A guide to guinea pig cage sizes

If you’re new to piggy parenthood, buying and setting up your guinea pig’s cage can be an exciting if somewhat head-scratching experience. What are the cage size requirements for two guinea pigs versus a mini herd of piggies? Do male and female pigs have different cage needs? Does size really matter? 

If you find yourself asking these questions (and many more!) then you’ve come to the right place. In this handy guide, we’ll help you choose the best cage for your piggies. This will give them all the space they need to zoom around, snooze, and popcorn with joy in their new pet palace.

Why Cage Size Matters for Guinea Pigs?

In the wild, guinea pigs are ground-roaming rodents that love to forage and explore. It’s important to bear this in mind from the outset, as it means that they require a larger floor space than you might first think. Cavies are much more sizable floofs than their distantly-related hamster and gerbil cousins, yet they’re often kept in similar cages that don’t give them enough space to move around and explore.

Our furry friends weren't built for climbing - they have pretty poor depth perception, too! As such, multi-level cages with steep ramps and no protective sides may be highly stimulating for other rodents, but aren’t best suited for pottering piggies. 

Piggies may enjoy an extra level to their cage, but the ramp should be much shallower and have protective sides to avoid any nasty falls. A C&C loft and ramp would be an ideal mix of piggy fun and practicality.

Now that we know piggies prefer more floor space, let’s take a look at some of the key benefits of opting for a larger piggy palace.

Large cages help cavies stay healthy

Giving guinea pigs a larger floor space means that they have more room for their everyday piggy activities! This means plenty of space to exercise, run around, and piggy-train to their heart’s content. Not only is this adorable to watch, but it also improves their overall health. Crucially, it can reduce the risk of them developing serious medical conditions like obesity, heart disease and bumblefoot.

More space means less bickering!

It’s true that piggies are generally sociable little furballs who love nothing more than to share their space with a cavy roommate. However, just like us hoomans, there are times when even the most extroverted piggy needs some alone time.

When guinea pigs are given plenty of room, they're less likely to get on top of each other - which generally leads to arguing and confrontation. In particular, boars (male piggies) need more space per animal than sows (female piggies). This is because they’re more prone to quarrels and clashes.

Roomier enclosures help curb boredom

Not only do sizable digs have some serious curb appeal - they also help curb boredom. While this may not seem like a big deal, bored guinea pigs are not happy guinea pigs. To help your piggy live their best life, it’s important to provide enrichment for them - and this starts with good-sized accommodation.

Bored piggies can quickly become destructive. Whether it's chewing the bars of their cage, nibbling on things they shouldn’t, or riling up their cage mates, these are all common symptoms of guinea pigs that aren’t having their physical and mental needs met. Natural behaviors for piggies include exploring and foraging, so make sure they have a large enough area to engage in these activities!

Double 4x2 C&C Kavee Cage housing three guinea pig

Pick the Best Size Cage for Guinea Pigs

If you take a look at the minimum cavy cage size requirements advised by most animal welfare organisations, you’d be forgiven for basing your purchase on their guidance. However, here at Kavee we are on a mission to give our sweet pigs the life we know they deserve. And we’d say that in our experience, these measurements are a bit on the stingy side.

Our team of small pet experts have worked hard to create piggy palaces that not only look great, but are also roomy enough for your guinea pigs to thrive in. So while general guidance may be outdated, you can check out our size recommendations below.

Guinea pig cage size guide

The minimum floor space advised is simply too small for guinea pigs. And sadly, when they don’t have enough room to move around freely, it can end up seriously hampering their quality of life. Let's compare the minimum space versus the size we recommend at Kavee:

Number of guinea pigs

Minimum floor space

Recommended floor space

2 sows

2x3 C&C = 8 ft2

2x4 C&C = 10 ft2

3 sows

2x4 C&C = 10 ft2

2x5 C&C = 12ft2

2 boars

2x4 C&C = 10 ft2

2x5 C&C = 12ft2

1 neutered boar & 2 sows

2x4 C&C = 10 ft2

2x5 C&C = 12ft2

4 sows

2x5 C&C = 12ft2

2x6 C&C = 14 ft2

 

If you have the space in your home then you should absolutely go bigger, 100% of the time. Make sure to purchase the best, roomiest cage possible for your guinea pigs. We promise you, they’ll thank you for it!

