Member Gallery: C&C cages/homemade cages

[IDal]

So, within a month we went from store bought cage, to adding a CC run to complete CC cage. It’s 3x4 grids with a 1x4 loft.

I’ve bought 2 Amazon basic 6 cube shelves to start, adding doorgrids and base from Kavee. Kavee seems to be a bit smaller than Amazon basic. The door grids are used as a lid, to prevent them from jumping out. I bought extra connectors from relaxdays from Amazon and zoomalia, but they seem a bit small too, especially the Somalis ones. All the special grids come from caviadraadkubus.nl (I have L-gates and completely open gates for support and rounded gates and 9x3 squares gates to make them higher). I didn’t want to make it 2 grids high, but 1 grid felt a bit low, with the jumpers I have (not to mention to keep my kids from entering the cage). The ramps also come from caviadraadkubus. I decided to have 2 ramps to make sure one couldn’t lock the other one in.

I use incontinence mats under the fleece blankets. I made a second entrance to all the hideys. There are 3 foodbowls, the hay rack can be reached from both sides. The hay ball has narrow openings, so no chance of getting stuck. 2 water bottles and 1 water bowl.
I used some gates and connectors I had left to make an actual shelf for liners, food and cleaning material.

Any advice for improvement? The cage is home to two 11 week old boars. Their favorite place seems to be on the hideys.

 

[Siikibam]

That looks fabulous! I was wondering, could you extend the cage just a little so there’s more space around the end of the ramp?

I’d better not show my piggies, they’d consider moving away!

 

[IDal]

That looks fabulous! I was wondering, could you extend the cage just a little so there’s more space around the end of the ramp?

I’d better not show my piggies, they’d consider moving away!

Do mean place the ramps more to the middle? I decided on this set up to have the ramps take as minimum space as possible, so to not take floorspace. I can actually move them to the middle, would that be better?

 

[Siikibam]

The position is fine. I meant moving the front wall forward nearer the edge of the carpet so there is more room around the end of the ramp. But then again it may be there is enough room but it’s not showing in the picture.

 

[IDal]

The position is fine. I meant moving the front wall forward nearer the edge of the carpet so there is more room around the end of the ramp. But then again it may be there is enough room but it’s not showing in the picture.

There is just enough room to go around. If they get to big then maybe I’ll adjust the side of the ramp on the first part. It was a balancing between a not too steep ramp and space in the front.

 

[Siikibam]

There is just enough room to go around. If they get to big then maybe I’ll adjust the side of the ramp on the first part. It was a balancing between a not too steep ramp and space in the front.

It looks fab! I’m sure they’re extremely happy with it. I wish I had the setup to have two ramps in my boys’ cage. Luckily they shared use of the ramp. Though one likes to sometimes jump off near the bottom

 

[IDal]

It looks fab! I’m sure they’re extremely happy with it. I wish I had the setup to have two ramps in my boys’ cage. Luckily they shared use of the ramp. Though one likes to sometimes jump off near the bottom

Mine jump off everything, at first I had a hide in the middle and one tried to jump from the hide to the loft rather than take the ramp, I was to afraid of them jumping from the loft to the hide. But they seem to have mastered the ramps and realized its better than jumping.

 

[Swissgreys]

So, within a month we went from store bought cage, to adding a CC run to complete CC cage. It’s 3x4 grids with a 1x4 loft.

I’ve bought 2 Amazon basic 6 cube shelves to start, adding doorgrids and base from Kavee. Kavee seems to be a bit smaller than Amazon basic. The door grids are used as a lid, to prevent them from jumping out. I bought extra connectors from relaxdays from Amazon and zoomalia, but they seem a bit small too, especially the Somalis ones. All the special grids come from caviadraadkubus.nl (I have L-gates and completely open gates for support and rounded gates and 9x3 squares gates to make them higher). I didn’t want to make it 2 grids high, but 1 grid felt a bit low, with the jumpers I have (not to mention to keep my kids from entering the cage). The ramps also come from caviadraadkubus. I decided to have 2 ramps to make sure one couldn’t lock the other one in.

