Guinea Pig Enclosure

everything you need for a

Enclosure Checklist

Guinea pigs need spacious, secure housing with plenty of room to move, hide, and interact with their environment. Because they are social animals, they should always be kept in pairs or groups, and their enclosure should support both comfort and enrichment.

Use the links on the Checklist or keep scrolling to find out more about each item and some product reccomendations!

The Cage

The first thing you will need is a cage. Guinea pigs require large, spacious housing that allows them to express natural behaviours such as running, exploring, and resting comfortably. The minimum enclosure size for:

Two females is 4ft x 2.5ft (120cm x 76cm)
Two males is 5ft x 2.5 ft (152cm x 76cm)

Indoor guinea pigs often thrive in C&C cages or large open enclosures, which provide significantly more space than many traditional pet shop cages and make daily interaction easier.

Outdoor guinea pigs can also live happy, healthy lives when provided with secure, predator-proof accommodation that offers protection from extreme weather. Outdoor setups should include sheltered sleeping areas, plenty of space to exercise, and access to shade during warmer months. In colder weather, additional insulation and regular health checks are important to keep guinea pigs comfortable.

Whether housed indoors or outdoors, guinea pigs should always have separate areas for eating, hiding, resting, and playing. Their environment should be enriched with tunnels, hideouts, and opportunities to forage, helping them express their natural behaviours and stay mentally stimulated.

Below are some appropriate enclosures for a guinea pig.

Guinea Pig Enclosures that meet the requirements

Bedding,Fleece and absorbant layers

Next you will need flooring.The right flooring helps keep guinea pigs comfortable, clean, and healthy. Typically, indoor guinea pigs will use fleece and absorbent layer for the flooring.

Absorbent layers go on the bottom of the cage to soak up any pee or water spills. You can use reusable pet pee mats or towels (linked below!)

A Fleece layer then goes on top to protect your piggies feet. Fleece is used as it doesn't hold moisture so it allows liquids to be soaked by the absorbent layer instead.

For outdoor guinea pigs, its more common to use bedding. Some safe beddings for guinea pigs include:

Paper bedding
Aspen shavings
Hemp bedding
kiln dried pine shavings

Some beddings to avoid would be:

Pine and Cedar shavings - contain harmful chemicals
Fluffy bedding (like cotton wool) - can cause choking and blockages
Sawdust - can cause respiratory issues
Scented bedding - can cause respiratory issues

Regardless of where your guinea pigs live, their bedding should be cleaned regularly, kept dry, and free from strong fragrances or excessive dust.

Below are some appropriate beddings for a guinea pig.

Safe Beddings and flooring

Hides and tunnels

As prey animals, guinea pigs naturally seek shelter and security. You should have at least one hide perguinea pig to reduce stress and encourage confidence. Wooden houses, fleece forests, tunnels, cardboard boxes, and natural hideouts provide enrichment while helping guinea pigs feel safe within their environment.

Below are some appropriate hides for a guinea pig:

Guinea Pig Hides

Food and water

You should have at least one ceramic bowl and one water bowl/bottle per guinea pig as well as a tray to hold their unlimited source of hay. Cat litter boxes work great for this!

Click here to find out more about guinea pig diet and feeding:

Here are some reccomeneded products for feeding and watering your hamster:

Guinea Pig Food and water

Enrichment and Clutter

Mental stimulation is vital for guinea pig welfare. Enrichment encourages natural behaviours such as foraging, exploring, chewing, and socialising, helping to prevent boredom and improve overall wellbeing.

For more information about guinea pig enrichment click here:

Some important enrichment items you must have include:

Chews/toys
Tunnels
Free roam time
Foraging activities

See below for my reccomendations: