Recommended Supplies - Precisely Pets

The following is a list of my favorite guinea pig items and some of my guinea pigs’ favorite treats and toys.

Some toys and treats on the market are frequently ignored or even unsafe for guinea pigs. I’ll include a list of things to avoid at the bottom of this page so you’re not wasting money on useless or even potentially harmful items.

My Favorite Guinea Pig Items

This is a quick list of everything I use for my piggies. I have more details on each item as you scroll further down the page.

*Please note that many of these links are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission from the sale. This is at no additional cost to you. You don’t have to use them, but I really appreciate the support if you do!

As far as shops go, Chewy and Small Pet Select are both great places to find guinea pig supplies. Chewy has great prices and a lot of items in one place, and Small Pet Select is a great source for soft, fresh hay and bedding in bulk. They also have pea flakes, herb mixes, and some cool chewable toys that are safe for piggies.

Exercise Pens

Exercise pens (also known as ex-pens or playpens) have countless purposes for guinea pigs.

There are many different types to choose from, but I prefer wire pens that fold up for storage.

I use exercise pens frequently for floor time. You can set one up and let your guinea pigs run around safely inside the pen in any room of the house.

You can also use them to block off certain areas of a room or furniture that guinea pigs could chew or hide under.

Exercise pens are also great for keeping your guinea pigs safely contained if you want to take them outside for fresh air and grazing time.

You can use dog exercise pens, but some guinea pigs may be cheeky and try to stick their heads through the bars. Midwest small animal exercise pens are safest, but you may need to get two or more to give your guinea pigs enough space to run around. My favorite option is to buy a pack of wire grids (see below) and zip tie them together to make an exercise pen in any size you want.

Wire Grids

Wire grids are often used to build C&C cages for guinea pigs. I used them to make all of my guinea pig cages, and they worked great!

Wire grids are perfect because you can zip tie them together in nearly any shape or configuration you can think of to fit your space.

When choosing your wire grids, be sure to select grids that have nine squares across, like the Amazon Basics grids or Whitmor brand Storage Cubes.

Some grids have bigger holes that guinea pigs could get their head stuck in, so you want to avoid those.

Another thing you can use them for is making your own guinea pig exercise pen. Simply zip tie a bunch of grids together, and you have an ex-pen! This is usually cheaper than buying a dog ex-pen, and you can add as many grids as you want to make the ex-pen bigger. It also folds up in a fan like a regular ex-pen for storage.

Midwest Guinea Pig Cage

The Midwest guinea pig cage is an excellent alternative to C&C enclosures if you don’t want to build your own cage with grids. The Midwest cage is a good size for two guinea pigs, and you can also add on to make it bigger if you have more than two piggies.

You can find Midwest cages at Chewy or on Amazon.

Waterproof Floor Time Mats

Waterproof mats are great for floor time and anywhere else you want to protect your floor from piggy messes. They’re easy to shake off and clean and machine washable as well.

My favorite mats for the guinea pigs are splat mats made for kids. I have several of them and also use them in the guinea pig cages.

The ones I have in the guinea pig cages do get stained when used heavily, but they don’t ever let any urine seep through, which is perfect.

XL Litter Boxes

I have used all kinds of litter trays for guinea pigs, but these extra-large litter trays are my favorite. They’re made for litter box training puppies and small dogs, but they are great for all types of animals. They look similar to cat boxes, but they have a lower entrance, have lipped sides to discourage chewing, and are much harder to tip over.

These trays are pretty big (I use the 24″ x 20″ size), so I wouldn’t buy them if you have a smaller cage. They have a slightly smaller tray that measures 20″ x 15″, but that will still take up a lot of space in a smaller cage.

For those with a Midwest or C&C cage, though, they are absolutely worth it.

I use them as a litter box/hay box combo, and it helps keep the hay contained in one place. The litter box walls are also low enough that I can hang the water bottle over the litter box, so it catches all the drips from the bottle. Using these litter boxes has cut down my cage cleaning time significantly.

