How to Set Up a Small Pet Cage (2025 Guide) Essentials for Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, and Rabbits
- thepetessentialshu
- Oct 14
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 3
Bringing home a small pet is exciting — but their cage setup is more than just a place to live. For hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, and other small animals, their enclosure is their entire world. The right setup provides safety, comfort, and enrichment, while the wrong one can lead to stress, poor health, or even injury.
This 2025 guide will walk you through the essentials of building a healthy, comfortable home for your small pet. From cage size to bedding, feeding, and enrichment, you’ll learn exactly what every beginner needs to know.
1. Choosing the Right Small Pet Cage
The foundation of your pet’s well-being starts with the cage itself. Small pets need room to move, explore, and rest.
Hamsters do best in enclosures that are at least 24 × 12 inches, with a solid base for digging. A sturdy starter like the Prevue Pet Products 528 Universal Small Animal Home provides enough space and comes with a deep plastic base that makes burrowing easier.
Guinea pigs require a minimum of 7.5 square feet — and more if you’re housing multiple. Spacious options like the Amazon Basics Leakproof Guinea Pig Cage or the expandable MidWest Guinea Habitat Plus give them room to roam while keeping cleanup manageable.
Rabbits need at least 8 square feet of cage space, along with daily exercise outside the enclosure. For supervised playtime, portable setups such as the Amakunft Small Animal Playpen or the Pawaboo Small Pet Playpen are excellent choices. They allow for exploration and exercise without the risk of escape or injury.
Cages with deep, solid bases are always best, while playpens and modular setups add flexibility for floor time and bonding.
Common Beginner Mistake: Choosing “starter kits” that look complete but are far too small, especially for guinea pigs and rabbits.
2. Bedding & Substrate
The right bedding keeps your pet clean, comfortable, and odor-free.
For most small animals, paper-based bedding is the safest and most versatile choice. Options like Carefresh Natural Paper Bedding or Kaytee Clean & Cozy White Bedding are soft on paws, highly absorbent, and effective at controlling odor without harmful chemicals.
For guinea pigs and rabbits, many owners also prefer washable fleece liners or pee pads, which create a cozy surface and can be reused after cleaning. Products like the Sunheir Washable Pee Pads or Grddaef Fleece Blankets are popular because they’re waterproof, easy to wash, and gentle on sensitive feet.
Whatever option you choose, avoid cedar or pine shavings — the oils they release can irritate your pet’s respiratory system.
Pro Tip: Spot clean daily and swap bedding fully once a week. Keeping a second set of washable liners on hand makes cleaning much faster.
3. Hideouts & Shelter
Small pets need places to retreat and feel secure. A good hideout provides privacy, reduces stress, and doubles as enrichment.
For hamsters and smaller pets, simple shelters like the Kaytee Woodland Get-A-Way or the Kaytee Igloo Habitat Hideout are classic, affordable options. They give pets a safe place to rest while still being easy to clean and move around the cage.
Guinea pigs and rabbits benefit from larger shelters that offer both cover and function. The Oxbow Timothy Hay Tunnel is an excellent choice — it’s edible, safe, and encourages natural chewing while acting as a cozy hideout.
When possible, provide at least one hideout per animal. For rabbits or multiple guinea pigs, extra shelters prevent competition and make sure every pet has a secure spot of their own.
Common Beginner Mistake: Only providing one hideout in a multi-pet enclosure, which can lead to fighting, stress, and territorial behavior.
4. Feeding & Water Setup
A healthy diet starts with the right tools — food and water supplies should be sturdy, safe, and easy to keep clean.
For food, heavy ceramic bowls are ideal because they’re difficult to tip over. The SPOT Standard Crock Dish works well for guinea pigs and rabbits, while the smaller Kaytee Stoneware Hamster Bowl is perfectly sized for hamsters and mice.
