Advice re indoor cages please:-)

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colley1275

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HI there,

We are new to guinea pig ownership and in the next couple of months are hoping to give a home to two guinea pigs.

However, before we do, I wanted to do a bit of preparation. My daughter is now 11 and has been wanting her own guinea pig for quite some time. She has saved up and has been reading the Guinea Pig encylopedia to read up and learn as much as she can (me included) !

We want to keep the guys inside, as I want to make sure that they have plenty of company and also do not get cold.

But there are such an array of indoor cages, I wanted to ask what you would recommend?

Can you keep guinea pigs in the double storey indoor cages ? these look great because of the extra space, but I wasn't sure if they would be ok with the ladders etc?

Molly is also hoping to get two Shelties, as she simply loves these and I just wondered if anyone could recommend the best place to start looking for this variety - she also likes the Dutch too :(|)

Any advice would be very welcome.

Kind regards

Rachel and Molly
 
Some piggies will use a two storied cage, especially if you fix up the ramps a little with something for grip and maybe sides. Get one that's at least 120 cm long. It will be easier to clean a big cage (I know it sounds odd, but it really is!) and the piggies will be healthier and easier entertained!

Shelties and dutch are not uncommon and will be available at many rescues. I'm sure someone will direct you to a rescue in west yorkshire soon :)
 
Thanks for your message. Have just been looking at the thread with all the house piccies on and WOW - these are great.

Does anyone have their piggies inside in the winter and outside in the summer? We have a sheltered patio and a big garden and I could pop them in the shade in the summer. Just thinking that they may appreciate the fresh air during the warmer months....?

Thanks again
 
Yes, many people keep their indoor piggies in runs on the grass when the weather is nice! Some have an outdoor hutch in addition to their indoor cage so that they can stay out from late spring until autumn at night too. An indoor cage outside at night would probably not be a great idea as it's so open.
 
There a huge array of indoor cages - the minimum recommended for a pair is 4'X2' - 120cm x 60cm. Whether it's a purpose made one or a C&C combination is a matter of personal choice.

Bedding also varies - some like using fleeces with incontinence pads underneath, changing the fleeces every few days; others use newspapers with hay as bedding, again changed every day or two; dust extracted woodshavings (never sawdust) is another alternative changed weekly - some people will tell you not to use it though I've used it for years without the health problems that are often cited.

Doing as much homework as you can - by asking questions as you have - is a great way of deciding what would work for you.

Welcome to the forum - I hope you thoroughly enjoy your time here.

Suzy

http://guinearescue.blogspot.com
 
What sort of indoor cage you want will depend on how much space you have, how many pigs you want and your own situation. I live on my own with no other pets so I can safely have a big open 3 x 4 (grids) c & c (with a 1 x 3 hayloft) that stands on the floor. This gives my 3 girls lots of space (they also get floortime).
A commercial indoor cage is also perfectly acceptable. I think the biggest you can get is a Trixie 150 (or similar). You can get a 2 level cage but remember that some of the space on each level is lost to the ramp hole which can reduce the overall space a lot (and guinea pigs like to run laps). You may also need to make adaptions to the ramp to make it piggy friendly but lots of people have successfully done this. Zooplus has a good range of cages. If you see something you like and want opinions then post a link and people will give you advice. :)

Here is a list of rescues that might be near you.
http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/centres.asp#Yorkshire
 
Hi! Welcome to the forum!

Great of you for doing your research beforehand!

C&C grid cages are probably the cheapest and most versatile option for indoors cages, as you can adapt them to many situations and they are easy to extend. One pack for less than £20 gives you 16-17 grids to play with - enough to build a very big ground floor cage or a 2x4 grid cage (ca. 70x140cm) with a hayloft. Most piggies do figure out a ramp pretty soon within a few days.

Fleece is the best bedding for greater expanses of space, like C&C cages. It is very cheap and doesn't add a lot of mess to the bins as other beddings can do. It is also widely available in form of ployester bedspreads, baby blankets etc., and you can let your daughter decide on the designs! ;)

You will find that you have far more contact with indoors guinea pigs. Many of us do also have an indoors run for playtime, which is the highlight of the day. There are foldable options that can be easily stored away. My piggies also have a run for the lawn.

If you have a snoop around our reference section, you will find some hopefully interesting and useful threads, as well as at the top of the other sections.

We have also got a direct link to the rehome website at the bottom of the page and several guinea pig rescues that are active over the forum. You will find that the forum people are very helpful in getting you together with the right piggies for your situation.
 
Welcome to the forum :)

I have my two girls in a ready made indoor cage which is 120cm x 60cm, I would really love a C&C cage but I need something which can be moved from different rooms easily :(

I use a fleece blanket on top of an old towel & newspaper. Most of the time they use their litter tray so I can just empty that daily, and sweep up any stray poops. Then it's just a case of popping the fleece & towel in the washing machine.
 
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Thank you for all your friendly replies and helpful advice :-)

I like the idea of using the fleece, I would assume that this is the same as I use for my two Border Collies ! lol - in which case I can pick up a couple of rolls at one of the next Championship shows.

I think we will stick with a single storey and get the biggest we can, as we will be popping the guys in the spare room, we will have space for a 120cm one at least.

If anyone knows of anyone who has a litter of shelties planned in the North of England if they could give us some contact details that would be great.

Many thanks
 
You might have missed the fact this is a rescue forum :)

Breeding is not discussed and definatly not supported.

Have a look on the rehoming section, they are only a sample of the thousands of piggies that are desperate for homes.

You can find all different ages/colours/coat variations ect. and will be worth while going to a rescue. If * search your local rescues I'm sure theyl be happy to help.


Please please please dont 'buy' a guinea pig, if your heart desires a 'sheltie type' I'm sure ul find one or something very similar avail for adoption :)
 
Just to add something-

Shelties arent the 'ideal' starter guinea pigs. Their coats being the downside.

If you have the chance, pop up to a rescue and meet some piggies.
You'l very quickly learn that looks dont matter, every guinea pig has a different personality and by getting one from a rescue you can choose who is most suitable.

I totally understand that you want something abit 'different'. I have 8 guinea pigs and my latest being a texel ( curly coat ). All rescue or rehomes. Certain breeds are out there in rescues * just have to find them :)
 
If you look on www.zooplus.co.uk there is a 120cm X 60cm cage for about £35 last time I saw it. It's the cheapest I've seen anyway, I think if you type in "maxi XXL" you should find it.

Good luck with your new guinea pigs :)
 
Indoor and outdoor hutches

Hi, I'm coming to this thread a bit late I know. We have kept our guinea pigs (x4) in an outdoor 2 storey hutch in the garden shed (with large windows) and now in a large indoor single storey cage. We don't have a garden at the mo. I certainly prefer to have them indoors. And the girls seem perfectly happy. They come out every night for a run around. The good thing is that you can get to know them a lot better because you spend more time with them and you are also more likely to spot if anything is wrong with them more quickly for the same reason. As for ladders. my girls never had a problem with using one - in fact my husband rigged up a ramp in the indoor cage to make extra hidey holes underneath and to help our littlest pig get up to the food area. Our ramp does have ridges on to help them to grip.
Hope you get on with your new piggies when you do get them. They are lovely pets!
 
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