It is known that guinea pigs poop a lot compared to other rodents and animals in general. This behavior is quite normal for them, but it is necessary to be attentive and control their pooping habits to avoid or prevent health problems in time.
In this post, we will answer the most common questions about why guinea pigs poop everywhere? How common is it? How to prevent them from pooping everywhere? and more.
Do guinea pigs poop everywhere?
The answer is yes, guinea pigs poop everywhere regardless of whether they are in or out of their cage. In fact, many owners report that their guinea pigs poop even more when they are out of the cage.
Guinea pigs are not like cats or dogs that have a specific area, they do their business wherever they are comfortable or wherever duty calls even if they sleep or eat.
Yet all guinea pigs are different and when it comes to pooping they have different preferences.
Some are a little more reserved than others, choosing several specific places in their cage to take care of their business, while others believe that their cage and the whole house is one giant litter box and everything is allowed.
So, it is normal for guinea pigs to poop everywhere. The feces are dark brown and cylindrical in shape, and any change in stool consistency should be monitored and if it persists after 12 hours, it is imperative to take them to the veterinarian.
It can be difficult to predict when and how much your guinea pig will defecate, but you can make guesses based on their feeding habits.
Why is it important to know about guinea pig poop?
As you know, guinea pig needs to eat hay and drink water 24 hours a day to keep their intestines functioning, which is maintained by processing the fiber in the food they eat.
As soon as their system fails, either because of a lack of fiber or water, it begins to present problems.
All this is obviously related, they have to eat a lot of hay and therefore it is normal for them to poop a lot, which is an indicator of guinea pig health.
How Much Should A Guinea Pig Poop?
So, poop is an indicator of the quality of the guinea pig’s diet and their gastrointestinal health, but it is also the most important indicator of their general health, both physical and psychological, but how much should they poop?
Actually, there is no definitive answer. All guinea pigs are different and some poop more than others, and in general some can defecate up to 100 times a day in some cases even more.
So, if your guinea pig’s stool count is 50 or less, they may be suffering from a condition known as stasis, a disease caused by dental problems, general discomfort, dehydration or a sudden change in diet. This disease causes them to eat less and poop less.
But, if you are getting guinea pigs for the first time, you should be prepared for this as you can expect up to 100 bowel movements a day and according to some guinea pig owners, the poops need to be cleaned up more than 3 or 4 times a day.
Because cleaning so much is time consuming, many owners have different methods to optimize this task such as using a portable vacuum cleaner to perform the task quickly and efficiently.
How Do I Stop My Guinea Pigs From Pooping Everywhere?
Guinea pigs can be trained to use litter boxes, but it takes time and care. You should keep in mind that it is not easy to prevent them from pooping everywhere as this is part of their nature but there are 4 ways to keep your guinea pig from pooping everywhere.
1. Observe where they usually poop
The first step is to find out where guinea pigs prefer to do their business by analyzing their routine, where they go for a couple of days and moving the litter box to that location.
This will not only make training easier, it will save time and make it easier to locate and clean up the droppings, but you will also have to be attentive when cleaning the cage, as they will probably urinate a lot in the same place.
However, do not expect your guinea pig to use it all the time, as these animals cannot be trained like cats.
2. Install the litter box
You can buy it or make it yourself. Generally it should be big enough so that they can get in and out easily and fit completely.
Make sure the sides are low enough to make it easy and comfortable for them to get in and out.In case your guinea pig poops in more than one corner of the cage, you can choose to put more than one litter box.
3. Choose a quality area
Choose a paper-based sand that is less harmful to the environment. Wood-based litter may cause long-term respiratory problems.
4. Reward them for using the litter box
If you observe them moving in the correct direction, congratulate them or give them their favorite reward to encourage them to continue.
If your guinea pig is hesitant about the box, place a small amount of hay inside it. This will entice them to enter the box. When their senses traces of feces or urine they will know that this is their toilet.
Some owners prefer to leave food in the litter box as they will eat and then go to the bathroom but many guinea pigs will not poop exactly where they eat.
Move the toilet to the litter box or your guinea pig to the box to finish if they go anywhere else.
If your guinea pig makes a mistake and goes somewhere else, don’t punish or harm them; instead, try to encourage them to use the litter box. Your guinea pig will quickly get used to it when they discover that they get treats and lots of attention for doing so.
We hope this post will help you keep your guinea pig healthy, happy and with a cleaner environment in less time.
