Choosing the Right Guinea Hutch
Did you know that of all the guinea pig supplies you are going to need, the most important one to keeping your guinea pig healthy and happy revolves around your guinea hutch?
That's right... the hutch is by far the biggest investment you will make in terms of money spent for your guinea pig so you want to make sure you do this right so you can have a healthier and happier pet for years to come!
The first thing you need to think about when looking at a hutch is the size. Think about your pet for a minute here... guinea pigs are playful and love to run around. A small hutch means not much running and the running you are doing is happening in your own feces. This is not a pleasant thought for anyone. I am not saying that the guinea hutch has to be so large that it takes over a room, but do make sure you get one large enough for your guinea to both hide (use as a cave) and run around (to get some exercise).
If you have the space, a 4' x 4' guinea hutch is great... but don't go any smaller than 2' x 2' (if you have more than one guinea pig, you want to stick with a larger hutch). Remember, if your guinea pig (just as with dogs or any other pets) doesn't have the ability to play and exercise, then you will have an overweight pet which can lead to health problems and depression.
When looking for a hutch another thing you want to keep in mind is that a solid bottom is much better than a wired bottom. If you use your imagination for a minute, you can come up with many reasons why a wired floor would not be good for you guinea pig or for you or the rest of your family. The most common form for a floor in a guinea hutch is a plastic floor. This solid floor is much easier to clean and maintain. As a bonus, if you can find one that slides in and out easily you will be much happier in the long run.
Something that a lot of people don't think about when they are looking at hutches is the door. You want to pay attention to this detail and make sure that you (or the person with the largest hand in the house) can get your hand in the hutch and be able to move around in the hutch easily. You don't want to be struggling when you need to get in there!
Once you have your hutch picked out, you need to decide what kind of bedding you are going to use. I have used just about every type of bedding offered and hands down I would choose a product called Timothy Hay. This is very safe for your guinea pig and they love to play in it and will even eat it. In addition to the bedding you will want to consider purchasing some toys for your guinea pig. These will be places for him/her to hide and to play with. You can get things such as balls, rocks, large PVC pipes, spinning wheels, etc. Get creative and make your guinea hutch a fun place for your guinea pig to play and sleep!