help! Cage advice please

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The2DsMum

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Hello
I am considering getting my soon to be 9 year old a pair of piggies for his birthday. They will live in his room and I've been researching cages and driving myself insane looking for the right one!
Will a 120cm cage be big enough or do I need a 140cm? Also the bigger (lengthwise) the cage it seems it has a deeper base so is more suited to rabbits and isn't suitable for piggies as they can't reach the water bottles etc

I am bordering on a 120cm cage with 2 platforms and a stand or a 140cm Ferplast. Trouble with the latter is it doesn't open from the top which I would prefer.

Have been looking at second hand cages on ebay too - does anyone have anything to sell or can recommend where to look? I am in London.

Thank you!
 
Hi. I don't have much advice as my four piggies live in a free range shed. What I do know though is the minimum size for a pair of sows is 4ft by 2ft by 2ft and for a pair of boars 5ft by 2ft by 2ft but if you can, try and buy the biggest cage you can accommodate and afford.

Zoo plus are a popular choice on here and they have some good deals on at the minute http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/guinea_pig_cages

Have you heard of c&c cages? You make your own and are a popular choice with members here http://www.guineapigcages.com/howto.htm

You may also find these threads helpful http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53210 and http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53211 :)
 
Thank you Claire! The cage with stand was from zooplus. The C&C cages look a bit too techno for me:o
x
 
Or equinecaninefeline. They are really good and have fabulous service :)
 
I have a ferplast 140 and its a nice cage for 2 guinea pigs IMHO they have no problem reaching the water bottle :D when on the stand its really easy to move about as well I just moved mine from one end of the house to the other with the pigs still in it <3. When on the stand the access to the 140 is fab, I kneel down and I am at the right height to reach the entire inside of the cage no problem. I find top openings scare the pigs more as you are coming at them from above like a predator would, with a front opening they come up to you and then you pick them up :D or they can see you coming easier so you dont end up startling them.

thats my only input :D
 
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Don't know if this will work but here is one on my shortlist. It's a Ferplast Casita 120 from Amazon. I has a domed roof that opens up, so would be easier to pick up from this position I'm guessing.
I think I'm just worried about keeping animals in a cage and making them miserable. We had a dog until recently but it is not the right time to get another dog. I read that guinea pigs are the dogs of the small animal world! Is this true - do they like being cuddled and are affectionate? I ruled out hamsters as they do tend to bite and my son (slight special needs) can be over-enthusiastic.

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004YJTB1C/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE"]Ferplast Casita 120 Rabbit Cage: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies[/ame]
 
A c and c cage really is not as complicated as it seems. You have connecters which you just slide onto the grids. I expect your son would have fun making it himself. I love c and c cages as it gives piggies so much more space and if you make it big enough they do not need to have floor time.
 
For the money i personally think the ferplast casita (although a nice looking cage) is over-priced for what you get. While a 120cm sized cage is the minimum size for 2 pigs you'd ideally (and you'll see this once you actually get your pigs) want to go for the largest possible cage you can get for your money.

a 140 or even a 150cm cage isn't much more money than the Casita cage and you would really be surprised at the amount of extra space you'd get.

As others have suggested though, you wouldn't go far wrong in going for a C&C build. I used to have one and I'm going to be honest if i can build one then anyone can! it really is that easy! You would probably end up spending less money on a C&C and the result would be a cage that is way bigger than any commercial one you can buy - plus the advantage is that you can design your cage the way you want it - any shape, any size and with as many upper levels as you want!

Guinea pigs are very addictive - i started with 1 and now have 10 2yrs later - a C&C is very good if you wanted to get additional pigs as you could just build on top of the existing cage - meaning you dont need any more floor space....

If i added up the amount of money ive spent on cages i would be running in to the hundreds - funny thing is within a few months ive upgraded them to bigger ones!
 
I would avoid a top opening cage as they're much harder to get the piggies out from. I agree that looming over them will make them more scared.

I like the bigger ferplast cages with the panel that opens up right across the front. Piggies are nippy little blighters most of the time so you need really good access.

Even if the water bottle is a little high up you can either put a small block of wood (not pine) or make a little platform for them to step up, or use a sock with a hole cut out for the spout to hang the bottle on the inside corner of the cage (just peg it to the bars).

:)
 
If you invest in the glass water bottles, these can be attached to the inside of the cage and so can be attached as low down or as high up as you like.

I use all glass bottles in my cages and none of them are too high up.

These are the ones i use:

glass water bottles
 
Hi I have a Ferplast 120 and it's a good size for 2 piggies x
 
Many many thanks for the advice guys! I think I agree sodapops that I need a 140 cage and will probably go for the Ferplast one and use fleece with it. Can I buy a cheapish stand from somewhere to put it on? Also, provided I clean it etc, do piggies smell/get mites or fleas or anything else I need to worry about keeping them in a bedroom? As it will be in my children's room (ages 2, 9).

