Guinea Pig Care Basics: Housing, Hay and Vitamin C
Why guinea pigs need company, how much floor space is really enough, and the one vitamin they cannot make themselves.
Never keep one alone
Guinea pigs are herd animals and a solitary pig is a stressed pig. Keep at least a pair — two females or a neutered male with a female usually works best.
Space and bedding
Most pet-shop cages are far too small. A pair needs roughly 0.7 square metres of floor space as a minimum, with a solid floor and deep paper or fleece bedding.
- Two hideouts so nobody gets cornered
- Spot clean daily, full change weekly
- No wire floors — they cause painful foot sores
Hay first, vitamin C always
Unlimited grass hay should be about eighty percent of the diet. Guinea pigs cannot produce vitamin C, so add a daily portion of bell pepper or leafy greens and a fresh vitamin-C-fortified pellet.
Guinea pig housing and diet made simple
Floor space, unlimited hay and daily vitamin C are the three things that keep guinea pigs healthy — everything else is detail.
Happy Pets Academy ships hay, pellets, hideouts and bedding across the country.
Happy Pets Academy ships pet supplies nationwide.
Go deeper with a full course
Our vet-led courses turn these guides into step-by-step lessons — with lifetime access and progress tracking.