guinea pig cage

Guinea Pig Cage Setup

The average guinea pig is living in a cage that is just plain too small. A single guinea pig needs approximate 7.5 square feet of space. Anything less is imply a glorified litter box. 7.5 square feet may sound like a lot but really its only about 3 feet by 3 feet. While it is not common to find a cage this large in your average pet store, a lot of guinea pig owners have good luck building their own cages or purchasing kits off of the Internet.

The most commonly built cage type is known as “C&C” which stands for cubes (as in organization cubes like you would find at Bed Bath and Beyond) and coroplast, which a strong lightweight plastic that strongly resembles corrugated cardboard. When making a C&C cage your main concern should be to buy cubes that are safe. Many stores have cubes that have fewer than 9 x 9 grids. This results in opening larger than 1.5 inches. This can pose a danger as numerous guinea pigs have been known to stick their heads through these holes, get stuck, and then die by strangulation.