This is a great site!
:)
 
The stand is £40 from pets athome or equinecaninefeline.com :D Mine is on a stand and I love it :D

they have an animal smell but if theyre cleaned out enough they dont stink at all :D

Mites can come from the hay and its not really an issue a bit of spot on a few times and they're done, if they get lice they need bathing in gorgeous guineas lice and easy shampoo a few times with a gap between and the problem is gone :D

Personally I wouldnt but animals in a kids room though unless the door will have a padlock on
 
The Ferplast 140 is a decent sized cage - i had two of them at one point joined together to make a massive cage. I had my cages stacked so I'm not sure where you can buy the stands from - can you not put the cage on a table/chest of drawers?

In terms of smell - that would depend very much on the pigs themselves and how often you clean them out - i use fleece/vetbed and i do a full clean out every 4th day.

Are your children heavy/light sleepers? i had two of my boys once in our bedroom, it lasted all of 1wk before i couldn't tolerate the noise lol they would do a 3am run around, chatting away to one another as they went. The water bottle was also an annoying sound - i personally found it very difficult to get a good night sleep.

Is there no where else in your home your new piggies could be? Ive got 10 pigs and they live in our living/dining room, i find having them with us all day we can interact with them a lot more often - everyone speaks to the piggies on their way to the kitchen :)) They very quickly got used to the hustle and bustle of our household and are very aware of things going on - there's always one of them at the cage bars wondering what's going on....
 
Our house is pretty small. They could possibly go in the small bedroom which is used as a home office but that would involve a MAJOR de-junk! :) But wouldn't be able to get anything bigger than a 120 cage in the space available.

I thought the kids' room would be good as the piggies would have a lot of interaction but I am worried about how hygienic that would be I must admit. And if they were outside I know they will get ignored, which obviously I wouldn't accept. Hadn't even thought about the nighttime 'chatter' LOL

My son would sleep through a herd of elephants but my daughter wakes up if someone breathes a bit heavily rolleyes
 
2 more potential GPs for rescue ... are you sure that you want them ?May be Dog ? Big and Kind ? or staff :) 120x60 for 1 - may be.Ipad is smaller and much easier to service :) Think twice.Chinchilla for example need much less care live much longer and you can get 42 inch dog crate for for 40 pounds incl postage and create couple shelves yourself or get one very cheap from your local area.
I can not suggest hamster or other animal as I dont have any.I keep GP and chinchillas only.
GP need twice a day care.twice a day feeding and prepare to spend 500 pounds a year for 2 gp for food and rest. :)
2-3 day missing of changing of behavior and gp dying.
No holidays.
Read Health section.Normally thread starting with "my guineas pigs not eating or drinking for 2 days" . .. and over 3-4 days ending we have to put to sleep because .... or my guinea pig peacefully dies(as usual without food and water as people dont know what to do in case of emergency and vet not tell them because they will have less money from clever owners...

If you still want to get them - again 120 too much - I'd say 1 in ferplast 120.
 
Thank you Kotov for your honest reply. In an ideal world we would get a dog. Our Labrador died earlier this year and we were all devastated. But we won't get another one for at least 2 years. My son is desperate for a pet and we have considered all the small pets and sought advice and it seems a guinea pig would suit him/us best. But I am slowly realising it is a big big commitment which is why I'm still coming to a decision!
 
Thank you Kotov for your honest reply. In an ideal world we would get a dog. Our beloved Labrador died earlier this year and we were all devastated. But we won't get another one for at least 2-3 years. My son is desperate for a pet and we have considered all the small pets and sought advice and it seems a guinea pig would suit him/us best. But I am slowly realising it is a big big commitment which is why I'm still coming to a decision! But it is all he talks about :{
 
Also just a little comment, you say it will go in the children's bedroom.. is there any way you can secure the cage so the little one (2) can't get in it when not supervised? I love that you are researching everything first, as many people don't.
 
P.S where abouts are you located? As if you do decide to take on some pigs we could direct you towards a rescue that could provide you with some happy healthy, correctly sexed and bonded piggles.
 
kotov said:
2 more potential GPs for rescue ... are you sure that you want them ?May be Dog ? Big and Kind ? or staff :) 120x60 for 1 - may be.Ipad is smaller and much easier to service :) Think twice.Chinchilla for example need much less care live much longer and you can get 42 inch dog crate for for 40 pounds incl postage and create couple shelves yourself or get one very cheap from your local area.
I can not suggest hamster or other animal as I dont have any.I keep GP and chinchillas only.
GP need twice a day care.twice a day feeding and prepare to spend 500 pounds a year for 2 gp for food and rest. :)
2-3 day missing of changing of behavior and gp dying.
No holidays.
Read Health section.Normally thread starting with "my guineas pigs not eating or drinking for 2 days" . .. and over 3-4 days ending we have to put to sleep because .... or my guinea pig peacefully dies(as usual without food and water as people dont know what to do in case of emergency and vet not tell them because they will have less money from clever owners...

