Hi she’s under a year. Her cage is 29x17 inches and I’m looking to get her a much bigger one (I initially got all supplies at pets mart and don’t believe they marketed the appropriate size for her.) A puppy pad and then a layer of paper bedding ( we tried the fleece however didn’t feel sanitary for an appt building and more difficult to clean). She likes to pull her hay from the dispenser and spew it around her cage I attempt to only give her a small amount at a time to decrease waste but hardly believe she actually consumes most of it. Yes I clean up her poop there is never a poop smell.
She a destructive girl of her space (partiallly when she get the zoomies she loves to run around and reorganize) and any toys we give she tears up. I’ve tried to determine where she potties the most in an attempt to train her however it’s like she senses my motives and will switch it up
Ok so you are right, the cage is unsuitable and doesn’t meet any welfare requirements. Its such a shame shops can sell unsuitable cages for piggies . That only comes in at 73x42cm so falls very short of even minimum sizing.
The smallest cage a single piggy should be in is 48x24 inches (120x60cm). This is also the minimum size for a pair. However, it is recommended a pair of sows have a cage of 60x24 inches (150x60cm).
I would suggest that the issue is that her cage is simply too small and a cage which is too small will smell much more quickly.
It’ll be why you are having to do a full clean every two days - you should be able to do a full clean once a week with a disposable bedding (fleece can need to be done twice a week) but with removing smaller wet areas daily.
Cage Size Guide
I’m assuming she is alone?
She really needs to live with another guinea pig. Guinea pigs are social, herd animals. Thry are not wired to be on their own and need to be kept in pairs. It’s essential they have the companionship and social interaction with another piggy which will prevent loneliness. Single piggies will get on with life but they really thrive when they have a friend.
Do you plan on getting her a friend once you have a bigger cage?
Companionship
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
Hay is best just given in a large pile and not using a hayrack or any sort. You must never restrict access to hay by only giving small amounts, she needs to have a lot of it freely available to her at all times. They will forage through and pick the tastiest bits and leave the rest - that is normal. There is always going to be mess and wastage, that is part and parcel of piggy keeping and one you should not try to prevent.
Mine are totally bedded on hay in their 6ft hutch with it topped up twice a day. I throw away more hay than my piggies consume - that is totally normal but I don’t consider it wasted hay as they have spent time playing in it, sleeping in it and generally running through it and having fun with it.
Hay provides enrichment for them to and they like to get inside big piles of hay and spend lots of time foraging through it. Particularly as your girl doesn’t seem to have a friend, then spending large parts of her day inside a big hay pile, freely foraging through it is i ports t to give her some of the stimulation she needs.
You may find this thread from a couple of weeks ago helpful -
Hay wasting
The only way to know guinea pigs are healthy and are eating enough hay is through routine weekly weight checks.
Ive linked in the guide below which details the importance of routine, lifelong weekly weight checks.
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Her running about wouldn’t be considered being destructive. Piggies aren’t usually interested in commercial toys but chewing them would be something normal given their huge love of chewing.
The best way to keep a guinea pig entertained is through living with another guinea pig. It is the best form of enrichment and essential for their full wellbeing.
Otherwise, lots of free ability to forage, hides to run and play in etc (again this is why a big cage is important to be able to fit all the items inside it)
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs cannot be litter trained so there will always be pee and poop everywhere.
They can sometimes be encouraged to pee where they eat so putting hay in the bottom of a litter tray (with something absorbent underneath it) can mean you incidentally catch some pee in one area while they eat the hay but the reality is, it is still going to be everywhere else too.
You will see I’ve added green links in throughout my reply. These provide more in depth information which you may find useful.
