Newbie, Cage/run/playpen Questions

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AnnaHeath

AnnaHeath

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hi, newbie soon to be owner of a pair of Guinea pigs. I've bought a basic 100 cage but now looking at the c &c ones. Am I right in thinking that you don't need a lid and the gps will stay in their cage (a lid is to prevent other pets getting a them?)

Also assuming We wouldn't need an indoor run either as these have plenty of room?

Are these cages portable in any way if you want to take them to a friends whilst you go on holiday for example? Would they fold up to go in the car?

Lastly, does the metal grid go beneath the cage-ie could you tip it upside down and use the cage on the grass and it would be the roof? Or is it simply a fence around the plastics? Hoe that all makes sense. Looking forward to a reply, xx
 
Welcome to the Forum and the wonderful world of guinea pigs.

Firstly a C&C is a fantastic option for guinea pigs, as sadly a 100cm cage really is too small.
The cage size guide here might be useful.
Cage Size Guide

If you recently bought the 100cm cage from a pet store you can try and return it and explain the reasons why you believe it is unsuitable as a full time home for 2 guinea pigs. Even if they only off you a store gift card in exchange, you can use this to buy hay, food and bedding.

You don't need a lid for a C&C unless you have other pets or young children around, who might try to get into the cage and accidentally injure one of your guinea pigs.

You might want to consider an indoor run, as 2 x 4 is about the minimum for 2 guinea pigs, and in that space they will really appreciate still getting out occasionally - even if only to be in a different environment for a while.
It will also make you life a lot easier when it comes to cleaning!

And I guess technically you could flip a C&C upside down and use it as an outdoor run, but in all honestly they aren't designed to be moved around on a regular basis once they are put together. Even with cable ties as well as connectors they are a bit unwieldy, and I imagine it would be a pain to keep moving them.

If you can update your profile to let us know roughly where you are located then people will offer advice about where they source cheap runs, and grids from.
 
Thanks for your reply. I'll see if I canupdatr my info. I'm in Nottingham. The plan is to have them inside whilst they are babies and getting used to us and us to them and to move them outside once we have chosen a hutch for them (was thinking September at latest) Also plan to let them run outside every weekend or when we are home in school holidays. Wasn't sure how bored they'd get inside a cage in daytime whilst I'm at work and my children at school.
 
My pigs are in their 5x2 c&c cage (soon to be 7x2) all week and only come out at weekends where they have the run of my dining room. They seem quite happy with this!

I also have portability issues as they will have to be taken to a friends house when we go on holiday. The grids can be concertinaed up but the correx is a pain! I'll have to un-tape the ends and roll it up to fit it in the car!

When the weather is nice they might come out onto the grass for 30 mins when I'm back from work but generally grass time is weekends only and they get hand cut grass during the week
 
Welcome to the forum :)

c&c cages are great :) We switched 5 years ago once we had the space. They are as stated above no suitable for a run in the garden at all. You'll need a good run for that and make sure it is predator proof also. Remember not only just foxes and cats, birds of prey have an interest in small furries too :(
 
Are you considering keeping them outside all WInter. There's varying views on that, I'm definately a no on that, I like to keep them inside in the warm.
Some people insulate there shed & put heating & lights in there, then you can keep them out then. Make sure whatever you do it will be rat & fox proof.
Hi & welcome to our friendly forum.
 
Thanks all, was thinking of keeping them inside to start, and see how we go, but as they get bigger, moving them outside in to a luxurious and fox proof hutch with a run built on (our patio will be finished by the end of summer so was thinking September time. Def be bringing them inside in winter, then out in spring again- well that's what I thought anyhow. I'm flexible to their needs as I'm new to all this.

What do you guys do regarding going on holiday? What do they stay in if they go elsewhere?
 
For Holidays some places do boarding or pet sitters. Have a look in local vets for adverts...

We are lucky that we have @MerryPip round the corner from us and we look after each others piggies when we are away
 
Welcome to the forum!
I definitely would not leave my pigs out during the winter. 22 ish degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit) is the ideal temperature for pigs to be kept at. It's important during the winter to keep them warm, and in the summer cool. Heat stroke is common in pigs.
I live in the United States and vets do not commonly board guinea pigs, so I use a pet sitter when I go on vacation. If I am bringing the pigs somewhere or moving, I have a smaller travel cage for short term (the one you bought would probably work) or I just roll up their C&C cage and bring that, depending on the length of time. I feel that it is okay to keep them in the smaller one if it is only a few days, and they get lots of time outside of it. Hope this helped!
 
Welcome to the forum! It's great to bring them in for winter, our winters are far too cold for them (and me actually!) so they would certainly appreciate that!

I've only been on holiday once since getting the pigs and it nearly killed me! I managed to get a friend to house sit personally, I worry about boarding being too stressful so thought it was nice that they were in their own home and territory. I know not everyone can manage this, if only there was a guinea pig sitter around!
 
AnnaHeath said:
Thanks all, was thinking of keeping them inside to start, and see how we go, but as they get bigger, moving them outside in to a luxurious and fox proof hutch with a run built on (our patio will be finished by the end of summer so was thinking September time. Def be bringing them inside in winter, then out in spring again- well that's what I thought anyhow. I'm flexible to their needs as I'm new to all this.

What do you guys do regarding going on holiday? What do they stay in if they go elsewhere?
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Hey there, we are lucky that in Nottingham a lot of Guinea pig rescues board Guinea pigs over the holidays to help with their costs at the rescue. Both Avalon and bramcote both do holiday boar dings. I've never used them however. My mum is animal mad but my dad won't let her get any animals so I've bought a foldable octagonal puppy pen that they stay in at their house. My parents love their grandpigs and spoil them so even though the puppy pen is a bit small they love going over there. They even get to go on their lawn when it's nice out which they don't get here since we live in a flat.

The puppy pen was only a cheap thing off amazon. It's water proof but we just put a couple of bin liners down just in case. It was all fine.
 
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