You can find these particular litter boxes on Chewy or Amazon.

Small Pet Carrier

I love to use soft-sided carriers for my guinea pigs. Carriers are handy for taking your guinea pig to the vet, outside, or even to a new room in the house.

By bringing your piggy to a new area in a carrier, you allow them to feel safe and investigate the new room at their own pace.

I also use carriers to move guinea pigs to and from their cage. I find this much easier and safer than carrying them back and forth. It is also super easy to teach guinea pigs to go in a carrier. Simply toss a couple of veggie pieces in the back of the carrier each time.

After a while, they’ll likely want to go into the carrier even without food because it means they get to come out and have fun! Once they learn to love their carrier, they will run inside as soon as you put the carrier down in their cage or on the floor.

You can find some good carriers at Chewy or Amazon (small cat carriers usually work well for piggies!)

Fleece Liners

Fleece liners are a super cozy alternative bedding that guinea pigs love. I made most of my liners myself, but I’ve also purchased some from GuineaDad in the past and loved them. You can also browse Etsy for some handmade liners in different colors and patterns.

Chenille Bath Mats

Chenille bath mats (also called noodle rugs) are absorbent and easy to wash. This makes them an excellent option for guinea pig cages. It’s a good idea to place them under hidey houses or other high-trafficked areas where your guinea pigs pee the most. They can help keep your fleece liners clean much longer by placing them strategically around the cage.

Soft Fleece Pet Blankets

These fleece pet blankets are incredibly soft and cozy for guinea pigs. I like to use them over fleece liners or underneath sleeping areas, sometimes over the top of the chenille mats for extra absorbency. Soft blankets can make plastic or wooden hidey houses much warmer and cozier, especially in winter.

Oxbow Pellets

TJ: “I’m going in!”
Willow: “Do you think I could fit too???”

I’ve fed all my piggies Oxbow Cavy Cuisine for the last ten years or so. As you can see, the guinea pigs love it, and they’ve always been healthy and long-lived. Oxbow is considered a high-quality food and is recommended by many vets and long-time guinea pig owners.

However, pellets should be a small part of your guinea pig’s overall diet (the standard amount is 1/8 cup per pig per day.) It’s essential to balance your guinea pig’s diet with unlimited hay and healthy vegetables.

Timothy and Orchard Hay

Unlimited access to hay is the most crucial part of your guinea pig’s diet. Hay should equal about 80% of your guinea pig’s diet! Hay is essential to keep the digestive tract moving. Continuously chewing on the long strands of hay also keeps your guinea pig’s ever-growing teeth worn down and healthy.

Timothy and orchard hay are both healthy options for guinea pigs. Small Pet Select is an excellent source to get fresh, soft hay in bulk. First or second cut is the best option for most guinea pigs, as third cut tends to be richer and more fattening.

Aspen Shavings

Aspen shavings are my typical go-to disposable bedding to use in litter boxes. Soft paper-based bedding is another excellent choice, but it’s a little more expensive. Small Pet Select has affordable bulk options for both aspen shavings and soft paper bedding.

Living World Plastic Water Bottles

The Living World bottle on the right has a much larger tip to allow easier access to water.

Living World plastic water bottles are my favorite type of water bottle for my guinea pigs. They don’t typically leak, but they allow plenty of water to come out without too much effort on the guinea pig’s part.

Some water bottles have a tiny ball tip on the end, and when you touch them with your finger, very little water comes out! I worry that my guinea pigs won’t get the amount of water they need from those, so I always look for a bottle with a larger ball tip.

Sturdy No Tip Bowls

Most lightweight plastic food bowls will be easily tipped over by guinea pigs, resulting in a lot of wasted food! A couple of bowls I like are the heavyweight Kaytee bowls and Staybowl tip-proof bowls.

