The key to giving your guinea pigs a comfortable home is to not use a cage. Or, more precisely, use a smooth-bottomed cage. Wire bottoms will irritate their little paws. A nice plastic bottom with wire sides and top will do quite well. Get as large a cage as possible, so your guineas have room to roam, but each animal should have 4-5 square feet of room as a minimum.

Put the cage inside, but not someplace with direct sunlight. Guineas can get overheated by the sun. Put in some sort of cave simulacrum – they like to play and hide and sleep in cardboard boxes or empty coffee cans. A few things to climb on would be nice too.


Line the bed with hardwood shavings. Make sure not to use cedar or raw pine, which have oils that can irritate guineas. A layer of grass hay can be added, which gives your pigs something to chew on. But make sure to remove any wet hay daily. Otherwise, you should change the bedding every 3-4 days. Don’t worry about forgetting – your nose will remind you. Add a water bottle and a bowl for feeding and your guineas are good to go.






Never totally trust what you read on the internet. Always consult a veterinarian, professional trainer or other expert.