Water is essential for all animals, including guinea pigs. Water is needed to keep your guinea pig healthy and hydrated. The water supply should be fresh and clean.

A guinea pig needs fresh water at all times and the best way to give them water is with a water bottle designed for small animals.

Should I use a Water Bowl or Water Bottle for my Guinea Pig?

Water Bottle or Water Bowl? Bottles are almost always a better choice than bowls for guinea pigs.

Can guinea pigs drink out of a bowl? The short answer is yes. However, they use their tongues to drink out of a bowl and that causes their whiskers to get wet (and their whiskers are very sensitive). A bowl is much more likely to get knocked over or spilled. Food and hay can end up in the water bowl and also the water can become easily contaminated from poop or urine. 

Factors to Consider Before Buying a Guinea Pig Water Bottle

There are several things to look for in a water bottle for your guinea pig, and there are several materials to consider.

If you want to get the best options for a guinea pig water bottle, you need to know what constitutes a quality water bottle and what would be dangerous. It needs to be easy for your guinea pig to drink from and easy for you to fill up and clean.

Here are some tips on selecting the best water bottle for your guinea pig.

What Type of Material Should a Water Bottle for Guinea Pigs be Made of?

When it comes to water bottles, there are many choices out there.

Guinea pigs need a water bottle for their cage to contain fresh drinking water daily. They need a water bottle that can be easily cleaned and the water which is in it should be changed regularly.

But what is the best type of water bottle for guinea pigs, and which will work best in your cage? Each type has its own pros and cons, as well as its own set of challenges.

There are two main types of materials that are used for water bottles for guinea pigs: glass and plastic. The glass bottles will usually be made from borosilicate glass, which is a special type of heat-resistant and very durable glass. The plastic bottles will be made from polycarbonate plastic. These are both very safe materials to use in guinea pigs water bottles.

There are several other different types of materials that water bottles for guinea pigs can be made of. There are ceramic water bottles and stainless steel water bottles for guinea pigs. Again, each material has its advantages and disadvantages.

Glass Water Bottles

Glass is the safest material to use for a guinea pig water bottle because there are no chemicals leaching into their water or food. It doesn't hold any odors or flavors and it's easy to clean and sterilize. You don't have to worry about scratching them up or damaging them when scrubbing them out.

The downside to these types of bottles is that they are heavy and can break if your cage is bumped and they are knocked over or if you drop them while filling or cleaning.

Plastic Water Bottles

Plastic is usually the cheapest material to make a water bottle out of, which is good if you have a lot of guinea pigs. They will not last as long as glass and will need to be replaced more frequently however.

Plastic water bottles are lighter than glass ones but pose some problems with cleaning them between uses. They can be easily scratched when scrubbing and those scratches can harbor bacteria. Some plastic water bottles may not be dishwasher safe. Plastic also tends to hold onto odors.

The other problem with plastic is that some plastics have BPA in them which can leach into food or water. Check the label when you purchase any plastic water bottle for your guinea pig to be sure they are BPA free.

Ceramic Water Bottles

Ceramic water bottles are a good choice for guinea pigs because they are made from natural materials and unlike plastic or metal they will not leech any harmful chemicals into the water contained within them.

They are heavier than glass or plastic and will need to be attached securely to the side of the cage.

If you choose ceramic, make sure you select a good quality ceramic water bottle that will last. Unfortunately, a cheaper, lesser quality ceramic water bottle may break easily and these aren't recommended.

Stainless Steel Water Bottles

Stainless steel water bottles are quite durable and do not hold onto odors or flavors like plastic does.

They are not typically recommended because they can rust, and the chemicals that they release into the water can harm your guinea pig if they drink enough of it.

What Type of Tip Should be on a Guinea Pig Water Bottle?

There are three different types of water bottles: ball-style, sipper tube, and gravity-style.

If you've ever had a guinea pig, you've probably been disappointed in the water bottles that are available. You may have found that after a while, they all seem to leak. The problem is not the quality of the various brands of bottles, but the design of the bottle itself.

You also want to be sure the water bottle should have a metal sipper tube that the guinea pigs drink from. The tube should be metal, not plastic, since guinea pigs can chew through plastic quite easily.

Your choice depends on how you want to feed your guinea pig water.

The Ball-Style Bottle

The ball style water bottle is the most common bottle for guinea pigs. The bottle has a ball on the end of the spout that serves as a valve. When your pet guinea pig drinks from the ball-style bottle, the ball allows water to flow out of the spout as he licks at it and then helps prevent water from dripping back into the drinking tube after he stops drinking.

The ball style water bottle is very easy to use for most guinea pigs. You can hang it anywhere in the cage and allow your guinea pig to drink whenever she wants. It is inexpensive and because you can see how much water is in there, there is no need to fill it every day.

Unfortunately, these tips can be hard for some guinea pigs, especially young ones, to use simply because they can't figure out how to get water from them.

The Sipper Tube

The sipper tube style has been around the longest; it's what used to be called a "nipple". It has a hard plastic or metal tube that projects well beyond the bottom of the water bottle.

When you attach this type of bottle to the cage, this long sipper tube hangs down into your pet's cage so that your pet can drink directly from it. There is no valve or ball on this type of bottle, but since there is nothing restricting how much or how little water flows out of it, you can easily control how much water your pet gets by how far you fill up his water bottle. These styles do tend to drip and can create wet and messy bedding.

The Gravity-Style Bottle

The gravity-style bottle is not very popular in pet stores yet, but it works well for guinea pigs who can't figure out how to use the other two styles. Your guinea pig drinks from the bottle just like a water bowl.

They have no tubing at all connected to them; instead they have a small cup attached to their base and a screw-on lid where the water is filled. The cup serves as a reservoir for the liquid which then flows through an opening in its base when inverted and hung from your pet's cage.

These types of bottles are generally inexpensive and won't tip over like a water bowl could. They also work well for guinea pigs who cannot figure out the sipper tube or ball-style water bottles, or simply prefer to drink from a bowl.

How Do You Attach the Guinea Pig Water Bottle to the Cage?

When you get your guinea pig a new water bottle, it is important to mount it properly. If it is not mounted properly then the bottle could come off the cage and your guinea pig could knock it around or worse, they could get hurt by the glass bottle.

There are a few different ways to secure a water bottle in your guinea pig cage and the pros and cons of each. The most common ways are:

a) Mounted directly onto a cage

b) Inside or outside of the cage, secured with a hanger or clip

c) Stand alone, secured by its own weight.

The flow of the water will be slower if it is mounted onto the inside of the cage compared to being mounted on the outside of the cage.

When mounting the water bottle on the inside of your guinea pig cage, you will want to use a hanger rather than a clip to secure it. Most hangers are designed to be mounted from the top of the cage, but some can be mounted inside or even on the bottom of the cage.

Mounting your water bottle to the outside of your guinea pig cage is by far the most common way, mainly because its easy and convenient. There are several different designs for these available at pet supply stores and online. The advantages of mounting it to the cage is that you can put it any where you want on the cage, and its easy to refill once you have it mounted.

If you use a free standing water bottle, you will want to make sure it is sturdy enough to withstand some tugging from your guinea pig or being knocked over.

Takeaway:

When it comes to choosing the right bottle, you should choose one that suits your guinea pig's needs and preferences. There are many different types of water bottles for guinea pigs and several factors that can help you make your decision. Each type of water bottle has its advantages and disadvantages depending on your and your pet’s likes and dislikes. Whichever water bottle you choose, always make sure your guinea pig has easy access to fresh, clean water.