lillian contreras May 20, 2025

Guinea Pig Starter Kit: Our Rescue’s Ultimate Shopping List for New Owners

Welcoming a guinea pig into your home is exciting—but figuring out what you actually need can be stressful. With so many products out there, it’s tough to tell what’s safe, reliable, and worth your money. As a rescue, we’ve helped lots of piggies settle into happy new homes, and we’ve learned a thing or two about what works. This guide is our way of sharing that knowledge—so you can start your guinea pig journey with confidence and ease.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to get started—from the absolute essentials to our favorite small shops, affordable dupes, and a few high-end options if you’re ready to splurge. Whether you’re shopping on a budget or just want the best for your new piggy, there’s something here for everyone.

1. Guinea Pig Cages
2. Hay Holders
3. Hidey Houses
4. Food
5. Vitamin Supplements
6. Treats
7. Toys
8. Pet Bowls
9. Water Bottle
10. Health
11. Bedding
12. Thank you for reading!

Guinea Pig Cages

Your guinea pig's cage is probably the most important essential for your new furry friend, this is where they will spend likely 90% of their time so you want to make sure they are comfortable & happy with your choice. With plenty of space to run around.

Before buying a cage make sure you have the correct size! Here is our Rescues minimum & recommended cage sizes for adoption.

Grid Safety

Image From kavee

Pre-Built Cages

Midwest Homes for Pets, Guinea Pig Habitat Plus $78.99

At only 8 square feet of space this guinea pig cage isn't quite big enough for two guinea pigs to live comfortably, however it has earned a reputation for being one of the best pre-built guinea pig cages on the market! With this cage's double doors you can connect two or more cages together and create really fun setups that will fit your guinea pigs needs!

Pros	Cons
- Easy to connect to other Midwest Cages	- PVC bottom needs to be washed when it gets dirty
- Easy to assemble in minutes & Easy to put away	- Difficult to attach water bottles at comfortable height
- Comes with lid	- PVC bottom is not chew proof
- Easy to clean PVC bottom
- Folds flat for easy storage
- Very secure from large animals like dogs when lid is in place

MidWest Wabbitat Deluxe Rabbit Home $236.24

Yet another cage from Midwest, this cage is intended for rabbits but is the perfect size for two guinea pigs. I had the opportunity to try this cage lately and was pleasantly surprised!

Pros	Cons
- Divided section perfect for hay area	- Although its fully covered the locks come undone easily. This cage would not be safe from large animals like dogs
- Hard base that is easy to clean by hand or with a hose	- Hard to open comfortably, the doors don't hold in place by themselves
	- Heavy and difficult to transport

MidWest Critter Nation Deluxe Small Animal Cage, Double Story $339.99

At a first glance this cage is entirely inappropriate for guinea pigs! However some creative owners have made a small modification to this cage that makes it perfect for our furry friends!

With its modular design you can easily remove the middle wall to attach the two levels together. making for a great one level cage or if you purchase an additional cage, an amazing double decker cage for two herds!

PROS	CONS
- Large doors that make cleaning and accessing guinea pigs incredibly easy	- You will have to secure the two pieces together with zip ties so they don't drift apart
- Secured on all sides of the cage making it a very safe option for those with large animals like dogs	- Ramps will have to be removed for safety
- if you use the bottom level it can be transported with its wheels and have storage underneath

C&C Cages

Over the years, C&C cages have become a golden standard for guinea pig care. With its modular grids you can easily change your cages layout, easily expand the cage if you want to add a new member to your herd and change grid colors and types to fit all your crazy ideas!

Kavee Guinea Pig Cages ( Starting at $127.20 & Up )

At just slightly below 14" grids, Kavee cages are known for their beautiful, easily customizable design. This cage is amazing for those wanting a guinea pig cage that doesn't stick out too much with your beautifully decorated home.

PROS	CONS
- Small gaps between the grids makes it very safe for baby guinea pigs.	- Grids are dainty and come apart easily. Zip tying grids required
- Acrylic, White, Black & Colorful grid options available	- takes over an hour to assemble (prepare all evening to put this together)
- Chloroplast base is very easy to clean & lasts much longer than fabric bases.	- Acrylic panels don't have a way to zip tie and can come undone
- Grids are very slightly smaller compared to other C&C's allowing for the cage to sit at a very comfortable height when raised.	- Chloroplast base is not very tall, allowing for hay to fall to the floor and pee can get on wall if you have a sprayer
- Colorful Chloroplast & Accessories allow for an aesthetic look
- So many options for one level & Raised Cages

Critter Colony Club ( $140)

Get 10% off with our code: PeanutButterPigs (the use of this code will go toward helping our rescue!)

Critter Colony Cage is the perfect cage for those who don't enjoy the standard look of C&C Cages. With its sleek and beautiful acrylic design it keeps the functionality of your typical C&C cage without the look of black bars.

PROS	CONS
- Beautiful Design	- Acrylic may need to be cleaned more often than typical C&C cage bars.
- Easy and fast to set up! Our typical cages take 3-6 hours to assemble while critter colony's cage only took 1. (No special tools! you only need a quarter)	- Slightly less durable than metal bars
- Keeps your area cleaner than typical C&C. You don't get hay spilling out the sides due to the unique pattern of the cutouts in the acrylic.	- Comes with disposable paper bottoms for cage instead of chloroplast base (However the grid size is the safe to be able to add cagetopia chloroplast bases if you have that preference)
- 14 inch bars so liners and chloroplast bases from other brands like cagetopia and kavee will fit

Cagetopia ( Starter kits $145.99)

Cagetopia was the creator of the C&C Cage for guinea pigs! With years of experience you can never go wrong with their cages & their many designs!

PROS	CONS
- Sturdy grids that can hold a lot of weight	- Very hard to take apart once you've put it together
- Tall chloroplast base that keeps area around the cage clean!	- Should still zip tie the grids for extra security
- Starter kit comes with a kitchenette area for hay to lessen mess in other areas of the cage	- takes over an hour to assemble (prepare all evening to put this together)
- Brand has so many accessories to make the cage more fun! Such as scalloped grids, heart designs, guinea pig safe ramps and more!

Budget-Friendly Alternatives

Amazon Basics Guinea Pig Cage $51.29

This cage I have not personally tried, however I have seen it in person and the owners love this as an alternative to the standard Midwest cage, if you are looking for a cheaper option.

Songmics Pet Playpen $57.99

PROS	CONS
- Cheaper alternative to other C&C Cages	- You will need to make or buy your own base
- Comes in white & Black	- Not on Amazon Prime so it may take a while to deliver
	- Same cons as kavee

Hay Holders

For a guinea pig, their tummy's are the way to their heart! Providing a comfortable place for your piggy to eat is a great way to get a happy one. Here is our Hay holder reccomendations.

Cagetopia Cavy Cafe $26.99