Do you think 120 cages are big enough?

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crazygal330

crazygal330

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Maybe it's just me, and maybe it's hard to really tell from pictures how big they are. I have a gap along a wall between the wall and the door in my lounge that is pretty much exactly 120cm, and my friends have a pair of piggies in a 4ft hutch, so i think I do have an idea of how much space 4ftx2ft is(under the general assumption that majority of typical 120/4ft cages are also 2ft wide.

I am not 100% decided but.... I think that a 120cm cage is too small, for me personally anyway. I mean, they aren't, obviously. They are a good sized cage, I just think that I would feel like a bad owner if I only had them in a 120. I would only be acheiving the bare minimum, not any better. And because its the bare minimum I don't feel it is big enough. Perhaps it is because where I volunteer once a week there are 4 guinea pigs who get a 20ftx10ft space to run in during daylight hours, and a pair of 4ft hutches attached. They run and play and I feel like it would be cruel keeping a pair of pigs in a small 4ft cage. Am I being daft? I am so worried that if i get pigs (not for a couple of months if i do) I won't be able to give them as big a cage as I would like, and we only have space for a 120 cage.

What are other peoples opinions on 120cm cages?:red:red
 
I have to agree with you.

The 4 x 2ft is the minimum size for 2 Piggies and i think people should really strive to give Piggies more than the minimum.

Although also hoping owners give their pigs plenty of space and many hours floor time each day too. Otherwise it would become very boring for them.

I am very disappointed at pet shops still selling inadequate size cages which only encourages the public to think its ok to keep an animal locked away in his own little toilet.

Also the cages listed as a 120cm are actually in real terms about 100cm of living space and so much smaller width wise, no where near 2 ft.

Although we all would like to think that each pig gets lots of zoomies time in reality guinea pigs, rabbits and other caged animals are the most neglected pet.
 
Personally I dont think it is enough space, I have a 140 for my 2 boars and I dont even think that is big enough , I have even added a hay loft to the cage to add more space
 
We have a 120 cage but they also have a lot of floor time in their run. The only gap we had lengthways was 120 so we've got a cage and run of this width but the run is a lot longer, if you see what I mean :p
If we had more space we probably would've gone with something bigger but I know that isn't all the space they have so it's not all bad
 
i think when compared with a 100 you appreciate there size more.

3be0dc9c.jpg


i think it's adequate and yes bigger is better but i don't think other people should be made to feel bad if they can't afford or work with anything bigger, it's not a competition to see who's the best owner or anything so i'm happy to have my piggies in a 120 cage as thats what i can do at this moment but i would like to get it bigger in the future.
 
Hi,

It is possible to make your own cage with grids and corrugated plastic, that way you can tailor make it to fit your space. You can also add another level, giving more space. There are lots of members on here who do this, should you wish to find out more.

It's great to see that you are giving lots of time and thought before getting your pets :)

Helen.
 
If you have restricted floor space, don't forget you can go up- piggies don't need a huge amount of headroom like rabbits, so you can build upwards without having a very steep ramp. I use a series of wooden table things, which have steps, and these line one side of the cage. It's where I put the hay and feed, and gives them a chilling place, whilst leaving the bottom bit for zooming.

The other thing is that some piggies are more active than others. I had a very large run (8-10 ft across) but the piggies hated it, and huddled under each other. I kept trying, but eventually gave it away as it was obvious they preferred smaller spaces. Similarly, my younger pigs need more space than my older ones, and boars need more space than sows. The bigger the better is obviously best, but a bit of creative thought will help.
 
I dont think they are particularily large cages, however they are the minimum space needed for 2 and I agree with what has been said if you have one and it suits you, you should not be made to feel guilty for having that size.

For boars, I presume a pair would be happier in a 140 or a 5x2 c&c cage as opposed to the 120 and 4x2's. As with any cage if you can go bigger then great, but providing enough comfortable space is vital so I think 120's should be the minimum size sold to owners.
 
Go as big as you can afford to and as creative as possible if your space is limited - mezzanine floors can create additional space to a 120/60cm cage, for instance if that is all you can fit!

I have seen pictures of converted bookcases or chests of drawers that give room to several cages or a cage on several levels in flats with a space issue, for instance! Conventional cages are only one possibility of many.
 
Pepperdog said:
I dont think they are particularily large cages, however they are the minimum space needed for 2 and I agree with what has been said if you have one and it suits you, you should not be made to feel guilty for having that size.

