Guinea Pig Hutch

If you’re investigating the best way to establish a guinea pig hutch for your pet, the first thing you need to know is that outdoor hutches do not make ideal habitats for guinea pigs!  Nevertheless, a hutch does have its uses and its place, so read on for our best advice about how you can incorporate one into your pet’s life.

When you look up the definition of the word hutch, you’ll see that this word refers to an enclosed pen or coop, or a cabinet-type structure that is raised on legs.  It’s generally thought to withstand the elements, such as rain, wind, and temperature extremes.

The problem is that your guinea pig, placed inside a hutch, cannot withstand those elements.  These furry little critters fare best when they are indoors, in a cozy, roomy structure that you’ve supplied for them.

The outdoors can bring either very hot or very cold weather that’s harmful to your pet.  You and your pet might enjoy a warm, sunny afternoon outdoors.  But when the day descends into a cool or even a rainy evening it’s not likely to be any more comfortable for your pet than it is for you.  If it storms, the thunder will frighten him.  Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture has established regulations ensuring that breeders and dealers house them indoors.

In addition, there’s no way you pet can keep bugs from entering his hutch.  And if you think bugs are a threat, just think about a roaming dog approaching the hutch and scaring your pet, or worse yet breaking into the hutch and injuring him.

Another reason why we rate guinea pig hutches below our very favorite housing type is because the walls of a hutch prevent your guinea pig from looking out on the world.  He likes to see what’s going on around him, and he wants to know when you’re entering or leaving the area!

But if you are still enamored of the idea of a guinea pig hutch, there are ways to feature this popular style in your pet’s world.  There are beautiful hutches you can buy or make.

You can build or buy a hutch by raising an oblong wooden crate on sturdy legs at each corner.  Some are enclosed on three sides, with the front made up of wire with openings no wider than 1 inch.  Others are basically wooden 2×4s hammered together into a rectangular box, with caging wire fastened to the wood.

You can add a dividing wall so that your pet can travel back and forth between rooms.  Overall, the hutch should have the same dimensions as standard C&C cages-at least two by three feet for one guinea pig, two by four feet for two guinea pigs, and adding a foot for each extra pet.

Take time to sand the wood so that your pet won’t be hurt by splinters.  Pay special attention to the floor:  You can’t just cover it with wood chips, hay, or processed paper products.  There should be a piece of Coroplast or vinyl floor tiles beneath the bedding to keep urine from soaking into the wood.

You can keep your guinea pig hutch in the backyard so that the two of you can enjoy sunny days together.  He’ll enjoy this bit of camaraderie, and he’ll love it if you put fresh grass-chemically untreated, of course-into his hutch for nibbling.  But never, never leave him alone and unprotected from a prowling dog or cat, or at the mercy of the elements.  When you go indoors, take him with you.

If you’ve got the standard C&C cage that comes so highly recommended, you can add a miniature guinea pig hutch inside of it.  You can buy panels of plastic with jigsaw-type edges that fit together.  There are even log-cabin types.  Your pet will undoubtedly enjoy this cozy enclosure as a place to go when he feels tired or just if he wants to get away from the world for a while.

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