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Guinea pigs make wonderful pets and they deserve the best treatment from their owners. It’s important to provide your guinea pig with a clean environment. This means you need to regularly clean your guinea pig’s cage to keep your cute little pet happy and healthy. While there’s no set rule regarding how often guinea pig cages must be cleaned, a good rule of thumb is to clean a guinea pig cage once or twice a week.
How to Clean a Guinea Pig Cage
Cleaning a guinea pig cage begins with taking the guinea pig out and putting it in a secure area. Then remove all items from the floor of the cage such as food dishes and chew sticks so you can easily remove all the bedding. Once the bedding is out, clean the inside of the cage with a pet-safe cage cleaner spray.
Alternatively, you can use a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar. After you’ve thoroughly sprayed the cleaning solution on the floor and sides of the cage, use a clean damp rag to wipe the excess off. You may need to use a small cleaning brush to scrub the corners and any areas that are especially dirty like platforms and ladders.
It is important that every part of the cage is absolutely clean and allowed to dry thoroughly. You can speed up the drying process by using a dry cloth to remove all signs of dampness. When the cage is completely dry, put in some fresh clean bedding and return the guinea pig to his cage.
You may find that your guinea pig will run around the clean cage full of excitement. Happy guinea pigs often express their joy by rapidly running and leaping in the air. This behavior is called popcorning and can be interpreted as your guinea pig’s way of thanking you for cleaning the cage!
A Dirty Cage Can Lead to Health Problems in Guinea Pigs
A dirty cage can lead to health issues for your guinea pig over time. While a messy environment alone isn’t likely to be immediately dangerous, prolonged exposure to unclean conditions can contribute to problems like respiratory infections, skin irritation, or digestive issues. If these aren’t addressed promptly, they can affect your guinea pig’s overall well-being. Regular cleaning helps keep your pet healthy and comfortable.
Why a Dirty Cage Is Dangerous
A dirty cage with an accumulation of dust, dirt, urine, and poop can cause respiratory problems in guinea pigs wherein they may have trouble breathing. A dirty cage can also result in the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi in your guinea pig’s skin.
Anyone who has ever owned guinea pigs knows that they pee and poop a lot. A guinea pig should never be forced to live in its own urine and feces for a long time. Over time, urine breaks down into ammonia, which produces a strong smell and can irritate the lungs, especially in poorly ventilated spaces.
If a cage remains damp and dirty, there’s a higher risk of mold growing in the bedding. Some molds can produce toxins (mycotoxins), which may be harmful over time if inhaled or ingested. While serious illness from mold is rare with proper care, maintaining a clean, dry environment helps prevent potential risks and keeps your guinea pig healthy.
The Cage Size Matters
As one of the largest rodents kept as pets, guinea pigs need plenty of space to move around, climb, dig, burrow, and eliminate their waste. A single guinea pig should have a cage that measures at least 36”L x 30”W x 18”H. Two guinea pigs should have a cage that’s at least 50”L x 30”W.
A roomier cage offers many advantages to your guinea pig and you. A guinea pig can live six to eight years under optimal conditions. They need plenty of stimulation, healthy food, ample space, and a clean living environment to thrive. If you find that your guinea pig cage is getting dirty quickly and that your guinea pig appears bored, consider getting a mate and a bigger cage.
A larger cage is much easier to clean because it prevents the build-up of waste and allows your guinea pig to separate his bathroom area from his living/play area. You wouldn’t want to live in a small confined space and neither does your guinea pig. Do your guinea pig and yourself a big favor and get a larger cage!
Conclusion
Guinea pigs require their cage to be fully cleaned at least once or twice a week to provide them with a clean and healthy environment. A clean cage is vital to their overall health and wellbeing whereas a dirty cage can lead to serious illnesses, like a respiratory infection or bacterial illnesses. A larger cage will provide your guinea pig with more space to move about, and also generate less waste per square centimeter. A clean cage will ultimately mean a better quality of life for your guinea and we hope this guide has helped with your cleaning regime.
Featured Image Credit: StineMah, Shutterstock
