Theyre low- maintenance and cute as anything.
But like any pet, a guinea pig has needs that can dent your bank account.
Through trial and error, I figured out what to buy and what to skip.
Vanilla chowing down on a carrot. Photo courtesy of Nancy Basile.
Guinea pigs cannot live in a wire-bottom cage like rabbits can.
They must have some kind of flooring to protect their feet, which are small and sensitive.
I found the cages at pet stores woefully lacking.
They were too expensive and too small.
Most cages advertised for guinea pigs are much smaller.
I purchased an uncoveredMidWest guinea pig cagefor about $35 on Amazon.
(Males, especially, need room to avoid each other when theyre grouchy.)
Lots of guinea pig owners prefer tobuild their own cage.
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The easiest bedding option isnatural paper bedding.
you’re free to buy it in pet stores, big-box stores and even some grocery stores.
However, I found that the cheapest place to get bedding is Amazon.
Generally, I can get a 60L package of paper bedding for approximately $15.
Sometimes I score one on sale for about $13.
One package of bedding lasts almost a week in our house.
The trick isnot to become loyal to a particular kind.
Ive even ordered confetti-colored paper bedding because it was the cheapest choice.
Did you know?
Look for 100% polyester anti-pill fleece.
Washing the fleece over and over removes the protective barrier from the fleece and allows liquids to pass through.
Jessicas Nerd Life has a YouTube video onhow to prepare fleece for guinea pig cages.
Ill be honest; I tried the fleece method and I couldnt hack it.
I didnt like sweeping up poop and hay every day.
The smell was awful.
I decided to stick with paper bedding.
Pleasedo not use pine or cedar shavings for guinea-pig bedding.
Although its still sold in stores, the oil and resin can be harmful to small pets.
The aromatic oils from pine and cedar canirritate a guinea pigs skin, eyes and respiratory tract.
Food
Guinea pigs need hay, preferably Timothy hay.
Not only do they get nutrition from hay, it keeps their teeth from growing too long.
Hay takes a lot of chewing.
Guinea pigs also need pellet food, preferably made from Timothy hay.
Pellets that have alfalfa hay as a base are high in calcium, whichmay lead to bladder stones.
I buy pellet food and Timothy hay from Amazon.
Again, Im not loyal to a brand, so Im able to buy the cheapest options.
I generally buy afive-pound bag of Kaytee pellet foodfor about $6.
It lasts for several months.
Guinea pigs must also havefresh produce.
They cant produce vitamin C, so they need to get it from their food.
I feed our guinea pigs carrots, kale and, for a treat, strawberries.
I occasionally give them a bit of apple.
The good news is that theyre not super picky.Check your grocery store for a produce clearance section.
My little guys dont care if their carrots are starting to brown.
(But I would never feed them rotten food.)
Stores sell all kinds of wooden blocks and hay cubes, but theyre expensive and unnecessary.
Guinea pigs canchew on cardboard, which is probably as plentiful in your house as it is in mine.
Remember all my Amazon orders?
I use the boxes to build additions to my guinea pigs cage.
They usually chew on the cardboard flaps.
you’re able to also give your guinea pig apaper towel or toilet-paper tubeto chew on.
Try shoving lettuce or other foods inside to give your guinea pig a boredom buster.
Here are thingsyou dont need to buy.
Guinea pigs are nearly impossible to litter train.
Guinea pigs dont play with toys.
Theyre happy with a cardboard box or tube.
you might also create tunnels and mazes from cardboard to give them some exercise and fun.
Clear, plastic balls.
Guinea pigs are not hamsters.
They will not run around the house in a big, clear ball.
They will just sit and wonder whats happening.
Guinea pigs like to have a cover over their heads, but they dont need anything fancy.
A plastic igloo or cardboard box works just fine.
You might see videos of guinea pigs sleeping with their heads on pillows.
Its super cute, so I bought two on Etsy.
My guinea pigs completely ignore them.
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