSWER:
Copyright Eva Johansson.
Last update: 10th of February 2006.