I use incontinence mats under the fleece blankets. I made a second entrance to all the hideys. There are 3 foodbowls, the hay rack can be reached from both sides. The hay ball has narrow openings, so no chance of getting stuck. 2 water bottles and 1 water bowl.
I used some gates and connectors I had left to make an actual shelf for liners, food and cleaning material.

Any advice for improvement? The cage is home to two 11 week old boars. Their favorite place seems to be on the hideys.

It's a fabulous cage and a great size and set up for 2 boars - they are very lucky boys.
The only thing I would suggest is to remove the 3 tier wooden platform in the middle of the ground floor.
I have these for my hamsters and they are not totally stable, and quite high and narrow for guinea pigs.
Particularly with young and adventurous boys I would be worried they might try to climb and could fall awkwardly.
Plus taking it out would offer more open floor space or it could be replaced with a willow tunnel for chewing.

 

[IDal]

It's a fabulous cage and a great size and set up for 2 boars - they are very lucky boys.
The only thing I would suggest is to remove the 3 tier wooden platform in the middle of the ground floor.
I have these for my hamsters and they are not totally stable, and quite high and narrow for guinea pigs.
Particularly with young and adventurous boys I would be worried they might try to climb and could fall awkwardly.
Plus taking it out would offer more open floor space or it could be replaced with a willow tunnel for chewing.

I was thinking about this. The reason its there is that they climb on the bigger platforms and one of them tried to jump to the loft, which I don’t want. But they do seem to like sitting underneath something when eating, or at least having it near. In a certain position its relatively stable. But if I see them trying to climb it I’ll take it out, because the whole point is them not climbing it, but having just something like a shelter. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Siikibam]

I was thinking about this. The reason its there is that they climb on the bigger platforms and one of them tried to jump to the loft, which I don’t want. But they do seem to like sitting underneath something when eating, or at least having it near. In a certain position its relatively stable. But if I see them trying to climb it I’ll take it out, because the whole point is them not climbing it, but having just something like a shelter. Thanks for the suggestion!

On that note, you could put a pile of hay in place of the tiered hide. They love to lie, run, eat and sleep in it. You could also hide veg/forage in it as another form of enrichment.

 

[Deleted member 148738]

We recently switched to puppy mats from sawdust. The best decision ever. Less mess, less smell and just chuck in the washing machine swapping thwm each day takes 5 minutes!

 

[Marjolyn]

When I got my two 8 and 10 week old boar piggy’s I had a 2 story store bought cage for them.
In the beginning when they were small it was fine. But boy do they grow fast .
So I went online and found the c&c cages witch you can build as big as your house allowes .
I started out with a 2x4 grid c&c cage and soon after I bought more coroplast and grids to build them a big villa.
At this point the cage was so big that there was enaugh room for 4 piggy’s and decided to adopt 2 sows.
Took my two boys to the adoption centre to see if we could find a good match.
The woman at the centre told me that it should be no problem housing 2 sows and 2 boars together. but within a few days gizmo was forced by Ozzy to stay in the corner and wasn’t alowed to come near the sows .
I took the gage apart and build two seperate homes, one for Ozzy and Luna and one for Gizmo and Daisy.
Now I have 4 happy piggy’s and it turned out great .
Both homes are 2x7 grids with a 2x2 grid loft.
I use fleese cage liners so the piggy’s keep their feet nice and dry.
Lots of hidies and two shelves where they can sit on.
I hope I did it right and love to hear advice if I can make impovements

 

[Siikibam]

That setup looks amazing! They must love having all that space! There are no improvements for the cage. I would consider putting sides on the ramp in the penthouse, and having more than one (big) pile of hay.

I’m sorry you were misinformed by the adoption centre. But you managed to find something that works for your boys so all good

 

[Marjolyn]

That setup looks amazing! They must love having all that space! There are no improvements for the cage. I would consider putting sides on the ramp in the penthouse, and having more than one (big) pile of hay.

