Guinea Pig Cages
On this page, I'll go over some popular (and some out of the box) options for guinea pig cages. Guinea pigs do best with lots of floor space to run around, so it's a good idea to pick a cage with ample space for them to run laps and popcorn. Cages that are longer and wider than they are tall are ideal. Vertical cages with multiple levels are best avoided, as guinea pigs don't climb and can easily fall off ledges and injure themselves. I've personally tried and currently use a few of these ideas, so I'll explain some of the pros and cons based on my experiences as well.
C&C Cage
C&C cages are the most popular and modern type of cage used for guinea pigs. Unfortunately, you are highly unlikely to find these types of cages at a pet store. Most people either build a C&C cage themselves, or purchase a C&C cage kit online and assemble them at home. C&C stands for "cubes and coroplast" (aka corrugated plastic sheets) which is what these cages are made out of. You can obtain grids and coroplast to build these cages from places like Home Depot, Walmart, and similar stores. Amazon also has coroplast sheets that can be used for guinea pig cages and cube shelving that works well for the C&C cage grids.
C&C cages are beautiful and can be built in different shapes to fit your space, so they are perfect for someone that loves DIY projects. They aren't too difficult to make, and there are tons of tutorials online to help you build your own C&C cage. I haven't used a C&C cage yet, but they are definitely in my piggy plans for the future! I love DIY things and being able to build something exactly as I want it, so I'm super excited to build a C&C as soon as I have the space. I especially love the open top of the C&C cages, as it makes it so much easier to interact with your guinea pigs and get them out of the cage. I should add that although C&Cs typically have an open top, you can still build a lid for the cage if you have other pets you don't want interacting with your guinea pigs. C&C cages are often placed on the floor, but they can also be put up on a large table, or you can build a stand using extra grids to elevate it off the ground a bit.
C&C cages are beautiful and can be built in different shapes to fit your space, so they are perfect for someone that loves DIY projects. They aren't too difficult to make, and there are tons of tutorials online to help you build your own C&C cage. I haven't used a C&C cage yet, but they are definitely in my piggy plans for the future! I love DIY things and being able to build something exactly as I want it, so I'm super excited to build a C&C as soon as I have the space. I especially love the open top of the C&C cages, as it makes it so much easier to interact with your guinea pigs and get them out of the cage. I should add that although C&Cs typically have an open top, you can still build a lid for the cage if you have other pets you don't want interacting with your guinea pigs. C&C cages are often placed on the floor, but they can also be put up on a large table, or you can build a stand using extra grids to elevate it off the ground a bit.
Midwest cages are for the people who are not as crazy about the DIY aspect, but still like the concept and size of C&C cages. Like C&Cs, these cages are also most frequently found online, most notably on Amazon.com. Midwest cages are also a great size, and allow easy access to your piggies with the open top. You can also buy add-ons like ramp covers or cage lids specifically made for Midwest cages, or buy a second Midwest cage to attach to your first and double your guinea pigs' space. |
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Oxbow Cage & Playpen Combo
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Most guinea pig experts shy away from any type of typical "pet store" type enclosed cage, but I think this one is an exception to the rule and may be a decent alternative for people that don't have space for a C&C or Midwest cage. The thing I love most about this cage is that it comes with a playpen. The pen is attached directly to the cage and allows the pet to come and go into the pen as they please via the cage door that lowers down into a ramp. I haven't used these cages personally, but I originally saw them at the local humane society and liked the design. However, if I were going to use this cage, I would probably buy the rabbit sized cage which is a little wider with more floor space, and possibly modify a couple small things.
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First of all, the ramp would need some kind of soft cover, as piggies don't usually like walking on metal bars and may avoid using the ramp for that reason. And the only other things that might need modification are the corners where the playpen attaches to the cage. There is a small gap on each side where a small or young piggy may be able to slip through if it's not covered by a little piece of cardboard or something. Overall, I love the cage/playpen combo idea and think it could be a totally viable option if you don't have the space for a C&C cage. These cages are easiest to find at Petsmart, but you may also be able to find them at other stores that carry Oxbow products.
Full Time Playpen Cage
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This is something I use for almost every new guinea pig I bring home. I simply bought a foldable exercise pen (mine is a 16 panel small pet exercise pen from Petsmart) and set it up in a designated area of the room. This does take up a sizable amount of space, which is why I only use it temporarily while I bond with a new piggy and introduce them to my other pigs (my other piggies free roam in the rest of the room.) The playpen was about $50 or so, which considering how much it gets used, is fairly reasonable. You can also use a puppy playpen, just make sure the bar spacing is not too wide. My ex-pen has about 1" bar spacing, and very young (under 4-6 weeks) old guinea pigs may still be able to get their heads through the bars. There are also tutorials on YouTube on how to make cardboard playpens out of tri-fold poster boards, which may work instead of or in addition to a regular playpen.
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My favorite part of the playpen cage is how easy it is to sit inside with your piggies. I find that it makes bonding so much easier, because I don't need to chase them around and try to catch them every time I want to get them out of the cage for some socialization or exercise. I'll often just sit in there with them while I'm reading or on the computer, and that especially seems to help new or skittish piggies learn that I'm not a threat.
