Did you know that of all the guinea pig supplies you are going to need, the most essential one for keeping your guinea pig healthy and happy revolves around your guinea hutch?
That is right and the hutch is by far the largest investment you can make in terms of money spent on your guinea pig so you better be certain you do this properly so you have a healthier and happier guinea pig for many years!
The first factor you should think about when picking a hutch is the size. Think about your guinea pig for a moment here… they are lively and love to run around. A little hutch means not much running and the running you are doing takes place in your own feces. This isn’t a pleasing thought for anyone.
I am not implying that the guinea hutch needs to be so large that it consumes a room, however, do be confident that you purchase a cage large enough for your guinea pig to take cover (utilize as a cave) and run about (to get some exercise).
If you have the area, a 4 ft x 4 ft guinea pig hutch is great… but don’t go with one any smaller than 2 ft x 2 ft. If you own more than one guinea pig, you want to stick with a larger hutch. Remember, if your guinea pig (just as with dogs) does not have the capability to play and exercise, then you will have an obese pet which will probably escalate to health problems and depression.
When looking to buy a hutch another thing you should keep in mind is that the cage has a solid bottom. This is a lot better than a wired floor. If you use your imagination for a minute, you can come up with numerous reasons why a wired botton would not be good for your cavy or the rest of the family. The most widespread type of a floor in a guinea cage is a plastic floor. This solid floor is much easier to wash and look after. Additionally, if you are able to purchase one that slides in and out with ease you will be a lot happier over the course of time.
Another thing that many of people don’t consider as they are looking at cages is the door. You want to take notice to this detail and make sure that you (or the person with the biggest hand in your household) can get your hand in the hutch and be able to move around in the hutch with ease. You don’t want to be struggling when you need to get inside!
After your hutch is picked out, you will want to settle on what kind of bedding you intend to utilize. I have used just about all types of bedding available and without a doubt I will always choose a product called Timothy Hay. This is very safe for your guinea pig and they love to play with it and are known to consume it. As well as the bedding you will want to think about purchasing a few toys for your guinea. These will be places for him/her to take cover and to play with. You can get things such as balls, rocks, large PVC pipes, spinning wheels, etc. Become inventive and make your guinea hutch a fun place for your guinea pig to play and sleep!
