A Few Questions About Guinea Pig Housing And Keeping A Cat

[vegfox]

Hi. I'm hoping to give a home to a few guinea pigs. I have a cat and am concerned about keeping the guinea pigs safe. I've looked at photos of C+C. Is this an open cage pack or can it be completely secured? So our moggie cant get in. For outside I'm considering a small shed and cage run. But not sure what's best for inside housing. Would appreciate tips from people with cats rtf and photos.

 

[GPcrazy]

We have a C&c cage and just added a lid. For my base and lid I actually bought big 'grids' so they are each one solid grid rather than multiple ones connected. But I have seen it done with connected normal size grids too, just connect using cable ties (zip ties) and overlap some to make it more sturdy.
The cats prowl around and look in but have never gotten in yet. Also, raising it up off the floor has proven much better than having it on the floor as the cats can't see in quite as easily.

 

[The3LittlePigs]

I'd personally be a little worried about curious kitty paws and mouth against the grids, particularly if a piggies feet happened to be passing with these c&c grids, though people with first hand experience would know better than I; my worries stem from a similar situation with my mother, her chinchilla, and the dog, who decided he took a fancy for the chinchilla's gripping paws that morning; you can imagine what occurred I'm sure. Although piggies are probably less likely to go sticking their paws through grids, I'd still be cautious, maybe fencing off a room or the outdoor option might be more suitable, or putting flexiglass in front of or behind the grids for extra protection. Again, I doubt kitty could get through the bars considering how they're made, but still, I'd be hesitant.

 

[GPcrazy]

I cut the sides of my correx a little higher than normal (15cm) to also add extra protection against the kitties. It's really hard (practically impossible) for them to get there paws in and angled down enough to actually reach a piggy.
Raising the cage also definitely helped in this regard.

When the cage was on the floor it was still kind of possible so we put tinfoil on top of the cage and hung some around he sides which deterred them (cats hate tinfoil).
Raising it has definitely made it safer though.

 

[VickieD]

I have 2 tier cage in the bedroom and have 5 cats.
My cats do not bother with the cage and door left open to room at nights and during day when in. However when we go out we do close the door of the bedroom.

 

[GIBBYALASKA]

My cat gets along very well with my guinea pigs. We had our cat first, she was a about three years old when we adopted a three year old male guinea pig. We introduced them on the floor with short ten minute supervised visits. They smelled each other, checked eachither out. Eventually when I felt it was time they had full run of the living room (suprevised obviously) they would play hide and seek, run in circles... the guinea pig squealing happy squeaks and our cat so intrigued. If Gibby (our gpig) wants our cat to back off, he chatters his teeth at her and she runs away. Our guinea pig is definitely dominant over the cat. We recently got a new baby gpig Alaska and she is crazy! She Is Very Social with our Cat. She is also the dominant one in the relationship. She chases the cat, hides behind things, runs and jumps with excitement playing with her. I have a hutch for Gibby, and a covered C & C cage for Alaska. Our cat is always trying to jump in their cages when the door is open. She tries to eat the hay and sit on thier perches. I would definitely keep the cage covered but don't be afraid of your cat eating your gpig! With proper introduction they will be fine. Maybe start out with one minute introductions 2-3 times a day, whatever works for your animals. Good luck!