Come discover hairless guinea pigs of Windham, NH!
One of the most common problems in guinea pig husbandry are cages that are too small. Minimum size should be 30”L x18”W x 15”H. Do not buy the guinea pig starter kits from the pet store; often the food is old and stale and the cages are much too small for full-grown skinny pigs. Look for cages with a solid bottom that has a 3-4 inch lip to hold in the bedding. Cages with wire floors can be hard on the skinny pigs feet and even lead to broken toes. Cages that open from the top and have side access are best. It makes retrieving and cleaning your skinny pig much easier.
Home made cages are also a popular choice and you can get them from http://www.guineapigcages.com/ or make one from very, very large clear Sterilite bin with 1 ½ inch holes drilled in several rows 2 inches apart. There are large versions of the ones often used for hedgehogs. For the best instruction on making one yourself you can go to Hamor Hollow’s article on hedgehog cages. Just remember that the bin will need to be much, much larger than the one used for hedgehogs.
All skinny pigs must be kept indoors only!!! They will need a warm cozy sleeping sack. Watch out for direct sunlight as you do not want to burn or over heat your skinny pig. Skinny pigs do well with a 12 hour light cycle. You want to place your skinny pigs in a quiet area where they can observe the family with out being in the action. A bedroom or quiet corner in a family room is fine. Avoid placing the cage near sound equipment such as speakers or the T.V. These locations will cause unnecessary stress in your skinny pigs and they will never be the friendly interactive pets you are hoping for. The temperature that skinny pigs should be kept at is between, 65-75 degrees F. At over 85 degrees F they can get heat stroke and if it is too cold they will freeze to death.
Skinny pigs will eat more than the average guinea pig, and this means more cage cleaning. I recommend completely cleaning out the cage every 3 – 4 days with daily spot cleaning. Once a week the entire cage should be completely disinfected with a vinegar and water solution. Remember to rinse well before drying and placing clean bedding into the cage.
Pine shavings are a fine choice for bedding; be sure that they are kiln dried (most are). You can get large quantities at most pet stores and farm centers.
Care fresh and Yesterday’s news are your best choices these too can be found at most pet stores and on line.
Do not use cedar shavings– the oils in the wood can contribute to health issues such as respiratory problems and liver disease.
Do not use saw dust, corn cob, or cat litter as bedding for skinny pigs, they can and will eat it causing a variety of health problems.