Does This Sound Like A Good/safe Guinea Pig Home?

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MollysPigs

MollysPigs

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Hello everyone :) xx

Recently I adopted two adorable little guinea pigs from my local rescue, and the cage that they came in is so horrible and tiny - they are both miserable and bored stiff. :soz:

I've been busy writing ideas and cage plans and have now decided to attach a Bluebell Hideaway hutch (from P@H) which is 5ft x 2ft, to a Bunny Business run, which is 6ft x 4ft!

The hutch will basically just be used as a sleeping area, kitchen, and a place to put their hay/litter trays. Then the run will be used as a place to run round and play! :tu:

Their home is going to be situated indoors in a spare room, and they will be living on fleece.

What are your opinions on this cage plan? I'd just like to know if this is going to be safe for them! Thanks for your help :lol: x


 
Hello :) Congratulations on your new piggies! Any idea on names?

5ft is 152cm I think and 2ft is around 60 cm so it meets the minimum requirements for two piggies of 120cm x 60cm. With the run attached it sounds like plenty of space! You say they are going to be indoor piggies? Have you thought of going for a c&c cage?

Welcome to the forum by the way
 
As far a size goes it sounds fine, particularly with the run attached, but I am in a similar situation to you.
I have my pigs indoors in a wooden hutch of a similar size.
The hutch is well made and beautifully designed, and we are very happy with (as are our pigs).
BUT, having guinea pigs in the house full time in a wooden hutch is fairly impractical, and if I had known our pigs would be indoors full time I would never have chosen this option.

In my opinion wooden hutches just don't work well indoors, because they are almost impossible to get fully cleaned (ours is now lined thanks to the advice on here) but some parts of the wood still get peed on. If the hutch was outside it would get a lot more air flow and just be fresher I think, whereas with peed on wood there is always just a slight smell about it, which you probably would never notice out in the open.

I take it outside and give it a full hose every 3 weeks or so, as well as regular spot cleaning and a fully change every 6 - 7 days. This is ok, but shifting it is a lot of work, and the hosing won't be quite so easy in the Winter - the thing will never dry!

Plus the wire doors are lovely, but stuff ends up all over the floor - seriously everywhere.
And it might just be my dysfunctional lot, but someone occasionally backs up right into a corner to pee and this runs down the leg of the hutch and pools on the floor which is pretty gross. It doesn't happen all of the time, and it is now standing on a shower curtain, but this is something that would be super easy to deal with outside (throw a bucket of water over it) but is a lot more work inside.

I am currently in the tricky position of trying hard to justify buying a C&C. It is difficult because we have a wonderful (and expensive) hutch, but it just isn't a long term solution indoors.

I hope this helps a bit with the decision making.
 
sport_billy said:
Hello :) Congratulations on your new piggies! Any idea on names?

5ft is 152cm I think and 2ft is around 60 cm so it meets the minimum requirements for two piggies of 120cm x 60cm. With the run attached it sounds like plenty of space! You say they are going to be indoor piggies? Have you thought of going for a c&c cage?

Welcome to the forum by the way

Thank you for replying, it's really helpful to hear other's opinions! I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to name them though, they're both Abyssinians, and they are both ginger and white. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
 
Swissgreys said:
As far a size goes it sounds fine, particularly with the run attached, but I am in a similar situation to you.
I have my pigs indoors in a wooden hutch of a similar size.
The hutch is well made and beautifully designed, and we are very happy with (as are our pigs).
BUT, having guinea pigs in the house full time in a wooden hutch is fairly impractical, and if I had known our pigs would be indoors full time I would never have chosen this option.

In my opinion wooden hutches just don't work well indoors, because they are almost impossible to get fully cleaned (ours is now lined thanks to the advice on here) but some parts of the wood still get peed on. If the hutch was outside it would get a lot more air flow and just be fresher I think, whereas with peed on wood there is always just a slight smell about it, which you probably would never notice out in the open.

I take it outside and give it a full hose every 3 weeks or so, as well as regular spot cleaning and a fully change every 6 - 7 days. This is ok, but shifting it is a lot of work, and the hosing won't be quite so easy in the Winter - the thing will never dry!

