Is aluminium ok as a cage floor?

[Maxellnimons]

My dad has bought this HUGE wire mesh cage for my guinea pig with two seperate plastic bottoms. I don't like the plastic pieces though because my guinea pig is very young and energetic (belss her, she's be one year old in July!) if she wants to have a good run in her house she'd have jump over the part where the two plastic trays meet and for all I know she could hurt herself or get a foot stuck in between (heavens forbid lol)

Is it ok if I order two flat aluminum slates/trays for the floor of the cage? I can't use fleece but I use a lot of soft wood bedding so I'm sure it will be comfortable to her feet but would the aluminum feel too cold in the colder months?
What about the metal itself? Is it safe for piggies?

 

[Pound Shilling & Pig]

Hi,
Aluminium and all other metals are not suitable as cage floors. As you say in the colder months they can become too cold and just as importantly in the warmer months they would warm up which could result in your guineapig over heating too. Guinea pigs do not have sweat glands like us so lose heat from their bodies via their feet and ears and by lying very flat so body heat can be aborbed into the floor, so a warm, metal floor would not allow this.

How high are the sides of the plastic trays? If not very high she will enjoy jumping over them or you put a bendy log house over them for her to climb over.

She sounds like a very cheerful guinea pig but have you thought of getting her a friend? Guinea pigs are social animals and benefit from the company of other piggies

 

[Wiebke]

Correx/coroplast (available from local signmakers or from the internet) or an offcut of lino will make a pretty cheap and wipeable cage bottom.

If you can, please consider getting your little girl a same sex friend. Guinea pigs are group animals and not wired to be on their own. http://www.guinealynx.info/companionship.html

 

[kotov]

easiest solution to buy plastic replacement tray for dog cage.Normally cages have standart sizes and you can find suitable tray for it.Vet bed also can be used to cover - even better as it can be any size.

 

[Maxellnimons]

Thank you
I'm going to try out the plastic trays for a couple of hours see what happens, hope my little princess likes it lol

(And I am planning to get her a friend as soon as I learn enough about how to introduce two piggies and stuff... so excited xx>>> )

 

[kotov]

I used plastic trays covered with vet bed.Plastic very sliding on its own - so vet bed will be exactly what needed.If you will use as not big area - you might need 2-3 layers of it to absorb urine much more effective.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYFMRMyLwv8