I have two commercial cages, a larger and a smaller one. The large one is just barely big enough for Max and Ruby, but I am going to need something bigger since Reily joined the family. She is in quarantine in the smaller cage and will remain so for a few more weeks. What size would you recommend for three pigs, with room to spare in case I find myself recusing another. I like the idea of using grids, as I can change it up from time to time (coming from someone who rearranges the furniture at least once a month), but I am not sure about the plastic bases. Are there other options for this? I was thinking maybe a wood base, with some laminate flooring. Trying to keep the cost low, thank goodness I am on good terms with the flooring store across the street from work so I can get scraps big enough at a good price. I am not really wanting a hutch. I just found some cheaper fleece blankets at the local re sale shop for children for the pigs, going to try them ( was much cheaper than buying sheets from the craft store, which i will do later when I have more money). They look so much more comfortable than the bedding I am currently using. Please and suggestions would be greatly appreciated, pictures would be even better to give me some ideas of what to do.
Suggestions on homemade cages?
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twiams
Adult Guinea Pig
You can make the cage however you want using whatever you want basically !
this will help you with sizes
http://www.guineapigcages.com/
This is my cage for two of my piggies, i used the plastic, i don't really mind it, they chew it though but it's a case of giving them something else to chew to distract them. I used my grids to make storage underneath but you could always make wood shelving undeneath (:
Hope you get on well with the fleece (:
this will help you with sizes
http://www.guineapigcages.com/
This is my cage for two of my piggies, i used the plastic, i don't really mind it, they chew it though but it's a case of giving them something else to chew to distract them. I used my grids to make storage underneath but you could always make wood shelving undeneath (:
Hope you get on well with the fleece (:
You can use anything watertight and wipeable as flooring for grid cages, from Ikea kitchen cupboard liners (which are great for any temporary cages) to lino offcuts (which I am going to use when I finally get around to making pens on the other side of my living room). Correx is just a conventient way to make trays of all sizes. Wood has the disadvantage that pee seeps into it over time; it is not ideal for flooring and would need some kind of plastic liner.
Grids are certainly the best way if you want to keep the option open for more piggies in the future.
A 2x4 12inch grid pen is actually the same size as a 150x60cm traditional cage (which complies with the minimum RSPCA recommendations for 3 guinea pigs), but I would recommend either a 2x5 or 3x4 pen (the latter will be big actually aleady big enough for piggy #4 without further extension, otherwise, you can go to 2x6 grid pen for four piggies).
If you want to look for individual solutions, look for members' piggy cages at the top of the housing section.
Grids are certainly the best way if you want to keep the option open for more piggies in the future.
A 2x4 12inch grid pen is actually the same size as a 150x60cm traditional cage (which complies with the minimum RSPCA recommendations for 3 guinea pigs), but I would recommend either a 2x5 or 3x4 pen (the latter will be big actually aleady big enough for piggy #4 without further extension, otherwise, you can go to 2x6 grid pen for four piggies).
If you want to look for individual solutions, look for members' piggy cages at the top of the housing section.
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twiams
Adult Guinea Pig
Oh talking about the wood and pee,
The wood begins to smell of wee after a while, after experiencing an indoor hutch that got alot of wee up the sides, it does get a big pongy !
The wood begins to smell of wee after a while, after experiencing an indoor hutch that got alot of wee up the sides, it does get a big pongy !
I was thinking if I went with a wood base, sealing it, and covering it in a water proof flooring, like you find in most bathroom and kitchens. Not titles but laminate sheets, so its one big piece for easy clean up. Some type of liner would be good also. the large cage is roughly 50inches by 25 inches I would say, not sure what that converts over to in the metric system. math was never my strong suit. The smaller being about 36 inches by 25 inches.
Having a grand time watching my piggies popcorn over their first fleece. Since I put Reily my new pig back in her smaller cage she has been eating. This is the first time since I brought her home on Tuesday that she is eating! (if didn't start today she was going back to the vet, so relieved that she is). Not sure if it was fleece, or getting to meet max and ruby through the bars while I cleaned out their cages. I clean them out while they have free run of my kitchen, I just put the top of Reilys cage in the kitchen with her in it. Now I want to put them all together, not sure how wise that is since she came home, but she got skin scraping at the vet and it came back clean. My heart breaks for her since I know she is lonely.
lissie
Teenage Guinea Pig
I have a wooden cage with vinyl flooring (the roll type, not tiles). And I find cleaning coroplast is easier. The vinyl has some texture and needed a bit more scrubbing.
