In this article, we will discuss what the best cages for guinea pigs are and how to pick them out.
How do you pick out a proper cage for a Guinea Pig?
Guinea Pig cages come in all shapes and sizes.
People typically purchase small cages and then upgrade. They often start with a hamster cage, then realize they need something more significant.
The first important aspect of the cage to remember is the size.
Guinea Pigs are the largest domestic rodent, and such will need their space.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you make a purchase through them, I will earn a small commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. Please see full disclosure policy here
How big should a guinea pig cage be?
A minimum size cage is at least 7.5 square feet of space for a single Guinea Pig. And at least 10 square feet for two.
It is always the goal to have two Guineas for a social companion, but not always 100% necessary.
Aside from space, the best cage a Guinea Pig can have includes a place to sleep, eat, go to the bathroom and play.
Do you need a top to a guinea pig cage?
Most Guinea Pig habitats do not need a top or cover as the piggies do not jump or climb out of their cages.
Please be aware it may be necessary to have a lid to your cage. If you have other animals in the house that may get in the cage. Or after the experience, you find your Guinea can get out.
Having easy access to their space will make feeding and cage clean-up much more manageable.
Several enclosures options for your Cavy will be readily available at either pet stores or online at large retailers.
This article will take genuine reviews from people who have purchased the three most popular cages and break them down into pros and cons.
There, of course, will be better cages out there, but they do not have several thousands of reviews.
The article’s purpose is to find the best Guinea Pig cage from the most reviewed cages to allow you, the consumer, to make an informed decision on what you are buying.
The cages reviewed are Midwest Homes for Pets Guinea Pig habitat plus, Kavee C&C 3×2 cage, and Amazon Basics pet habitat.
The Cages:
Midwest Homes for Pets
The Midwest Homes for Pets company is out of Indiana.
They manufacture crates for all types of pets, including dogs, cats, birds, and small animals such as a bunny and Guinea Pig.
They are the most significant home builder for pets in the USA.
The company has been in business for over 90 years and began as Mid-west metal products.
The metal products produced at Mid-West are the same ones used in the pet home business, as they make tubular metal and sheet metal products. All products manufactured by Midwest homes for pets are quality tested for durability and strength.
The products have a one-year manufacturer warranty from defects the company may have caused, not what you or your animal caused.
The Guinea Pig Habitat plus is the most popular cage that Midwest Homes for Pets produces for guinea pigs.
The cage provides eight total square feet of living space and comes with a divider to separate the cage into two separate living areas.
The plus cage is the same size as the standard cage, 47 inches long x 24 inches wide x 14 inches high but comes with a divider, a ramp for the Guineas to pass from one space to the next, and a wire mesh cover.
The company states that it is appropriate for one to two Guinea Pigs but will be pretty cramped if you have two.
A second cage can be easily added to the end, creating a long run, or as an L shape now creating 16 square feet of spacious cage space.
Midwest homes for pets claim that the cage is an easy setup and no tools are required.
A canvas bottom surface is provided on their Guinea Pig cages and is waterproof, durable, and easy to clean.
The cage can be used indoors as a permanent habitat, and it can also provide a safe space for outdoor use as the lid will protect from would-be predators.
What do the positive reviews say about the Guinea Pig Habitat plus?
Positive reviews indicate people are happy that the cage is an all-in-one buy.
What’s included in the price?
- canvas bottom
- the ramp
- wire cage cover
The price is less than USD 100. Many people said it is a cheap alternative to a C&C cage.
You can add additional enclosures, making it easy to expand the habitat, and add a new Guinea Pig if you so desire.
The divider allows you to lock your guineas on one side and clean the other side, then move them to the cleaned side while you finish the cage cleaning.
The positives of the Midwest Guinea Pig Habitis Plus-
One person has had the canvas for four years, and it has not leaked. Having the top on the cage provides stability to the walls making the habitat seem more solid.
Many people are surprised by how big the cage is in terms of square footage and size.
Several mentions of the cage being more extensive than anything you can buy at the local pet store.
The enclosure is all on one level, making cleaning much more accessible than a multi-level cage.
The cage seems to hold up well over years of use.
The vast majority of the reviews are positive, far outweighing the negative reviews.
What are the unfavorable reviews of the Midwest Guinea Pig habitat plus?
The negative reviews, while few, are essential to know as an educated consumer for possible situations that may arise.
Many reviews indicate that the cage feels flimsy or cheap for the money spent on it.
As mentioned above, it is a good idea to keep the top on for stability.
