Cage size help!

[vmorin918]

Hi all! we have a mother & daughter duo (mom is about a 1.5 years, the baby is 3.5 months.) The rescue we got them from just had an influx of rescues, and one gave birth to 4 babies the other day. We are thinking about adopting one of the babies, as it’ll give our youngest someone to play with too (mom is getting kind of sick of her being up her butt sometimes lol)

We currently have a 2x4 c&c with a 1x2 loft. What are your thoughts about the cage size for the 3 little ladies? We’re sort of limited on space for expanding, but if we got very creative and reorganized the apartment furniture we could expand. I’ve attached a photo of our current cage, we could go bigger if it was on the floor but we need the storage underneath (we have limited storage in our apartment lol)

 

[Guineapigfeet]

I think 5x2 is the minimum recommended for three. I used to have my three in a 5x2 though and it soon felt small and they’re now in a 7x2. Could you make it wider if you can’t make it longer?
Another thing to maybe think of if that threes can end up with an outsider situation with two that are really good buddies and one feeling left out and lonely. Also, your young one will grow up and settle down a bit quite quickly and will be less of a pest towards her mother (hopefully!)

 

[Guineapigfeet]

Just looked at that fleece - it’s so cute!

 

[Piggies&buns]

I agree with everything said above. A 2x4 won’t be big enough for three. Lofts don’t count towards the total available space as guinea pigs are ground roaming (and some pigs just won’t climb ramps).

 

[Lorcan]

If you need the storage space, would a table work? If you could find one that's an appropriate size, the cage can sit on it and it might even give you better access to the storage underneath. Something like a corner table might allow you to make the main floor of the cage an L shape which would give you a bigger cage.

 

[PigglePuggle]

You could take down the loft and add it on the end or on the side at floor level (or table level) to make a 5x2 floor space? But please always be aware that adding a new piggy may not be straightforward, if you bring a piggy home and one or both of the others doesnt like her you will need a plan B, ie a second cage and a new friend for her! If you could take your piggies to the rescue to meet the baby girls and find one they like before you commit to taking one home, that is the best plan for making sure they will be happy with the new arrangement!

 

[vmorin918]

We were thinking this afternoon, about leaving the loft and the section under the loft as is, but then expanding out the rest of the cage to make it wider into what would be a 3x3 section. Then we would still have the 1x2 loft, and the same size below the loft for hay and litter box.

In regards to introducing an “outsider” one option would be to adopt two babies, so essentially then we end up with two bonded pairs. The rescue is an hour from our house so introducing them before isn’t really an option.

 

[PigglePuggle]

I think this cage would be fine for 3 pigs but is still a grid short of the recommended minimum for 4 pigs... many of us have travelled further with piggies to "date" at a rescue and find a compatible match, possibly you cant do this for whatever reason (and I'm sure many of us, myself included, have brought home piggies without doing this sometimes) but it is still what we would recommend as an ideal situation. Best of luck with expanding your cage and herd!

 

[Alisa3114]

Does the rescue offer a bonding service so you can be sure that your two accept the new ones. We have five sows a mother and daughter and 3 sisters. My mother and daughter went back to the rescue for bonding and Alisa the mother rejected quite a few sows and it was touch and go whether she would accept any of them. Luckily she did. I don't know how I would have managed if I had just brought them home and she had rejected them as I wouldn't have had the space to set up a separate cage.

 

[vmorin918]

You all are right, while we could bring our two to the rescue for a “date night” to see who they get along with, I just thought all the travel might stress them out and then leave them not wanting to interact period.

We could turn the cage into a 3x4 (we have 14inch grids) so that would come out to 16.3 square feet.

All this is just speculation, it’s not set in stone that we will add more fuzzy butt’s to our gang lol just thought I would see what you all would say!

 

[Lorcan]

You all are right, while we could bring our two to the rescue for a “date night” to see who they get along with, I just thought all the travel might stress them out and then leave them not wanting to interact period.

We could turn the cage into a 3x4 (we have 14inch grids) so that would come out to 16.3 square feet.

All this is just speculation, it’s not set in stone that we will add more fuzzy butt’s to our gang lol just thought I would see what you all would say!

Honestly they do better at travel than you might think. From my own experience, anyway. Comet and Blitzen sat in a car from Rochdale to Haywards Heath, with a stop in Birmingham along the way and having to listen to a car of four grown adults singing along to Queen's Greatest Hits, too (I'm still really sorry about that one, guys). Then on the way back it was a train from Hayward's Heath to London, then through the Underground and various different stations, then from...somewhere...in London to Wigan, and...you get the idea.

 

[vmorin918]

Honestly they do better at travel than you might think. From my own experience, anyway. Comet and Blitzen sat in a car from Rochdale to Haywards Heath, with a stop in Birmingham along the way and having to listen to a car of four grown adults singing along to Queen's Greatest Hits, too (I'm still really sorry about that one, guys). Then on the way back it was a train from Hayward's Heath to London, then through the Underground and various different stations, then from...somewhere...in London to Wigan, and...you get the idea.

They sound like quite the travelers!

Perhaps we will consider doing a 3x4 cage, and adopt a couple more little ones if all the girls get along