Small animal toilet?

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Piggies tend to poo where they eat, mine tend to go under the hay rack, so if you were to fil this with fresh hay 2 - 3 times a day it could work, only if the piggies actually climb in to eat the hay.
 
I had a litter tray was trying to get them to go in there but have given up trying to get mine to use it they just slept in it
 
I might give it a try when I my guinea pigs. Who knows, if it really works well I might reccommend it. Although, all guinea pigs are different.

:)) haha Mucky boys! I wonder if females are a bit more cautious on the hygiene side?

The hay idea sounds good, makes sense too! only problem is the climbing in part, I know guinea pigs aren't keen on climbling and depending on how steep etc, it could hurt their backs.
 
You could try something like the link below, it has a low side for them to climb in and out more easily

[ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corner-Litter-Guinea-Rabbits-Ferret/dp/B00178HJGW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320244496&sr=8-1[/ame]
 
Thank you!

It is less fancy but its cheaper and looks like what I want! Saved it to favourites lol
 
there are many like that out there, probably even cheaper ones!
 
I am on a mission to find all the things I want in these few days and then work out costs and long term costs etc (obviously keeping in mind that some things may change if piggies do not like the food etc)

This way I will know when I can get them :<> so excited!
 
i use a small (low sides) cat litter tray for mine :)
 
I forgotten the persons name (sorry) They created a post about selling C&C cages and I really want one of those.

http://kimsguineapigcandccagesuk.weebly.com/index.html

I may want a bigger cage though but have to bear in mind that guinea pigs don't like their cages too big as they cannot see the end of it? Hiding places should help though right?

I have looked online for ready made cages but they do look small. Do you have any cages to recommend?

I need to buy a hay rack but seen so many of them that I do not know which one to buy.

I need feeding bowls but thats easy. Water bottles easy.

OK! FOOD! This is the hard one, I want to get my guinea pigs from Bobtails rescue and I think one of their care sheets say they feed their guinea pigs on Burgess Excel.

I like the nuggets with the vitamin C and helps prevent selective feeding which is good. I would like timothy hay as well but not sure where to get it etc There are too any places to buy them from and it gets confusing.

I'll need something for the floor, still haven't decided on what I will use. Vetbed is very expensive so I may just buy a small bit for them to play on etc I was going to go with towels but still not sure. Perhaps under the towels have a nappy changing mat? Fleece was another one but apparently it is hard to clean?

Toys is the fun bit and I am not too worried about that lol I have seen a few toys I am concerned about like a seesaw and climbing frame thing. Do not know if that will hurt a guinea pig so will leave that to aside for now.

That is all I can think of for now... I am sure more things will pop up soon.. OOH Like shampoo but not exactly the biggest necessity, hygiene wipes and sprays to stop bacteria is another must. Ohh the amount of shopping, its pretty fun :)
 
I thought about cat litter! But wouldn't it be really large for a cage?
 
Ok regarding the cage, always bigger the better, i dont know where you heard about the fact they dont like being able to see the end? They will grow familiar with the boindaries of the cage anyway. But yes C&C is best option as you can change, extend, add levels as you wish.

Hay rack, any really, but if they will be on their own all day while you are at work etc then bigger the better so that it holds more.

Regarding food you will have to find out what the piggies like and what suits them, nuggets tend to be a favourite and as you said it does prevent selective feeding.

Fleece is very popular bedding for cages, its very cheap to buy and can washed and reused all of the time, it is soft, comfy and warm for the piggies too, you can use a layer of newspaper as a base, then 2 layers of twels then the fleece ontop.

As far as toys are concerned, the wooden bridges are good as it acts as a hidey aswell as something for them to chew and helps keep their teeth down, but toilet/kitchen roll tubes, brown paper bags, all stuffed with hay and treats will keep them entertained for ages, so toys can be done on the cheap.

Any other questions just ask, i;m sure we'll be able to recommend sites and shops to go to!

Good luck.
 
Thank you Toffeewoffee.

I have been reading the Guinea Piglopaedia book and it mentions how guinea pigs cannot see very far. So if the cage is really long, they won't be able to see the end of it and thus feel insecure? However it mentioned how if you put hiding places in the middle etc, then at least they can run in if they feel insecure. I don't have a clue of whether this is true or not. I just thought it would be because the book seems really decent.

