Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Other animals

Why do guinea pigs poop so much? Here’s what’s normal

Rebekkah Adams
By

When you bring home a pet, you agree to take care of all their needs: heap on attention, supply plenty of food, and scoop the poop. And in addition to being chatterers, guinea pigs are poopers, big ones. If there’s one thing they know how to do, it’s deliver their excrement, everywhere and always. Unfortunately, this skill doesn’t also come with good cleaning abilities, so you’re stuck with the pickup. Don’t let this deter you, though. These sweet little guys make great companions, and you can teach them to go a little more conveniently if you work at it. But why do guinea pigs poop so much? Don’t worry too much if it feels like you have a never-ending supply of guinea pig dung; this is completely normal. 

Cute guinea pig rides on his owner's shoulder
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How much poop is normal for a guinea pig?

We don’t want to alarm you, but some owners report cleaning up 100 pellets per day per pet. Also, since they need to stick together in pairs or small herds, you get the muck of multiple animals in one cage. That’s A LOT of poop and A LOT of man-hours to remove it. Expect to give the cage a once-over at least twice a day, morning and night when you feed and replace water. To help you along, the first thing you want to invest in is a vacuum. That will speed up the process so you aren’t spending literally all your time grabbing bits of pig leavings off bedding. Don’t put it off either or the cage will get extra dirty and start to smell. 

Recommended Videos

Why do guinea pigs poop so much?

In order to keep their teeth worn down, their bellies full, and their nutrient levels high, these pets eat constantly. Little rodent bodies require lots of calories to go, so they consume food most of their waking hours (oh, and sleep 14 hours a day, too). With plenty of roughage going in, you’ll see plenty of droppings going out. Having that hay around all the time actually keeps their digestion in check, so while it leads to lots of surprises for you to discover, this is how we want it to be. Never cut down on your piggie’s food even if you feel like he’s eating too much. Report any changes in food consumption to the vet, though, as that could mean he’s sick. 

What should guinea pig poop look like?

We know that there should be a lot of doo-doo coming from your pigs and you want to keep track of it. That makes it easy to get a good idea of what their droppings should look like. Look for an oval, darkish brown, and relatively un-smelly turd. Gut and digestive problems give you an early warning sign that something is not quite right with your animal. Diarrhea, light-colored poop, or bloody poop means a trip to the vet should be added to the calendar. Keep in mind, they do eat their own feces for extra nutrition, so don’t panic (or try to stop them) if you see that happen. 

Guinea pig eats a piece of cucumber in his cage
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How do I stop my guinea pig from pooping everywhere?

Sadly, your GPs don’t discriminate much when selecting a spot to relieve themselves. They might go on you or even in piles of their food. However, if you note an area in the cage that seems particularly appealing as a bathroom, you can encourage them to mostly potty there. Set up a small litter box (but big enough for one pig to rest in it comfortably) and work on training them to use it. Once you’ve placed it in a specific location, reward your piggies copiously for leaving their excreta in the box.

Final thoughts on guinea pig poop

You might get overwhelmed by your guinea pigs’ poops when you first bring them home, but you can get into a routine quickly. Always make sure to maintain a consistent amount of hay and water so that they don’t develop digestive problems. In addition to vacuuming, you need to deep-clean the cage at least once per week. Too much pee and poop will contaminate your pet’s cage and could cause him to get sick. Staying on top of the cleanup is really the only way to prevent it from getting overwhelming and out of control, which is why we recommend daily maintenance. Guinea pigs will never stop being poop factories, but at least you won’t have to look at it. 

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Rebekkah Adams
Rebekkah Adams
Contributor
Rebekkah’s been a writer and editor for more than 10 years, both in print and digital. In addition to writing about pets…
Looking to add corydoras to your aquarium? Here’s what you need to know first
Read this before bringing home a cory catfish to add to your tank
Two cory catfish hang out on the bottom of the tank

One thing you might not know about aquariums until you get one: Every tank needs a janitor, which may wind up just being you. When you first dive into this hobby, it can take a while to realize how much maintenance is really involved — don't think that the filter will do all the work. But if you want a little a help in that department, you can add a catfish to the fray. If you don't have a ton of experience with these bottom feeders, we recommend one of the corydoras since they're generally best for beginners.

What are corydoras?
This is a type of catfish, but there are actually more than 170 species to choose from. These are a well-known group of swimmers who get their name from their barbels, which look a bit like whiskers. While you'll find dozens of options in the pet store, you will likely narrow it down quickly based on the size of your tank, temperature, habitat you've chosen, and the other fish that they'll live with eventually.
Are corydoras friendly?
Yes, corydoras are sweet and gentle fish. They particularly like spending time together, but get along with many others as well. In some cases, you should not buy just one as they'll get lonely. Instead grab a pair of the same type and watch them become best friends. You'll often see them as bottom feeders, well, at the base of the tank, but cory cats also come up to the surface for air or food from time to time.

Read more
Why do birds lose their feathers? Here’s when to worry
What you need to know about birds losing their feathers
Parakeet picks at their feathers

One day, your bird's beautiful plumage looks shiny and pristine, and the next day, their feathers are piling up at the bottom of the cage. It can be very alarming to see your pet suddenly losing their feathers. Don't panic, though. There are plenty of normal reasons this can occur and you should look into those first.

But dropping feathers can also indicate stress, disease, or other issues, so a call to the vet may become necessary. So why do birds lose their feathers? We'll use the process of elimination to determine the most likely cause.

Read more
Why do guinea pigs chatter their teeth? It’s not a good thing
Sounds guinea pigs make with their teeth and what each means
Guinea pig bares her teeth

Anyone who adopts a rodent should know they'll be overwhelmed by the teeth. Guinea pigs in particular have lots of dental needs and often use their chompers to communicate as well. Sadly, you won't see a happy piggy smile, so instead, you'll have to spend some time studying your piggy to decipher the mouth movements.

Oral health can also indicate bigger issues, which means you should keep a close eye on those pearly whites when you hear your pet grind, chatter, bare, or click them. So why do guinea pigs chatter their teeth? There are a few reasons, but none of them are particularly good.

Read more