Guinea Pig Water Bottles & Food Bowls

Most guinea pigs will be happy to drink from a water bottle or from a bowl, though it can be difficult to switch drinking options once a guinea pig gets used to a certain method.

It really comes down to your preferences. There are benefits and drawbacks to bowls and guinea pig water bottles. Bowls are easier to clean, but they can get dirty more quickly. Guinea pigs don’t mind getting a little messy, and you may find bits of food or hay floating in the water bowl. Your piggies may also accidentally flip over lighter-weight bowls, which not only makes their enclosures wet but could also lead to dehydration if you don’t refill their bowls quickly. This is why it’s a good idea to use heavy water bowls.

Water bottles don’t require you to open up your guinea pig’s enclosure in order to fill. They also sit outside the cage, leaving more room inside for guinea pig toys and habitat accessories. However, they are more difficult to clean and may begin to leak over time. You also need to check water bottles every so often to make sure they are functioning correctly.

Guinea pig water bottles are a completely appropriate and acceptable way to provide water for your pets as long as you use them correctly. Fill them only with water—tap water is fine as long as it is safe enough for humans to drink. Make sure to position your water bottle so that your piggies can easily access the bottle. You can also use hamster water bottles or rabbit water bottles as long as you don’t come home to find smaller bottles empty at the end of the day. You always want to make sure the water bottle is big enough to not run out before you can refill it. If you have multiple guinea pigs, you may even want to include two water bottles in their enclosure just to be extra sure they have what they need.

Finally, clean your water bottle weekly to make sure bacteria don’t build up in the bottle.