Kiddie Pool Converted into a Cage
I have never tried this personally, but I have seen pictures of others converting a kiddie pool into a cage for their guinea pigs. Kiddie pools are usually a good size and they would be easy to clean, so it may be an idea worth toying around with. It's definitely one of the more "out of the box" ideas on this list, so it may not work great for everyone. You would want a fairly large hard plastic pool (not inflatable) so the guinea pigs can't chew and possibly ingest the material. I don't have any of my own photos to share of these setups, but if you're interested, try googling some photos to get an idea of what other people have done with kiddie pools for guinea pigs.
Convert a Closet into a Cage
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I do have a closet converted cage for one of my guinea pigs. This was kind of a backup plan, since he was supposed to bond with my other two boys and free range with them. But boys will be boys lol. So he has his own little bachelor pad in the closet now. The closet is totally open to the rest of the room, and it's also against an inside wall so it doesn't get too cold in there. He basically has his own little nook in the corner of the room. It's not a very large closet, so I set up an ex-pen across the middle of the room every day and clip it to his fence so he can share the room with the other piggies from his own side of the fence. |
Free Ranging in a Room or Area of the Home
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Two out of three of my boys get to free range in one room of the house. We have a cat, so they are restricted to the one room. I often get a lot of questions about free ranging my guinea pigs. Mostly about how messy it is and how much they poop all over the room. Honestly, the majority of the mess is usually from their hay. I try to keep all of it in a corner, but somehow, dozens of strands of hay end up all across the room every day. It must get dragged out by their feet or something. Occasionally I'll find poop around on the floor, but it's not spread all over the place like you would expect with guinea pigs. And very rarely do they pee on the carpet. They like to pee on newspaper, and they tend to poop wherever they spend the most time, which is typically in their covered hangout area against the wall (where all the gray blankets are hanging in the picture to the left.)
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While they do have access to the whole room, the designated "piggy corner" is where they have their own little area that is layered with newspaper and has all their beds, toys, and hay. They spend the vast majority of their time in there, sleeping or eating. Typically, they will come to the door if they hear me getting food ready out in the kitchen, or they'll come out and try to trip me if they're hungry or think I have food for them. :) Sometimes they'll get a burst of energy and race around the room a couple times before going back to their corner and flopping down in their beds.
The main reasons I wanted to free range my guinea pigs were to make it easier to interact with them, and to keep them healthier and more active. I can definitely say that free ranging helps a lot with those two things. The two pigs that are free ranging are fit, active, and stay at a perfect weight. One of them is 4 years old now and has been kept free range his entire life, and he is definitely the healthiest pig I've had to date. He has tons of energy and acts half his age. My other pig is 7 and has arthritis, and I find that the extra activity from free ranging helps keep his legs from stiffening up too much. Personally, I really love having the piggies out all the time, as it makes small interactions so much easier and has grown our bond so much. It's so simple to bring them a treat here and there or give them a few pets when they're already out and about anyway. I always get my one pig to jump up on my lap for treats, we do that several times a day. So now whenever he wants a treat, he comes running over and jumps up on my lap. They've turned into the sweetest little puppy pigs, and I think free ranging helped quite a bit with that. However, I will add that piggy proofing the room and blocking off furniture they could squeeze under is absolutely essential if you're going to let your piggies free roam in a room unsupervised. They will chew anything they can reach, and they love to poop and pee in dark enclosed spaces like under beds.
The main reasons I wanted to free range my guinea pigs were to make it easier to interact with them, and to keep them healthier and more active. I can definitely say that free ranging helps a lot with those two things. The two pigs that are free ranging are fit, active, and stay at a perfect weight. One of them is 4 years old now and has been kept free range his entire life, and he is definitely the healthiest pig I've had to date. He has tons of energy and acts half his age. My other pig is 7 and has arthritis, and I find that the extra activity from free ranging helps keep his legs from stiffening up too much. Personally, I really love having the piggies out all the time, as it makes small interactions so much easier and has grown our bond so much. It's so simple to bring them a treat here and there or give them a few pets when they're already out and about anyway. I always get my one pig to jump up on my lap for treats, we do that several times a day. So now whenever he wants a treat, he comes running over and jumps up on my lap. They've turned into the sweetest little puppy pigs, and I think free ranging helped quite a bit with that. However, I will add that piggy proofing the room and blocking off furniture they could squeeze under is absolutely essential if you're going to let your piggies free roam in a room unsupervised. They will chew anything they can reach, and they love to poop and pee in dark enclosed spaces like under beds.
Cages to Avoid
As mentioned at the top of the page, it's generally recommended to avoid tall cages or cages with multiple levels to prevent potential injury to your piggies. The recommended cage size for a pair of guinea pigs is 7.5 square feet, so anything that's smaller than that should also be avoided unless you can attach a playpen or build some kind of extension to expand the space (most typical cages at pet stores are much smaller than the 7.5sqft recommended size, so it's always a good idea to go with a C&C or Midwest cage if possible.)
