Bookmark and Share
Your E-mail:
To see critter Valentine ecards, click here>>
Will you be sending a critter Valentine ecard to anyone you know?


Printer Friendly Bookmark and Share

Guinea Pig Cage Maintenance

Create a regular maintenance schedule for your guinea pig’s cage.

By Audrey Pavia

guinea pigs
© Isabelle Francais/BowTie Inc.
Regularly clean your guinea pigs' habitat to help keep them healthy and happy.

A guinea pig’s cage needs regular cleaning to keep it happy and healthy. Soiled bedding should be removed and replaced with fresh bedding every day. Water bottles and food bowls should be washed every day with hot water and biodegradable soap.

The entire cage should be cleaned once a week. Remove your guinea pig from the cage and put it in a guinea-pig proofed room or a travel carrier. Then scrub the cage with hot, soapy water (use biodegradable soap) to scrub the floor and wire. If you keep your guinea pig in an outdoor hutch, you may need to use a spatula or hand shovel to scrape away the urine and feces that has accumulated on the wire. Scrub this area of the cage using a solution of 1 part bleach to 4 parts water. Make certain the cage is dry before putting your guinea pig back inside.

The guinea pig’s nest box should be washed once a week as well, and left in the sun to dry. Use the same bleach and water solution to wash it. Toys that are soiled should be thrown away and replaced, or washed in hot, soapy water if possible.

 


 Give us your opinion on
Guinea Pig Cage Maintenance

Submit a Comment   Join Club
Earn 1,000 points! What's this?
Reader Comments
Should also say that yeah, you should remove soiled bedding daily. But that's different than complete cleaning (as the article kind of points out). I think this is because of the urine guinea pigs produce. Like rats, it's quite strong and letting it build up can be detrimental to their health.
Bree, Fayetteville, NC
Posted: 12/1/2011 6:48:31 PM
Once a day would waste a LOT of bedding. Of course, you should put a little new bedding in every day, but completely cleaning every day is a bit much. I agree with the once a week thing. Especially if you have a big cage. I could see once a day if the guinea pig has a small cage, I suppose.
Bree, Fayetteville, NC
Posted: 12/1/2011 6:46:31 PM
u should clean cage EVERY DAY!
I used to clean it 2 times a day, once in the morning once at night, but I kept forgetting in the morning lol I'm a late sleeper
the guinea pig says lol, munchkinland
Posted: 7/3/2011 4:09:45 PM
Don't have a Pig but I didn't know you should change soiled bedding every day ... good to know if I ever get a Guinea.
Scout, Greenville, SC
Posted: 3/9/2011 8:30:14 AM
View Current Comments

Ferrets USA
Ferrets USA
Rabbits USA
Rabbits USA
Critters USA
Critters USA
 


Hi my name's Sparky

Visit the Photo Gallery to
cast your vote!