I think what would be really annoying is a thread of all the things I will buy (that I am not sure whether it will be good or not). Afterall, you all are the experts and even those who have just bought their guinea pigs as I have never really held one etc

Thank you for the help and advice, I really appreciate it. This is a great forum with lots of helpful and supportive members! :)
 
when i had 6-8 piggies in one cage i had a 7x4 C&C cage and they weren't scared of it being so big. they had scattered hideys though.

what size cage were you thinking of?
i would stick with C&C not a shop bought one. are you getting boys or girls? boys need a larger cage than girls.

i bent a C&C grid to make a hay rack. not the greatest pic but you can see the size of the tray and hayrack/grid
august2011047.jpg

a better pic
x640.jpg


if the piggies are used to excel and you dont mind feeding them it then carry on

i buy my hay from the dust free hay company. you can buy it from farm shops a lot cheaper if you have the room to store a bale.

its up to personal choice what to use as bedding, i used vet bed but couldn't get on with it, i've recentley started using fleece and i like it a lot better. i use fleece, towels and newspaper.

i dont use wipes oh special cleaning sprays. i use white vinegar and water.
shampoo's gorgeous guineas is the best place for those.


Litter tray i bought these ones
http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/cat-li...cDPfxIrYzUvEu76RzzM6wutKTeo9AOCB tDs76aYYKg== not so big, bit it depneds on your cage size.

hope that helps lol
 
All i know about insecurity is from what i have learnt from personal experience and advice, and that is that piggies prefer to be raised as opposed to on the floor, however this isn't possible for everyone so i think piggies do with time get used to it, but my understanding is that they feel very intimidated when they are so low down, and i can honestly say i noticed a HUGE difference almost immediately when my piggies were raised.
 
Hi Lauralucy! Your guinea pigs are gorgeous x) Thank you so much for your post and for pictures. Being more of a visual/kinesthetic learner really helps to see pictures :D

I actually do not have a clue on how large a cage should be or size etc I am not doing to go for the shop cages as I also feel that they are too small. I am only going to have 2 guinea pigs and maximum if I'm feeling nuts but most rescues seem to have just the pairs? I don't mind the gender either but will keep in mind about boars needing more space. (Probably likely to fight if they get in the way of eachother I assume)?

The vinegar and water is used a lot with my budgies cages etc But I also use a disinfectant on their toys and things and thought it might be good for the guinea pigs cage and hard toys if they have any. Not sure if it should be sprayed on wooden toys?

Fleece sounds good, I have had a look for some and they are not too pricey either. I think I will just try out different things? Have an area of fleece, another of towels and another of vetbed.

I live near a small farm called Deen City Farm but not sure if they sell hay. I will go sometime to have a look.

Thanks again for your photos, the link and your advice. Very helpful! :)
 
my OH's mum has a guinea pig...and hers just sleeps in it...as well as eating, and going to the toilet in it :P
 
All i know about insecurity is from what i have learnt from personal experience and advice, and that is that piggies prefer to be raised as opposed to on the floor, however this isn't possible for everyone so i think piggies do with time get used to it, but my understanding is that they feel very intimidated when they are so low down, and i can honestly say i noticed a HUGE difference almost immediately when my piggies were raised.
Click to expand...

Sorry for sounding thick but you mean cages that are on top of a shelf etc right?
I thought about keeping the cage on top of something but I don't really have anything like a stand etc. I guess I could use grids to do that but will need to cover the whole of the bottom if I do that.
Does it do any harm by keeping them on the floor? Is it possible that they becoome tame and less skittish/scared once they are full settled and trusting?
 
heres a link to recomended cage sizes
http://www.guineapigcages.com/

off the floor either on a stand or table etc

mine are on the floor because of the size of the cages, i think it depends, obviously on the floor being prey animals is a natural instinct as well as all the vibrations etc that come through the floor
hope that makes some sense :))
 
Thank you, that is really helpful. I like the blue cage with the upperpart, I really want something like that.

