Housing Dilemma: Your Thoughts? (really Long Post Sorry!)

Which option would you do?

  • Fix up old hutch + move pigs outside again

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Fix up old hutch + move pigs into my room

    Votes: 1 11.1%

  • Get a C&C cage - at least 2x6 panels with loft space

    Votes: 8 88.9%
  • Total voters
    9
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Magician

Magician

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Earlier, whilst procrastinating about doing my history homework (lol), I was thinking about.....CAGES. (Way more interesting than stuff from WW1 that I’ve done a million times...)

So. Our guineas used to live in huge two storey cage: each ‘tier’ was 6x2 foot, and about 1.5 - 2 high. HOWEVER it was outside, under a tarpaulin tent thingy, and ended up getting wet when the tarp ripped in high winds. So now they’re inside, in a temporary cage that’s maybe 4x2 - yup! Way too small. Hence this huge essay. (Procrastination at its finest mwahaha.)

HOWEVER they get at least three hours out of cage time daily in my bedroom, which is...8x10 or 7x10 or something, maybe bigger? I don’t really know tbh - but it’s quite big. Excluding where there’s furniture and whatever, they have about 6x8 (maybe 5x8 as it’s a weird layout because of my big bookshelf.)

But the cage is still only a temporary thing, wooden and literally about 20 million years old. So I now have a dilemma. I can fix their own hutch - but that’s outside. OR I could move it into my room, but that’s what I was going to do with the rabbit’s hutch. OR I could get a C&C cage, all new and nice and AWESOME. (I like buying things for my pets alright...pretty sure I shop vicariously through them tbh).

SO, sorry for the essay, this is really really important - but in my situation what would you do? The cheapest option would be to fix up the big old hutch, and pack them off outside again, but I’m really not keen on that; and regarding the second option, my bedroom’s just not big enough for TWO 6x2 hutches, no way (I need somewhere to sleep too!); or I buy one of those beds on stilts and put a C&C cage underneath. So? Thoughts?
Are there any pros and cons to the C&C idea? Which would you do in my situation? Anyone ever had problems with a C&C cage (only heard good reviews of them but it pays to check.)

I kinda like the C&C idea myself - I’m planning on moving the bunny up to my room anyway, and him and the pigs are really good friends (when I introduced them I had NO idea you weren’t supposed to do that....the rabbit wasn’t eating because his wife died, so I thought if he had some new friends it would perk him up....and it did, and he started to eat again, and now the three of them have playtime together every day. I know I know I know I shouldn’t have done it but I didn’t know: it was ages ago. Anyway. Him and the GPs are fine living together is my point.)

SO SORRY FOR WRITING SO MUCH THANK YOU SO MUCH IF YOU READ TO THE BOTTOM I LOVE YOU FOREVER NOW. ;)
 
I really love C&C cages and haven't had any bad experiences with them. I was never one to leave my pigs outside in a hutch, I always wanted them inside with me.

If you're motivated and have the money I'd do the C&C cage. It's worth it in the long run and you can keep your rabbit and your pig in your room together, correct? That's probably more convienent for you as well since you don't have to move up and down on cage cleaning days and even when you're playing/dealing with one the other can hear your voice.

Is there anywhere else you could place the hutch inside besides your room? If so, you could save your money and have your pigs inside. You can also put your rabbit in your room that way and not take up tons of space in your own sanctuary.

With the fixing and keeping it outdoors option I'm going to be biased, I never tried keeping my pigs outside and never had any aspiration to. I do take them out still but I'm iffy on housing them outside. This is the cheapest option and the one you're used to. If it has been working out for you, why not?

I'd weigh the pros and cons and also see which one you're leaning towards. Trust your intuition here. If you have others living with you also discuss with them what they would prefer. I wouldn't choose based on a poll on a forum where people are going to have biased opinions and there's going to be a small sample size possibly.
 
Seven said:
I really love C&C cages and haven't had any bad experiences with them. I was never one to leave my pigs outside in a hutch, I always wanted them inside with me.

If you're motivated and have the money I'd do the C&C cage. It's worth it in the long run and you can keep your rabbit and your pig in your room together, correct? That's probably more convienent for you as well since you don't have to move up and down on cage cleaning days and even when you're playing/dealing with one the other can hear your voice.

Is there anywhere else you could place the hutch inside besides your room? If so, you could save your money and have your pigs inside. You can also put your rabbit in your room that way and not take up tons of space in your own sanctuary.

With the fixing and keeping it outdoors option I'm going to be biased, I never tried keeping my pigs outside and never had any aspiration to. I do take them out still but I'm iffy on housing them outside. This is the cheapest option and the one you're used to. If it has been working out for you, why not?

I'd weigh the pros and cons and also see which one you're leaning towards. Trust your intuition here. If you have others living with you also discuss with them what they would prefer. I wouldn't choose based on a poll on a forum where people are going to have biased opinions and there's going to be a small sample size possibly.
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No no don't worry - I'm going from all sorts of places when it comes to choosing what option to go with - opinions of people i know (including a vet, he said bigger is better), reviews of cages on websites, etc....)

And no, there's no where else the Big Hutch could go, except maybe in one of the sheds - but i want my piggies with me.
 