Plus the wire doors are lovely, but stuff ends up all over the floor - seriously everywhere.
And it might just be my dysfunctional lot, but someone occasionally backs up right into a corner to pee and this runs down the leg of the hutch and pools on the floor which is pretty gross. It doesn't happen all of the time, and it is now standing on a shower curtain, but this is something that would be super easy to deal with outside (throw a bucket of water over it) but is a lot more work inside.

I am currently in the tricky position of trying hard to justify buying a C&C. It is difficult because we have a wonderful (and expensive) hutch, but it just isn't a long term solution indoors.

I hope this helps a bit with the decision making.
Click to expand...

Ah, thank you so much for replying! Yes that does sound like quite a problem. Do you know any other alternatives to a hutch? I currently have an indoor cage which is 4ft by 2ft in length, and I'm sure the piggies could easily climb out from there. It wouldn't be their permanent cage, I'd just use it as a Kitchen and sleeping area, and I'd only shut them in there at night, when they go to sleep. It sounds alright to me, and it'd certainly work out cheaper! Does it sound like a good idea?
 
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I think the hands down winner for indoor cages are C&C.
Depending in where you live I think this company are good.
C and C Guinea Pig Cages | Guinea Pig Cages

Unbelievably they are my closest supplier, and they have been super helpful in sorting out postage and replying to my e-mails very promptly.
Now I just need to convince DH we need another guinea pig cage....
 
Swissgreys said:
I think the hands down winner for indoor cages are C&C.
Depending in where you live I think this company are good.
C and C Guinea Pig Cages | Guinea Pig Cages

Unbelievably they are my closest supplier, and they have been super helpful in sorting out postage and replying to my e-mails very promptly.
Now I just need to convince DH we need another guinea pig cage....
Click to expand...

Okay, thank you! I'll go and check them out! :) x
 
I love my c&c cages. Best invention ever. Happy piggies happy piggie slave. :D They put their paws up on the grids and poke their noses out the top when it's veggie time but have never climbed out.
 
Why not build a custom enclosure for them, heres mine. Both are open top so interaction with the girls is unimpeded. The top houses 4 the bottom 2.
20160526_014414.webp
They are made from mdf, polycarbonate and vinyl.
Here is my wifes setup. Thie is just mdf and vinyl it houses 2 with with 2 degus in the cage.
20160508_093500.webp
The cage has been raised with some 6" cabinet legs.
 
What an effective use of space. :like: Lovely set ups.
 
Julie M said:
I love my c&c cages. Best invention ever. Happy piggies happy piggie slave. :D They put their paws up on the grids and poke their noses out the top when it's veggie time but have never climbed out.
Click to expand...

Yeah! I'll have to think about that! Might I ask where you got your cage grids from?
 
Swissgreys said:
I think the hands down winner for indoor cages are C&C.
Depending in where you live I think this company are good.
C and C Guinea Pig Cages | Guinea Pig Cages

Unbelievably they are my closest supplier, and they have been super helpful in sorting out postage and replying to my e-mails very promptly.
Now I just need to convince DH we need another guinea pig cage....
Click to expand...
They are my closest too, but they are only half an hour up the road, if that.

I got some second hand grids and bought correx onl
ine.
 
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Mark Harmon said:
Why not build a custom enclosure for them, heres mine. Both are open top so interaction with the girls is unimpeded. The top houses 4 the bottom 2.
View attachment 47444
They are made from mdf, polycarbonate and vinyl.
Here is my wifes setup. Thie is just mdf and vinyl it houses 2 with with 2 degus in the cage.
View attachment 47445
The cage has been raised with some 6" cabinet legs.
Click to expand...
What the the size off the cages that house 2 gps please it looks really good I wanted to do something like that
 
helenk6 said:
What the the size off the cages that house 2 gps please it looks really good I wanted to do something like that
Click to expand...
The small grey is 1m x 0.75m (2 pigs)
The large grey is 1.8m x 0.6m (4 pigs)
The unfinished is 1.1m x 0.8m (could fit 3 pigs)
 
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