I’m sorry you were misinformed by the adoption centre. But you managed to find something that works for your boys so all good

Thank you
I’m very happy to hear that i made them a good home and I will follow your advice and put hay on different places in the cage. The ramp had sides made of coroplast but gizmo tear them off at the first day .
I can make new ones but then made of wood

 

[Merab]

Fabulous.
Mine would like to move in please.
They have started learning to wheek in Dutch

 

[Marjolyn]

offcourse, the more the merrier
I have never heard an english wheek though

 

[Dollyx]

This is my C&C cage. The first cage I had was a refurbished dresser...it did not work out. At all. I quickly upgraded to a 2x4 C&C cage, and when I had the money, I upgraded it even more to an L shape C&C cage. (Two 2x4s put together)

I got chloroplast from Home Depot as the liner/bottom of the cage, and the C&C grids from Amazon. All together it was $120, having spent $60 for both times I made the 2x4, although the second 2x4 I built, the C&C grids went up in price on Amazon. Price is not counting for two tables it stands on, which I got both for $40. But really, the price doesn't matter, all that does is my happy guinea pigs. They were happy in a 2x4, but way happier in this larger one.

My two female guinea pigs live in the cage, although at least 1 more female could live comfortably in there as well.(possibly more)

It is the easiest cage to clean ever, the first cage I had was a nightmare, this is way easier in comparison. I have fleece for the bedding. I could not recommend C&C cages more, it is absolutely worth the money and you get more from it than the small store bought cages for the same price, and happier pigs as well.

 

[Packit]

Please use this thread to post pictures of your C&C cages or other similar home-made housing. Try to include some information with the photo like:

Cage Type
Where it was purchased or how it was made
What size it is
How many piggies are kept in it
How easy it is to keep clean/if you'd recommend it

Bear in mind that new members will look to this thread as an example of good piggy keeping so photos of accommodation that is inadequately sized, dirty or overcrowded may be removed at the discretion of admin.

This thread is NOT for discussion of the photos, please start a new thread if you need to.

If you want more information about C & C cages (including sourcing), please see this regularly updated link here: All About C & C Grid Cages

C&C cage with coroplast base
Made it myself with grids of Amazon, coroplast from home depot, ductape, zipties, and grid connectors
It is a 2x5 about to change it to a 2x6
There is 2 male piggies
It's very easy to keep clean and I highly recommend

 

[stardustpig]

c&c cage with coroplast base
DIY myself with amazon basics grids and coroplast from home depot, wooden beams from home depot for extra support on the top
24.5 square feet on top & 24.5 square feet on bottom
2 females & a neutered boar up top and 3 females on bottom

Honestly, not very easy to clean. The grids on top pop off so I can lean in to clean. Top is easier to clean than the bottom. For spot cleans on the bottom I just lean in but for full cleans the grids on the right bottom pop off and I crawl FULLY into the cage to clean the walls and lay the fleece down. I love how much space the three grid wide cage provides and I would recommend if you're okay with getting creative during cleaning time.

 

[SarahO]

I use c&c grids and I like how easy I can dismantle and rebuild again now and again to make the space good for them and for me as we share the room together as I work from home. My 2 boys were always in a 2x3 cage each but I decided to extend to a 2x4 cage each and stacked them. And used the left over grids to make storage.

 

[Swissgreys]

I use c&c grids and I like how easy I can dismantle and rebuild again now and again to make the space good for them and for me as we share the room together as I work from home. My 2 boys were always in a 2x3 cage each but I decided to extend to a 2x4 cage each and stacked them. And used the left over grids to make storage.

It's great you were able to offer them more space, but as they both live alone are you considering getting them a friend?
The problem with stacked cages is that they now are unable to interact at all.

 

[Tylerspigs]

This is a homemade cage I built out of Plexiglass, 1x2 Planks, Melamine, and 1/4 inch galvanized steel mesh.
The cage is on top of 5 ikea adil legs.

I needed something that has a good lid and is sturdy enough to hold 20 pounds. I have two cats and I don’t want them to be able to fit their paw through the grids which was my second reason after the lid for not using a C&C cage. The lid is sturdy enough for my cat to jump on and sleep one and lay around so if you need a cage to hold a cat and keep the cat claws out then this might be a good solution.

