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Guinea pigs make wonderful pets for both kids and adults because they live almost three times as long as most hamsters and have individual personalities. There are guinea pig toys, treats, and various supplies available to keep your guinea pig happy, but it can be difficult to choose which items it needs the most. Some supplies are purely for fun while others are true necessities.
Check out this list of the best basic guinea pig supplies to see what items are most important for your pet.
Best Bed
Kaytee Super Sleeper Cuddle-E Cup
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Courtesy of Amazon
If you little guy seems like he needs a space to cuddle up and get cozy, check out the Kaytee Super Sleeper Cuddle-E Cup. This padded bed is the perfect size for a guinea pig, and it’s shaped just right to provide the maximum comfort in the fleece interior. Use the integrated straps to attach the bed to the cage so it stays in place. The bed is machine washable. The bed is 10" long, 12" wide, and 5.5"s high.
Best Habitat
MidWest Homes for Pets Guinea Habitat
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Amazon
For an entire playful home, get your fuzzy friend the MidWest Homes Guinea Habitat Plus. In the cage, you’ll find a divider panel for separate spaces, a ramp for climbing through the divider, a fully removable wire top, and a canvas bottom that is durable and hand-washable. The entire habitat provides eight square feet of living space for up to two guinea pigs. Multiple cages can be added and attached for an even larger area. The cage is 24 x 47 x 14 inches. The cage and add-ons (canvas bottom, divider panel, ramp cover, and top panel) can be bought separately.
Best Food
Oxbow Essentials Adult Guinea Pig Food
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Amazon
The 10-pound bag of guinea pig food by Oxbow Essentials is chock full of all the nutrients your little critter needs. Made from high-fiber Timothy grass meal, the pellets provide vitamins and minerals (like Vitamin C, important to keeping guinea pigs healthy) and contain no seeds, fruits or artificial ingredients. The pellets also contain lower levels of protein, calories, and calcium, a perfect blend for the adult guinea pig.
Best Hay
Oxbow Orchard Grass Hay Small Animal Food
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Courtesy of Amazon
Guinea pigs can be offered unlimited hay, which both cleans their teeth and provides supplemental fiber. Oxbow Orchard Grass Hay Small Animal Food is softer than many other hay brands recommended for guinea pigs. It's not pokey, and shouldn't stick in your pig's hair.
Oxbow Orchard's hay is available in 15-ounce, 2.5-pound, and 9-pound bags.
Best Book
The Guinea Pig Handbook
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Courtesy of Amazon
Guinea pigs may look cute, innocent, and easy to manage. While the first two are true, it can be difficult to properly care for a guinea pig without having a good source of information and guidance. This is where a handy guidebook can come in. Whether it is daily care management or the occasional emergency you have to fix, a handbook on guinea pigs is a good go-to source of information whenever you need it. This type of book is something you can keep within reach anytime questions about how to care for your guinea pig come up.
This book is for any Guinea Pig owner that needs a detailed how-to manual about caring for their pet. The Guinea Pig Handbook comes with a plethora of sections on basic Guinea Pig care, anatomy and necessary accessories to keep your pet safe and healthy. Despite the amount of information, each section is clearly written and organized so you can find the information you need quickly.
Best Grooming Kit
Ware Manufacturing Small Animal Grooming Kit
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Guinea pigs don’t need much grooming maintenance, but they do need some. Use the Ware Manufacturing Small Animal Grooming Kit to make sure your creature’s fur is smooth and clean, and their nails are shorter to prevent scratching. The kit comes with a pin brush for shedding, a bristle brush for shine and nail clippers. The kit also has a wooden chew toy to distract and engage your guinea pig as you are cleaning them up.
Best Water Bottle
Choco Nose Small Animal Water Bottle
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Courtesy of Amazon
Keep your pets hydrated with the Choco Nose Small Animal Water Bottle. The 11.2 ounce bottle is leak and drip proof, and is also BPA free. It is easy to install to a cage with a simple screw-on bracket and can then be removed quickly and easily to fill up with the snap-fit attachment. Colors include a blue, green or pink straw. The nozzle diameter is 10 millimeters.
