How Much Space Does A Guinea Pig Need?

Guinea pigs are easy to please. Give them a decent sized space, with places to hide in and explore, and they’re happy. They enjoy a bit of company, and ted to stick together, but that doesn’t mean they want to be living on top of each other all day. A bit of space to exercise in and do their own thing is what they need.

Beware the so-called ‘starter kits’ on offer online and in various outlets. These are often far too small for Guinea pigs, so it’s best not to be tempted by the too-good-to-be-true price tag. Traditional wooden hutches intended for two Guinea pigs should be at least 0.72 square metres in floor area – 120 cm x 60 cm, for example (and at least 45cm high). It’s better if you can accommodate something closer to one square metre, though.

You can make your pets’ living space more interesting by linking guinea pig hutches and runs

The Eglu Go Hutch for Guinea pigs is ideal, a mixture of indoor and outdoor space that connects to a run or playpen in the garden using the Zippi Guinea Pig Tunnel System.

If you have space for an outdoor run, all the better. It doesn’t have to be massive – for a Guinea pig, two square metres makes a very big run. They don’t have the instinct to wander across the countryside, and a run of one square metre, made more interesting with bits of Guinea pig pipe, boxes and feeding stations, is just the job.