It is a bit of an issue for me because I didn’t think about the fact that I am short and I am unable to reach the centre of the cage. If I had made it a little bit less than 49 inches it would be really simple to clean. The plexiglass keeps the hay and poop contained in the cage and only a little bit falls through the back. (Not pictured) I add a silicone boardering to stop hay and water from seeping down into the crack between the plexiglass and the melamine.

There are a few things I would change if I rebuilt it but it holds the guinea pigs and gives them plenty of room to run around.

I built this for my 3 piggies, but sadly one passed away soon after this was built and now there are only 2 piggies in here. This could easily fit a smaller herd with plenty of room to run around. I think it is okay for up to 7 piggies with a starting point of 7.5 sq ft for one pig and adding 2.5 ft for each additional pig.

This pic is from setup day which is why there are some tools in it and why it is empty.

 

[Deleted member 149339]

This is my piggies’ C&C cage that they are housed in from October-April.
About 2 weeks ago I adopted another guinea pig so I have expanded the enclosure by adding a 2x2 C&C section to the end of the L-shape, but you this photo was taken before the extension.
Measurements
The cage is now 2x6 (16.8 square feet) plus 2x3 (8.4 square feet) in an L-shape
Number of guinea pigs
I have 3 females and 1 neutered male but this cage has the capacity to house a total of 6 guinea pigs
Purchased
All the C&C grids were purchased from Amazon, they were advertised as storage cubes but they were great for the guinea pig cage (just make sure each grid is 9x9 little squares so the piggies don’t get their heads stuck)
Cleaning
Relatively easy to clean as the fleece can just be taken out for brushing off and washing. The base is plastic and can be easily wiped with pet-safe disinfectant. However, it can be quite difficult to reach the far corners of the cage as you have to lean right over it. Mine cage has a lid as we have a cat, this is easy to lift up and I just rest it against the wall while I clean the cage.

Overall I think my setup has plenty of space for the guinea pigs to run, but the L-shape also makes it more suitable for fitting in the house. I hope this gives any new piggie owners a bit of inspiration

Love,
Leah x (and Sula, Tillie, Lotta + Teddy Bear)

 

[Merab]

This is my piggies’ C&C cage that they are housed in from October-April.
About 2 weeks ago I adopted another guinea pig so I have expanded the enclosure by adding a 2x2 C&C section to the end of the L-shape, but you this photo was taken before the extension.
Measurements
The cage is now 2x6 (16.8 square feet) plus 2x3 (8.4 square feet) in an L-shape
Number of guinea pigs
I have 3 females and 1 neutered male but this cage has the capacity to house a total of 6 guinea pigs
Purchased
All the C&C grids were purchased from Amazon, they were advertised as storage cubes but they were great for the guinea pig cage (just make sure each grid is 9x9 little squares so the piggies don’t get their heads stuck)
Cleaning
Relatively easy to clean as the fleece can just be taken out for brushing off and washing. The base is plastic and can be easily wiped with pet-safe disinfectant. However, it can be quite difficult to reach the far corners of the cage as you have to lean right over it. Mine cage has a lid as we have a cat, this is easy to lift up and I just rest it against the wall while I clean the cage.

Overall I think my setup has plenty of space for the guinea pigs to run, but the L-shape also makes it more suitable for fitting in the house. I hope this gives any new piggie owners a bit of inspiration

Love,
Leah x (and Sula, Tillie, Lotta + Teddy Bear)

Looks good.