Best Treat
Vitakraft Guinea Pig Treat Sticks 2 Pack
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Courtesy of Chewy
Treat your little guy, but make sure he’s getting the right goodies. In the Vitakraft Guinea Pig Sticks, each stick is filled with crunchy baked fruit, honey, vitamins, like Vitamin C and minerals. The center is a wooden stick for long-lasting chewing, and the entire treat has a clip on the end so you can easily attach it to the side of a cage. Sticks are about nine inches tall.
Best Toy
Living World Hagen Pet Tunnel
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Courtesy of Amazon
Give your pet some exercise time while you get entertained as well. The Hagen Pet Tunnel by Living World is a playful space for your guinea pig to explore. The polyester tunnel comes in a medium size (35 inches long and 6 inches in diameter) and a large size (35 inches long and 8 inches in diameter). Both sizes have a large hole in the center of the tunnel for peek-a-boo.
There are several great accessories for guinea pigs but if your pet isn't safe, you won't care much about anything else. Because of this, Midwest's Guinea Pig Habitat (view on Chewy) is a must have for your cavy. This habitat is easy to clean, has small bar spacing to prevent your guinea pig from getting its head stuck between the bars, and provides ample space for playtime. But if you already have a great habitat for your guinea pig, then the next thing you'll want to check is its food. Oxbow Essentials Guinea Pig Food (view on Chewy) provides the key nutrients your cavy needs without the seeds and other unnecessary and unhealthy added ingredients.
What to Look for in Guinea Pig Supplies
Safety
Everything you purchase for your guinea pig should be safe for it. Sharp edges, dangerous ingredients, inappropriate bar spacing, toxic chemicals, aerosol sprays, and other things can pose serious risks to your guinea pig's health and safety. If you aren't sure whether something is safe, ask your veterinarian or simply avoid it until you know for sure.
Necessity
You can spend a lot of money buying toys, treats, and other items for your guinea pig, but does your pet really need it? Focus on the basics first and then branch out and add to your guinea pig's habitat over time. Too many items and accessories can overwhelm and even frighten your guinea pig, especially if it is also adjusting to a new home. Additionally, you may not have room in your guinea pig's habitat for everything you can buy for it; be careful not to crowd its space with unnecessary items.
Price
When it comes to guinea pig supplies, higher costs often mean higher quality. Price shop for good deals but don't skimp on quality. Higher priced food, hay, and habitats are especially worth it, but that doesn't mean there aren't also ways to cut costs. Consider buying certain items, such as hay, in bulk, particularly if you have several guinea pigs.
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Do guinea pigs like to play?
Yes! Guinea pigs have individual personalities and often like to play with toys. Plastic and wood toys that guinea pigs can push around or pick up with their teeth are popular items. Additionally, guinea pigs also like to chew, run around, and play hide and seek with blankets.
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What do guinea pigs eat?
Adult guinea pigs primarily eat grass hays, and growing guinea pigs eat alfalfa hay. In addition to hay, fresh vegetables and guinea pig pellets should also be provided. Seeds and sweet treats like yogurt drops are not necessary and can cause health issues.
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How do I select the right size of X for my guinea pig?
Make sure whatever you purchase for your guinea pig is appropriately sized. You don't want to buy a tube toy that is smaller than your guinea pig's head or anything where it could get stuck. Thankfully, most items that are marketed for guinea pigs are safe for guinea pigs.
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In what room should I keep my guinea pig?
Choose a quiet room that doesn't drastically change in temperature. Drafty windows, doors, and air vents can chill your guinea pig and cause it to develop life-threatening respiratory issues. Heat from the sun shining directly through a window, as well as air vents, can cause your guinea pig to overheat. Find a room where your guinea pig can quietly rest and have consistent temperatures.
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