As exciting as getting a new pet is, there is a lot of stress to make sure you’re getting them everything they need.

Not only to make sure they’re healthy, but to also ensure that they’re happy and comfortable.

Guinea pigs are great pets, they’re pretty easy to look after, super cute, have tonnes of personality and are brilliant for any type of family.

I’ve put together a comprehensive guide on everything you will need for your furry friend.

Let me introduce myself, I’m Katie, I love animals and have owned basically every single pet you could think of.

They’ve all brought me tonnes of joy, including the awesome guinea pigs. They give wonderful cuddles, give you a great responsibility, and hours of entertainment.

Guinea pigs are easy to care for, and making sure they’re super happy means that they won’t react to your hands with such terror.

In order to make sure they are receptive to petting, you need to make them relaxed.

If you haven’t provided them with the right things, they can become quite anxious.

This adds to the reasons why you should make sure you purchase and set up everything, before bringing home your guinea pig.

Below I will go over what you need for your new guinea pig! I will try to provide links to relevant products, or one’s that I have used where possible. But you can always ask your local pet store for help!

So, let’s stop with the chitter chatter, and dive right into the guinea pig checklist.

Guinea Pig Supplies List – My Complete Checklist!

Ok, so here i’m just going to list everything that you may need, so that you can check that you have everything.

I have attempted to split them into sections, to make it a bit easier to read. Where I could, I’ve added links to products that are relevant.

Then below this list, I will explore each item in more detail and offer any suggestions I might have.

I will also try to find the products that I have had success with, so you can check them out!

Housing

• A Cage or Hutch
• Bedding (fleece is recommended)
• Dishes – One for food and one for water
• Water Dispenser
• Hay Holder
• Litter Tray

Food

• Pellet Food
• Vitamin C Supplements
• Good Quality Hay
• Fruit and vegetables

Entertainment and Fun!

• Household Items – Can be turned into toys (toilet roll tubes, pop can box, paper, boxes etc)
• Chew Toys – Here’s a nifty little pack!
• Fun Toys – Take at look at these fun and nutritious balls!
• Tube for hiding in!
• A Hiding Den

Grooming

• Grooming Brush & Nail Trimmers – Both can be found in this kit!
• Shampoo
• Coconut Oil
• Hair Trimmers

Cleaning

• Pet Safe Disinfectant
• Dustpan and Brush – For cleaning out cage

Now below I will explore each item in more detail and try to give you some suggestions on what you could use.

If you feel like there is anything missing from the list, please let me know in the comments section, below this post!

Guinea Pig Cage and Accessories

Everyone wants a nice home – somewhere they feel safe and relaxed. A guinea pig is no different.

It’s your job to make sure their home is safe for them, big enough for them to exercise, and full of everything they need to be as independent as possible.

After all, you can’t be with them 24/7(unfortunately). These next items will make sure that you guinea pig won’t miss you too much.

Cage For Your Guinea Pig:

Okay, quite the obvious but all guinea pigs need their very own home (that doesn’t mean your living room).

They can’t be trusted in an open space, their instincts will make them want to escape, and they might chew through the electric wires.

The cage should be at least 8 square feet, with plenty of ventilation. Importantly, guinea pigs are not safe in cages that have those ramps in them – as they might fall off the sides and hurt themselves.

When buying a cage, you’ll find one which is labelled specifically for guinea pigs.

This one is a great cage to have – it gives the guinea pig chance to watch humans, but also a fantastic hiding and sleeping spot.

If you’re looking to keep your guinea pigs outside, a hutch is more suitable. A friend of mine has one similar to this which works well.

You may notice that if your cage/ hutch has a ramp, your guinea pig may need a bit of encouragement or time, to get used to it.

Guinea Pig Bedding:

Just like humans, guinea pigs need comfy bedding that won’t cause any kind of respiratory problems.

Of course, lining the cage with sawdust and hay is an option, but there’s also fleece liners.

These are really easy to clean, act as burrowing pocket sleeve and are super absorbent.

The fleece liners here are designed specially for guinea pigs.

Only the best for our little friends, right?

Guinea Pig Dish:

You’ll need to buy your guinea pig the essentials, like where will they eat from?

I mean, there’s no stopping you getting a generic dish but there are tonnes of cute options to treat your guinea pig too.

I fell in love with this watermelon dish, it’s so fun and lights up the entire cage.

I actually bought two of these, one for food, and one for water.

