Advice On Indoor Wooden Cages For New Owner

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Clarabelle

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hi everyone, I'm a new owner of two four month old girls, whom I've only had a couple of weeks and are currently housed in a 6ft x 2ft hutch, insulated in the garage with snuggle pads. Already I don't like them being outside/away from us. I'm thinking moving them indoors and would like your opinion on these wooden indoor cages? (Hopefully pics have uploaded) IMG_3562.webp IMG_3527.webp I'm very House proud (can't help it & wish I wasn't!) but I like things to look nice and these cages are beautiful. I'm concerned about space (these are 120x60) and if being wooden overtime if they will smell? Also am thinking the girls can go back out in the summer into their big hutch and outdoor run. I just think we will bond better & don't really see the point of having pets & not seeing them, with them being out in the garage. Any advice would be welcomed as I don't want to make an expensive mistake on buying another cage! Ps they never lived indoors & currently are still very very scared of us!
 
hello! Welcome to the forum :)

Do you have website link as i cant enlarge the photos to have a good look?

Have you thought about going c&c indoor or is there a reason you'd like a wooden cage with a roof? Also zooplus have a great 120cm cage on offer at moment

Ferplast Rabbit & Guinea Pig Cage 120 | Free P&P £29+ at zooplus!

or

Skyline Maxi XXL Small Pet Cage | Free P&P £29+ at zooplus!

Piggies are prey animals and it can take a while to earn their trust, some pigs are more skittish than others our 9 month old still runs if i go to touch her.... :))

We always start off after a few weeks by trying to hand feed a few veggie treats in the cage by offering some nice veggies to the new piggy when they are in their hidey, hopefully they will take it off you as you hold it in for them... after a while try offering it a little further from the hidey so they edge out and take it from you. Just go slowly as they are prey animal patience is needed to build up the bond, younger piggies are especially skittish

Food is the best way to bribe, use food when you get round to lap times also. Start lap time for a short amount of time at first and build up. We started off we laptimes for 1 minute with new piggies then pop them back, slowly increasing the time. They will soon associate you with food and good things but at first it takes a while to gain their trust.

Have a read of this thread here How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig

Your girls a beautiful by the way :love:

Lee
 
sport_billy said:
hello! Welcome to the forum :)

Do you have website link as i cant enlarge the photos to have a good look?

Have you thought about going c&c indoor or is there a reason you'd like a wooden cage with a roof? Also zooplus have a great 120cm cage on offer at moment

Ferplast Rabbit & Guinea Pig Cage 120 | Free P&P £29+ at zooplus!

or

Skyline Maxi XXL Small Pet Cage | Free P&P £29+ at zooplus!

Piggies are prey animals and it can take a while to earn their trust, some pigs are more skittish than others our 9 month old still runs if i go to touch her.... :))

We always start off after a few weeks by trying to hand feed a few veggie treats in the cage by offering some nice veggies to the new piggy when they are in their hidey, hopefully they will take it off you as you hold it in for them... after a while try offering it a little further from the hidey so they edge out and take it from you. Just go slowly as they are prey animal patience is needed to build up the bond, younger piggies are especially skittish

Food is the best way to bribe, use food when you get round to lap times also. Start lap time for a short amount of time at first and build up. We started off we laptimes for 1 minute with new piggies then pop them back, slowly increasing the time. They will soon associate you with food and good things but at first it takes a while to gain their trust.

Have a read of this thread here How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig

Your girls a beautiful by the way :love:

Lee
Click to expand...
 
Hi Lee,

Thanks for your reply. I'm struggling a little with how to use this forum and can't work out how to attach a link but they are from hamster.homes. I just like the look of them . I'm nervous about a no lid option incase they jump out as they will up on a table and not the floor. What I'm actually asking is wether to have them full time indoors or just bring them in for floor time, perhaps in some sort of playpen? I'm concerned about smell/mess but this wooden option has solid sides & option of Perspex front so nothing can fall out. I work with animals and it just feels alien to me not to have them part of the family but I've not owned small furries before, only cats & dogs, and perhaps they are happier outside in a big hutch? I'm probably just over thinking! But I can't help worrying about them being alone, but they are probably very happy!
 
Inside or outside is personal preference it really is. Pigs will be happy with either option. I prefer indoor as I like to have them in the room with me, but honestly both ways are fine. We have lots of experienced indoor and outdoor slaves on the forum. One thing with outdoor piggies is just having somewhere to bring them into in extremes of weather as well as making sure they are warm enough in winter. Indoor piggies you have to think about how to keep them cool in heat of summer

To link just copy and paster the URL but i will google it now to have a look at dimensions. Piggies shouldn't jump out, but you do never know especially with young ones who tend to be more bouncy.... For an indoor playpen i would use and do use c&c grids held together with cable ties, you can fold it up that way and grids are high size too
Super Large 120x60cm Natural Wood Guinea Pig Cage is the link :) looks nice!

Piggies do have a smell and depending on how often you clean them what bedding you use it will smell more. When we had two in a 120cm cage with woodshvings we had to clean twice a week... when we moved to a 2x5 c&c cage with woodshavings it went to once a week because of the bigger space to pig ratio, with a poo pick mid week. We are no onto a 3x6 c&c with fleece for two due to deaths this year and still at once a week. the smaller the cage the more you'll clean as a rule.
Fleece in a 120 cm cage will need twice a week in our previous experience.

A few threads you may find helpful

Getting Guinea Pigs? Items You'll Need To Buy?

Bedding For Guinea Pigs - Overview

Website for c&c cages in uk which are very good is C and C Guinea Pig Cages | Guinea Pig Cages

@ladykelly may be able to suggest a good outdoor hutch as an option too

Rule of thumb in all cages is the bigger you can fit in and afford the better.
 
I think the base/floor of the cage is wooden, so you would need some sort of insulating cover over it, or the cage will inevitably soak with urine and will start smelling.

For a pretty indoor wooden cage, I'd advise you to consider Ferplast Cottage Large, as it offers more space and the floors are made of plastic drawers, so damage from pee is less likely. I used to have it (it was modified a bit, so each level was 160 X 60 cm instead of 120 X 60 cm), and it's indeed very pretty, but I couldn't be happier with my current CandC cage. It's easier to manage and modify, sort of like Leggo.
 
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