Cage Advice

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fiona357

fiona357

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Hi all,

I'm after a bit of advice - I'm going to hopefully be a first-time piggie owner soon, however I don't have a huge amout of space in my house, so I was looking for some advice, to see if this is sufficient for two piggies?

I'm looking at getting a C&C cage from eBay, which is 3ft x 2ft - this is the largest I can get for my house. Will this be OK for two piggies? I'll be getting something for them to run in every day, probably a large playpen or something that can be folded away when not in use. They will be able to have this for a few hours every day in the evenings (or all day at weekends). Will this be enough for them?

The cage will be sat in the corner of the dining area, which is joined to our kitchen (there used to be a door there I think, but it's a walk-through square archway now). Will this be OK for them, as my and my partner walk back and forth through there alot, and eat at the dining table regularly. I don't want to put the cage too low on the floor, but can anyone suggest a 3x2 table that the cage would sit nicely on? (I've found two 1 1/2ft x 2ft fold up camping tables, but I'm worried they won't be stable enough for the cage).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated - I want my piggies to be happy! :D
 
Hi there. That cage is too small for two piggies. The minimum it should be is 2 by 4 but bigger is better. I got rid of furniture to make space for my c and c. The area you suggest sounds fine. I have my cage on the floor so it is easier to clean.
 
Hi!

2x3 ft is very small even for a single piggy (as which they shouldn't be kept). The area is fine, but the size is not suitable for guinea pigs. The minimum RSPCA recommendation is 2x4 ft for one or two guinea pigs, and once you have realised how big piggies grow, you will understand why, especially as they are ground roaming animals and love to have accommodation they can popcorn and run around in.
 
Many thanks for the advice - I'd read that 4x2 was the minimum but just wanted to double check. Will have to borrow someone strong to move some furniture around to make space! :)

As my piggies will be in the kitchen, I don't want them near the floor ideally - has anyone found a sturdy 4x2 table that is good for the c&c cage?

Also is a few hours of floor time a day in a large pen ok for them? Me and my partner both work all day so I don't want them to get bored :)

Sorry for all the questions! Just want to make sure I've got everything right for them :)
 
4 by 2 is just a guide so bigger is better. They will need at least two hours floor time a day.
 
Is there a proper way to set up floor time so they don't end up behind the fridge or under a computer in all the yummy wires? We are looking at using our sun room in the evening, since it has no issues in it save a couple of electric outlets. The furniture is wicker, but if we have hay next to it I hope that will be more attractive.
 
I have the same question as Jackrorabbit - we are going to be letting our piggies run free in the conservatory when we're not about, but we don't want them chewing on the wicker furniture legs. Any suggestions?

Also, one more question (sorry if this sounds silly!) - I've been moving some furniture around, and I've found an ideal solution (without needing to buy a smaller dining table!) - I was going to make a 3' x 3' c&c cage with their houses and food bowls and water bottles etc, with a door to the cage, with another c&c cage around this smaller cage this so it gives them about 8' x 6' throughout the day and night. (When we're home they can come into our conservatory or another room just for a change of scenery.) I want to check that, if we need to shut the door to the 3' x 3' cage, that this would be enough space for them for a few hours or overnight (max 8 hours). Is the 4' x 2' needed for the 4' length of the cage, so they can have a good run, or will a 3' by 3' cage with about 80% permanent access to the larger area be OK for them?

Sorry for all the questions!
 
Three by three has an issue with the corigated plastic, as one side is four feet, so the sides will be very short.
 
you could add correx to the side to make it high enough and just tape it on the side they cant get at.You can make a stand with grids rather than buying a table. There is a thread on c&c cages on here for you to look at ideas. You may find it hard to clean the back of a 3x3 if one side is agianst the wall. Mine are on the floor so i sit in them to clean them out.I also find if i make my 5x3 any smaller for my girls if i am changing the main fleece they can bicker more as they are used to the large space.
 
Thanks very much! I'll probably put my piggies out on the floor while I clean the cage so should be ok I hope. :)
 
What I meant was if they are in a big cage then shut in a smaller space for a few hours may cause problems. don't know if anyone else has experienced this
 
dont worry, it might just be mine that do this. My 6 that are in a 20 square foot cage are fine for a short time in a metre square run while i clean out but four of them are babies. The other four are the ones that get annoyed with each other when their space gets smaller.
 
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