How To Make A Guinea Pig Litter Box?

(August 13, 2010)

Veterinarians will always recommend that the living area of the guinea pig is as large as possible as this facilitates the overall health and well being of the guinea pig. One of the benefits of a large guinea pig litter box and cage is that they get more space to exercise as just like humans, guinea pigs that are overweight tend to also suffer from a string of related medical problems such as respiratory problems, bumble foot, diabetes and heart disease. In fact lack of exercise can also result in the development of a medical condition in adult male guinea pigs which is known as impaction wherein there is a loss of muscles in the anal area of the guinea pig which in turn causes their droppings to get backed up and hence they require periodic cleaning.

How to make a guinea pig litter box is a commonly raised issue with new guinea pig owners. The answer to this query would be to use a simple tray filled with sand or dry hay which the guinea pig can relieve itself in. The material used in the litter box should be changed on a regular basis to maintain basic hygiene. Pet shop owners and vets will usually recommend organic paper guinea pig litter trays as the wood based litters and clay based litters tend to cause respiratory problems in guinea pigs. Since in the wild a guinea pig will never mess up its burrow and instead defecate elsewhere, most guinea pigs tend to get easily litter box trained. To begin guinea pig litter box training a guinea pig one should first position the litter box so that it rests firmly on the ground. It should ideally be placed in the area of the cage in which the guinea pig is used to defecating. Make sure that it is not close to the animal’s food and water bowls. To encourage the guinea pig to use the litter box, the owner may spread out some fecal pellets or a small amount of hay in it as sometimes guinea pigs enjoy sitting in their litter box munching on the hay as eating tends to stimulate digestion and thereby allow the litter box to be used as intended.

While preparing a guinea pig litter tray one should remember that unlike other animals, guinea pigs are not able to hold their bodily waste products for too long and hence there may be the need to use more than just one litter tray. Similarly older guinea pigs may not use the litter tray if they have not been trained when young.