Can I put my guinea pig on the floor??

Question

I hear that an aquarium is a bad idea and I was wondering if I could put a blanket on the floor, put a "fence" around it and keep him there. (with all the right necessities of course), but would that work?? ALSO: Can a G. pig drink out of a little bowl? ANY pig info would be great!

Answer 1

Aquariums are a bad idea because of ammonia build up. They are not well ventilated. Do not buy pet store cages. They are too small!! You're idea would work well if you have no other animals. You shouldn't use a water bowl because the guinea pig will get is dirty and also get it on their fur which can make them cold and therefor sick. You should get a large water bottle with a spring loaded ball nozzle that mounts on the side of the cage(or pen). You may want to consider a C&C cage. It's what my piggies have and they love it. You should also get a second guinea pig because guinea pigs are very social creatures. They can suffer depression when forced to live in solitary confinement. They also live shorter, less healthy and less happy lives alone. You should do some research on guinea pigs since I'm thinking this is you're first.

You should check out these sites. They have good info on cages, care and the social life of guinea pigs.

http://cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm

http://www.guineapigcages.com/

http://www.2ndchance.info/guineapigcare.htm

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=18&cat=1800&articleid=620

If you decide to get a second cavy(which you really should) then go to http://www.petfinder.com/ to see if you can rescue one near you. Good luck with your new furry friend!!

Answer 2

A towel on the floor would be fine for a little romp every now and then, but definently don't make it a permanent cage. If you must, buy a pet store cage, but you could always try making your own.

I, along with many, many, other guinea pig owners have redirected our guinea pigs into homemade cages that they simply adore. Mine is a C&C cage, aka Cubes & Coroplast. It is very cheap to make and very easy to put together. You have to buy a piece of Choroplast that comes in 4 x 8 sheets. You can find them at your local sign shop. You might think that they're aren't any in your town, that's what I thought. But look in your phonebook under Signs or something like that. They're were atleast 5 entrys in mine. I would call the shop before you go, because most of the time it takes a day to order and then you pick it up the next day. It comes in many colors, mine is green and cost somewhere around the $15 range I believe?? Then you need to get storage cubes that you can find at Target, or somewhere similar. They cost $10 maybe? Then you cut the board, put the cubes up and you're done. It's so simple

Here is the website for making the cage: http://www.guineapigcages.com/
Supplies:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/cubes.htm
Directions:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/howto.htm
Pictures:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/index.php
The cubes would also allow for a water bottle to hang. The guinea pigs have issues adapting to drink water from a bowl. A hanging water bottle is cleaner too.
If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message!

Answer 3

I have a rabbit and got dog fencing to keep her outside on sunny days, but for my hamsters and guinea pigs you can get a 12 to 20 dollar thing called the pet play pen it's 9 inches high by three feet diameter play area, you can add on to it too, you could then newspaper the floor and put the play pen down and alow your pigs some freedom. Aquariums are a bad idea because the weight and cost a 20 gallon aquaium often time cost as much or more than a good sized cage, most cages go for 30 for a good 21/2 foot cage to 80 for a huge 4 foot cage.
http://petmarket.stores.yahoo.net/smpetpl.html

Answer 4

Apart from the blanket that is a great idea. I would recommend bedding him down on newspaper, as if he chews the blankets the fibers from it could block up his insides. The fence would need to be a reasonable height (but no more than a foot really). They can drink out of a bowl, but most choose not to and spend many hours filling the bowl with food leftovers, bedding, poo and anything else they can find. So I would use a bottle. So long as you have no cats/dogs living in the house your piggy should be quite safe, secure and happy living on the floor.

Answer 5

I have guinea pigs and rabbits that i let out.I would actually highly recommend it because guinea pigs are not known to like stairs or ramps, their stubby legs can't handle it, and i've seen some of the cages that don't have ramps or stairs and they're either too small or too expensive. I love you idea, i would do it. It gives them to ability to have a good amount of space to run around, and yet the safety of not having stairs and ramps. I would go for it. I would recommend finding a way to put a bottle on. With breeders these days, they've got the little things using a water bottle before they even go to the petstores, and then in the pet stores they're using water bottles again, so thats just what they're used to. So try to find a fencing material that has holes that you can grab a water bottle and get a piece of wire and mold it yourself to stay on.
But they love having plenty of room to run around in. Good luck!!

Answer 6

Purchase a wire cage with a plastic bottom. It only costs around $30-40 here. It's what I used when I had a guinea pig. I wouldn't recommend a towel with a ''fence'', because they'll chew up the towel and then you'll have a mess on your floor.

Guinea pigs should be given a water bottle, as many aren't fond of water bowls, and the water gets filthy rather quick in them.

More information:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/pets/guineapig.htm
(Ignore the fact it's a dog breed website, it contains good information!)

Answer 7

I had mine in a wire cage. You could do the blanket on the floor thing, but know that they can squeeze through a small spot. Also, be prepaired to do A LOT of laundry if planning on putting a blanket down. They pee a lot, which would probably soak through very quickly. I used would chips, and the bottom of my cage was plastic, very easy to wash out every other day or so. The blanket thing might be a nice alternative play area to a cage. Rocko drank out of the bottle that hangs, I think a bowl would get tipped. They're not too delicate.

Remember to brush them. I had a long hair one, when he would pee, it would go on his hair, so he had baths(don't drecnch him) a couple of times a week, and brushings daily. (Hair cuts by me every so often too.)

Answer 8

Of course you can put them on the floor. You might not like the cleaning, but they will like the floor. Make sure you have a good sturdy fence. Use a water bottle. The water will stay clean and there is less chance of the pig spilling it.

Answer 9

i would get one of those my first home cages that is big enough that way you know that it is secure and nothing is gonna get in there and hurt him. I had a guinea pig and he liked his cage alot. I wouldnt use an aquarium because it doesnt get a lot of air circulation and that could be bad for his respiratory tract. If you get a cage you can put it where ever you want including the floor, just not in drafty areas. They can drink out of bowls but its better that you get a water bottle for him that way he doesnt push his bedding into the water bowl.

Answer 10

If their is no other animals in the house and you can be sure the guinea pig can't get over it (our guinea pigs can leap over the one we got them and also my guinea pig peter figured out how to open the gate. Guinea pigs can drink out of a bowl if they've done it since they were babies, I've tried it with my guinea pigs and they didn't get how it worked. Just use a water bottle 'cause the bowls can get dirty.