Why do people buy such tiny cages?

[suzyhenke]

I am so tired of seeing people buy the tiniest of cages and think that it's ok to put their guinea pigs in it permanently. Surely anyone who has owned a piggie does their research right? I mean I have read so much info and forums where people say that it's OK when it's not. I am guilty myself of buying the wrong size cage, but quickly put things right when I figured it out after only a week. It seriously gets on my nerves when you mention to people the minimum requirements a piggie needs and then the person thinks they know best. It's simple, if you can't afford to buy a decent sized cage, then you shouldn't get a guinea pig. Rant over! I've just seen such sweet guinea pigs in a cavie80 cage and the owner sounds really pleased with the cage set up. Seriously, why do people buy the smallest cages and then do nothing about it when they are advised?

 

[Rodentopia]

I had a guinea pig handed over the me 3 weeks ago and he and sounds like his cage mate were kept in a cavie 80, they gave me the cage, I took him out of it after they had gone and its now in my shed

 

[piggyfan]

I feel the same. Stupid pet shops sell small cages and tell people they are fine. Sadly many people do not do any research before getting animals and do not even know what to feed them.

 

[Redu]

We just rescued two boys who were being kept in a hamster cage! They were bought for the kid, who got bored very quickly, and within a week of buying they were handed over to us

 

[theoretikos]

we just rescued two boys who were being kept in a hamster cage! They were bought for the kid, who got bored very quickly, and within a week of buying they were handed over to us

wtf?

 

[MerryPip]

One of my previous lads was kept in a tiny cage too. Until pet shops stop selling cages that are too small, things will sadly never change.

Keep advising and sharing the knowledge (in a friendly way or else people just don't listen!) and keep pestering big companies like P@H and the manufacturers to change their advice and make welfare a priority.

 

[lulu!]

You can't really blame the general public to that extent- like others have said it is pet shops etc. who need to be promoting proper cage size. Sometimes you get a pet and despite doing what you think is good research, you realise that actually you haven't done what's best- I know cage size is very basic but it still happens. Owning pets is all about learning and improving your care and I think it's important that people who do have the knowledge share it in a caring, not condescending way or one which sounds like people who make mistakes are irritating. Two way street, really.

 

[suzyhenke]

I have made huge mistakes and put my hands up. I wish they came with a manual sometimes lol. As soon as I found out I was wrong, I soon corrected it though. The only people who irritate me are some people who you share information with that you've researched and then they tell you off for it even if it meant with good intentions. My niece is one of those people and as much as I love her I really wish she'd take care of her boys. She keeps hers in a tiny cage, the cavie80 again, she never gets them out, plays with them, cleans the cage and I know she doesn't give them veggies either because when I looked after her for a week, she asked me why the boys were given other foods besides nuggets. Everyone has to start somewhere but it would be great if people weren't so rude when your only trying to pass on information in the nicest way you can.

 

[sophieandhoney]

I think it is incredibly difficult, as actually the minimum cage sizes are bigger or as big as say a coffee table or sideboard, so to most people are serious piece of furniture - that mostly doesn't look right in the living room and barely fits in a bedroom.

The cavie 80 or 100 fit on furniture or tuck into corners and are sold as guinea pig cages, even if someone buys one and thinks mmmmm that isn't very big they convince themselves they will get them out more. Plus when you buy a piggy from PAH for example they are tiny babies and make the cages look huge! I was so surprised when I got Lola - she was teeny, Sophie and Honey were fully grown and looked massive in the 80cm cage they were kept in.

I just wish the pet shops weren't allowed to sell cages less then 120cm.

 

[madguinealady]

a friend of mine had two 6 month old boars in a 70 cm cage. Kept telling her she needed bigger. They do get out on the floor and on the grass now and then but were starting to bicker. I naively bout a 100 cm for my daughters guinea pigs but they are in with my two girls in a 5x3 so swapped my daughters cage for hers I know its not perfect but better than what they were in. Have nagged her about always giving them hay as well as sometimes they don't have any. She often lands on my doorstep asking if I have hay or guinea pig food. Don't know what she did before I got them- guess they went hungry