The Begginers Guide To Housing

[TommoN]

Guinea Pig Cages

Cage Recommendations
Store Bought Cages
C & C Cages
Why So Big ?
Bedding
Add Ons
Benefits Of C & C Cages






The Complete Beginners Guide To Housing

Are you new to guinea pigs and confused about all the information out their and you’d like one simple guide in one place to explain to you every thing you need to know about housing ? Well your in the right place , please read on.

Cage Recommendations

Some store bought cages can be recommended by pet shops as ok , but are they really adequate to house your furry friends ? Lets have a look at Housing size Recommendations in the UK & USA.

The RSPCA a English Animal welfare group recommend at least 120 x 60 Cm for 2 guinea pigs. I Personally feel this is ok for temporary accommodation I feel it’s a little on the small side for 2 healthy Pigs.

Pets At Home a so called ‘ Loving Pet Shop ‘ Recommend 100 x 50 Cm for 2 guinea pigs. For 2 healthy pigs this is totally unacceptable and can lead to all kind of health problems.

The ASPCA ( the american equivalent of The RSPCA) Recommend 130 x 75 Cm for 2 guinea pigs. I feel this is Just about acceptable. I wont post a picture as its very similar to The RSPCA.
Petsmart is often a described as a great pet shop but recommend 60 x 30 Cm as a minimum cage requirement. This is nothing short of animal cruelty , I for one wouldn’t keep a hamster in this size cage.

As you can see some of the cages are to small for guineas , so shall we have a look some alternatives to tiny cages.

 

[TommoN]

Commercial Cages

Most store bought cages are under 120 x 60 and are therefore are to small for a pair of guinea pigs.

The First Type of cage is the Severely undersized. These Cages tend to be under 100 cm In length. These cages will lead to health problems in guinea pigs due to the sheer lack of space. I would Never suggest you keep a pig in a space as small as this.
Here is a example sold by pets at home for £60. Expensive for the lack of space I think.

The Second Type is the size recommended by The RSPCA. These Are ok in the short term but id look for a bigger cage or hutch for long term homing. I suggest looking at a c&c Cage. Heres a example by zoo plus for £50 a relatively good price for the size of the cage.

Next is what I like to call the luxury Commercial. These are 140 Cm Or bigger in length. These can run up quite a big bill though so buying second hand is a great way to keep down the cost. For all its criticism pets at home do actually sell a 140cm cage. However your jaw will drop at the £100 price tag. Trixie also make a 150cm cage. I fell these are good size cages and are a alternative to c&c cages if your not DIY Friendly.
Here is the 150cm cage. I cant imagine it would be below £100.

 

[TommoN]

C & C Cages

C&C Cages are a recent thing in the guinea pig world, You can find information everywhere on the net for these cages. They are so popular due to their easy adjustability and versatile add on options. They are constructed out of Mesh Storage Cubes and Coroplast. The Grids are connected together by a set of connectors and the coroplast is scored and folded into a box shape to fit inside of the grids. The Reccomended Size for 2 Sows is 4 Grids Long and 2 Grids Wide This Is often referred to as a ‘ 4x2 C&C Cage ‘ The numbers representing the number of grids. 2 Boars are recommended a 5x2 Cage but are happy in a 4x2 cage. The Grids Can be acquired from B&Q And other online shops. Boxes normally provide 20-26 Grids and 20-30 Connectors , though if you run out of connecters you can use cable ties. The Grids can cost from £20-£40 which is considerably cheaper than most cages. The coroplast can be acquired from TeaCratePacking in the UK for around £4 per sheet which is incredibly cheap. It is only 2mm thick but if supported by a strong surface this is fine however I'm not sure about places to buy supplies in the USA I would imagine they would be around the same price. With 1 Box of grids and 2 sheets of coroplast you could make two 4x2 cages. This Would Cost You no more than £50. What a bargain eh ? Now it might be clearer to you why many forum members have these cages.
Here is a example of a 4x2 Cage.

 

[TommoN]

Why So Big ?

So you may ask ‘ why so big ? ‘ Well let me explain. As CavyCages.Com explains , pet store cages are just glorified litter boxes with wire round the outside. Should a animal be forced into a tiny cage because ‘ they’re just a animal ‘ The truth is , if you cant afford or don’t want a big enough cage , they do not get the pet. 7.5 Square Foot sounds like a huge space doesn’t it ? However it’s the size of a 4x2 cage. Guinea pigs love to run laps and popcorn when excited so maximising they’re ability to do so is important. Being able to explore A Big cage has many health benefits for a cavy and is a great way to make them happy. The Benefits of a big cage are endless. Can you imagine being forced into a tiny 6x4 Ft room for the rest of your life with no tv or computer etc. If not then think about the guinea pigs kept in tiny cages , its no different.

 

[TommoN]

Bedding

Many people use Fleece blankets as bedding. ‘ Fleece Blankets , Why would you use them !? ‘ You may ask. Well they are actually a excellent bedding and let me explain why. They can be easily cleaned and washed. Your Piggies will love the warmness and cuddlyness of the fleece ( Is cuddlyness a word ? My pigs think so ! ) However you may think ‘ Wouldn’t it get stained and leek through ? ‘ Many People put a layer of towel underneath the fleece followed by either newspaper , a shower curtain or lino. You will need to wash new fleece a few times before use to teach it to ‘ wick ‘ the pee. You will need to quickly brush up the poos twice a day to keep it clean and change every 3-4 days. I suggest buying 2 of everything so you can have one ready to go instead of waiting to wash one whilst cleaning the cage. Traditional bedding can often be used , however I'm not knowledgeable o n this subject so I suggest looking elsewhere on the forum if you would like to use this.

 

[TommoN]

Add Ons

With some spare grids you can make a second level and with two extra grids you can make a ramp ( See my guide here http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=73355 ) Many people use the upper level as a separate kitchen area or a cuddle den. The kitchen area can keep all the mess of kitchen upstairs whilst leaving the downstairs clean. A cuddle den is a few layers of fleece and a layer of towel put down so it creates a extra squishy layer for guinea pigs to snuggle up in.

 

[TommoN]

Benefits Of A Bigger Cage.

So You may Think what are the benefits or such a big cage ? Well lets have a look.
Just like humans guinea pigs can become obese if they cant get enough exercise , these can lead to all kind of health problems and can be fatal.
They Can choose when they exercise throughout the day and its on their terms so they do not have to rely on floor time to keep fit.
It Keeps them mentally stimulated exploring and playing with new toys in a big cage.
If one piggy irritates the other they can get away from each other with plenty of space to cool down.
It is very easy to clean.





So I Hope this has helped and if you have any questions at all ill be more than happy to help.

Take Care , I wish your pigs Many wheeks and years of happiness.

Thanks Tommo.