Guinea Pig Cage Smells?

Question

I own a 4x2 c&c cage for my 2 guinea pigs. I cleaned the cage last night thoroughly with a vinegar and water solution I put down a towel and fleece on top of the towel, and then placed the guinea pigs back in it. Immediately they began to poop & the smell began to fill the air immediately. I cleaned the few poops up to make the smell go away & I headed to bed. This morning I woke up to find the smell accumulated in the air, and I dont know how to disguise it for when my company comes over. Its only been 9 hours since I cleaned the cage, and I want to prevent this smell. Ive read the yahoo answers already & no questions presented give a good suggestion except clean the cage which Ive already done. I cant clean the cage every 9 hours to prevent this smell. Is there any product or a good oder neutralizers (Ive tried various ones & none seem to work) I can buy to hide the smell or that the guinea pigs can eat to hide the smell? & where would I be able to buy anything that would help?

Answer 1

By chance, do you have boy pigs? I have three boys and four girls, and their pens get cleaned semi-weekly (they, too, are all on towels/fleece). I've noticed that as soon as they're put into the clean cages, the boys will begin 'stinking.' I've never found their actual poops to be stinky. I've always thought it was a kind of scent-marking, or perhaps in my case, them showing off to the girls.

Also--what are you feeding? What they eat, of course, can effect how their farts/poops smell. Check up on what pellets you're giving and always make sure they have plenty of hay to forage. Are you giving them plenty of veggies? If so, are you giving gassy veggies like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower... because if that's the case, I think I know where your problem is ;)

Basically, first thing I would do is examine their diet, check out the guinealynx.info food charts and see if its a problem lying within their diet. What kind of pellets are you feeding? Some lower-quality pellets can cause 'stinky' poop. Also, like I said, make sure they have plenty of hay (it keeps their insides 'moving,' so to speak..)

As far as deodorizing goes, anything scented should be kept away from the pig cage itself--say, if you have a Plug-in, you wouldn't want that right next to the piggie cage. I keep a Plug-in on the opposite side of the room, and odor-free 'renuzits' (these weird twisting deodorizers you pick up for $.99 at the grocery) up on the windowsill. If weather permits, the windows are open. The best way to deal with odor is to improve ventilation!

If you decide to go down the route of changing bedding, I highly reccomend Carefresh. It's a bit better at odor control, however, it can get pricey. Whatever you (or anyone else, for that matter!) do, AVOID AROMATIC WOODCHIPS such as cedar and pine! Cedar is a HUGE no-no for any rodent (extremely dangerous to the respiratory system!) and pine, while it can be managed for rodents such as hamsters or mice, is dangerous to guinea pigs, as they are more prone to upper respiratory problems. It might smell good and you may get tempted... but if your piggies got sick because of it, it wouldn't have been worth it.

Answer 2

Are you using a towel and fleece as bedding?
You're supposed to use shavings- cedar would be good.

Also- the smell is probably related to their diet.

I've worked in pet-stores & never had smelly gp's.

Get a better quality food, pellet form or a nice gp mix.
Spend some money on them- it's not much.

Don't feed them iceberg lettuce- it's got no nutrients and causes gas. You know, that common lettuce that's round.
Always have clean water available.

It's all about good nutrition and good care. You sound like you will take good care of them.
Good Luck

Answer 3

Try using pine chips in the cage instead of a towel and fleece. I had 2 guinea pigs and I never had that problem. I used pine ships or use that recycled newspaper stuff that you get at the pet store. Just don't use cedar chips cause that can make them really sick. Best of luck

Answer 4

I think your problem could be the towels. I'm guessing they are getting damp so you are losing the advantage of the fleece. I use newspapers under the fleece and clean out the cage daily, removing poops and any damp or dirty hay. I also have a double layer of fleece (one large bit folded) which I turn mid week and then the whole thing is replaced weekly. We have 2 pigs in a 2x5 C&C cage.

Answer 5

guinea pig cage smells

Answer 6

How about a soy-based neutrilizing candle or a similar product that can be placed by the cage? Check out your local health food store (Like Whole Foods), if you have one close.

Answer 7

Use wood shavings, cedar especially will neutralize the odor. For an immediate fix, sprinke baking soda on the bottom. Get rid of the towel and fleece, you'll never get the smell out of them.

good luck