 

[Bill & Ted]

This is my piggies’ C&C cage that they are housed in from October-April.
About 2 weeks ago I adopted another guinea pig so I have expanded the enclosure by adding a 2x2 C&C section to the end of the L-shape, but you this photo was taken before the extension.
Measurements
The cage is now 2x6 (16.8 square feet) plus 2x3 (8.4 square feet) in an L-shape
Number of guinea pigs
I have 3 females and 1 neutered male but this cage has the capacity to house a total of 6 guinea pigs
Purchased
All the C&C grids were purchased from Amazon, they were advertised as storage cubes but they were great for the guinea pig cage (just make sure each grid is 9x9 little squares so the piggies don’t get their heads stuck)
Cleaning
Relatively easy to clean as the fleece can just be taken out for brushing off and washing. The base is plastic and can be easily wiped with pet-safe disinfectant. However, it can be quite difficult to reach the far corners of the cage as you have to lean right over it. Mine cage has a lid as we have a cat, this is easy to lift up and I just rest it against the wall while I clean the cage.

Overall I think my setup has plenty of space for the guinea pigs to run, but the L-shape also makes it more suitable for fitting in the house. I hope this gives any new piggie owners a bit of inspiration

Love,
Leah x (and Sula, Tillie, Lotta + Teddy Bear)

Looks lovely!

 

[elena]

Hello! I was finally able of building the two floor cage I talked about last month! I think it looks very nice and also it is very stable!

I just need to add some enrichment but I think that it is a good start It is a 3x4 base, 2x4 top, it is stable but I recommend adjusting it as much as u can just to make sure!

This is a good idea if you have 4 piggies, two of them together and the other two separated. I was worried it wasn't going to be stable enough, but oh boy! It is! I think it is also comfortable enough for me to clean

Also, on the bottom, make sure they are separated by just one wall, so they can talk to each other and dont feel as lonely

 

[gonebanhannahs]

This is my C&C cage for my 4 female babies. It's a 2x6 with attached 2x3 kitchen area. I need to add their toys and some more enrichment but I love it so much. The new liner just came yesterday and it's so beautiful, I can't stop looking at it.

 

[Johnny Reggae]

Here's my cage, it's a 2x4 C&C sitting on top of a folding picnic table. A 5 foot long table was the ideal length, but just a tad too narrow, so I glued a strip of plastic along one edge to extend it, the plastic padding it was delivered in was ideal for this. Everything is from eBay sellers... Table from eazy_goods, Grids from mhstarukltd, and Coro-plastic from trio_floor_protection_uk.
Future plans are to expand to 3x4 when I've got shot of some bulky furniture.

 

[fall3n-ang3l]

This is my cage, it’s a 2x nearly 6, had to shorten the 6th panel down a bit to get it to fit in that space, my husband made the base and we have put a corex sheet on the floor, using cage liners which I bought from kavee but I’ve got some material so I can make some cage liners, made a cage liner for the smaller cage they was in, made the beds as well, this is for 2 piggy wigs, also gonna make a cover over the top

 

[Meerschweinchen_Blackforest]

This is my 2 and a half storey enclosure with 6 square meters that I built out of an old wardrobe and some things that I had laying around, I only really bought the plexiglas and some screws from the diy store.

It has only been in use since Friday with my newly adopted trio of Knäckebrot, Pfannkuchen (nee Tickle) and Reiswaffel (nee Plexi).

I have already swapped the straw bedding out for soft wood shavings as it turns out I was highly allergic to it and am making plans to improve the enclosure already as I cleaned it today and found that I had to take loads of it apart with my drill.

The windows will be going into a hinged drop down frame, as at the moment I have to unscrew each individually, the ramps will be hinged so that I can tilt them up to clean underneath and the bottom fence will be hinged at all corners so that I can remove it in one piece. At the moment it is all screwed together and it was a nightmare to clean under.

There is some ambient lighting installed in the form of led Strips which is controlled via my smart home system which adjusts the daytime light levels according to the weather outside.

I will also be installing an infrared heating panel on the ceiling above the enclosure for the winter. Even with them being in my living room, we live in an old poorly insulated house and it is not uncommon for the temperatures to drop to - 25°C in winter.

The room is also air conditioned to maintain a comfortable 18°C during the day, again controlled via the smart home system.

It's painted in a non toxic water based paint (which was ridiculously expensive) but it's totally safe for them and has no offgassing to worry about.

All 3 happily use all of the ramps and the enrichment gets swapped out daily. At the moment there is a toilet roll tube filled with Pea Flakes.