Hiding Houses

I typically use three different types of hidey houses for my piggies. First, there are the Living World domes, as they are one of the only plastic hideouts that are not see-through. Plastic hideouts are durable and easy to clean, but they’re not the best choice if your guinea pig likes to chew a lot. Wooden houses are another great choice, although they’re more likely to be stained.

Fleece hideys are also great if you’re willing to spend a bit more. Guinea pigs love these the most, but they do require frequent cleaning. I love to browse Etsy for cool handmade fleece huts, tunnels, and beds. Etsy has a lot of super adorable options for guinea pig fleece accessories.

Mini Broom and Dustpan

A mini handheld broom and dustpan are invaluable with guinea pigs. As anyone with a guinea pig would know, guinea pigs poop constantly. Having a little “poop broom” nearby makes it so much easier to tidy up their cage a bit throughout the day or catch stray pieces outside of the cage.

Cage Cleaning Disinfectant

Nature’s Miracle Cage Cleaning spray is my go-to for cleaning things like litter boxes and hidey houses. I also soak things in vinegar occasionally to get stains out. However, I find the disinfectant better to remove smells, especially if you don’t want to soak items for several minutes.

It’s also odorless and safe for small animal respiratory systems. You can use the small animal spray or the bird cage spray, as both are safe to use around sensitive animals. Nature’s Miracle also sells cage cleaning wipes, but I found these got moldy after a while, so I prefer the spray.

Digital Kitchen Scale

A scale is handy to keep track of your guinea pig’s weight. Weight changes can often be the first sign of illness, so it’s a good thing to record. I like these digital kitchen scales mostly because they have ample surface space. This makes it easy for guinea pigs to sit on it comfortably and munch on some veggies while you read their weight.

Favorite Treats and Toys

The following section on this page is a list compiled by my guinea pigs. The following treats and toys are all the things that my guinea pigs go crazy for! They’re a little bit spoiled, haha.

Treats

Oxbow Simple Rewards Baked Cookies

Oxbow has a brand of treats that come in a few different flavors. They particularly love the baked cookies made in the shape of a heart. Most of my guinea pigs seem to love the Barley Biscuits flavor the most, followed by the Veggie Treats, Bell Pepper biscuits, and Apple & Banana.

Oxbow Supplement Tabs

These are more of a health item, but my guinea pigs seem to think of them more as treats. All of my pigs get the vitamin C tabs in the orange package, but I’ve also given my older guys the joint support supplements.

It’s hard to say whether they make a big difference health-wise, but I did notice a slight improvement with the joint tabs, and extra vitamin C is never a bad thing for guinea pigs! The guinea pigs certainly love them, and it’s great to have a healthy treat that gives them some added health benefits.

Pea Flakes

Pea flakes are another type of dried treat that guinea pigs love! My piggies will climb my arm for these tiny flakes. Small Pet Select sells packages of pea flakes. If you live outside the USA, you may want to search on Etsy or google for a small business that sells them in your area.

Oxbow Hay Stacks

Oxbow Hay Stacks are essentially compressed discs of hay. These are not a good substitute for regular hay, but they make a great treat or toy in addition to the regular hay source. Guinea pigs love to chew and pull them apart. Some of my guinea pigs even love to drag them around the cage.

Toys and Chew Items

Treat Balls

Treat balls can be filled with pellets, diced carrots, or other tiny veggie pieces. My guinea pigs all love rolling their treat balls around. They provide a good source of both exercise and mental enrichment. Most guinea pigs need to be taught how to use their treat ball first, but once they learn, most piggies love playing with it.

Timothy Hay Tunnel

I’ve never met a guinea pig that hasn’t been drawn to timothy hay tunnels. These tunnels combine a guinea pig’s two favorite things; eating/chewing and hiding.

Guinea pigs also love to explore and seem to love running through tunnels. Hay tunnels are a bit more expensive than other hay-woven toys, but they’re more interactive for the guinea pig and hold up to chewing much longer than the smaller toys.

