Pets make us kinder and fill our lives with meaning. However, deciding to have a pet, it is important to provide him with suitable conditions. How to equip a house for a guinea pig, what is necessary for this animal for good health?
Choose a cell
At first glance, guinea pigs seem to be passive and calm animals. But this is not at all true. A healthy animal, if released from the cage, will please its owner with good speed, dexterity and resourcefulness. And this means that the animal needs a fairly large area to feel comfortable. One individual can live in a cage with dimensions of at least 100 x 70 cm. If you plan to make a couple, you should choose a house for a guinea pig with dimensions of 140 x 70. The only thing these animals are not too demanding on is the number of tiers. The animals feel quite comfortable in a one-story cage. If you are going to buy a cage or do it yourself, remember that in it you will need to equip a shelter, an area for eating, and also place other accessories.
How to make a cage with your own hands?
Today, in pet stores you can buy any accessories for keeping and caring for animals. Remember that you can also make a house for a guinea pig with your own hands. This option is good in that you can choose the size and configuration of the home yourself. In addition, the finished home will cost you less than the factory version. So how to make a guinea pig house? You will need tools and materials: a metal mesh, connecting corners, a dense corrugated cardboard (you can take a box from household appliances) or plywood, a self-adhesive film.
Let's start with the manufacture of the pallet. The paws of rodents are very sensitive, and therefore it is impossible to allow the animal to constantly run along the net, the floor should be flat. Before settling the animal, sprinkle sawdust or special wood filler on it. From cardboard or plywood, assemble a box with low sides. This is done very simply - cut out a rectangle with allowances on the side walls, then cut and assemble the structure. Glue the pallet with a film to protect it from moisture. Now you can assemble the cage itself from a metal mesh. Connect the four walls with the help of metal corners and be sure to process all sharp edges. If desired, make a roof, but experienced breeders claim that for guinea pigs, only high side rails are enough. If your cage is closed on top, be sure to build a door on the side or in the upper part, through which you will let the animal out for a walk and feed.
We make a shelter house
All rodents love to hide in secluded places, this is laid down in them at the genetic level. For large animals, it makes sense to make a house that fits inside the cage. The easiest option is to choose a suitable plastic box (you can also use a can of food) and cut out the entrance. Such a shelter should not have a bottom. However, many breeders are worried that the animal will begin to gnaw plastic. And it really is not very useful for the animal. We offer you simple advice on how to make a guinea pig house with your own hands from plywood or wood. The design is a box consisting of four walls and a roof. The most difficult thing is to choose the best connection option. Remember that the animal will gnaw at its shelter, which means that the glue does not suit us. Pick up short and thin cloves. When driving them, make sure that the sharp ends do not stick out anywhere, and the animal will not be able to break the shelter and run into nails.
Essential Accessories
Our house for the guinea pig is almost ready, it remains only to equip it. To eat, you need a feeder and a drinker. If you regularly give hay to an animal, get a special mesh device for it - a strawberry. You can also please your pet with edible tunnels and mineral pebbles for a tooth point. From time to time, buy a treat in sticks, do not forget to change the water and food, and also clean the cage in a timely manner.
List of items prohibited in guinea pig dwelling
If you make a house for a guinea pig, use only new and clean materials, in extreme cases - packaging from food products. Remember that a variety of paints and adhesives can be dangerous for the animal. It is unacceptable to keep guinea pigs in aquariums and plastic containers, in such conditions it is difficult to provide good ventilation and permissible humidity. A cage-house for a guinea pig should be equipped only with accessories designed specifically for these animals. Never buy running wheels, as the legs of the animal are fragile, and do not give water in open bowls.