subject: Purchasing Guinea Pig Cages For Your Small Pet [print this page] Guinea pigs are small pets that are pretty easy to house, however it is pertinent that the owner find a suitable cage that is large enough for their animal. They also need to make sure they set it up with the proper amenities for a guinea pig. Guinea pig cages can be purchased in stores or homemade. The internet is one good resource to research the various types of cages available. Performing proper research will help assure proper care.
Going to an actual pet store will be helpful in seeing what size the cages really are and what material they are made out of. However, many stores have smaller cages that are not suitable in size. The standard amount of space per pig used to be two square feet. In recent years, research has found that each one should have at least seven and a half square feet to themselves.
A good cage suggested by online stores is cube and coroplast. This cage looks like the walls are made of wire and the bottom of the entire cage is a solid material. The wire allows your small pet to breathe fresh air, while the bottom will hold all their bedding which prevents a greater mess to clean up.
You may also build your own cage with varying shapes and sizes. Some people have used kiddie pools as the litter box, and then surrounded it with an exercise pen. This creates a circular cage. You may also purchase a framed hutch from a garden store. The litter box would be made of vinyl and the entire cage is wired with a latch to keep the cage door secured. These are more basic cages.
For a fancier design, you can connect two different shaped cages together, creating more exercise room and freedom for your pet to run around. For example, if you put the wading pool cage next to a cube and coroplast cage and then connect the two with a big tunnel or tubing, you will create a larger living space.
Avoid using wired flooring or ramps in your cage. The ground of the litter box needs to be a solid material. Do not use cedar or pine chips as the bedding. Better alternatives are pellets and paper type bedding. These materials are more absorbent and softer. Your cage needs to have a place where your small pet can go and hide. An over turned plastic tub would work. Dishes made of ceramic work well for food. Include a water bottle that has a steel spout for easy drinking. Make sure the bottle can hold a lot of water as this animal needs to hydrate often.
Daily exercise is important for these small creatures. Larger spaces allow them more room to run around. An easily mobile cage is also beneficial as you have better ability to move it outside if you want your pet to have some fresh air. Building separate levels in a cage is also exercise friendly. Make sure your ramps that allow access between different floors are made out of material that is not slippery.
Detailed information is available through the internet. Online, you will find different websites and forums that answer many questions you may have. Price may also factor into your purchase. Whether you purchase from a store, on the internet or decide to build your own cage, your guinea pig's home should cost you somewhere between the one hundred to two hundred dollar range.
by: Tim Bell
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