For boars, I presume a pair would be happier in a 140 or a 5x2 c&c cage as opposed to the 120 and 4x2's. As with any cage if you can go bigger then great, but providing enough comfortable space is vital so I think 120's should be the minimum size sold to owners.
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actually a 120cm is only the same size as a 3x2, and a 140 is only the size of a 4x2 so neither are actually that large :-)

The advice given out on here is nonsensical in terms of cage sizing for example a 120cm cage or a 4x2 ... one is 0.7sq m the other is 1 sq m but they are spoken about as if they are the same size. Its not a dig at you pepper its just a general observation , this could be confusing to a newbie thats all.
 
I was just answering the op question with my personal view of cage sizes as she did ask what we thought, absolutely not wanting to make people feel bad if they do own a 120 commercial cage :)

The living space for a c&c 3 grid by 2 grid is 8.05sqft

The living space for a ferplast 120 is 6.48sqft
 
Bekki2308 said:
actually a 120cm is only the same size as a 3x2, and a 140 is only the size of a 4x2 so neither are actually that large :-)

The advice given out on here is nonsensical in terms of cage sizing for example a 120cm cage or a 4x2 ... one is 0.7sq m the other is 1 sq m but they are spoken about as if they are the same size. Its not a dig at you pepper its just a general observation , this could be confusing to a newbie thats all.
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only used the sizes as the normal quoted minimum sizes for a pair of piggies. A 120 being the ideal minimum and a 4x2 c&c is what the average person manages to have on here - nothing to do with actual square space.

I have a 6'x4' (ish, its a double bed) pen with a second level because I have the space for the 4 piggies (ok its not a pair) and commercial cages just were not big enough IMHO for them to over winter in. I dont think any of the commercial cages are big enough until you go to the really big ones, but then I personally dont want to stop people from giving the minimum size of a 120 because that is all they can provide as its not wrong to give the minimum. That was more my point not the actual mathmatic equation of square footage.
 
Pepperdog said:
only used the sizes as the normal quoted minimum sizes for a pair of piggies. A 120 being the ideal minimum and a 4x2 c&c is what the average person manages to have on here - nothing to do with actual square space.

I have a 6'x4' (ish, its a double bed) pen with a second level because I have the space for the 4 piggies (ok its not a pair) and commercial cages just were not big enough IMHO for them to over winter in. I dont think any of the commercial cages are big enough until you go to the really big ones, but then I personally dont want to stop people from giving the minimum size of a 120 because that is all they can provide as its not wrong to give the minimum. That was more my point not the actual mathmatic equation of square footage.
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I know where you are coming from in that those are what people recommend, it wasnt you in particular my point was particularly aimed at but some people on here say 120 or a 4x2 as the bare minimum which does not make sense when they are totally different sizings , this didnt make sense to me when I joined last year. It also doesnt make sense to newbies when some people say a 3x2 is minimum and others say 4x2. Obviously bigger is better. That guinea pig cage sizes quotes the reccomended as 4x2 which is miles bigger than the 120cm cages, the actual minimum it states is 3x2 (same as a 120 almost depending on how sloped the base is) , not that I think some random site should be taken as gospel but its a good guide.

I agree commercial cages are not big enough for anything more than a pair/trio really, the 140 is ok for my boar duo but apparently this is the minimum space for 3 piggies too, but my three piggies have a bigger 6ftx2ft 5mm correx only pen with 1ft walls and that cost a massive 11 pound!. If I could sell the 140 for a reasonable amount id love to upgrade my boys to a correx only pen and give them more room as I dont think their 140 is ideal for them.

I agree people shouldnt be made to feel bad for using a 120cm cage, some piggies dont even get half of that so I am all for promoting affordable and reasonable sized cages! I just dont want newbies to get confused!
 
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I had a 120 for my two, but felt it wasn't big enough because they're not great pals. They don't fight as such, but they don't snuggle or even hang out together, really... I made a much bigger one from c&c, part of which is on two levels, which means that they can lead pretty much separate lives, but together. I think it might depend on how well they get on and whether they have floor time, which isn't poss. for my two at the moment in DS's room (you'd understand if you saw it! rolleyes ) If you're giving them good food, attention and company (as I know you will be), they're still a LOT better in a 120 than the poor wee souls who are living miserable lonely lives in a hutch at the bottom of a garden and 'the kids have lost interest'. (Must stop thinking about that NOW!)
Hope that made sense. Drugged up on paracetamol and heading back to bed. ****** summer cold... :(
 
