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Droppings, waste, feces, excrement, and other words all describe the same thing — poop. It’s a part of life. And guinea pigs are among the champion poopers of small mammal pets, if you judge based on frequency. Healthy, adult guinea pigs are said to poop up to 100 times a day.
If you share your home with guinea pigs, you love them regardless of their “bathroom” habits. But seriously, why so much pooping?
Guinea Pig Anatomy Basics
Understanding the why of poop begins with how guinea pigs use food. They’re monogastric herbivorous hindgut fermenters. That’s a fancy way of saying that guinea pigs have a stomach with one compartment, they eat plants, and their food is fermented in their cecum and large intestine. They evolved to eat high-fiber, low-calorie food (grass hay) that keeps their digestive tract moving and wears down their constantly growing teeth. Their high metabolism requires them to eat frequently to get energy.
Why Do They Eat So Often?
Guinea pigs have a high metabolism, so they eat and snack throughout the day and some of the night. According to a study from 2021, during the day significant feeding typically takes place at dawn, two-thirds of the way through the day, and at dusk. Midday showed the least feeding activity. Nighttime feeding is most significant immediately after dark.
They can eat at night, because they don’t sleep in large blocks of time. Their sleep occurs during short naps throughout the day and night. Guinea pigs do eat at night, although not as much as during the day. The timing of eating is important, because the study found that pooping tended to occur most during times the guinea pigs were eating.
What They Eat
Guinea pigs are herbivores, with body systems made to digest plant material. Fresh grass hay and fresh water make up their ideal diet. A small amount of guinea pig pellets can provide necessary nutrients, including vitamin C, which is vital because they can’t make it on their own. Some guinea pig-safe vegetables are also good sources of vitamin C (bell peppers, parsley, dandelion greens, romaine lettuce, etc.).
Lafeber Hey!Berries are healthy treats, as is fresh fruit, although it should be offered as a special treat. Fruit should be guinea pig-safe, which includes strawberries, blueberries, and apples (no seeds, core, or stems). Fermentation helps make the nutrients from these foods better available for absorption. Additionally, guinea pigs are coprophagic, which means they eat some of their own poop. Eating their droppings helps them absorb more nutrients from their food.
Normal Guinea Pig Poop
What guinea pigs eat can affect their poop. A normal guinea pig poop pellet is smooth, semi-firm, dark green or medium to dark brown, ranges in length from just under a half inch to just under an inch, and is tapered at both ends.
Your guinea pigs’ droppings should all look the same. If they ever vary and you haven’t changed the diet, be on the alert. If the shape of the poop changes from the normal oval pellet, the texture changes, blood is present, or the poop suddenly begins to stink, contact your veterinarian. All of these are signs of possible illness.
Where Do Guinea Pigs Poop
It’s said that guinea pigs often go in the same area of their habitat, and this means they can be trained to use a litter box. It’s also said that guinea pigs go whenever and wherever they want. The behavior of individual guinea pigs likely varies. Be prepared to spot-clean droppings at least once a day in your guinea pigs’ habitat.
Your chosen floor covering (disposable pads, washable fleece fabric, wood pellets, etc.) affects how often a full cleaning is needed, but once a week is common. During your guinea pigs’ playtime in a portable pen, plastic kid’s pool, or other safe area for free-roaming, plan for poop or pee accidents to occur. One good thing about guinea pig poop is that it normally doesn’t have any odor and is easy to pick up.
With Poop Comes Cleaning
A clean environment is critical for guinea pig health. Cleaning up urine and feces frequently is particularly important, because leaving them sit promotes increased levels of ammonia, bacteria, and other nasty things that harm your guinea pigs. Removing poop or urine-soaked areas is easier with some flooring covers, and this must be done at least once a day. Food dishes, and water dishes and bottles need daily cleaning.
The weekly cage cleaning involves placing your guinea pigs in a safe area outside the cage, removing everything from the cage to clean, wiping down the cage, and letting everything dry thoroughly before replacing cleaned items and bringing your guinea pigs back to the habitat. The cleaner you use can be mild dish soap and water, diluted vinegar, or a commercial guinea pig-safe cage cleaner. All must be thoroughly rinsed and dry before returning your guinea pigs to the cage.
More Than Worth It
If you don’t realize by now, sharing your home with guinea pigs means dealing with a lot of guinea pig poop. To make this as easy as possible, consider how you will clean your guinea pigs’ habitat before you actually set it up. And prepare for poop wherever your guinea pigs go. If that happens to be your lap, have a towel as a buffer.
Just a little forethought can make cleanup and poop patrol easier so you have more time to enjoy being with your precious guinea pigs.