I have bought some artstraws just to start making a prototype of the cage lol I know it sounds silly but I'm just so excited and I love being creative.

The animal instinct makes so much sense. I learnt a lot from my budgies, they are prey animals too and they love being on the top perch or top of anything (such as on top of the cupboard) and that is to protect themselves and to be able to see their surroundings clearly. It also gives them some confidence and makes them feel more dominant over what is below.

I can see some of this through a guinea pigs point of view. One thing though, they are usually ground animals right? So surely it is ok to keep them on the floor?
 
It would be ok, but you may/may not find that they will hide away more, mine used to dash straight in the house as soon as we walked in the room and WOULD NOT come out atall, but this changed almost straight away when we bought a stand for their cage, it still took time for their confidence to grow but it did in the end.
 
thats ok :)

i bought the grids and for the first few months i was constantly changing the cage :)

i did know thats why budgies liked to be high up, you'd think after having them i would of known that mallethead so why do they like to fly at your head? or was that just mine?

they are usually on the ground, and are naturally prey animals. i dont see any harm in having them on the floor mine have been since i moved them all indoors about 18 months ago, it took them about a month to get used to having no roof (they had been in a hutch previously) and open wire grids, but now they are fine with it, and sit by the grid waiting for me to open it and let them run around :)

mine only run and hide if i make a loud noise/drop something apart from that they are normally laying out in the open
 
I guess it is worth investing in some sort of stand. I could make it out of grids or get my boyfriend to make a wooden ones and if I'm extra lucky, to get him to make some shelves to store things in lol
 
Perhaps it depends on personality? I will just have to wait see what will suit the guinea pigs then.

Yey! you have budgies? I love mine to bits, they are hilarious and so much fun. They are funny flyers and sometimes can just about touch your hair/head as they fly lol Although they are prey animals, one of my budgies loves the floor. We have many floor toys for him that he goes around and plays with, especially this little ball that he picks and places on the mirror while he checks himself out ;) I guess it is all to do with trust, he is the most trusting and thus rolls around on the carpet (which is a very vunerable position) but since he knows he will not be harmed, he does whatever he wishes lol

Your guinea pigs sound like they are happy with their home and trust you fully which is probably why they are not so scared? Again, it might be personality, not sure.
 
ninz said:
Perhaps it depends on personality? I will just have to wait see what will suit the guinea pigs then.

Yey! you have budgies? I love mine to bits, they are hilarious and so much fun. They are funny flyers and sometimes can just about touch your hair/head as they fly lol Although they are prey animals, one of my budgies loves the floor. We have many floor toys for him that he goes around and plays with, especially this little ball that he picks and places on the mirror while he checks himself out ;) I guess it is all to do with trust, he is the most trusting and thus rolls around on the carpet (which is a very vunerable position) but since he knows he will not be harmed, he does whatever he wishes lol

Your guinea pigs sound like they are happy with their home and trust you fully which is probably why they are not so scared? Again, it might be personality, not sure.
Click to expand...

i think it does all depend on the piggies :)

i did have my last one died last year just before her 14th birthday. she used to fly straight at your head! but they are great creatures to i do miss her. :)

well they are well fed lol and have friends so happy enough. i think it takes time but your piggies will get used to wherever they live
 
Aww she must have had such a fulfilling life! Many budgies don't make it to 14. My eldest is only 3 and the youngest is 1.

I never thought such small animals have their own little personalities etc I am looking forward to the personalities of my guinea pigs lol My boyfriend said I should get a guinea pig that chases the another one (uuurgh)... he calls them the buttsniffers! Hes so immature:p

Thanks for the help :) I will do my best to make sure they are happy. Some animals may take long until they feel safe, especially ones from rescues, if they have been from rough situations. They maybe small animals but I doubt they forget the pain, just hope I can minimise it with lots of love and treats :))

It took my eldest budgie half a year until he fully trusted us and the little one is still halfway of trusting us. He wasn't treated well when he was young and I guess he's still unsure he wants to trust anyone. It has been a year and so much improvement, I let them decide when they want to play with me, when they want to come on to my shoulder and when they want to trust me. In the end, it is worth the trust! Trust brings more love, more understanding and overall more playtimes lol :<>
 
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