There are a number of reasons you might want to guinea pig proof a room in your home for your pets.
You may have decided that you want your piggy to be free-roaming on a permanent basis, and want to provide them with a safe space to live where they can be happy. Or, you might just want a larger area you can move your guineas into for some extra exercise every so often.
Whatever the reason, you need to make sure the space in which you’re going to put your guinea pig is set up correctly. It will need to provide them with everything they require for a healthy life, and shouldn’t have any hazards or dangers, such as wires or poisonous plants, that could hurt your pet.
Take a look below at the best way to ensure your home is ready for your guinea pigs to roam free, and how to set up the perfect guinea-safe space.
Decide Which Area You Want Your Guinea Pig To Live In
First of all, you’ll need to decide where in the house you want your guinea pigs to have free range. This should be a room that is fairly quiet, away from any loud noises. We also don’t recommend you put them in a space in which you need to walk through often, ie. to get to another room.
You should be prepared to dedicate the space you choose to your guinea pigs. This means you’ll need to remove anything dangerous, such as wires and plants, and anything they might chew on, damage, or get stuck behind, such as large furniture.
While guinea pigs can be litter trained, they’ll certainly make this area their home, so you have to be prepared for some mess in this room too!
Separate The Area From The Rest Of The House
Once you have decided on the room or space in which you want to free roam your guinea pig, you will need to separate this space from the rest of the house.
Make sure any other pets or small children can’t get into the space you choose unsupervised. Guinea pigs are small and can easily get hurt! Equally, you should make sure your guinea pig can’t escape.
Just using the door to the room as a barrier to the rest of the house might not be enough. Guinea pigs can move very fast and could easily slip out when you open the door. Instead, put a barrier up in front of the door, or section off an area of the space they can’t access.
Fortunately, piggies are not good at climbing, so this barrier doesn’t ned to be very tall. A barrier just over a foot high is enough. Make sure the barrier is sturdy though, as they might try to push it over!
Check The Area For Hazards
While separating your guinea pig from any dangers in the rest of the house, you’ll need to make sure they are safe from any dangers in the room. This is where guinea-pig proofing is most important.
Start by checking the room for any obvious dangers. Guinea pigs are inquisitive and will want to explore, so one of the best ways to check the room for hazards is to get down on your hands and knees. This will give you a view of the room as your guinea pig will see it!
Here are some of the most common dangers to look out for:
- Houseplants: Certain houseplants can be poisonous to your guinea pig so should be kept out of the room. Your guinea pig won’t know if they are poisonous or not, and may try to eat them.
- Wires and Cords: If your guinea pig chews on any wires and cords, not only will they damage or break them, but they are also likely to get electrocuted. Make sure any wires are kept out of reach.
- High Surfaces: Guinea pigs are not great climbers, so it’s not a good idea to have too many different levels and platforms in their room. Don’t leave them alone with access to a table or a flight of stairs — they struggle with depth perception and could easily fall and hurt themselves, resulting in broken bones.
- Household Cleaners, Insecticides and Herbicides: These should always be out of reach of your piggy because they could harm them.
- Human Foods: Many human foods are unsafe for guinea pigs. In particular, onions, garlic, raisins, grapes, avocados and chocolate should be kept out of reach.
- Medications: Both human medicine and guinea pig medicine should not be able to be accessed by your pet.
- Open Flames and Heating Appliances: Never leave your guinea pig with an open flame, such as a candle or a fire in a fireplace. You should also be careful with appliances such as radiators, as these can burn your guinea pig if they get too hot.
- Sharp Objects: As we mentioned, piggies do not have good depth perception. This means they can run into objects that could cause wounds. This includes the corner of furniture, the corner of a book, and anything else sharp.
- Hidden Nooks/Small Spaces: Your guinea pig is inquisitive and will want to explore small spaces. Unfortunately they are likely to get stuck and it can be difficult to retrieve them. Watch out for any small spaces behind baseboards or behind furniture and make sure your guinea pig can’t access them.
Make Sure Your Guinea Pig Has Everything They Need
Once you have successfully guinea pig-proofed your room, check your guinea pig has everything they need to live healthily and comfortably in this space. This includes food, water, toys, tunnels and hideouts — everything a guinea pig living in a cage or hutch needs.
To find out more about what your guinea pig requires within their home, check out our article on housing your guinea pig.
