If you’re looking for the perfect pet for adults and for children why not consider a guinea pig? Guinea pigs make a fine pet, but before you buy a piggy or 2 spent some time researching guinea pig hutches, because the hutch you house your guinea pig in is very important.
Your new piggie will be kept in a guinea pig hutch in most cases. They can be kept indoors or outdoors although if kept outdoors you should be aware that they can be subject to stress from excess heat or cold. But before you buy your first guinea pig house you need to be aware of several things.
The majority of cages you find in pet shops or on the Internet are way too small, and will subject your new family members to a cramped lifestyle lacking in exercise and fun. Of course the reason that most people end up with a cage that is too small is that the smallest hutches are the cheapest. You need to make every effort to ensure that the hutch that you buy for your favourite pet is sufficiently large even if it means spending some extra money.
Some people overcome the problem of cost by making their own guinea pig hutch, and if you are able to do so this is a fine way of housing your favourite pet in a spacious house that will do an optimum job. It is quite possible to build housing that is entirely adequate and which is very low cost if you source your own materials, including second-hand materials, and build it yourself.
But you should also understand that guinea pigs get bored easily and will still need entertainment even if they have a nice large hutch. The best way to provide entertainment for your guinea pig is to provide him with a companion, thoug you do need to research which sexes go together and which do not.
If you put a male with a female you will end up with a large number of guinea pigs very quickly, unless of course you desex one of them. If you don’t then you will need to keep them apart and this defeats the purpose.If you put 2 males together you can end up with fighting, so the best combination is to start with 2 young females.
It’s important that they have hay in their cage as they need hay to aid their digestion. As well they need to have something to chew on as their teeth grow continually and chewing helps wear down their teeth. If you don’t provide something to chew, such as a piece of wood, they will probably chew on their cage. And they need playthings such as plastic pipes and boxes to run in and out of.
There’s no doubt that a guinea pig makes a fine pet but it is important to spend some time thinking about where you will house him, or them, and what type of guinea pig hutch you will provide. Make sure it is large with plenty of playthings, and know what sexes you will buy before you go ahead.