Welcome to Guinea Pig Runs dot com! Here you will find all sorts of information on keeping your guinea pig happy and healthy. Guinea Pig runs help keep your pet nice and fit.
Guinea pigs are so much fun. You probably want your guinea pig, which are also known as cavies, to be happy so are looking at guinea pig runs. Guinea pig runs aren’t cheap and if you buy them at your local pet store then you can expect to pay a lot, sometimes as much as $150 depending on where you live and where you are shopping. Before you make the purchase you should do a little homework so you can choose the best run for your guinea pig. Getting the right sized run the first time is easy when you do a little research.
One of the big mistakes many people make when buying their first run is to buy it too small. Even though guinea pigs aren’t very pig they do need an area to run around. So how much space do guinea pigs actually need? There is some debate here, the old advice was 4 square feet and now guinea pig experts are recommending as much as 8 square feet per guinea pig or cavy.
You are probably wondering why such a small animal needs so much space? Guineas love hiding, privacy, and scurrying about, they also have a physical need of exercise. An unexercised cavy will quickly become an overweight cavy. Overweight cavies may have the same problems as overweight people, diabetes, breathing difficulties, heart issues, etc. It’s best to ensure your guineas have plenty of room to run around and hide so they can remain fit and healthy.
Since guinea pigs are social animals many people choose to keep more than one guinea at a time. Experts recommend you add an additional 2.5 to 3 square feet of additional space per guinea. So if you have 2 guinea pigs you will need 8 square feet plus and additional 2.5 square feet for a total of 10.5 square feet for their run. As you can see buying the biggest run that your space and budget will allow is the way to go.
.Where can you get a big, inexpensive run to keep your guinea pigs nice and safe? This is the big question most guinea pig owners ask themselves. One of the best ways to find a run is to get the word out to family and friends that you are looking for a very large guinea pig run at an low or free price. In some cases a chicken tractor or a rabbit hutches will also work, depending on what it’s made out of, the size of the wire and the design features. Your family and friends can keep an eye out for you and you never know, they may actually know someone who is trying to get rid of a great run. Sometimes you can really luck out and find a hutch for sale at a garage sale or maybe even your local flea market. Buying a used run is a good way to safe money, just make sure you give the run a good cleaning with a guinea pig safe disinfectant.
One of the more inexpensive and easy to add on runs available is called Coroplast. These are made out of plastic and are easy to clean. They will work both indoors and outside in the shade. These cages are a good starting point and are definitely better than having nothing. One thing I don’t particularly like about some of these habitats is the walls are low and there isn’t a roof so a large dog or any cat could easily come and get inside the open topped run. These open access runs don’t provide enough safely from predators. On the other hand if your guinea is going to remain indoors and you don’t have other pets this could be the perfect solution for your guinea pig.
Another inexpensive option is to purchase a small animal play pen. These small animal play pens are easy to set up and take down and can be used both indoors and outdoors with some supervision. The walls of the small play pen are tall but again you should supervise.
Since guineas should have exercise daily you may want to consider a large two story guinea pig house with the house on top and run underneath in addition to an small amimal play pen. Your cavy will be able to run around both in the cage and in the play pen. Your cavy will be happier and healthier and you won’t have to spend a fortune!
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