guinea pig cage smells bad

Why Does My Guinea Pig Cage Smell Bad?

In Cages by Ana M

The most common reason why guinea pig cage smells bad is because you are not cleaning it on a regular basis. Moreover, the problem might be that you aren’t using an appropriate bedding or not changing it quite often. Also, a guinea pig who is not litter trained can make a cage smell really bad.

Guinea pig’s cage smells like ammonia

Guinea pig’s urine smells like ammonia and it is totally normal. To get rid of the smell in the cage you need to:

  1. Set up the cage so it stays clean for longer;
  2. Deep clean guinea pig’s cage once a week;
  3. Spot-clean guinea pig’s cage every day 3 times a day;
  4. Organize the potty area and deep clean it 3 times a week;
  5. Use an odor neutralizing bedding;

So, these are the main points when it comes to keeping the cage smelling fresh. Let’s talk about each step in more details.

How to organize guinea pig toilet area?

Choose a dedicated corner in the cage for your pet to go to the toilet. Make sure that it is dark because guinea pigs are prey animals and have to feel safe when using a toilet.

You can organize the toilet area in different ways. First, you can line the corner with the fleece liner and cover it with the hay. In this case you will need to remove the wet hay daily and replace the fleece every other day.

Second option is to purchase the puppy pads, line them in the toilet corner and cover with the hay. Third option is to buy a litter tray or a litter box. Line a box or a tray with newspaper, wood shaving and then hay. I prefer this option because it makes cleaning easier. If you are going for this option, then you have to litter box train your guinea pig.

What is the best odor blocking guinea pig bedding?

Choosing a right bedding is a key in odor control. The most common options of the suitable bedding for guinea pigs are paper, aspen and fleece. Both paper and aspen bedding are great in odor control. However, it can be a little bit pricey because you need to throw away the solid bedding daily.

On the other hand, you can invest into a fleece bedding, I would recommend getting at least two of them. That way you can lay the clean one in the cage and wash the other one. It is also a good idea to use puppy puds under the toilet area, so the cage stays fresh for longer.

How to clean guinea pig cage?

You have to give a cage a deep clean every week. I deep clean my house on Saturdays, so the piggy’s cage is not an exception! Start by placing your piggies into a run or a travel carrier. Then, you need to:

  • Remove everything from the cage (toys, hideout house, bed, food bowl etc.);
  • Change the hay trays completely twice a day;
  • Change a litter box/litter tray completely twice a day;
  • Sweep the cage thoroughly;
  • Wash the bottom and the sides of the cage with water and soap;
  • Use a hard bristle brush or a scraper to scrub the crusty spots on the bottom and the side of the cage;
  • Use a white vinegar and water solution (1 part of vinegar to 9 part of water) and let the cage soak for 3 to 5 mins. The solution helps to get rid of the ammonia smell;
  • Wash the fleece in hot water, add hypoallergenic detergent and a little bit of white vinegar to neutralize the odor;
  • Wash the cage accessories with soap and hot water. Let them to air dry;
  • Wash the litter tray/box with soap and water. Also, you can soak it in a vinegar solution for 5 mins to get rid of the smell;
  • Sprinkle baking soda around the bottom of the cage. It will help to absorb the unpleasant smell.

Cage size is important in odor control!

The minimum dimensions for a cage are 6ft x 2ft x 2ft (180cm x 61cm x 61cm). In the majority of cases a single-level cage is enough for piggies but if you have 2 or more guinea pigs, then I would consider two levels.

A spacious cage is easy to spot-clean, so it stays fresh for longer.

Here you can find a helpful checklist to help you with a cleaning routine.