Preparing for a new pet guinea pig can be both exciting and confusing if you haven’t owned a guinea pig before.
Here you can find a checklist of the basics that your new friend will need to live happy and healthy.
Guinea pig supplies checklist:
Cage
Bedding
Water bottle
Guinea pig food
Hay
Pellets
Veggies
Food bowl for pellets
Hideouts
Toys
Please note: guinea pigs do not need an exercise wheel, it’s very bad for their spines.
Download our guinea pig supplies checklist here
Optional extra’s:
You may eventually need.
Pet carrier
Nail clipper
Cage or Hutch
Guinea pigs need a lot of room to roam. If you need help in deciding what cage size your guinea pigs need, have a look at How big should a guinea pig cage be.
Guinea pigs don’t climb so please don’t get any horizontal cages with steep ramps. Their cage should be mostly one level, so they have space to run. You can have a ramp to a second level, but it shouldn’t be steep or high as they can fall and hurt themselves.
The most recommended cage for guinea pigs is a c & c cage.
Bedding
Consider if you want to use hay as bedding or if you want to use fleece.
I personally prefer fleece, but it can be extra work to clean.
Water bottle
Guinea pigs should always have access to fresh, clean water. Ensure that you get a good quality, non drip water bottle.
Guinea pig food
Hay
Your guinea pigs’ staple food will be hay. Make sure that they have an endless supply of hay.
Pellets
Additionally they need an 1/8th cup of pellets per day, preferably pellets that are Vitamin C fortified. Don’t get any guinea pig pellets with dried fruits or nuts.
Veggies
Your piggies will need a cup of fresh veggies daily, fruit should only be given once in a while as a treat.
For a list of safe veggies and fruit (and what to avoid) please see… What can guinea pigs eat?
Food bowl
Get a nice ceramic food bowl. My guinea pigs had a plastic food bowl, which they flipped instantly.
Hideouts
Guinea pigs are prey animals and need shelters where they can hide and feel safe.
This can include hideouts, tunnels or even cardboard boxes.
Even though they are herd animals, they all need their space sometimes, so make sure that you have enough hideys for all your guinea pigs.
Toys
There are a lot of guinea pig toys available in stores, but you can make your own diy toys from hay and empty toilet rolls. See What can guinea pigs play with?
