Help With What Cages And Bedding Are Best?

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Shqueak

Shqueak

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Okay so...hi...

Basically the last time I had a guinea pig I was about 10 years old and she died within a month and none of us knew why. I just recently (within about 2 weeks) got a couple of guinea pigs again, Frank and Stein.

I listened to everything the pet store said about cages and bedding and stuff, but I've been doing a little research on the internet and it seems like I'm getting a whole bunch of conflicting information and the piggies really don't seem to be settling in well.

So basically, what kind of cage actually is the best for them to be all happy and settled in? And what kind of bedding should I use?

Thank you SO much ahead of time! I really appreciate this... :)
 
A large cage without a wire/mesh floor is great, I'd say wood shavings or soft hay is great bedding because it's soft on their feet and wood shavings are absorbent, also, I've heard some people mention VetBed, it looks nice and soft - good for winter. Plenty of fresh water, fruit and veg (vitamin c) and lots of love and attention is great. Also safe toys like little wood hideys, igloos and chew-toys are good but not harnesses or wheels. Lots of hay you will need because they need to chew all the time to keep their teeth filed down and (depending on if they're long or short-haired) wash them once a month and groom them at least once a week with a soft brush (more often for long-haired), as well as this, their nails need to be clipped about once a month. Good luck with your new piggies! Hope they settle in well! :):)
 
Hello and welcome to the forum!

The RSPCA advise absolute MINIMUM hutch/cage size of 120cm x 60cm x 45cm but you want to give them as much space as possible. Cage design are down to personal preference, I think C&C cages are the most popular for indoor piggies, you can also buy a cage from a pet shop or a hutch.

Again, bedding is down to personal preference. Many people due use wood shavings however there is a school of thought that this could be bad for piggies. Other people put hay throughout and others use vetbad. Personally I use newspaper, fitch (www.fitchrecycling.co.uk) which is a paper bedding and hay in the bedroom and log hidey as that is where they pee and poo the most and I use newspaper towel and fleece in all the other areas. I did try different combinations until I decided that this was right for me and the piggies. In fact, my washing machine broke down a little while ago and I had to put fitch throughout as I didn't have any clean fleece left. The boys were a nightmare for a week until my new machine was delivered. They were so grumpy, chasing each other and not settling from dawn till dusk for a week. As soon as I put the fleece back in they transformed back into happy popcorning pigs!

What do you mean they aren't settling in?
 
Hello and welcome to the forum :-)

For a pair of piggies an indoor 120cm cage, a 3x2 c&c or a 4ft outdoor hutch is the bare minimum, usually its recommended to go larger for boars so 150cm cage, 4x2 or 5x2 c&c cage or a 5ft outdoor hutch.

Beddings are a personal choice, I only have 2 boys who I keep on shaving in a 120cm indoor cage, they are cleaned out twice per week and shavings work best for me this way, in a larger cage or if they were not in the living room id be tempted to use fitch/finacard/megazorb which can last a whole week. Other options are fleece or vetbed with an absorbent material underneath such as towels, puppy pads, incontinence mats, newspaper, paper cat litter etc :-)
 
Thanks everyone, sorry it took me so long to answer, I've been a bit unwell :(

They just seem to be a bit unsettled still. Frank throws himself against the bars of the cage and Stein hides in a corner doing nothing. They've both been to the vet because Stein wasn't eating or drinking after I got him so I don't know what else it could be other than they just aren't...settling.
 
Do you have two hideys so they have a place to feel safe? The best cages are and cages as you can build them to any size you like. I build mine big enough so I do not need to give floor time.

Vetbed is my favourite bedding. It is hypoallergenic, soft and cosy.
 
There are two hides, but if I let Stein hide he doesn't eat enough and I end up having to syringe feed him, which he despises...it seems odd but maybe it's normal :/
 
Does he not even come out with the light off and to eat hay? I still would not remove his house as it makes him feel safe. I would weigh him to monitor any weight loss.
 
Nope. Frank runs around like mad, throwing himself against the cage and Stein barely even moves unless the hiding places aren't there - like when he was at the vets. The vet doesn't even have a clue what's up.
 
I have just thought. Do you know what popcorning is? Guinea pigs do it when they are very happy. Maybe that is what he is doing.
 
Ok thought it might be popcorning but it's so...violent. He seems like he's stressed o.o
 
Have a look at guinea pigs popcorning on youtube and see if he looks like he is doing the same.
 
My step dad thought Norbert was having a fit the first time he saw him popping :-) its an easy mistake to make at first x
 
My husband thought our trio of boars were fitting when they were popcorning too. It can look very violent. Is there a way you could post a video so we could see what he is doing?
 
Maybe it is just popcorning then... Next time he does it I'll try filming it so I can show you guys, you would definitely know better than me.
 
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