Timothy Hay Mat

Timothy hay mats are another excellent chew item for guinea pigs. These can be placed on the floor or hung up on the side of the cage with twist ties or zip ties. If you place these on the ground, I highly suggest not putting them in a high-traffic corner where it’s likely to be peed or pooped on. Once the mat gets soiled, most guinea pigs lose interest in chewing on it.

Tying it to the side of the cage is a good alternative to keep it clean and make it last longer. It also encourages the guinea pigs to stretch and get a bit of exercise by reaching up to chew the mat.

Chewable Willow or Hay Balls

Balls, rings, and twists made of hay, willow, or similar safe chewable materials are all great toys for guinea pigs. Rosewood Naturals has a great trio set of chewable balls, and Small Pet Select is also an excellent source for a variety of safe piggy toys. My guinea pigs prefer the softer type of hay woven toys, but the more rigid willow balls tend to be more durable and last longer.

Apple Tree Sticks

Apple tree sticks are great for guinea pigs that love to chew. They are especially great for baby guinea pigs, as young piggies seem to have a neverending desire to chew and nibble on things.

If you have an apple tree at home, you can simply cut some twigs and small branches for your piggies. Make sure the tree is not treated with pesticides or other chemicals first though! Otherwise, you can purchase packs of organic apple tree sticks online or at some pet stores.

Guinea Pig Items to AVOID

Exercise Balls and Wheels

Any kind of wheel or exercise ball is not suitable for guinea pigs. Guinea pigs don’t have flexible spines like hamsters, rats, and other rodents, so their back is unable to bend to run on wheels. A better way to exercise your guinea pig is to purchase an exercise pen and give them plenty of free roam time to run outside their cage.

Yogurt Drop Treats

Yogurt drops are treats that are frequently sold for guinea pigs. However, these treats are very high in sugar and not healthy for guinea pigs. In addition, guinea pigs should not consume anything that has even the tiniest amounts of meat or dairy in it. The best treats to give your guinea pigs are the ones listed above or a variety of fresh vegetables, especially vegetables that are high in vitamin C.

Treats with Seeds

Another type of treat that is frequently marketed towards small animals are treat sticks that are held together with honey or other sticky substances. These treats are very unhealthy for guinea pigs and can also pose a choking risk. Typically anything with seeds in it is best avoided.

Wire Hay Balls and Some Hay Racks

Guinea pig eating from a wire hay ball. These can be potentially dangerous if guinea pigs are left unsupervised with them.

Any kind of wire hay ball that is hung on the cage and filled with hay can be potentially quite dangerous for guinea pigs.

There have been countless cases of people who came home to find their guinea pig seriously injured or worse, with their heads stuck inside one of these balls.

Hay racks, in general, are often frowned upon by experienced guinea pig owners. This is because guinea pigs are supposed to eat large amounts of hay (their diet should consist of 80% hay.)

Hay racks can make guinea pigs work harder than necessary for their hay, and therefore, they may not eat as much as they should.

If you choose to use a hay rack, make sure it has large openings and is easy to reach for the guinea pig so they have no difficulty getting the amount of hay they need daily. Hay bags with several openings are a good choice if you hang them close to the floor.

My personal preference is using large litter boxes and adding a new pile of hay to the box daily. This allows the piggies to eat freely and does an excellent job of keeping hay contained in one easy-to-clean area.

Vitamin C Drops Added to Water

It is imperative to make sure your guinea pigs get plenty of vitamin C in their diet. However, vitamin C drops added to water aren’t very effective because vitamin C degrades quickly once exposed to light. In addition, the taste can even turn some guinea pigs off drinking from their water bottle.

The best way to ensure your guinea pigs are getting enough vitamin C is to feed them high-quality pellet food and provide veggies high in vitamin C, such as bell peppers. Oxbow vitamin C tabs are an excellent edible supplement if you’re concerned about your piggies not getting enough vitamin C in their diet. For even more guinea pig items to avoid, check out this list of 15 things you should never buy for your guinea pig.