Fresh hay is the foundation of a guinea pig or rabbit’s diet. A constant supply of Oxbow Western Timothy Hay keeps teeth healthy and digestion on track. Pair it with species-specific pellets, like Oxbow Essentials Rabbit Food or Wild Harvest Guinea Pig Diet, to ensure balanced nutrition. Treats, such as Kaytee Timothy Biscuits or Kaytee Food from the Wild, can be offered sparingly for enrichment.
For water, bottles are still the most common choice. The Choco No-Drip Bottle is designed to prevent leaks, while Lixit Wide Mouth Bottles make refilling and cleaning easy. The Lixit Weather-Resistant Bottle is a sturdy option for rabbits or cages in warmer rooms. Some pets prefer bowls, so it’s worth experimenting to see which works best.
Pro Tip: Position food bowls and hay racks away from bedding to keep food clean. Always check water bottles daily to make sure they’re flowing properly.
5. Enrichment & Exercise
Small pets may be tiny, but they have big energy needs. Without daily stimulation, they can become stressed, bored, or even destructive.
Hamsters thrive on activity. A solid-surface wheel is essential, along with tunnels and chew toys. For variety, the Kaytee Run-About Exercise Ball gives them safe space to explore outside the cage.
Guinea pigs are curious explorers. They enjoy chew toys, tunnels, and supervised floor time. A set like the Grddaef Bunny Chew Toy Pack provides apple wood sticks and timothy hay treats that satisfy both their need to gnaw and their desire for play.
Rabbits love to climb, dig, and chew. Platforms and dig boxes help them stay active, while edible shelters like the Oxbow Timothy Hay Tunnel give them both a hideout and something to chew on safely.
Common Beginner Mistake: Thinking small pets don’t need daily exercise. Just like dogs or cats, they need interaction and enrichment to stay healthy and happy.
6. Cleaning & Maintenance
Cage cleanliness directly impacts your pet’s health and comfort. A consistent cleaning routine helps control odors, prevents bacteria, and keeps your pet’s environment safe.
Every day, spot clean droppings, refresh food and water, and remove soiled bedding. Once a week, replace all bedding and wipe down surfaces thoroughly. Wash bowls and water bottles with warm soapy water to prevent bacterial growth.
For deeper cleaning, use pet-safe products designed for small animals. Nature’s Miracle Cage Cleaner is effective for removing odors and stains without leaving harmful residues, while Nature’s Miracle Scrubbing Wipes make quick cleanups between full washes much easier.
Pro Tip: Keep two sets of liners or bedding (like fleece pads) on hand so you can swap them out quickly during weekly cleanings. This makes the process smoother and less stressful for both you and your pet.
7. Temperature & Environment
Small pets are highly sensitive to temperature and environmental changes. Even slight fluctuations can cause stress or health issues.
Most species, including guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters, do best in a steady range of 65–75 °F. Keep cages indoors, away from direct sunlight, drafty windows, or heating vents. Avoid placing cages in kitchens or high-traffic areas where noise, smells, or sudden movements can overwhelm your pet.
Playpens like the Amakunft Small Animal Playpen or Pawaboo Small Pet Playpen are great for giving pets exercise in safe, controlled areas where you can monitor conditions more easily. This makes it simple to balance activity time with a stable, stress-free environment.
Common Beginner Mistake: Placing cages near windows or in noisy areas. Pets can overheat quickly in direct sun or become anxious in constant commotion.
Final Note
Setting up a small pet cage isn’t just about basics — it’s about creating a secure, enriching space where your animal feels cared for. Every choice — from bedding to feeding tools — shapes their quality of life.
At The Pet Essentials Hub, our goal is to make cage setup simple and stress-free, so whether you’re welcoming a hamster, guinea pig, or rabbit, you can focus on what matters most: building a home where your pet thrives.
Want the easy route? We’ve done the homework for you. From roomy cages to cozy bedding and enrichment toys, here are our top picks for setting up your hamster, guinea pig, or rabbit’s home.
Everything you need, all in one place.
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