Still, it makes access to your Guineas more difficult as there are many complaints about the latch not securing correctly and difficult to open.
The canvas bottom has sidewalls that are only a couple of inches high, and when using wood or paper shavings, your small pets will kick shavings and poop outside of the cage.
Using washable fleece bedding is recommended frequently in the reviews to avoid having a mess outside the cage.
Another frequent complaint about the cage is the canvas bottom is not a bottom in a structural sense, but it is fabric velcroed onto the sides holding the cage together.
The canvas is attached with eighteen Velcro straps, making it a task to take the bottom off to clean.
Not having a piece of plastic or a sturdy base makes it near impossible to move the cage without it coming apart.
Several reviews state not to try to move the cage with your piggies in it, as it will come apart.
The Midwest cage can easily bend if not taken care of, or too much weight pushes down on the top.
A couple of people even said they received a bent cage brand new.
A couple of tips people have shared if you are to purchase the cage:
- The cage should be on a hard, flat surface at all times. This give the enclosure a solid base and prevent any of the sidewalls from falling over. If one sees the need for additional stability and you do not want to use the cage topper. You can use metal binder clips to keep the sidewalls together at the top, making it more stable.
Reviews provided by Amazon.com and Chewy.com
What are Kavee C&C cages, and are they any good?
Kavee cages are the premier C&C cage on the market. C&C stands for Cubes and Coroplast, which make up the primary components of the cages.
The cube has flat wire grids that are connected using plastic pieces.
The plastic parts can connect two or more grids. Kavee created their grids by making them lighter than others on the market and with smaller grids to house adolescent Guinea Pigs.
Coroplast is a plastic material that looks just like corrugated cardboard but is much stronger and waterproof.
Kavee cages created their cage bottom using Coroplast sheets that fold into each other on the corners to form sidewalls.
The Coroplast cage bottom fits snugly at the bottom of the cage and does not need a securing device.
The Kavee cage is similar to the Midwest cage, as the sidewalls do not connect to a rigid base, but the walls are more free-standing.
The Kavee company was founded by Clementine Schouteden. A pet Guinea Pig owner fed up with the cages available as she found all to be too small for her growing Guinea Pig family.
She began creating larger enclosures and raising them off the floor space to accommodate ergonomics and allow the piggies to look around, making happier and social animals.
Aside from the cages, Kavee also makes fleece liners, bedding, liners for the ramps, outdoor runs, and anything you need to set up an enclosure.
Kavee is based in England and attempts to hire people with disabilities solely to provide purpose in their lives.
What do the positive reviews say?
The positive reviews indicate that the cages are a quality product and are worth the higher price tag.
These cages are more expensive than the Midwest line of cages and the most costly out of the three on the list.
People suggest that it is easy to set up after watching the YouTube video, and it is easy to expand or shorten if you need or want to do either.
Many reviews state that the cage feels open, and there is enough space for their Guinea Pigs.
The enclosures are large, in fact huge; please look at the dimensions carefully to see what kind of space will be appropriate for the cage you select.
For example, a 3×2 cage may indicate 3 feet by 2 feet, but the actual dimensions are approximately 3.4 feet x 2.3 feet.
The dimensions are buried at the bottom of the purchase website but must be paid attention to.
What do the negative reviews say, or the most common complaints regarding Kavee cages?
The most common complaints regarding the cage are with the connectors not being strong enough to hold the cage together correctly.
Per some people’s experience, they easily pop off, as if they are not tight enough to stay on securely.
Several people are experiencing the cage falling apart at different times.
These include putting a small amount of pressure on it, their Guinea Pig running around in it, and even when nothing was going on, a part just fell.
To help prevent grid falls, people began using zip-ties on all the joints.
Even people who love the cage recommend placing zip-ties on the cage for added stability.
These instances with parts of the cage falling happen more with the two-level design, meaning either the stand or the two cage design.
Another complaint heard a few times is that the Coroplast seems cheap, like a piece of cardboard. And the sides of the Coroplast are not tall enough to accommodate any other bedding aside from washable fleece bedding.
There may be an educational aspect with the person not understanding what they are actually buying and Kavee not explaining the product well enough.
Kavee is trying to make people happy by responding to all negative reviews to find a resolution to the problem.
Kavee makes cages with a Guinea Pig in mind.
They are supplied by a Guinea Pig owner and lover, who wants the best for Guinea Pigs and their owners.
While the majority of the people loved their cage, it would be worthwhile for the people at Kavee to look into the connector issue.
While these cages are a step up above the Midwest cage, it seems as though there is still some room for improvement for a perfect product.
