Minimum housing standards

[Agnes]

Is it time to rethink minimum housing sizes? The guinea pig alliance advises 'an absolute minimum of 1.5 x 1m (length x width) as a minimum for a compatible pair' and the legal minimum in Germany is 2m². Advising 120x60cm as a minimum (0.72m²) seems tiny in comparison. The minimum for rabbits is 6m² so it seems unlikely that guinea pigs could be happy in less than a sixth of this space. My pigs live in a 13m² space and I can't imagine them in anything less. Just some thoughts- interested to hear what others have to say!

 

[piggieminder]

The minimum cage size 120x60cm is far too small but then we have a certain pet chain selling 100x60cm as a 'starter cage' for guinea pigs when people would be better buying something much bigger in the first place. On the forum we guide people to bigger is better, why only use the minimum? Unfortunately there are always those who don't want to listen. Good rescues are much more up to date and will only rehome to far bigger cages which is a start but unfortunately those who don't know better will go to a pet shop and buy when turned away by the rescue.

 

[Agnes]

The minimum cage size 120x60cm is far too small but then we have a certain pet chain selling 100x60cm as a 'starter cage' for guinea pigs when people would be better buying something much bigger in the first place. On the forum we guide people to bigger is better, why only use the minimum? Unfortunately there are always those who don't want to listen. Good rescues are much more up to date and will only rehome to far bigger cages which is a start but unfortunately those who don't know better will go to a pet shop and buy when turned away by the rescue.

Agreed- those cages are awful! It's a shame our standards aren't more in line with those in Germany. A minimum cage size of 2mx1m seems like a much better minimum.