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How big should a guinea pig cage be?

LouLou08

New Kit
My friend has some guinea pigs which are in a cage far too small. They can move about 4 steps from one end to the other.:shock: and about two or three steps to the side. I tell her repeatedly that she needs a bigger cage and now her mum has decided that they do need one.
They also have a makeshift run which is a triangular prism shape, about 6-10 steps by 2-3 steps. (sorry don't have any measurements i can't go around measuring her cages and runs,:roll:)

What size should they be?
 
a pair of guinea pigs need an area of at least 4ft by 2ft :)
I'm not sure what the guidelines are for runs, but I know the kind of run that you mean, and I can't stand them :?
 
Ok thanks, I will tell her today but its mainly her mum thats the problem.

The guinea pigs are I would say overweight but thats not really a surprise. They aren't neutered either but they are 2 males. Her mum won't have them neutered.:roll:
 
Ok thanks, I will tell her today but its mainly her mum thats the problem.

The guinea pigs are I would say overweight but thats not really a surprise. They aren't neutered either but they are 2 males. Her mum won't have them neutered.:roll:


There isn't really any need to have two boars who are living together neutered. Unlike buns neutering doesn't alter a boar's temeprament, just stops them making babies!
 
a pair of guinea pigs need an area of at least 4ft by 2ft :)
I'm not sure what the guidelines are for runs, but I know the kind of run that you mean, and I can't stand them :?

Hi Faye

Just wondering why you hate the apex runs? I've got two of the Happy Hutch 5' ones and it's fine for a pair of pigs, most of them won't come out of the house end anyway :roll:
 
a pair of boys don't need neutering, and piggies do tend to look on the chunky side anyway (a couple of my boys even have dewlaps - must be genetic as they are related) They need a minimum cage size of 2x4, but bigger is better as they like running about :)
 
awww :( boys are more likely to fight in a small cage, so make sure they're checked regularly for bite marks - hopefully if they have plenty of food and hay they will be OK. Do they get out for a run, as that makes a lot of difference?
 
I think they go out when she gets home from school but the run is not much bigger than the cage. Its longer but thinner. I will have words with her tonight about it. They have done a bit of fighting when I've been there and mounting but not biting seriously.
 
Hi Faye

Just wondering why you hate the apex runs? I've got two of the Happy Hutch 5' ones and it's fine for a pair of pigs, most of them won't come out of the house end anyway :roll:

I'm sure the happy hutch ones are great, but all of the cheap ones I've seen are really narrow :? the ones that I've seen have been less than 5' long too :)
I think they're worse for rabbits though, as they're not very high and because of the angles, not much of the space is useable (both in terms of height and width)...
 
awww :( boys are more likely to fight in a small cage, so make sure they're checked regularly for bite marks - hopefully if they have plenty of food and hay they will be OK. Do they get out for a run, as that makes a lot of difference?

Totally agree with this. Boys particuarly need a larger sized accomodation if they want to remain nice to each other ... there are other factors as well but size is so important.
 
I'm sure the happy hutch ones are great, but all of the cheap ones I've seen are really narrow :? the ones that I've seen have been less than 5' long too :)
I think they're worse for rabbits though, as they're not very high and because of the angles, not much of the space is useable (both in terms of height and width)...

I totally agree, I would never put a rabbit in one, mine seem ok for the piggies though. I didn't put the floor in the house bit so they can still graze and feel safe. Oh, ok then, so I screwed both sides on and forgot to slide the floor in first, but it worked out for the best anyway :lol:
 
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