If you do decide to get coroplast, you can find cheap ones here. I always get a 4x8 ft sheet for $10. I heard they went up to $15 now. They have a location near you.
http://www.sabicpolymershapes.com/polyshapes/PShapes/branchlocator/branchus.jsp
By the way, is Max neutered?
How long have you had Reily? Sometimes it's better to just treat for mites even when the skin scraping come back negative. The test can come back negative if the spot the vet did the test doesn't have mites on that particular spot.
I always treat new pigs just for a precaution as the treatment won't hurt them.
If you do decide to get coroplast, you can find cheap ones here. I always get a 4x8 ft sheet for $10. I heard they went up to $15 now. They have a location near you.
http://www.sabicpolymershapes.com/polyshapes/PShapes/branchlocator/branchus.jsp
By the way, is Max neutered?
How long have you had Reily? Sometimes it's better to just treat for mites even when the skin scraping come back negative. The test can come back negative if the spot the vet did the test doesn't have mites on that particular spot.
I always treat new pigs just for a precaution as the treatment won't hurt them.
Yes he is, I love my pigs with all my heart and am a rookie or noob owner, but I don't want babies. My vet discounted the surgery a lot so I would get another. He insisted I have a least two. Max was a rescue from a family that didn't have time for him and didn't know what was wrong with him or didn't want to treat him. I found him on craigslist when i was searching for a bunny for my daughter and his picture stole my heart. He had scurvy and mites and never tested positive for them. I didn't know much about pigs at the time, going off what i know of other small animals (ex: hamsters) I didn't want to boars.
Is there other treatments for mites other than injections (what Max got)?
Also when I am ready to introduce Reily to Max and Ruby, how should I do it? Ive found a lot of conflicting information on the subject. Let Reily get to know each of them one on one? Or both Max and Ruby together?
i was thinking i would use a plastic liner over the title, so it to could be changed as needed, I don't want to wood to stink or get damaged. but I will deff check out the coro plastic
Is there other treatments for mites other than injections (what Max got)?
Also when I am ready to introduce Reily to Max and Ruby, how should I do it? Ive found a lot of conflicting information on the subject. Let Reily get to know each of them one on one? Or both Max and Ruby together?
i was thinking i would use a plastic liner over the title, so it to could be changed as needed, I don't want to wood to stink or get damaged. but I will deff check out the coro plastic
lissie
Teenage Guinea Pig
You can buy Ivermectin and apply topically. This is the one I use.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Durvet-Ivermectin-Pour-On-250ML/dp/B000HHOEIU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1334450071&sr=8-3"]Amazon.com: Ivermectin Pour On, 250ML: Home Improvement[/ame]
Here's the information on Ivermectin:
http://www.guinealynx.info/ivermectin.html
Dosage calculator:
http://www.guinealynx.info/dose_calculator.html
For introduction, you can put their cage next to each other once the quarantine is over. I won't put them together until you get the new cage ready. Don't put any of them in the new cage until you do the intro so the new cage will not be anyone's territory.
Once the new cage is ready, introduce all of them on neutral area (none of them have been to, and no guinea pigs scent in the area). Monitor them for a few hours, if they get along, put them in the new cage and keep them together. Don't keep separating them and putting back together. They will have to go over their dominance each time you put them together.
Here are some useful guides on introduction.
http://cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm#Introductions
This one is written for boars intros, but it's really useful for any gender. Since boars are harder to introduce, you can apply to sows too.
http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46468
Good luck with the intro! Let us know how it goes!
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Durvet-Ivermectin-Pour-On-250ML/dp/B000HHOEIU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1334450071&sr=8-3"]Amazon.com: Ivermectin Pour On, 250ML: Home Improvement[/ame]
Here's the information on Ivermectin:
http://www.guinealynx.info/ivermectin.html
Dosage calculator:
http://www.guinealynx.info/dose_calculator.html
For introduction, you can put their cage next to each other once the quarantine is over. I won't put them together until you get the new cage ready. Don't put any of them in the new cage until you do the intro so the new cage will not be anyone's territory.
Once the new cage is ready, introduce all of them on neutral area (none of them have been to, and no guinea pigs scent in the area). Monitor them for a few hours, if they get along, put them in the new cage and keep them together. Don't keep separating them and putting back together. They will have to go over their dominance each time you put them together.
Here are some useful guides on introduction.
http://cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm#Introductions
This one is written for boars intros, but it's really useful for any gender. Since boars are harder to introduce, you can apply to sows too.
http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46468
Good luck with the intro! Let us know how it goes!
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