Reviews are taken from Google reviews and Trustpilot.com
Is the Living world deluxe habitat extra-large cage a buy?
Here is another highly reviewed habitat; however, it is not recommended for even one Guinea Pig due to its size.
The dimensions are 3.9 feet long x 1.9 feet wide, which equals 7.41 square feet of space, making it smaller than the 7.5 square feet of recommended space.
The cage could work as a temporary space while cleaning a cage, as a transport, or temporary cage when one is out of town, but never as a primary residence.
The cage seems well built with a plastic bottom, making it sturdier, but again should only be used as a temporary circumstance.
Is AmazonBasics pet habitat worth buying?
The Amazon Basics indoor-outdoor small habitat cage with canvas bottom is almost identical to the Midwest habitat.
In keeping with the Amazon Basics tradition of finding a best-selling item and then creating a similar item, but cheaper is what happened here.
The cage is just right at 4 feet long x 2 feet wide, making it right at 8 square feet, which is ample space for one Guinea Pig.
The Basics cage comes with a canvas liner, a divider for the middle, and a top to the cage.
The difference between the Basics habitat and the Midwest is the ramp included with the Midwest, which means Amazon lowers their door, making the ramp unnecessary.
The canvas of the Basics is on the outside of the cage instead of the inside as the Midwest.
The canvas is attached by a series of 4 rods holding the canvas up with eye holes on the fabric.
The enclosure does the best with a fleece liner, as the others mentioned, or you will have bedding, poop, and hay falling outside of your cage.
What are the positive/pro comments made about the Amazon Basics Habitat?
People love that it is similar to the Midwest Guinea Pig Cage but significantly lower in price, making it the cheapest option on this list.
The Basics habitat comes with a corner shelf that will work as an elevated feeding area or be lifted higher and made as a piggy hideaway.
Several people on the reviews have both the Midwest and the Basics cage, and some say they are sturdier and, of course, cheaper.
One can put two cages together, but it is not readily advertised on the site as the Midwest cage is.
Two cages together are the best option for two to three Guinea Pigs and provide 16 square feet of space.
What are the most common complaints or cons of the Amazon Basic Habitat?
There are numerous complaints regarding the instructions.
The instructions are pictures only, no written word, and the images are all zoomed in. This makes it difficult to decipher what to do.
People have found it a great option to look up a YouTube video on the subject.
After the poor instructions, there are similar complaints to the Midwest habitat; it feels flimsy and can easily knock it down. Zip-ties are firmly recommended to hold the corners together and increase stability.
The canvas is challenging to remove, similar to the Midwest cage, and should be cleaned with pet-safe soap and water. Taking the canvas completely off should be saved for more intense deep cleanings.
Hay and bedding material will get caught between the canvas and metal cage and take a while to pick out.
Again, remember it is best to use fleece instead of paper or wood bedding with these cages to minimize the hay getting caught in the canvas.
People owning both the Midwest and the Basics cage claimed that the Midwest is better built.
Overall, there were mixed reviews, but people said they put up with a lot more from this cage due to the price.
Reviews are taken from Amazon.com.
What are the best cages for guinea pigs?
The three cages Midwest, Kavee, and Amazon Basics all are suitable for one Guinea Pig. These can easily be adapted to create a larger cage ideal for two Guineas.
All of these options are great as a starter kit. However, will need accessories such as a water bottle, non-tip food bowl, hay rack or hay feeder, a hideaway, and will need fleece bedding for a proper setup.
The best that slightly wins out would be the Kavee cage, as they are looking out for what is best for the Guinea Pigs.
They create exceptionally large cages with plenty of space and make a cage off the ground away from small children and other pets.
One can even purchase a double-decker cage and have a couple of sets of Guineas in one cage stand. Having the cage off the ground makes it more ergonomic on your back as well. Kavee is a small business that ships from Brussels, Belgium, even though their primary residence in England.
Many of the negative reviews are concerning shipping and not necessarily their products.
Remember, if you are in the US, it may take a couple of weeks to ship to get your cage. However, it is essential to remember that they are not a large conglomerate like Amazon with two-day shipping.
Kavee can pull ahead of the competition when they fix their connector issue, as no cage should potentially injure our little pets.
Remember, to use the zip-ties as recommended by reviewers to reinforce the cage.
Aside from the connector issue, the cage is a buy providing the best open space for our little friends.
We hope this helped you pick the best cages for guinea pigs.
Want to learn more about guinea pigs? Check out these articles;
For information on sources check out our reference page.