My piggies only have the minimum yet I had a friend who had a 6ft hutch for her two, there was a massive difference in the guinea pigs temperaments though and not how you'd expect. They were unhappy, withdrawn and constantly nervous because she never spent time with them, whereas my piggies are happy popcorning little guys who run in and greet me every time I walk into the room! I do think space is important, but as long as they have the minimum and you love and spend time with them I don't see the issue. I think it's great that you guys can fit massive hutches or have the ability to build C&C cages but I can't. Does this mean I'm a bad owner? Some would argue yes but I can put my hand on my heart and say that every animal in my house is loved and cared for, I've rescued them all and they're better off with me than on the street or stuck in a massive hutch in someone's back garden fighting the elements with nothing to look forward to than a bit of lettuce thrown in their hutches every morning. It says something that my friend has now given her piggies away, something that I never have and never will do. So yes, space is great and if you have it that's wonderful but it's much like money in our own lives, it's an added bonus. As long as you're comfortable and you have loving people/animals in your life it really isn't the be all and end all of things.
 
My four girls live in a 6ft by 2ft by 2ft hutch outside the back door which is the minimum for four. However, they have two runs one on the grass and one in the yard as well as floor time indoors. They have lots of human contact. They wheek happily as soon as the door is opened and come running to the front of the hutch to greet you. They are perfectly happy :) an animal could have the biggest fantastic home ever but be miserable if they are ignored. I agree that if you have the space and money the bigger the better but I feel that interaction, love and attention is more important.
 
I really struggle with this. Been through a few cages and set ups. Still think it is rubbish.

My girls (pre forum) were in a 100cm cage, they were easy to pick up, easy to clean out and got regular exercise and attention. We had a nice little routine going. They were HUGELY nervous as I got them from a family who didn't want them and had I think let their little boy be mean to them.

So after much reading and deliberation I got them a 120cm cage - It was a night mare, stupid falling off doors which frightened Honey especially.

TO replace that I bought an R5? a 120 with a stand equally rubbish in my experience, aside from constantly wondering if the bottom was going to fall out it was noisy when they run around, also the stand meant they couldn't go out of the cage on their own which annoyed me.


After all that I went back to the 100 cm cage with a sort of c and c run attached and got them Henry. All good till Sophie figured out how to escape. And we decided to get puppies.

So in preparation I bought the 140cm. I don't like it, it is massive, hard to clean and it is hard to catch the girls and even my lovely Henry is becoming increasingly "untamed" . Also Honey has gone back to screeching when I pick her up in this cage which is horrible after I spent so much time convincing her I wasn't evil.

Although I know it is big enough for them and it is for the best, they don't feel like my pets anymore. catching them is stressful and at free range time all Sophie does now is go back to the cage whereas previously she would come out and stay out. She has ironically put on weight (vet aware) and I hate the fact that they no longer greet me when I come in the room. It could be the presence of the puppies but the 140 was pre puppies and I feel the problems are linked to the cage, I know it is an unpopular view here but I do sometimes feel my girls esp feel safer in smaller places.

I am currently considering an indoor hutch but honestly I don't know if that would help now!
 
Mojo and smudgy have a 120 cage each when before they had ferplast 80 cages each.
THey have been in together and did get on for 2 weeks but it did look like they did not have enough room in the 120 cage mainly as Mojo is a big piggie.
They have plenty of popcorn space in the 120's when they are on there own.
 
No - I don't think a 120 cage is sufficient. My trio have a 5 x 3 C&C (which works out at just about 6ft by 4ft as the cubes are bigger than 1ft each) and even with a large litter tray and 2 beds, tunnels, cosies etc there is still room for them to do zoomies and popcorn, which they do very regularly.

To quarantine a 4th piggy before her bonding to the trio, I bought a 120 cage, which I assumed would be sufficient. She has hardly any room to do zoomies, and is pretty much stuck sat in the same place all day, and wanders in and out of her bed (can't run as not enough space). She's not done one popcorn since being in there and seems quite unhappy. I would never put two guinea pigs in there.
 
reading things like that makes me feel like I don't deserve guinea pigs.
 
I only have the minimum requirement for all of my piggies, and I feel like they deserve better

My bedroom has been taken over by guinea pigs:

cd4e25c5.jpg


yet I'm feeling as though its not enough
 
PopcornPigs said:
I only have the minimum requirement for all of my piggies, and I feel like they deserve better

My bedroom has been taken over by guinea pigs:
yet I'm feeling as though its not enough
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Please don't feel like that :(

Don't let anyone make you feel that because you may not be able to give them that extra cm or so of room that your not a good piggy mummy!

