Guinea Pig
Cage Size
Guinea Pig Cage Size
A good rule of thumb is that a guinea pig cage should have at least 3.75 square feet of living space per guinea pig.
You can use the guinea pig cage calculator on this page to figure out how large of a cage you’ll need if you plan on keeping more than one guinea pig.
Choosing the right cage is one of the first things you will need to do when you get a new guinea pig. Since guinea pigs are relatively large rodents they will need a much larger cage than a hamster or a gerbil.
If you plan on keeping a single guinea pig in a 3.75 square foot cage then you will need to let them out every day in order to get some exercise.
If you can’t do that and you plan on keeping your guinea pig in their cage all day, then you will need to get a cage that has at least 7.5 square feet of living space if you want to humanely house a single guinea pig.
A 7.5 square foot cage will be large enough to keep 1 to 2 guinea pigs, and it will also provide ample space for your guinea pigs to freely run around and play.
For each extra guinea pig you will only need an additional 3.75 square feet of space to meet their minimum cage size requirements.
Best Guinea Pig Cages
Midwest Guinea Habitat Plus Guinea Pig Cage
The Midwest Guinea Habitat Plus Guinea Pig Cage (Buy Online) is an extra large guinea pig cage made for use indoors. This cage is large enough to house two to three guinea pigs quite comfortably. The really nice thing about this cage is the collapsible base, which is made of a washable canvas. The canvas base makes this cage much lighter and easier to move when it comes time to clean out any soiled litter.
The Midwest Guinea Habitat Plus also comes with a divider and built-in ramps, which can come in handy if you want to give your guinea pigs some privacy from each other. This cage is also expandable since multiple cages can be connected together to create any size cage you desire. All in all the Midwest Guinea Habitat Plus offers the most versatility and ease of maintenance of any guinea pig cage on the market.
Kaytee Guinea Pig Home EZ Clean System
The Kaytee Guinea Pig Home EZ Clean System (Buy Online) comes with a nice set of accessories and a unique cleaning system. This cage has an internal living area of 3.75 square feet, which makes it just the right size for a single guinea pig. This cage also comes with casters built into the litter pan, which will make it very easy to move and clean.
You will also find that this cage is much easier to clean thanks to the EZ Clean System which is incorporated into the base of the cage. The EZ Clean system is rather clever since it is just a sliding door located in the center of the litter pan.
Once the cage is dirty all you will have to do is open the door and then sweep out the litter through the opening into a garbage can. This can all be done without having to flip over or tilt the pan, which can help limit the risk of spilling litter on the floor, and it can also help reduce the strain of lifting the litter pan.
Besides the unique cleaning system, this cage also comes with a ramp and a shelf and a food dish. The ramp has a nice wavy design which makes it easier to climb for some guinea pigs. Once your guinea pig climbs the ramp they will be on an extra large shelf with a built-in spot for the included food dish. The food dish will fit securely in the hole in the shelf so your guinea pig won’t be able to easily flip their dish over and spill food all over the cage.
Prevue Hendryx Blue & White Small Animal Cage with Stand
The Prevue Hendryx Blue & White Small Animal Cage with Stand (Buy Online) offers portability and a large size in one convenient package. This cage has enough internal living space to easily house two to three guinea pigs. The cage also comes with an included stand with casters, which makes moving this cage around and cleaning it an effortless task.
Even though this cage comes with a wire mesh floor it can easily be removed, which is important since guinea pigs have sensitive feet. Once you remove the wire mesh floor the guinea pigs will be able to live in the litter pan which is quite deep and spacious.
The high walls of the litter pan will not only provide a guinea pig with a sense of security, the walls will also prevent shavings from being kicked out of the cage and onto the floor. When it finally comes time to clean the cage, you won’t have to carry the pan over to the garbage since you can roll the whole cage with very little effort.
YML Indoor Blue Rabbit Cage With Stand
The YML Indoor Blue Rabbit Cage With Stand (Buy Online) is a medium-sized cage with some nice added features. This cage is large enough to easily house 1 to 2 guinea pigs. The cage also comes with a built-in stand for portability and to help with maintenance.
This cage also comes with a metal mesh floor which can be removed in order to keep guinea pigs. Once the metal mesh floor is removed your guinea pigs will be quite happy living in the large litter pan.
On this cage, you will also find that it has two easy access doors, with one located on the top and the other on the side. The built-in stand with casters will also allow you to move this cage anywhere inside or outside your house, so your guinea pig can tag along with you anywhere you go.
WARE Living Room Guinea Pig Home
The WARE Living Room Guinea Pig Home (Buy Online) is a very stylish guinea pig cage with a wide range of nice features. The overall living space in this cage is 3.75 square feet, which makes it the perfect size for keeping a single guinea pig. This cage also comes with an included stand with casters, so you can easily move it around when you have to clean it.