Bigger IS always better and that's another thing. Whichever option you can give your guinea pigs the largest possible cage is great and the one I would recommend. But 2 x 6 for C&C is great as the mininum is 2 x 4 for 1-2 pigs. That's a shame, and that would probably rule the outside option out as your guinea pigs wont be with you when they're outdoors.
 
Tomsmum said:
Just a general point, now they have been inside would it not be really bad to put them outside in cold again?
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I wouldn't assume so ? But good point. I suppose it depends what the weather's like. They always had loads of bedding and were covered by tarps at night and when it rained.

Seven said:
Bigger IS always better and that's another thing. Whichever option you can give your guinea pigs the largest possible cage is great and the one I would recommend. But 2 x 6 for C&C is great as the mininum is 2 x 4 for 1-2 pigs. That's a shame, and that would probably rule the outside option out as your guinea pigs wont be with you when they're outdoors.
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Well with the C&C cage they'd be able to get longer play time. :)
Also what is the minimum for 4 pigs? there're these 2 on gumtree for free in a teeny little wooden hutch who NEED SOME LOVE ! :D
 
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keep the guinea pigs inside in your room, I have a two storey cage /2x's cages in my bedroom next to my bed
you just keep what you need in your room !
 
OKay just had a huge argument with my ******* parents and new arrangements is probably not going to happen now.....not sure what to do can either keep them as they are or rehome to someone who actually gives a damn about their welfare. Same goes for my rabbit too. Not sure what to do. In tears over this. I hate my parents so so much.
 
I'm sorry you're going through a hard time? Might they possibly reconsider in a few days when the argument isn't so fresh?
 
You can make 2 tiered C&C cages so you wouldn't have more floor space taken up. That's what I've got, we've done a two tiered 2x5 which houses 3 girls at the top and 2 boars at the bottom. We also made a cage with MDF etc. (but that was a bit costly).

Hope you manage to sort something out, I think when the temp has been as cold as it as been then piggies are better off indoor unless you can ensure that their outdoors area is properly insulated and that they won't get cold at night.
 
Kerrie74 said:
You can make 2 tiered C&C cages so you wouldn't have more floor space taken up. That's what I've got, we've done a two tiered 2x5 which houses 3 girls at the top and 2 boars at the bottom. We also made a cage with MDF etc. (but that was a bit costly).

Hope you manage to sort something out, I think when the temp has been as cold as it as been then piggies are better off indoor unless you can ensure that their outdoors area is properly insulated and that they won't get cold at night.
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Are 2 tiered c&c cages easy to clean out ? I would have thought it would be a bit fiddly but.....idk basically! and yeah, it's 19 degrees Celsius in the rodent room right now, plenty warm enough i'd say - piggies wheeking away happily <3
 
Hehe :D

Ermm yeah my son cleans them out perfectly fine :)

Top Pic is a newly built non C&C cage

Bottom pic is the two tiered plus a single tiered, but the single one's changed now, it's still grids but it's the sows old cage :)

As I always say when I post these pics, please excuse the decorating and floors, we moved into this bungalow in Feb and have not done anything to it yet because I seem to keep spending my money on vet fee's for the piggies lol.

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2015-06-28 16.57.58.webp
 
Kerrie74 said:
Hehe :D

Ermm yeah my son cleans them out perfectly fine :)

Top Pic is a newly built non C&C cage

Bottom pic is the two tiered plus a single tiered, but the single one's changed now, it's still grids but it's the sows old cage :)

As I always say when I post these pics, please excuse the decorating and floors, we moved into this bungalow in Feb and have not done anything to it yet because I seem to keep spending my money on vet fee's for the piggies lol.

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woa your cages are LUSH! lucky piggies eh! :D I love the l shaped c&c design, awesome. Good to hear even more innovative floor plans are practical ;) Got a semi-definitive plan in mind now .......decided c&c's are the way to go (redecorating my entire room into a rodent paradise! :D can't wait)
 
My C&C cage was the best investment i ever made into my pigs! They love it and it's so easy to expand and change as and when you need it, it's easy to clean and you can change the correx out every few years to keep it fresh!
I had an adopted piggy that needed a little 2x2 expansion for a while and it was easy to just add it and then take it away and now that my pigs are older i've taken the loft off because the ramp was getting a bit much for them! :)



 
twiams said:
My C&C cage was the best investment i ever made into my pigs! They love it and it's so easy to expand and change as and when you need it, it's easy to clean and you can change the correx out every few years to keep it fresh!
I had an adopted piggy that needed a little 2x2 expansion for a while and it was easy to just add it and then take it away and now that my pigs are older i've taken the loft off because the ramp was getting a bit much for them! :)



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Your setup's great! Where did you get the different components from ? As I said to @Kerrie74 redoing my whole room setup pretty much.....current estimate for cost is about £1200! so keen to cut down on £££'s where I can lol ;)
 
Bar my headache in putting together (see my other thread!) my C and C cage is fab, as long as they won't keep you awake! I have a 2x4 grid set up for two pigs. they have a 2x2 loft but they have yet to brave the ramp. I have it on a stand too which I highly recommend for droughts and for keeping them above foot height (also means we have storage underneath). To make cleaning easier under the loft I have cut all the wore out from one of the grids and cable tied another grid over it to make a door. (planning a post about this later!) which is held closed with mini caribinas. Hope that helps!
 
I have to watch what I put mine in while I clean them out, they have climbed out of boxes with high sides so when I see those open topped cages I am staggered that they stay put!
 
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