Is My Pen OK?

rinlalin

rinlalin

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
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Location
Ohio, USA
hello all! i just wanted to know if my cage looked alright, it's 8 sq ft and it doesn't have a lot going on yet, BUT, it looks nice to me. i just wanted some input.

942676C2-D0B5-41B4-A39C-016CD77E49CF.webp

as you can see i have a bunch of hay on the floor on one side, a toy and wooden chews in the middle and a hide, food bowl and water bottle on the other side. i plan on getting a few more toys and maybe a soft ferret bed or a hammock.

do you guys think anything else should be put in there? leave some suggestions, if so, down in the thread!

bonus photo:
1D48855A-1643-49CE-9A90-4903955709FB.webpfor some reason, this little guy likes to hide behind the hide, instead of inside it. what a cute tiny weirdo he is!
 
I agree a covered area would be great. You could put hay over the top of the clear one so he can feel like he's in a burrow, or just use a cardboard box. It looks great though.

Is that nuggets in the bowl? It looks like an awful lot for one piggy.
 
The size looks great, but I would clip an old blanket over the hay end covering at least 1/3 of the cage.
The whole cage is very open, and as he is alone he may feel too scared and exposed to venture up there.
I would also add a couple of tunnels made of old cardboard boxes - just cut an opening in each end.

The final thing I would add is a friend for your piggy - they really are much happier when they have companionship.
 
That's a great start to a fun cage. Agree with every post up there. It's recommended to have the piggy kitchen area covered as they naturally feel safer as predatory creatures. I had used a blanket in the past folded into a 14" strip straight across but you can even use some cardboard.

Timothy hut has some great hideys. A lot of piggies love the fleece forests. They are inexpensive and give enough ventilation even if it can get warmer. I also have just put a fleece blankie down for them and they've gone straight in. I have a form I made now for them to put down at night as they have other places to hide. Also the round tubes are a favorite. I payed maybe $4 but I believe you can play around with toilet paper rolls as well.

So babies can eat 1/8 bowl of pellets per day as hay makes up 80% of their diet. Until they become adults, it's recommended to let them eat as much as they would like over that but usually it doesn't go even double in my experience. I start out with a small bowl and add during the day if needed. While they aren't going to eat a large bowl of pellets, it really should stay fresh. As your little one gets bigger, He will love tipping over a small bowl but if you get a small ceramic one, it should do the trick.

Also second another guinea pig. I made some mistakes with my first one before learning a lot about them. My first baby was alone too and I noticed after a week or two that she wasn't making any happy dances nor zoomies and was seeming pretty depressed. When I added another one, she became a very happy little guinea pig. These little guys can have some consequences from feeling this way and truly need a friend.

He is a very sweet little guy-so handsome. You are a great piggy parent for thinking so much about him and caring to know.
 
Hi, I would put a tunnel or something in the middle of the cage and stuff it with hay. Also try and cover the hose with something so it’s not transparent
Xxxxxxxxxxxx looking great tho
 
you have a lovely roomy cage there,l would like others have said,add small boxes with two cut out hole so piggie does'nt feel trapped,and some cardboard tubing,l get mine free from
carpet shops.thats a lovely looking piggie you have there.
 
fanniephina said:
That's a great start to a fun cage. Agree with every post up there. It's recommended to have the piggy kitchen area covered as they naturally feel safer as predatory creatures. I had used a blanket in the past folded into a 14" strip straight across but you can even use some cardboard.

Timothy hut has some great hideys. A lot of piggies love the fleece forests. They are inexpensive and give enough ventilation even if it can get warmer. I also have just put a fleece blankie down for them and they've gone straight in. I have a form I made now for them to put down at night as they have other places to hide. Also the round tubes are a favorite. I payed maybe $4 but I believe you can play around with toilet paper rolls as well.

So babies can eat 1/8 bowl of pellets per day as hay makes up 80% of their diet. Until they become adults, it's recommended to let them eat as much as they would like over that but usually it doesn't go even double in my experience. I start out with a small bowl and add during the day if needed. While they aren't going to eat a large bowl of pellets, it really should stay fresh. As your little one gets bigger, He will love tipping over a small bowl but if you get a small ceramic one, it should do the trick.

Also second another guinea pig. I made some mistakes with my first one before learning a lot about them. My first baby was alone too and I noticed after a week or two that she wasn't making any happy dances nor zoomies and was seeming pretty depressed. When I added another one, she became a very happy little guinea pig. These little guys can have some consequences from feeling this way and truly need a friend.

He is a very sweet little guy-so handsome. You are a great piggy parent for thinking so much about him and caring to know.
Click to expand...

this saturday i'm traveling out to get him a buddy! he's alone for now, sadly, but in a few days he'll be with a new friend! and thanks for all the advice.
 
Reenie said:
I agree a covered area would be great. You could put hay over the top of the clear one so he can feel like he's in a burrow, or just use a cardboard box. It looks great though.

Is that nuggets in the bowl? It looks like an awful lot for one piggy.
Click to expand...

it's just food pellets that the pet store recommended to me. it's oxbow's essentials young guinea pig food, mixed with pellets i don't know the brand of that he was previously feeded where i got him from.
 
We can't wait to see your new little friend! Congratulations and pics please-my favorite part of this forum is seeing all the different adorable guinea pigs. I never thought there were so many variations before coming here :-). Lucky little guys.
 
rinlalin said:
hello all! i just wanted to know if my cage looked alright, it's 8 sq ft and it doesn't have a lot going on yet, BUT, it looks nice to me. i just wanted some input.

View attachment 87202

as you can see i have a bunch of hay on the floor on one side, a toy and wooden chews in the middle and a hide, food bowl and water bottle on the other side. i plan on getting a few more toys and maybe a soft ferret bed or a hammock.

do you guys think anything else should be put in there? leave some suggestions, if so, down in the thread!

bonus photo:
View attachment 87203for some reason, this little guy likes to hide behind the hide, instead of inside it. what a cute tiny weirdo he is!
Click to expand...
You will need to add more hay to the cage, a house that you can't see into, change the bedding to a safe bedding (pine and cedar are unsafe), get another guinea pig and make the cage bigger when you do. Other than that it's PERFECT.
 
Anbear171 said:
You will need to add more hay to the cage, a house that you can't see into, change the bedding to a safe bedding (pine and cedar are unsafe), get another guinea pig and make the cage bigger when you do. Other than that it's PERFECT.
Click to expand...

thanks so much! i'm actually picking up a buddy for him on saturday. also, the bedding isn't pine or cedar! it's actually shredded paper bedding that's completely dust free.
 
I believe I have that very cage. It's similar in size and style to the Midwest cage, one of the few store-bought cages for guinea pigs that's actually (barely) large enough to house guinea pigs. If you're going to have two boars living together I'd recommend having two hideys, with each hidey having multiple entrances. I actually use two step stools with hand towels draped over them. You don't want a situation where a dominant boar wants a particular hidey but the other can't get out because the dominant one is in the way. And I'd recommend two of most everything: two water bottles, two food bowls, etc, at least to start out with. Finally, make sure you have plenty of hay. Your piggie(s) should never run out. As for the pellets, Oxbow is a good choice.
 
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