The other accessories that come with this cage are a food bowl and an adjustable ramp and shelf. The ramp and shelf can be placed in the cage so your guinea pig can climb up and look at what’s happening outside of their cage. The position of the shelf can also be raised and lowered to accommodate guinea pigs with different climbing abilities. And finally the food bowl is another nice addition since you won’t have to buy one separately, and the bowl also matches the style of the cage.
WARE Home Sweet Home Small Animal Cage
The WARE Home Sweet Home Small Animal Cage (Buy Online) is a great entry level cage that comes in a variety of sizes. The small version is not really big enough to house even one guinea pig, so you might want to avoid that one. The medium version is just about the right size for one guinea pig. While the large model is big enough to easily house two guinea pigs.
No matter which version you choose, both the large and the medium version have similar features. Each cage is easy to assemble without tools, and the two-piece design makes it easy to open during maintenance. The deep plastic litter pan is easy to clean, and it is lightweight which makes it very easy to carry. The deep litter pan will also help prevent litter from being kicked out of the cage by any rambunctious guinea pigs.
WARE Pig Pen Guinea Pig Habitat
The WARE Pig Pen Guinea Pig Habitat (Buy Online) is great for someone who is looking for a no-frills cage for their new pet guinea pig. This cage offers exactly 4 square feet of living space, which makes it perfect for keeping one guinea pig. And since it doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles it is very affordable.
The one unique feature of this cage is its open top design. The open top allows for easy access to your guinea pig, and it can make maintenance and cleaning a little easier. The open top could be a problem though if you have a guinea pig that is a climber. Even though guinea pigs aren’t known for their climbing abilities it is still something to keep in mind if you are interested in this cage.
How Big Does a Guinea Pig Cage Need to Be?
Guinea Pig Cage Size for 1
| Minimum | Recommended |
| 3.75 sq/ft | 7.5 sq/ft |
If you want to keep one guinea pig then you will need a cage with an internal area of at least 3.75 square feet. In most cases, though it is preferable that you keep a single guinea pig in a 7.5 square foot cage. A 7.5 square foot cage is what is recommended by the ASPCA as the optimal cage size for a single guinea pig. If you don’t have room in your house for a large cage, then you can let your guinea pig out of their cage for some exercise to make up for the lack of space in a 3.75 sq/ft cage.
Guinea Pig Cage Size for 2
| Minimum | Recommended |
| 7.5 sq/ft | 11.25 sq/ft |
If you plan on keeping two guinea pigs you will need a cage that has at least 7.5 square feet of living space. If you want to give your two guinea pigs some extra room then you can put them in a cage with a total living area of 11.25 square feet.
Read more: Best Guinea Pig Cage for 2
Guinea Pig Cage Size for 3
| Minimum | Recommended |
| 11.25 sq/ft | 15 sq/ft |
Three guinea pigs will need a cage that has an internal living area of at least 11.25 square feet. If you have larger or more active guinea pigs then you can go with a cage as large as 15 square feet, which will easily be big enough to meet their needs.
Guinea Pig Cage Size for 4
| Minimum | Recommended |
| 15 sq/ft | 18.75 sq/ft |
Four guinea pigs should be housed in a cage with at least 15 square feet of floor space. Though it is actually preferable to find a cage for four guinea pigs with 18.75 square feet of space. This will allow each guinea pig to have their own private area, which can help reduce conflicts. The added space will also provide ample room for your guinea pigs to run around in and to give each other chase.
What Kind of Cage Does a Guinea Pig Need?
A guinea pig cage needs to offer lots of floor space since guinea pigs don’t need a lot of vertical climbing space. Guinea pigs are not the best climbers, which means that the height of a guinea pig cage is not as important as it’s area.
Since guinea pigs spend all of their time on the ground you can choose a cage that has a low profile and a wide base. The height of the cage really only needs to be tall enough for the guinea pig to stand up comfortably on their hind legs. If you have a platform or shelf in the cage then make sure to take that into account when figuring out the right height for your cage.
Where to Buy Guinea Pig Cages
If you are looking to buy a guinea pig cage you can either buy it in a physical store or from an online retailer. Each option has its own pros and cons which we will address in the following section.
Physical Retail Store
The benefits of going to a physical store are that you can look at the cage and see if it will work well for your situation. That means you will be able to see if it is the right size, shape, and color before you make a final decision.
The downside of shopping in a physical sore is that they might have a limited selection of cages available. The prices at a physical store might also be a little higher in order to cover the cost of running a brick a mortar operation.
Online
Online retailers tend to have a much larger variety of cages to choose from. They also tend to keep a larger stock of inventory, so you won’t have to worry about them being out of stock when it comes time to make your purchase.
The downsides of shopping online are that you can’t physically see the product and that you will have to wait for shipping. Seeing the product isn’t that big of a deal since most online stores generally have a very generous return policy. And shipping times aren’t really that bad since most online stores will deliver your packages in 2-8 days depending on the shipping method.