My two boys lived in a 100cm cage for a very long time because i just couldn't get anything bigger that i could afford, yes now i've upgraded and things but to be honest if i hadn't been able to i would have felt bad yes, but space is space, what is a bit extra space compared to love ?

Would it be better if they were in a massive cage and just left alone ?

Love is the most important thing if you have a 1cm or 10000 cm cage all piggies really ask for is just space in your heart.

Just because someone had a billion acres of cage for there duck doesn't make it a happy duck in fact it's probably one very sad lonely duck.
(Don't ask why i used duck it just felt like a nice change from talking about cages.)

** btw i love your set up, i have the feeling if i had the chance and my mum would let me my room would look more like that :')
 
catherine said:
No - I don't think a 120 cage is sufficient. My trio have a 5 x 3 C&C (which works out at just about 6ft by 4ft as the cubes are bigger than 1ft each) and even with a large litter tray and 2 beds, tunnels, cosies etc there is still room for them to do zoomies and popcorn, which they do very regularly.

To quarantine a 4th piggy before her bonding to the trio, I bought a 120 cage, which I assumed would be sufficient. She has hardly any room to do zoomies, and is pretty much stuck sat in the same place all day, and wanders in and out of her bed (can't run as not enough space). She's not done one popcorn since being in there and seems quite unhappy. I would never put two guinea pigs in there.
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I don't think you're being very fair tbh. I have a 120 and a run as I have more room lengthways than widthways in my lounge. As long as they have a variation of environment then a 120 is not a problem. It doesn't mean you love your piggies any less and it doesn't mean you're a bad owner, it simply means that you don't have the space to have a massive cage.
Oh and my boys do zoom and popcorn
 
catherine said:
No - I don't think a 120 cage is sufficient. My trio have a 5 x 3 C&C (which works out at just about 6ft by 4ft as the cubes are bigger than 1ft each) and even with a large litter tray and 2 beds, tunnels, cosies etc there is still room for them to do zoomies and popcorn, which they do very regularly.

To quarantine a 4th piggy before her bonding to the trio, I bought a 120 cage, which I assumed would be sufficient. She has hardly any room to do zoomies, and is pretty much stuck sat in the same place all day, and wanders in and out of her bed (can't run as not enough space). She's not done one popcorn since being in there and seems quite unhappy. I would never put two guinea pigs in there.
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My two sows are in one and so is my boar. They both so zoomies and popcorn all the time. They also get floor time every day. I don't think it's fair to assume that it was the cage that was making your pig 'unhappy'. Mine certainly aren't! :)
 
Shuvvy said:
I don't think you're being very fair tbh. I have a 120 and a run as I have more room lengthways than widthways in my lounge. As long as they have a variation of environment then a 120 is not a problem. It doesn't mean you love your piggies any less and it doesn't mean you're a bad owner, it simply means that you don't have the space to have a massive cage.
Oh and my boys do zoom and popcorn
Click to expand...

I never said that people were bad owners if they had piggies in a 120cm cage....mallethead

I personally don't agree with the whole 'it's ok that my cage is small, they get time out in a run' theory. Like with my bunnies, my guinea pigs are most active at dawn and dusk, and because I'm not there every dawn and dusk to ensure they are put into a run and therefore have enough space to run around, I make sure they all have sufficient space 24/7.

Ps - I have a box room, and the piggy cage takes up the majority of it!

sarah0712 said:
My two sows are in one and so is my boar. They both so zoomies and popcorn all the time. They also get floor time every day. I don't think it's fair to assume that it was the cage that was making your pig 'unhappy'. Mine certainly aren't! :)
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Well, yesterday and today since she has been in the bigger cage, she has been so much more active and instead of sitting in her bed all the time and only coming out for food, she is doing zoomies and huge popcorns.

I'm sorry you don't like my point of view, but it's my opinion and it has arisen out of my personal experience with 120cm cages. I will always advocate more space for all animals and am not happy until I feel they have more than ample space to display all their natural behaviours and be able to exercise properly, which I don't feel you can do in that space once cosies, tunnels, feed bowls are added. Sorry
 
The height of ours is 20 inches, and I now think that we have a lot of wasted room. If we made two levels with around 9 inch head room on each floor would that be okay.

Of course this would give them more space to run around but less height.

All I do these days is to think how to make life nice for the little devils.
 
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