What size cage /hutch should I buy for 3 fully grown adult guinea pigs?

Question

What size cage /hutch should I buy for 3 fully grown adult guinea pigs?

Answer 1

C&C cages all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are the best looking, most flexible, easiest to take care of, most practical, and are by far the cheapest available.  I can't think of any reason *not* to use them.  They're only a fraction of the cost of even the smallest pet store cage-even if you buy the complete cage outright instead of making your own.

I miss having guinea pigs.  When I have kids old enough to respect pets I'll get a non-breeding trio from a rescue or shelter....and yes, I do know that I'd be doing the work to take care of them and not the kids doing any.  Even older kids aren't always reliable about pet care.

Also, make sure if you have mixed genders that any male(s) are neutered and kept away from the females for the first couple of weeks afterwards.

Answer 2

about a 4-5 foot hutch should be okay, but the more space they have, the more active they are. I would get the biggest one that you can afford.

Answer 3

A C+C cage!!! (Preferably a 2x5)

Guinea pigs need far more space than most people realise - the absolute minimum size for three (female) piggies is about 10.5 sq feet, although bigger is always better! (Males tend to need a bit more space, approx 13 sq feet). Make the biggest cage you can fit.

They also need this floor space on one level, a solid floor, to be safe etc.

The problems with commercial cages and hutches:

Hutches:

The first problem is that guinea pigs should NOT be housed outside - they are very vulnerable to bad weather (heat and cold, damp, drafts etc), predators, vermin, etc.

Most hutches are not even suitable for outdoor use anyway - not insulated, flimsy mesh not safe from predators etc.

Many are too small.

Most hutches have wooden floors. Wood absorbs urine, so can become smelly very quickly. It is difficult to clean, and impossible to disinfect, so can harbour bacteria.

(You can keep you guinea pigs in a hutch indoors if you can find one that is big enough. However, you should line the floor with something plastic based such as coroplast or lino.)

Indoor cages:

Most are too small for even a single piggie - there are NO cages available that are large enough for 3!

Some have wire floors which are dangerous for piggies - they can break their legs, or suffer from pododermatitis (bumblefoot)

Tanks:

Glass tanks are the WORST cages for guinea pigs. They are way too small even for one piggie, heavy and difficult to clean out, and have very poor ventialtion. This can lead to a high temp and humidity, as well as a build up of ammonia!

C+C cages are really easy to make. I am c**p at this sort of thing, but I put mine together in about half an hour!

You can make them to any size you like, or even change the shape (eg an L shaped cage), so you can be sure it is big enough.

The coroplast floor is easy to clean and disinfect.

They are cheap - you can build a great c+c cage for a fraction of the cost of a smaller pet store cage!

Check out http://www.guineapigcages.com for more info.

Just wanted to add - please do not underestimate the importance of having enough space!

Housing animals in too small or barren  cages is well known to cause a variety of health and welfare problems, including stereotypic behaviour, reduced immune response, obesity, increased heart rate and blood pressure, increased stress hormones, even reduced lifespan!

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

You'll want at least 10 square feet - my 3 guinea pigs have 15 square feet and they'd even enjoy more.

http://www.guineapigcages.com/ should answer all your housing questions.