How big should a guinea pigs cage be?

Answer 1

Guinea Pigs need lots of space to run around to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Just like humans, guinea pigs have health problems associated to being overweight. The best guinea pig cage is one you can make which has enough room to run around. Cages from the pet store are simply to small for a guinea pig.

These cages can be made of store bought "cubes" you will see these in the college furniture department in a department store. Basically they are metal storage racks that you can build storage cubes from. The base of the cage should be made of coroplast which is a type of plastic found at hardware stores and professional sign making stores.

The sizes should be as follows:

1 guinea pig should have at least 7.5 sq ft or more which is 30 inches by 36 inches

2 guinea pigs should have 10.5 sq ft of space which is 30 inches by 50 inches

3+ guinea pigs should have 13 sq ft or more which is 30 inches by 76 inches

The more space for the guinea pig the better. When buying a cage you can try looking on eBay for C & C cages. Try to avoid pet store cages if possible unless they can provide the proper square footage above.

Answer 2

It depends upon how many guinea-pigs you want to keep, but if it's only one, then a minimum measurement should be about 4ft long, 1.75 ft tall and 2ft front to back. This will allow air to circulate, will give the animal room to move about in comfort, and avoid cramped conditions that could harbour bacteria. Of course, if you want to keep 2 or more guinea-pigs in the same cage, it should be bigger. The cage should have 2 rooms- a main one fronted by chicken wire or mesh, that the piglet can feed, drink and rest in, plus a smaller sleeping chamber full of clean hay, that it can retire to to rest or when it wants privacy. I also recommend that you provide a run for the guinea-pig, that it can be put in daily to give it fresh air and excercise. This should measure about 6 ft long x 2.5 ft wide.