Your guinea pig loves to waddle around your home. A playpen will help you let him roam free without having to keep a close eye on him.
Not sure how to set up your own?
In this article, we have compiled together the best guinea pig playpen ideas so you can choose a design that is best for you and your furry friend.
Key Takeaway:
Buy a metal or polyester pet playpen. Waterproof polyester models will not leak and will keep your floor dry and accident-free. Attach a water bottle to the side of it and put hay and a hiding box inside. Put various wooden chew toys, balls, and a tunnel inside.
Are you looking for ways to set up a playpen and save some money?
Then make sure you check out the DIY design ideas coming up in this article.
Table of Contents
Guinea Pig Playpen Ideas
You love to see your guinea pig waddling around and enjoying himself, but you can’t let him have free roam of the house. There are lots of things that could put him in danger.
That’s why coming up next, you’ll see the best guinea pig indoor and outdoor playpen ideas. Let’s have a look.
Metal Playpen
You want a comfortable environment for your furry friends to play in.
But which materials make the best playpens?
Let’s find out.
Metal playpens are perfect for outdoor use. Choose one that is easy to assemble via panel clips or a panel connector.
One that folds flat is great for storage and makes it easier for you to move it around. Metal playpens are also made of durable materials your small animals will not be able to chew through.
We recommend a metal playpen like this one on Amazon.
Polyester Playpen
Is polyester a good material?
Polyester playpens are easy to set up. Polyester playpens use spring pressure to assemble themselves in seconds. They have mesh screens, so your pet has plenty of ventilation.
Waterproof models are ideal as they won’t be affected by the damp grass outdoors and won’t allow urine to penetrate through them when you use them indoors. They have the added bonus of being easy to wash.
We recommend a polyester playpen like this one on Amazon.
Accessories For Guinea Pigs
You’ll love watching your pet piggies play in their playpen, and with a couple of accessories inside it, you’ll be able to leave them to exercise, explore, and play for hours.
Not sure what to put in a guinea pig playpen?
Then check out the following accessory ideas.
Litter Box
A litter box in your guinea pig’s playpen will help to keep it clean. This is essential for a playpen with a soft surface or with a fleece fabric or fleece liner base.
Water Bottle
Your guinea pigs will love playing in their playpen and staying hydrated and healthy. Attach a water bottle to one of the panels of the metal enclosure so your guinea pigs can have a drink whenever they feel thirsty.
Hay
Cavy owners must put some hay on the floor inside their portable enclosures. This will ensure your animals have something to snack on whilst they explore and exercise.
Fleece
Guinea pigs love to hide in soft materials with an equally soft surface. Put fleece inside the guinea pig’s playpen to give them someplace to hide.
Guinea Pig Playpen Toys
Your small pets will not like spending all day cooped up in their guinea pig hutch. Investing in a playpen is a great way to ensure they are happy and get the exercise they need.
To keep your guinea pigs entertained and provide enough mental stimulation, put a variety of toys inside the playpen.
What kind of toys are best for this space?
Here are a couple of great options.
Wooden Chew Toys
Hang a wooden chew toy from one of the panels inside the playpen. This will provide lots of chewing fun for your guinea pigs.
We recommend a wooden chew toy like this one on Amazon.
Hideouts and Tunnels
Guinea pigs are shy and like to look for places to hide and feel safe.
Your guinea pigs will love to play and run through a tunnel. Crinkle tunnels that make a scrunching noise as your little piggies play and run through them are even more fun.
Balls
Guinea pigs love nudging balls with their noses. Put a ball toy on the floor to encourage your guinea pigs to exercise in the space and stay healthy.
DIY Guinea Pig Playpen Setup
So far, we’ve seen some great guinea pig indoor and outdoor playpen designs. But what if you’re trying to create a similar playpen at a fraction of the price?
What can you do to cut the cost of setting up yours?
Take a look at the following price-cutting ideas to find out.
DIY Playpen Enclosures
Kitting out a guinea pig with everything it needs is often expensive. To make your own playpen, use the following materials.
- Sturdy cardboard
- Old metal mesh storage containers
Cut and stick sturdy pieces of cardboard together to make four panels for the walls of the playpen. Make the four panels as long as you would like, but make sure they are high enough so your furry friend will not be able to escape.
If you’re using old metal mesh storage containers, turn them upside down so your guinea pig’s feet won’t touch the mesh.
If the storage containers are too shallow, put the right side up but cover the floor space with a thick fleece fabric material. If you don’t have any fleece material, attach a thick mat to the floors of the containers.
DIY Playpen Accessories
The price of some guinea pig accessories in a few pet stores may make you rethink setting up a playpen. But take a look at some of these ideas that will help you kit it out for free.
- Cardboard/old container litter box
- Old towels
To help keep the space clean, put a litter box inside made out of cardboard or an old plastic container.
Use old towels as hiding places for your little piggy.
DIY Toys
Your pet guinea pigs love roaming free and playing outside their cage. Here’s how to entertain them without spending money on toys for your piggies.
- A tunnel made out of paper bags
- Cardboard hideouts
- Old ball
Cut a hole in the end of your paper bags, and glue a number of them together. Your little piggy will love to run through this tunnel.
Create a hideout for your guinea pigs out of a cardboard box with a door cut through it.
Put an old ball in the enclosure for your guinea pigs to play with.
A Break From the Guinea Pig Hutch
You want to give your guinea pig plenty of space to run around free, but you’re concerned it will start chewing on something dangerous or end up in some kind of trouble when you turn your back. That’s why in this article, we have listed some of the best playpen ideas for guinea pigs.
For the best run, choose a metal or waterproof polyester setup. Put a variety of accessories your guinea pig will need and toys to keep him entertained inside it.
Did you find this article interesting?
At Oddly Cute Pets, we always strive to provide you with the best information about guinea pigs and how to look after them. For more information on how to look after rabbits, hamsters, rats, ferrets, and other small animals, check out our website.
Thanks for reading!
