So how big a cage do 2 piggies really need?

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giladbr

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Hello my friends,

I'm in need of your opinions again, any input would be welcome :-)
I have googled this question and read that each pig needs about 7 square feet to live comfortably (about 105cmX60cm each).
So let's presume that for 2 piggies, there's no need to multiply by 2, but of course a larger size than 7 square feet is needed.
Of course I do mean to give them as plenty "floor time" as I can... But I when I'm at work, or at night, or not at home, or just don't want to watch for their "nibbling damages" - I want them to feel comfortable in their cage.
Here in Israel it's kinda hard to get cages bigger than 1 meter (3.3 feat) wide... I was thinking about the "rabbit 120" ferplast cage. It also seems that many people think such a big cage is not necessary...?

What do you think?
Thank you,

Gilad
 
Hi! Two guinea pigs need a minimum of 8 ft (as per recommendation of the British RCSPA) - that is not much more than a single piggy because they are ground roamers who live in groups and need space to run.
Generally, we recommend a minimum of 2x5 ft for two boars so they can get away from each other, especially during the hormonal months.
Here is a link for minimum requirements and recommended space requirements from an American website: http://www.guineapigcages.com/

Have you got access to ebay or amazon? Many of us use grids from wire cube storage (C&C grids) for our cages as they are very adaptable and versatile - and much cheaper than a conventional cage.
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53211&page=6
 
I think Wiebke has answered your question perfectly, however I would like to add on that as long as the guinea pigs have enough room to move around freely and the cage is safe and secure, "too big" is not a bad thing, it gives you room to put a little more enrichment in for them and gives them further to roam around. It may be a bit more of a pain to maintain, sure but it wont give your guinea pigs a poorer quality of life in fact they might actually enjoy having a bit more space :)
 
I got abit carried away when making my 2 cage and it's 10ft long they use every inch of it it's took over my bedroom :s give them as much space as you can :)
 
The answer to your question is the bigger the better :)) When I first wanted to get guinea pigs, I did a lot of research and read a lot of books about them, and one of the quotes that really stuck with me was from Peter Gurney (I think) it was in response to the age old statement from those who are ill informed "but aren't guinea pigs boring pets" and it said that what you get out of guinea pigs, is what you put in, and if you, are a boring and inattentive owner, you will have boring and inattentive pets, but if you are a caring and stimulating owner then you will have loving, exciting, and enjoyable pets. This stuck with me in everything I do for all my pets.

Practically, I can't give you any ideas on where in Israel you would be able to get the materials but a lot of people on this site use C&C cages, the 2 C's refer to, cubes, which are a kind of storage system or shelving, and coroplast or corex, which is a kind of plastic sheeting. The use of these mean you can put together any size or shape of cage you like. However it can be hard to get the materials in some places, and I have seen very ingenious use made of lots of other materials.

Here is a link that might give you some ideas ;) http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53210
 
The rabbit 120 is adequate for your pigs :D if that is all you can get then dont feed bad about it.

Bigger is better though ... if you can get the rabbit 140 cage that is a really lovely size for 2
 
I have the rabbit 140 and my two boys seem happy enough :)

I will be building a c&c soon.
 
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