Do you know 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 far and away the largest investment you will make in terms of money spent on your guinea pig so you better be certain you do this right so you can have a healthier and happier pet for many years!

The first thing you need to think about when picking a hutch is the size. Think about your guinea pig for a minute here… guinea pigs are playful and love to run around. A small hutch means not very much running and the running you are doing is happening in your own feces. This isn’t a pleasant thought for anybody.
 
I’m not implying that the guinea hutch needs to be so large that it consumes an entire room, but do be confident that you purchase one big enough for your guinea pig to hide (utilize as a cave) and run around (to get some exercise).

If you have the room, a 4′ x 4′ guinea pig cage would be great… but do not go with one any smaller than 2′ x 2′.  However, if you own more than one guinea pig, you want to stick with a larger cage. Keep in mind, if your guinea pig (just as with other pets) does not have the capability to play and exercise, then you will have an obese pet which can lead to disease and depression.

When looking to purchase a cage another part you want to rembember is that it has a solid bottom.  A solid floor is much better than a wired floor.  If you use your imagination for a minute, you can come up with many reasons why a wired botton is not satisfactory for your cavy or the rest of the family. The most widespread form for a floor in a guinea cage is a plastic floor. This solid bottom is much easier to clean and take care of. As a bonus, if you are able to find one that slides in and out with ease you will be much happier in the long run.

Something that a lot of people don’t think about as they are looking at hutches is the door. You will want to take notice to this detail and make sure that you (or the person with the largest hand in your household) can get your hand in the cage and be able to move throughout the the hutch easily. You don’t want to be struggling when you are required to get inside!

After your hutch is picked out, you will want to decide what kind of bedding you are going to use. I have utilized just about all types of bedding available and hands down I would choose a product called Timothy Hay. This is very safe for your guinea and they love to play with the hay and are known to consume it. In addition to the bedding you will want to consider purchasing some toys for your guinea. These can be places for him/her to take cover and to play with. You will be able to aquire items such as rocks, spinning wheels, balls, large PVC pipes, etc. Get inventive and make your guinea pig cage an exciting place for your guinea to play and sleep!