Water Dispenser for Your Guinea Pig:

As well as a dish, I also bought a water dispenser.

The more options the better – we have to make sure they’re hydrated, especially whilst we’re away.

You can just go with the classic bottle, simple and easy.

It’s available in different colours also, so don’t let the pink put you off (although I love it)!

I’d say this really is a necessity.

Guinea Pig Hay Holder:

Although you can easily scatter the hay around the cage, a little holder helps to keep everything a little less messy.

Also, if you place the holder away from the hive, it basically forced your guinea pig to be a little bit brave and come out of hiding.

It’s a great way to build its confidence.

Something like this would probably work well and it looks like a fun solution!

Guinea Pig Litter Tray:

Yes, you can potty train your guinea pig.

First get yourself a litter tray, then monitor where they go to the bathroom the most.

Take some bedding, put it in the tray and put the litter tray in that place where they’ve decided to make their bathroom.

This will encourage your guinea pig to go to the toilet in the litter tray, making clean up a lot easier.

Nutrition – What Do Guinea Pigs Eat?

This is super important. As their parent, it’s your job to make sure that they’re not only eating the nutritious things, but also staying away from anything harmful.

You shouldn’t offer seeds, sugar, buttercups or onions to your guinea pig. Just to name a few things.

Sticking to products labelled for guinea pigs, and researching any fruit and vegetables before feeding them to your guinea pig is the most responsible way.

Here are a few suggestions of what to provide in your pigs diet.

Your Guinea Pig’s Main Food:

Your guinea pig’s main source for food should come from the basic pellets.

I tip these into the dish whenever it’s running low, making sure not to underfeed or overfeed, ever.

There are certain things to avoid with guinea pigs, these include seeds (guinea pigs can choke on them) and dried fruits – these offer very little nutritious value.

Again, your safest bet is to pick a food which is specifically tailored for guinea pigs.

This small pet select guinea pig food is consists of Timothy Hay based pellets, which contain only the finest ingredients.

Vitamin C for Guinea Pigs:

The food suggested is packed with vitamins, which is really important with guinea pigs.

Our little friends lack the enzyme to produce vitamin c themselves, meaning that you need to either choose food which has it in, or invest in supplements.

Again, this is a necessity.

Hay for Guinea Pigs:

You don’t want to be feeding Alfalfa Hay as a staple in their edit. Whilst it can and often is fed as a treat, too much of it it can cause health issues, such as kidney damage.

It’s our job as pet parents to make sure that we keep them away from anything unsafe or unhealthy.

Orchard grass or timothy hay are the most common types of hay fed to guinea pigs, so you’ll probably want to go with one of them.

Always have hay available, no matter what.

Also, Guinea Pigs are prone to respiratory issues. So if you can find dust extracted hay, that’s probably your best bet.

You can check out small pet select’s “perfect blend” here. 

Whilst it doesn’t mention being specifically “dust free” (not many do), it’s very highly reviewed, with many customers finding limited traces of dust.

You can check out our article on the best types of hay for guinea pigs here, to find out more about what’s best for them!

What Fruit and Vegetables Should Guinea Pigs Eat?

As well as their food, you should make sure that your guinea pigs are being treated to fresh produce.

They love things like coloured peppers, spinach, apples and grapefruit.

Try to avoid feeding them fruit every single day, and stray away from romaine lettuce.

I don’t need to tell you about making sure that they have enough water, just remember to keep checking.

Also, you can add vitamin c into the water, just to make sure.

Toys and Entertainment for Guinea Pigs

You need to make sure that your guinea pig is super entertained too.

It’s arguably just as important as making sure that they have nutrition, and a place to sleep. Afterall, a happy mind means a healthy body.

Guinea pigs don’t require them same toys as other rodents, as they don’t chew the same and some toys could lead to choking.

However, they do need to keep their teeth “short” which can be supported by providing toys that will assist the process.

Here’s everything you can consider giving them.

Generic Household Items:

You don’t always have to buy anything for guinea pigs, certain household items of trash can provide them with entertainment for hours. This includes:

• Vegetable peelings
• Toilet roll tubes
• Pipes
• Boxes
• Paper
• Soft toys (no buttons)
• Pop can box

Guinea Pig Chew Toys:

As long as it Isn’t a chewing block, guinea pigs could be really entertained by a chewing toy.

Things like apple chews and hay chews are great for guinea pigs.

These will keep their teeth nice and healthy, too.