If you still want to get them - again 120 too much - I'd say 1 in ferplast 120.
Click to expand...

I disagree with you on the chinchillas needing less care and needing smaller cages but I dont want to start an argument so lets not go there. Chinchillas are less available in rescues also. And guinea pigs should never be kept as singles but nevermind ....

[*]Moving on[/*]

A 120 is accepted as a minimum cage size here for 2 so its an acceptable cage OP by most peoples standards, I wouldnt use anything smaller but I have space for larger so there is no reason for me to use smaller if you get me?. Guinea pigs are an easier and cheaper pet than a dog too :/ A 120 cm cage is £35 from zooplus.co.uk they dont work out expensive for food or bedding either as such. Vets bills are much lower than with a dog too in general and they live quite a long time too. If your kids were older a hamster would be fine, well bred hamsters handled from being very young are tame as soon as you get them and dont bite even when roughly handled, pets at home type breeding and lack of handling make them nippy.
 
Bekki2308 said:
I disagree with you on the chinchillas needing less care and needing smaller cages but I dont want to start an argument so lets not go there. Chinchillas are less available in rescues also. And guinea pigs should never be kept as singles but nevermind ....

[*]Moving on[/*]

A 120 is accepted as a minimum cage size here for 2 so its an acceptable cage OP by most peoples standards, I wouldnt use anything smaller but I have space for larger so there is no reason for me to use smaller if you get me?. Guinea pigs are an easier and cheaper pet than a dog too :/ A 120 cm cage is £35 from zooplus.co.uk they dont work out expensive for food or bedding either as such. Vets bills are much lower than with a dog too in general and they live quite a long time too. If your kids were older a hamster would be fine, well bred hamsters handled from being very young are tame as soon as you get them and dont bite even when roughly handled, pets at home type breeding and lack of handling make them nippy.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with everything said here. Chinchillas need a LOT of room to jump and move around in.

I would also like to point out that the OP deserves a pat on the back for doing their research before taking on a pair of piggies. The OP has also made it clear that she will be responsible for the guinea pigs and not the children. They are not a spare of the moment purchase and I doubt they will end up in a rescue somewhere :)
 
its great you are doing your research before getting your new pets, I even did before I got my first 3 guinea pigs and I had kept them before, just needed to brush up on the latest advice and information and so glad I found this place to help me.

I currently now have 6 piggies, two pens (two boys and a herd of 4) and love them all to bits. The herd do go outside in the summer months but as they are my pets and I am responsible I dont forget them, but I love it when they come inside for the winter. You are right that they can become forgotten as we had small animals growing up, only my mum and me looked after our first rabbit, then a few years after she passed we got one for my brother but mum still ended up looking after him the majority of the time, by then I had a hamster of my own, at 16 it was my very first pet and thanks to growing up with some of the responsibilities already taken on at a younger age it was easy for me to look after my very own first pet, a for runner to the pets I have had since as an adult. I am so glad you are giving your kids the chance to grow up learning what I learnt but being overall carer to the pets.

Cage size, the bigger the better, a 140 would be a good size for 2 piggies and I would also recommend if they are going to be in the kids room, some way of preventing night time unsupervised cuddles ;) and they can be a little noisy at funny hours, I am lucky mine are in a spare room and even with the door open I can hear the water bottle drinking sometimes - they also like to shout for their food, just incase I had forgotten they were there (not likely :)) ) Have you got a hallway perhaps they could be moved into at night - that would solve any noise issues, perhaps at the kids bedtime, they could move to the living room - and that way you get to watch them a little bit before your bed time, its great watching them. Just thought I would offer some suggestions to helping you all sleep well at night and then when the kids are up, they can move back into the room so they are out the way of everyone without being shut away as I am sure the kids would love to have them in there during the daytime.
 
I forgot add allergy problems and I think no way you can put cage in bedroom.
Allergy problem growing slowly and even you might not notice it first couple of days - but over 1 week it might do your life terrible.

I'm not talking about that GP eating 24 hours every 30min -2 hours making some noise while drinking etc

Pigs normally not like be handled,not responding their names,they care only about food and have nice dreams in clean cage ,where no one will disturb them :)

My wife told me,that kids with animals living near grow faster and better,much clever.But same time we can not go holidays,as we have 7 animals living and they occupying almost 18m2 living room and we not have a kids.I try to teach my sister to look for everything but risk too high.They wild,they delicate,they exotic.I'd say they have same effect as drugs.People get them and not understand what happens next.But when 1 dies take another one as cant live without GP anymore.
 
