Would This Setup Be Appropriate For 2 Boars?

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RugratsRUs

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We are needing to give our 2 boys a bit more space. However, space in our house is limited so we are thinking of possibly a hutch for the guinea pigs with the rat cage on top. We originally thought to build them one cage with 4 levels - 2 for rats and 2 for guinea pigs but wood is stinky with rats. Horribly stinky. (The rats would be closed off from the guinea pigs but just in one cage we built ourselves.) Plus, building is nice and all but our time may be better spent with other things and our sanity saved with buying something.

After days of researching I like the look of this cage (Bateman Double Rabbit and Guinea Pig Hutch – Next Day Delivery Bateman Double Rabbit and Guinea Pig Hutch) but wanted to see what those who have guinea pigs thought of the cage. We would line it with lino and most likely use a fleece and shavings combo. Where we had the shavings (in the closed off section), we would create a correx box so it was easy to clean and shavings didn't fall our in the gap at the bottom of the door.

We would have to figure out how to level the top so the rat cage is level but that should not be too hard. (Knock on wood...literally.)

Is the wood ok? Would the ramp be too steep? Our boys do not have a ramp right now so it may be a bit of an adjustment for them. We would put something on the ramp to give them more grip.

Since we just do not have the room for a longer than 4' cage, we were thinking of getting some cube sections to create a foldable play area for the main room. We would take them out for a while in the evening so they can run around til they drop. Or get distracted by food. On a nice day we could even take that outside and let them play (with someone watching them of course since there would not be a top).

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Thanks!
 
Hiya !

It is great you are thinking about giving your boars more space. I definetly would not recommend keeping rats in the top level of your guinea pig hutch as if they somehow escaped and got into the bottom ... Who knows what would happen?

The ramp on the hutch you like looks very steep and only has a low side meaning guinea pigs could fall or be pushed off.

Instead of the hutch you had in mind I prefer this one ( I keep two sows in it ) : Rose Cottage Hutch for Rabbits and Guinea Pigs by Pets at Home (Store Only) | Pets At Home

@ayemee has the hutch I have and has cage liners inside which look brilliant!

Could you keep them in a shed or a garage if you don't have room inside?
  • It is bigger ( I keep two sows in it but with boars you need an even bigger space )
  • It is better quality ( the wire and wood )
  • It has a pull out tray
  • It is reduced to £129 instead of £179
  • The stairs have a banister and are not really steep. My 1.6 year old girls had never been on a ramp ; they zoomed up it and have had no problems whatsoever : you can put carpet on the ramp for additional grip.
I bought Lino tiles from homebase for my hutch. I also bought a cat litter tray from poundland which fitted perfectly on the bottom floor in the gap between the stairs and left hand side wall.

I hope this helps and sorry for the long post! @RugratsRUs :)
 
Maisy and Poppy said:
Hiya !

It is great you are thinking about giving your boars more space. I definetly would not recommend keeping rats in the top level of your guinea pig hutch as if they somehow escaped and got into the bottom ... Who knows what would happen?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I was not clear. The rat cage would sit on top of the guinea pig hutch. They would be in totally separate cages.

The ramp on the hutch you like looks very steep and only has a low side meaning guinea pigs could fall or be pushed off.
Click to expand...

That was a worry of mine so thank you for your input on it!

Could you keep them in a shed or a garage if you don't have room inside?
Click to expand...

We are renting and really do not have the ability to put them in a shed or a garage. Plus, I know my girls and 'out of sight, out of mind' applies, particularly on busy days. I did think about an outside hutch but would prefer to keep all the critters inside unless absolutely necessary.

I bought Lino tiles from homebase for my hutch. I also bought a cat litter tray from poundland which fitted perfectly on the bottom floor in the gap between the stairs and left hand side wall.
Click to expand...

We bought a few meters of lino from B&M and have been using that when we take them out. Easier to clean up pee. Of course, inevitably they will pee on the person who is holding them for a while. I should wrap the child in lino. ;)

Our larger boar, Samwise, using a corner litter box pretty well. Our smaller one is not as consistent but has been getting better. We now have a lot less stray poop and urine lately. Now if we could get the rats back to doing the same....

Thank you so much for the input! Back to looking at more cages/hutches. My brain may explode! ;)[/Quote]
 
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RugratsRUs said:
Sorry, I was not clear. The rat cage would sit on top of the guinea pig hutch. They would be in totally separate cages.



That was a worry of mine so thank you for your input on it!



We are renting and really do not have the ability to put them in a shed or a garage. Plus, I know my girls and 'out of sight, out of mind' applies, particularly on busy days. I did think about an outside hutch but would prefer to keep all the critters inside unless absolutely necessary.



We bought a few meters of lino from B&M and have been using that when we take them out. Easier to clean up pee. Of course, inevitably they will pee on the person who is holding them for a while. I should wrap the child in lino. ;)

Our larger boar, Samwise, using a corner litter box pretty well. Our smaller one is not as consistent but has been getting better. We now have a lot less stray poop and urine lately. Now if we could get the rats back to doing the same....

Thank you so much for the input! Back to looking at more cages/hutches. My brain may explode! ;)
Click to expand...
[/QUOTE]
Lol I know what you mean. There are thousands of hutches!
 
It's lovely you are thinking this through properly before going ahead :D
 
Thanks guys. I can sometimes prepare and research a bit too much for my hubby's taste. But seeing as how they are probably do not have enough room right now, I want to get it right for them and teach my children to consider the needs of their pets and to meet them.

Hubby will be home from a business trip today so I am hoping to discuss the options with him and get something sorted. I think, regardless, I need to order some of the cubes to have a safe place for them to run around every day. We bring them out onto some vinyl in the living room but nothing 'contains' them. We just sit there and watch them - as does the cat.
 
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