Picking a Good Guinea Pig Hutch
Did you know that of all the guinea pig supplies you are going to need, the most essential one to maintaining a guinea pig healthy and happy revolves around your guinea hutch?
That is right and the hutch is far and away the largest investment you will make in terms of money spent for your guinea pig so you better make sure you do this properly so you can have a healthier and happier guinea pig for years to come!
The first factor you need to think about when choosing a hutch is the size. Think about your pet for a moment here… guinea pigs are playful and enjoy running around. A small hutch means not very much running and the running you are completing takes place within your toilet. This is not a enjoyable thought for anyone.
I am not saying that the guinea hutch has to be so big that it consumes a room, however, do make confident that you get a cage big enough for your guinea to both take cover (use as a cave) and run around (to get some exercise).
If you have the room, a 4′ x 4′ guinea pig hutch would be perfect… but don’t buy one any smaller than 2′ x 2′. However, if you have more than one guinea, you need to stick with a larger cage. Remember, if your guinea pig (just as with other pets) doesn’t have the ability to play and exercise, then you will have a fat pet which can lead to health problems and depression.
When looking for a hutch one other part you should keep in mind is that it has a solid floor. A solid floor is a lot better than a wired floor. If you use your imagination for a minute, you are able to come up with many reasons why a wired botton would not be satisfactory for your pet or for you. The most widespread type of a bottom in a guinea pig cage is a plastic floor. This solid bottom is a lot easier to clean and take care of. As a bonus, if you can purchase one that slides in and out with ease you are going to be a lot happier over the course of time.
Something that a lot of people don’t think about as they are looking at hutches is the door. You want to focus on to this detail and be certain that you (or the person with the largest hand in your house) is able to get your hand within the hutch and are able to move throughout the the cage easily. You don’t want to be struggling when you are required to get in there!
Once your cage is decided upon, you will want to decide what type of bedding you are going to utilize. I have used just about all types of bedding available and hands down I will always choose a product called Timothy Hay. This is extremely safe for your guinea pig and they love to play in the hay and will even consume it. As well as the bedding you will want to consider purchasing a few toys for your guinea. These can be places for him/her to hide and to play . You will be able to aquire things such as balls, rocks, large PVC pipes, spinning wheels, etc. Become creative and make your guinea pig cage a fun place for your guinea to play and sleep!
