Step inside Suffolk’s oldest guinea pig pub, the one and only Groundhog Inn. We’ve got “Live Acoustic Wheeking”, a “Nap Lounge”, and “Popcorning Hour”—what more could any little piggy want! This magic little boozer lets your guinea pigs raise a tiny toast to fun, friendship, and merriment in their very own village pub. Cheers!
The Groundhog Inn is part of the HayPigs!® Guinea Pig Village collection. Each building is designed to provide your guinea pigs with the perfect den to hideout in, play and sleep in. They are simple to construct and can be flat-packed for easy storage. We’ve decorated the wood with laser-etched detailing and you’ll also receive a set of stickers to customise the outside of your house with quirky signage.
Made from untreated, chew-safe plywood, our houses are designed with multiple entrances and exits (to reduce piggy altercations!) and fit neatly within the footprint of a C&C cage enclosure. They can also be painted with pet-friendly paints should you wish to take things to the next level!
Did you know? You can visit the original Groundhog Inn at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park (based in Suffolk, UK) in Spring and Summer. HayPigs!® are the official sponsors of their Guinea Pig Village and design and maintain the buildings for the resident piggies. Find out more.
Fun Fact: Before its revamp in 2022, the previous guinea pig village was one of the first attractions Jimmy Doherty and his partner Michaela built when they leased the 100-acre site near Ipswich back in 2002. It was only fitting, then, that when the original Groundhog Inn was replaced, the name was kept!
Dimensions (assembled): 39 x 31 x 46cm
Door openings approx. 12.5cm x 13cm.
KEY BENEFITS
- Simple to construct and can be flat-packed for easy storage.
- The perfect den for your guinea pigs to hideout, play and sleep in.
- Made from untreated, chew-safe plywood.
- Features laser-etched detailing and stickers to customise your building.
- Designed with multiple entrances and exits to reduce piggy altercations!
- Fits neatly within the footprint of a C&C cage enclosure.
- Can be painted with pet-friendly paints.
- Designed for indoor use in your enclosure or during floortime.
- Can be used outside (in dry weather) or if weather-proofed with pet-friendly paint.
- Based on the original Groundhog Inn at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park.
RECOMMENDED FOR
Designed specifically for Guinea Pigs. Not intended to be used by other small animals.
ASSEMBLING YOUR GROUNDHOG INN
We’ve made assembly as simple as possible, so it should be fairly straightforward. We recommend slotting the three parts of the inn front together first, then attaching them to one side wall. After that, add the back wall and then the other side wall.
Next, locate the inn sign and the little ‘C’-shaped clip (we’ve included a spare ‘C’ clip in the box, just in case you misplace one!). Push the inn sign through the slot in the front of the inn and secure it in place from behind using the ‘C’ clip.
Finally, add the two roof panels and slot the decorative roof ridge into place at the top.
All parts are designed to be assembled and disassembled easily, so you can store your little house away when you’re not using it!
APPLYING THE STICKERS
You can optionally apply the set of stickers to your building (should you wish to) or leave the building natural; it’s up to you! We’ve provided two sets of each sticker so you have a backup (so do keep hold of the spares for future use!).
PAINTING YOUR BUILDING
Should you wish to paint your building, please ensure you use pet-safe paint and that the paint is completely dry before giving the building to your guinea pigs. We recommend Cuprinol Garden Shades paint, as it’s what we used for the village at Jimmy’s Farm. Please do follow the usage instructions carefully. For the original Groundhog Inn we used Black Ash, White Daisy™ and Forest Mushroom.
SAFETY ADVICE
WARNING: Not suitable for children under 3 years.
ADULT ASSEMBLY REQUIRED.
Please ensure that your building is assembled correctly before giving it to your guinea pigs. Curious piggies may wish to chew and gnaw at the wood, this is normal and perfectly safe, but if you find that your guinea pigs are damaging the building significantly, please remove it from their enclosure. Any sharp edges or splinters caused by nibbling should be removed or gently sanded back.
No toy is completely risk free, so supervision of your piggies, certainly when you first introduce the building, is recommended. Monitor the building regularly to check for any damage and replace it should this damage ever be significant. For more advice, please reach out to us via our website’s contact page.
ALWAYS RESPECT YOUR PET
While we want you to have lots of fun with your guinea pig village building, please remember that your small furries are not toys and should always be treated with the utmost care and respect! Enjoy!
SIZE GUIDE
Note that this pub is considerably bigger than many of the other houses, please measure it carefully to check it will fit in your enclosure. Ideal for use during floor time and in an outdoor run.
Dimensions (assembled): 39 x 31 x 46cm
Door openings approx. 12.5cm x 13cm.
MATERIALS
Made from untreated, chew-safe plywood. Please see our "Safety Advice" section.
FAQs
What wood is the house made from? Is it non-toxic / chew-safe?
