One of the things that people seem to dislike the most concerning guinea pigs is the odor that inherently comes along with them. This is why many guinea pigs lose good homes, and end up in shelters, or worse, end up as snake food. While common guinea pig odor is bad news, the good news is that there are solutions for the odors.
Start by buying the right bedding for your guinea pig. What you need is bacteria-resistant bedding. Read labels carefully, and select the highest quality bedding that you can find. It may cost more, but it makes life much more bearable for you in the long run.
Next, provide the proper surface for the bedding. Odors soak into woods, and therefore, plastic is much more preferable. Plastic, unlike wood, can easily be scrubbed, and you should do so weekly, and change the bedding weekly. Many pet stores also sell cage fresheners for both rabbits and guinea pigs. Note that if you cannot find cage freshener
specifically for guinea pigs, the freshener designed for rabbits will also work.
Use a vegetable grater, and grate peelings from oranges, lemons, and limes. Mix these shavings with your normal bedding, and you will find that this is an inexpensive way to cut down on odors. Some people spray Lysol around the cage, but this can be dangerous to the guinea pig and is not advised. Instead, you can purchase air freshening sprays that are designed for pet cages, and you can even purchase Guinea Pig Odor Spray as well, which reportedly works quite well, and is available from most pet stores.
Good circulation is essential. The odors associated with guinea pigs don’t always come from the animals. It may be caused by hay that has become mildewed. This happens frequently, and this is why many guinea pig owners put fresh hay in the pen on a daily basis, instead of
weekly. Changing the hay this often isn’t necessary, however, if there is proper air circulation.
Proper air circulation and filtering can be achieved with the help of a portable air purifier. These tend to cut down on other problems as well, such as pollen and dirt in the air, in addition to bacteria. Not only will this help to solve odor problems, it will also make the room healthier for you and your guinea pigs. These types of air purifiers can be purchased online, or from discount stores.
The trick to effectively using an air purifier is to buy the appropriate system for the size of the room that you need to use it in. Newer models of air purifiers don’t use filters, which saves money in the long run, although those that do use filters are typically cheaper initially. You have to determine whether you want to save a little money now, or a lot of money down the road.
As you can see, there really are solutions to guinea pig odors, and those options don’t include getting rid of the guinea pig. If you use one or all of these methods of odor control, you and your guinea pig can co-exist happily in the same home.