This assorted pack of toys for guinea pigs are well reviewed and should help to keep their teeth in good condition.

Timothy Grass Ball:

The grass ball is made from 100% natural timothy hay, so is nutritious and fun for your pigs!

Again, it should help to keep their teeth in check, as it provides something to chew on.

They come in a pack of two and are a reasonable size.

The Timothy grass is a natural product, so offers more health benefits than a plastic toy.

You can check out the Timothy Grass Ball here!

Novelty Items for Guinea Pigs:

Yes, they can provide entertainment to your guinea pig, but novelty items also make your surroundings a little bit more enjoyable.

Here’s a couple that I found online, but I’m sure that there’s loads more around!

Hagen Pet Tub:

These type of tunnels provide a great place to hide for you piggy!

It easily folds up, so you can move it around locations, without much hassle.

You can check it out here.

It also features the ability to be attached to other tunnels, so you can create a longer tunnel for your pig to play in!

Guinea Pig Hiding Hut:

Yes, they might have their bedroom compartment, but you may want to consider buying your guinea pig another hiding hut.

This will make their environment more of an adventure, and stop them from becoming bored.

Also, how cute is this strawberry themed one?

You can also buy hiding huts which your guinea pigs can chew, replacing them once they’re finished.

Grooming Your Guinea Pig

Guinea pigs also need a bit of TLC every now and then.

You’ll have to buy a few grooming products just to make sure you do a great job.

Grooming is also a great bonding time for pet and owner.

Brush for Your Guinea Pig:

The first step to grooming your guinea pig is brushing.

Depending on whether or not you have a long haired or short haired guinea pig, this process could be a little different.

However, a brush Is vital. I’ve included a neat looking grooming kit below that you could check out.

This keeps your pet clean, comfortable and looking fresh.

Guinea Pig Nail trimmer:

It’s totally necessary that you trim your guinea pig’s nails.

This stops them from curling into their footpads.

This can be a really daunting experience, but with this small animal’s nail cutter, I felt a lot more confident.

Here’s a nice little guinea pig grooming kit, that includes some trimmers, as well as a couple brushes, which were mentioned above!

Guinea Pig Shampoo:

Obviously, they don’t need a shower every morning, but having shampoo on hand is always a good idea.

Just keep an eye on your guinea pig, and when you feel like they need a clean get the shampoo out.

You can check out this shampoo here, which is recommended by vets and designed for pets, from dogs to guinea pigs.

Only bathe your guinea pig when totally necessary, though.

Coconut Oil for Guinea Pigs:

Guinea pigs have a grease gland located at the base of the spine.

Some have more active grease glands than others, and if this is the case the hair can become tacky and greasy.

You should apply coconut oil to this area, and wash it off with a warm cloth.

Make sure they’re warm afterwards.

I couldn’t find any online that I knew of, so maybe consult your local pet store here!

Guinea Pig Hair Trimmers:

For the same reason, you should also cut the hair around this grease gland.

This will help with the tackiness.

You can also trim any hair to make it more manageable.

However, make sure to be super careful!

Again, you could ask your local pet store for suggestions on these.

Cleaning Products for Guinea Pigs

It’s your responsibility to make sure your guinea pig is living in a clean environment.

This means, regularly changing bedding, cleaning anything up and wiping down the cage every now and then.

Here are a few of the best tools.

Pet Safe Disinfectant:

Wiping down the cage with disinfectant is important.

This will make sure there’s no dust around too – guinea pigs are prone to respiratory infections, so this is important.

Your local pet store should stock some specifically for small pets.

I’ve found one here, that’s designed to clean small animal cages, which obviously includes guinea pigs!

Dustpan and Brush:

Just to make sure you’ve swept everything off.

Everyone loves a fresh, tidy house.

I’m sure you’ve got a dustpan and brush lying around the house, but they can easily be picked up in most supermarkets.

However, here is a nifty little 4 piece set, which includes a large and small dustpan, as well as a couple of brushes to make the job easier!

Final Thoughts

Phew, that was long! We hope this list helps you with your new guinea pig.

As mentioned earlier, I have tried to provide links to products that you can use, or one’s I have used myself.

It might seem like a lot, but truthfully guinea pigs are really easy to look after. Little steps will make sure that they’re super happy, fighting fit, and look really amazing.

Remember to enjoy raising your little friend, and try to make them more confident. Regular petting and grooming will make you best friends in no time at all.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them below!