The Groundhog Inn is made from untreated, chew-safe plywood. The wood is 6mm thick and pretty strong.
Can my guinea pig damage the house with its teeth?
Piggies will be piggies and chewing and nibbling is very much part of their day-to-day lives. As curious creatures, they will often have a little nibble at new things to see if they are tasty and to work out what they are. This explorative chewing is great for their mental wellbeing and also their teeth. Expect your house to pick up little teeth marks around the door and window frames – this is normal!
As per our safety advice, we just recommend that you keep an eye on this. Any sharp edges or splinters caused by nibbling should be removed or gently sanded back. If you find that your guinea pigs are damaging the building significantly, please remove it from their enclosure.
Can I paint it? What paints do you use? Are they non-toxic?
It is very important that you use a pet-safe paint if you wish to paint your house and that you follow the usage guides carefully. Please ensure that all paint is completely dry before giving it to your piggies. We personally recommend Cuprinol Garden Shades paint as it’s what we used on the buildings at Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park and it’s widely regarded as a good option for wooden items for pets such as hutches and sheds. It also seems to deter chewing.
As with all advice, if you are concerned your piggy has been nibbling / consuming too much of the painted building, err on the side of caution and remove the house from their enclosure. Persistent chewing / destruction can suggest a level of boredom or stress, so you may wish to consider adding additional chew toys to their home or reviewing their setup to help with this.
Can I use this Groundhog Inn outside?
While these building have been designed for indoor use, you can use them outside, but you may wish to paint them first. Damp weather will damage the plywood so if you want to keep these houses in good condition for longer, we recommend only using them outside in fine, dry weather. Do also note that damp ground will also damage the houses, as the moisture will soak up between the plywood layers and cause them to split.
How many guinea pigs fit inside the Groundhog Inn?
As it's bigger than many of the other buildings, the Groundhog Inn is typically good for a couple of piggies to enjoy (unless you have three piggies that particularly get on!). It is designed with multiple entrances and exits to minimise stress and conflict when two piggies want the same spot!
I’m worried that my piggies are chewing on the stickers, should I remove them?
Guinea pigs are naturally inquisitive creatures and this can happen. That said, most of our stickers are positioned strategically away from the piggies to deter them. Digesting small amounts of the stickers won’t do them any harm, but if you’ve got a piggy determined to rip the whole sticker off, it’s probably best practice to remove it!
Does the Groundhog Inn fit inside a C&C cage?
Yes! However, please note that the Groundhog Inn is bigger than many of the other houses so you'll need a decent sized enclosure. Please also note that it is a taller than a C&C grid, so it will not fit underneath a loft area or lid.
What should I use underneath the house?
We find it is a very practical to position a fleece pee pad underneath each house. After all, your piggies will enjoy spending a lot of time in them and are likely to do their toilet business frequently while inside! As always, we’d recommend checking these pads regularly, not only to spot clean the poops but also to change the pads when they get damp.
Will you be bringing out other guinea pig village houses?
Absolutely! It is our plan to extend the set over time, starting with the corner shop, pub and church and then moving onto additional exciting new builds!
TROUBLESHOOTING
I can’t get one of the tabs to fit in the slot (it’s very stiff), what can I do to assemble it?
Don’t worry, this is not unusual and there’s plenty of things we can advise to try to fix this for you. First off, please do be aware that as a natural material, all plywood sheets are slightly different in thickness and finish. This can lead to some parts being a bit stiffer than others. If you can’t gently wiggle the part in, we recommend sanding the tab a little bit (with sand paper) to loosen the joint up. Disclaimer: We wouldn’t recommend trying to sand the hole as this is more likely to split the wood, please just sand the tab.
If you’ve added paint, please note that this can also make the parts stiffer to connect. Again, it might be worth sanding the tabs down a little (to remove some paint) to help the fit.
Once you’ve got the tabs in, you’ll find they do naturally wear down a little over time making them easy to assemble and dissemble in future.
If all of the above has failed, or you’ve broken a part trying to put it together, just get in touch with us and we’ll get a replacement part sorted out for you.
I’m missing a part, can you help?
Of course, we’re here to help. Unfortunately, (with any production run) this can happen from time to time, so please just reach out to us and we’ll get a replacement part out to you straight away.
A part has arrived broken, what should I do?
So sorry about that! Please don’t worry, we’ll sort you out a spare part and get it to you as quickly as we can. Please just get in touch!
I’ve broken a part while assembling it, can you help?
We understand! These things happen, please reach out to us and we’ll see about getting a replacement part out to you.
I’m missing a sticker sheet; can you send me an extra one?
Absolutely, just drop us a line and we’ll get that sorted out for you. Apologies for any inconvenience caused!
My sticker sheet is crumpled / damaged; can I get a replacement please?
Sorry about that! Yes, please get in touch and we’ll see about getting a replacement out to you.