Guinea Pig Cage Calculator & Chart: The Minimum & Preferred Cage Size for Your Cavies

Guinea pigs need plenty of space in their cage to be comfortable and happy, and to avoid fighting in males. Use this guinea pig cage calculator to find the minimum and preferred cage size, depending on the number of cavies you have or plan on adopting.

Remember, even though this guinea pig cage calculator gives you a minimum and preferred cage size, this doesn’t mean that your cavies wouldn’t benefit from a cage that’s even larger than that – because they would! If you’re able to go with a size that is bigger than the preferred size, even better. Guinea pigs will happily use all the space they can get.

These cage sizing guidelines specify the minimum space to have on one level. Even if your cage has additional levels, that space should not be counted in the cage size.

Most guinea pigs spend the majority of their time in their enclosure with only a few hours of floor time a day. So, the cage needs to be large enough to allow your pets to run around, play, and enjoy. Aim to give your pets a complete environment, with lots of different areas to hide, tunnel, run, sleep and forage for food.

No matter how big their cage is, they should still get floor time out of their cage in a safe space – if they enjoy it.

C&C Cage Sizing

C&C cages have become the gold standard for housing guinea pigs. They are made from storage cube grids and coroplast. This type of cage provides a spacious environment that can be built in different shapes to suit you and your cavies. You can change it up and increase the space whenever needed. C&C cages are easy to access which makes sweeping up the mess your poop machines make much more simple.

Keep in mind that the grids should have inner holes no bigger than 1.5 inches as your pets could get their head stuck with grids wider than that. 9×9 grids are safe and most commonly used.

Use the guinea pig cage size chart below to see how many grids you’d need for your cavies.

Minimum & Preferred Cage Size Chart in ft²

Guinea pig cage size chart (square feet)
* for male pairs or groups, go up one cage size
* guinea pigs are highly social and should be adopted in non-breeding groups or pairs

Minimum & Preferred Cage Size Chart in m²

Guinea pig cage size calculator and chart (square meters)
* for male pairs or groups, go up one cage size
* guinea pigs are highly social and should be adopted in non-breeding groups or pairs

The minimum cage size guidelines in our calculator were taken from The Humane Society. They state the following:

  • Two guinea pigs: 7.5 square feet is the bare minimum, but 10.5 square feet or more is preferred. More is always better. Look for an enclosure that is at least 30″ x 50″.
  • Three guinea pigs: 10.5 square feet is the minimum size but aim for at least 13 square feet to make your cavies happy. The cage should have at least 30″ x 62″ or more floor space for three guinea pigs.
  • Four guinea pigs: 13 square feet minimum, but again, more is better. A size of at least 16 square feet is preferred for four guinea pigs, which equates to 30″ x 76″.

And what about one guinea pig? Guinea pigs are extremely social animals who live and thrive in groups in the wild. They should always be housed in groups or pairs so they don’t get lonely and depressed. In special circumstances, such as when your guinea pig ends up being a solo pet after her cage mate died, you should still use the cage size for two guinea pigs as a minimum.

Sources: The Humane Society, Guinea Pig Cages Store & Guinea Pigs Australia