Sorry Can not edit post over 5 minutes:
My setup:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUUgU_8j5AQ"]chinchilla and my guineas pigs guineas 0000034 22nd of april 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

first couple of seconds chinchilla 42 inch dog crate.Our chinchilla live alone long time as we recently adopted company for her.So cage can be easily cleaned once a week.
There is 2 problems with them:
1.room or walking area needed to be prepared for them and they will try eat anything that possible.Plastic,wood,umbrella shoes totally everything.
2.You need to walk her in dedicated area everyday and give her do sand bathing
When she used to live in High rise building,owner locked all rooms and bring bath into corridor and she running 1-2 hours.

But same as GP possible problems:
1.With allergy as they fur very special.
2.Noise - they might not sleep all night
3.They needed a lot of space - but same as GP.
4.They normally sleep all day,so you can not enjoy them.

But pros:
1.They eat much less,
2.They go toilet much less so no bedding needed.We have 2 x 20x30cm of vet bed - 1 for use 1 for spare,when you need to change.
3.They don't like to be handled but they will play with you when you walking them.
4.For all time (3 years with us - she approx 8 yo)we visited VET once(tfu tfu tfu- when she got Stomatitis)

and please understand correctly I not saying some animal better some worst all of them different but for firs time owner I'm not recomend to get GP UNLESS you take them from rescue with plan B ready and exotic VET nearby.
 
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Aww, thanks guys, you are a lovely bunch! PopcornPigs - we are in south east London. Would definitely consider rescue piggies. Sorry if this is a dumb question - but do rescue piggies have 'behavioural' issues, in much the same way as dogs, perhaps due to neglect?
Re. the bedroom housing issue - My lightsleeping 2 year old usually ends up in my bed anyway so she wouldn't be disturbed! There are a couple of other options...We have a space under the stairs (open plan, not a blocked in cupboard) which is right in the middle of everything but would it be too dark? Or we have an internal side storage room but this is not heated, although it is safe and dry and does have natural light from a small window.
I guess I want pets that are part of the family but I don't know if I'm kidding myself how interactive piggies will be? One poster mentioned they do not like handling. This is the opposite of what we are looking for! We are keen on pets that can be regularly held and stroked and who will be responsive.
 
The2DsMum said:
Aww, thanks guys, you are a lovely bunch! PopcornPigs - we are in south east London. Would definitely consider rescue piggies. Sorry if this is a dumb question - but do rescue piggies have 'behavioural' issues, in much the same way as dogs, perhaps due to neglect?
Re. the bedroom housing issue - My lightsleeping 2 year old usually ends up in my bed anyway so she wouldn't be disturbed! There are a couple of other options...We have a space under the stairs (open plan, not a blocked in cupboard) which is right in the middle of everything but would it be too dark? Or we have an internal side storage room but this is not heated, although it is safe and dry and does have natural light from a small window.
I guess I want pets that are part of the family but I don't know if I'm kidding myself how interactive piggies will be? One poster mentioned they do not like handling. This is the opposite of what we are looking for! We are keen on pets that can be regularly held and stroked and who will be responsive.
Click to expand...

No, far from it. Some of them do, but lots of guineas in rescues are babies from litters that have been bred without thinking or from females who have come in pregnant. Some are there as owners circumstances have changed and they can no longer care from them. The best thing is to go to the rescue and talk to them :)

Under the stairs sounds good to me. They will get used to you a lot quicker if people are walking past a lot. They will also learn that someone near the cage doesn't always mean they have to come out. It will also be easier for you to keep an eye on the kids around them if they are in the middle of things. I have a son myself and I always think it's better to be "safe than sorry" because children don't mean to harm pets but can sometimes if not watched. My son has clear boundaries, but I also keep a close eye on him to make sure nothing happens :)

I don't find that my guineas don't like handling. They can be difficult to catch (guineas are by nature, very shy and timid) but as soon as they are out of the cage and snuggled up with me or my son, they thrive on attention and cuddles. I thought for a good 6 or 7 months before I decided to get my pair, I'm so glad I did, they are wonderful, I adore them. I have them in my bedroom and I just love hearing them "laughing" as I'm going off to sleep :) I could watch them for hours
 
Ant and Dec - your post about hearing them laughing made me smile! It makes me want to get some guinea pigs for myself, forget the kids!
 
The2DsMum said:
Ant and Dec - your post about hearing them laughing made me smile! It makes me want to get some guinea pigs for myself, forget the kids!
Click to expand...

Guinea pig noises are one of the best in the world. Their laughing is second only to the sound of my son laughing (oh. and sound of the pop of a cork coming out of a wine bottle :p)
 
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