Cage size for 1 guinea pig

We always recommend having at least one piggy pal for your guinea pig, as they can become sad and lonely on their own (no one wants to see a sad piggy). However, we understand that there may be times when this is necessary, such as with a pregnant sow who needs her space, or quarantining a poorly piggy.

Even if you temporarily have just one guinea pig, it’s important to note that they will still need plenty of space to run around. Housing should be at least 7.5 square ft (0.7 square metres) according to the humane society, however we’d advise that 10.5 (1 square metre) square ft is a much more considerate size. 

3x2 grid C&C cage (41,3 x 27,6 x 13,8 inches or 8.6 square ft) would give your momentarily solitary piggy all the room they need.

3x2 C&C Kavee Cage housing one guinea pig

Cage size for 2 guinea pigs

As mentioned above, the recommended cage size for two piggies is the same as one, which means that their housing should be at least 7.5 square feet (0.7 square metres). That said, we’d recommend at least 10.5 square ft (1 square metre) as a more ideal size to go for.

This means that a cage offering the bare minimum size requirements would be 4ft x 2ft (122cm x 61cm). This doesn’t give your piggies much room to move around, so we’d advise you to look for a cage measuring at least 5ft x 2ft (152cm x 61cm). 

Our recommendation, would be to size up and go for a 4x2 grid C&C cage (55,1 x 27,6 x 13,8 inches or 11.5 square ft). This would be the perfect sized home for 1-2 piggy companions - and yep, not far off double the standard advised minimum cage requirements!

4x2 C&C Kavee Cage housing two guinea pigs

Cage size for 3 guinea pigs

If you have a herd of three piggies, you’ll need an even roomier cage. The minimum cage size you’ll need is 10.5 square ft (1 square metre). Our recommendation, however, would be a cage measuring 13 square ft (1.2 square metres). This gives them much more space to engage in natural piggy behaviors.

To give you a better idea of how much space this will require in your home, a cage that is just under the minimum requirements would be 5ft x 2ft (152cm x 60cm) and a better sized cage would be 6ft x 2ft (183cm x 60cm).

If you have got the space, the best option would be a roomy 5x2 grid C&C cage (68,9 x 27,6 x 13,8 inches or 14.4 square ft).

5x2 C&C Kavee Cage housing up to three guinea pigs

Cage size for 4 guinea pigs

While the minimum cage size requirements for four guinea pigs is at least 13 square ft (1.2 square metres), it would be better, if possible, to stretch to a larger cage that is 16 square ft (1.5 square metres).

A square 3x3 grid C&C cage (3.6ft x 3.6ft or 13 square ft) does meet the minimum requirements, but a longer cage is more ideal as it will give your piggies more space to run. Ideally, you should opt for a 6x2 grid C&C cage as it will give your piggies maximum running room (82.7 x 27,6 x 13,8 inches or 17 square ft). 

6x2 C&C Kavee Cage housing up to four guinea pigs

Guinea Pig Cage Size FAKs - Frequently Asked Kavees

Can I make my guinea pig cage bigger?

One of the reasons C&C grid cages are such a popular choice is because they are so easy to customise and expand to your current needs. To make your cage larger, simply use additional grids, connectors and coroplast in the relevant size.

Do male guinea pigs need more space?

Yes, male guinea pigs need more space than female guinea pig pairings. This is because boars are more likely to get into fights than females if they don’t have a large enough space to live in. As such, we always recommend going up to the next cage size if you plan on housing male piggies together.

How much space do guinea pigs need?

According to the Humane Society, the minimum cage size requirements for 1 or 2 guinea pigs should be at least 7.5 square ft (0.7 square metres). However, to give your cute cavies the best quality of life possible, we’d recommend that 10.5 square ft is a much better size. In short: the bigger, the better!

C&c cagesCage size guidesGuinea pig care

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