# Cage Ideas for Guinea pigs-Pics



## MrsSmith (May 24, 2011)

Hello, I read all the way through the cage sticky thread but saw little to nothing for guinea pigs. We currently have four grown pigs and four baby pigs (born last night), in cages too small. I am thinking of a couple ideas to get them a bigger cage, but wondering what others have used? 
Also - a bit of a back story. Our first pigs where Spaz (now Piggy) and Dash, two supposedly girl guinea pigs someone offered in trade of some chickens we had. I had guinea pigs when I was a kid, and had been wanting some, so I agreed. These two pigs where tiny! And so wild, it took us a long time to tame them down even to the point where they wouldn't freak out when we went to feed them. We got them in March of 2010. In July Dash suddenly died. At this point we still thought they where girls. Spaz went downhill quickly, he refused to eat, was basically starving himself. When we took him into the vet we where told he was a boy not a girl. That he might just be lonely as there seemed to be nothing wrong with him. Also told to give extra Vitamin C to help him get stronger again. We got a young male guinea pig from a pet store- paid $40 for it and Piggy hated it. He chased it around and we had to separate them we found it a new home. Second time we tried an adult male pig. Same thing, only worse. Found that one a new home too. Then last March my mom suprised me with a little white guinea pig, from one of her friends kids, who told her it was a boy. The little white one (named Stevie) at the time and Piggy got on very well. Within two months or so we knew why. Stevie was a girl. She had her first litter of babies in June. Three of them, we separated piggy so we wouldn't have more and he immediatly went back to not eating. We ended up having to partion off a part of her already to small cage and putting him in there, he still was sad but would eat, and talk to her (having his cage right next to hers didn't work, they had to be able to touch through the wire) They would sleep next to each other. After a month I gave in and put them back together. The new babies went to their new homes. Last month I got what was advertised as a "Huge guinea pig cage and two guinea pigs" on craigslist. I should of changed my mind when I saw it, but I fell in love with these pigs, who where set to go to the shelter if I didn't take them as the family was moving the next day. So now we added Panda and Lola to the household, still don't have a big cage, and now have four more babies.

What my plan had been was to use the "HUGE cage" for stella and the two new girls, keep one boy which I could hopefully get piggy to accept and get a new cage for them. But now I realize I need not one new cage but two. These cages are two small for one pig much less three.

Here is my options at the moment.
1.Make something from the stuff I have around the house, lots of ideas, but nothing that seems perfect yet.
2. Make bin cages - thinking of getting two of the extra large bins and connecting them with a big tube (we use the big plastic ones as hidie places for them) Give each group of pigs two big tubs connected together. If I move them to somewhere other then my living room I might be able to do more like three for each group. - Problems- if piggy won't bond with a young boar I still need a solution to keep him near Stella but not IN with stella
3. C&C cages. I am having problems finding them locally. I will order a set if I have to but as I have a pretty exact plan in mind I would rather be able to buy and build on my own. Any ideas where in the US you can buy this stuff? Or if you can buy the Cubes seperate somewhere online?
If I go this way I plan to make one that is 4 squares deep by 6 wide, connected directly to a second cage that is also 4 deep but only 3 wide (for a single Piggy)

What do you think is my best option. Also she had the babies between 9pm and 10:30pm last night (between when my husband leaves for work and I get home) they where dry when I got home and piggy was trying to mate her. I removed him immedietly and am kicking myself for not doing it sooner, but I thought I had more time. What is the chance that he managed to get her again before I got home?

Also sorry its so long- Pictures of your Guinea pig cages and toys would be great,
Here are the cages we have right now (they do get to get out and run around a bit every day as well.

Panda and Lola (lola is the brown and white Panda is the black and white) the newbies

























Piggy and Stella - Stella is the white one. 
when we first got her
















Last monday during a cage change ( I always change cages on Monday and friday)








Piggy in his temporary home till I figure out what to do









The cages - Stella and the babies are in the top cage (which came with Panda and Lola) Panda and lola are in the bottom cage.

























The babies (first is first litter, rest are this one)


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## Snippet (Apr 14, 2011)

You could use a child's play pen for the adults. A dog crate would be OK for the babies until they're old enough to be seperated from mum, then they could go in a play pen too.

Or as you're in the US you could get a large Martin's playpen. They're sold for rats, but they have a foot print of 44"x44" so might make a good home for piggies.


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## metame (Sep 25, 2009)

i just wanna say your piggies are adorable!
can you get anything llike this is america?

Jumbo Garden Storage Chest, Meets all your outdoor storage needs - plus can be easily moved! Garden Equipment

we altered one of them for our pigs! i dont have any pictures though im afriad...


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## MrsSmith (May 24, 2011)

metame said:


> i just wanna say your piggies are adorable!
> can you get anything llike this is america?
> 
> Jumbo Garden Storage Chest, Meets all your outdoor storage needs - plus can be easily moved! Garden Equipment
> ...


That is a great idea. We do have them but I am not sure they are that large. I will be checking it out though! I can see that making a nice cage for the three girls, but I would still need a separate one for piggy, and if he isn't able to touch noses through the wire at least, he gets depressed.

I am looking into using the C&C cages -here is a pictures of one -http://www.guineapigcages.com/cubes.htm
If I do this then I will be able to make it 2 cubes wide by 8 or 9 long (depending on the size of the wall I am putting them against) then seperate out like 2 by 2 cubes for piggy.

Or if I put them in my other corner I was thinking of making a two level cage with 4 cubes deep and 6 side to side, with a second floor being on the back 2 cubes and start up one cube, Then piggy would get the full 4 deep by 2 wide, and the girls would get 4 by 4 plus an extra 2 cubes by 6 cubes of top floor.

I need to figure out how to draw that then upload it cause its hard to picture.


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## Maria_1986 (May 15, 2011)

I would presonally go with the C&C cages - they are so versatile. I use C&C both for my own and for my fosters as I can then change the cage according to the space I have and the piggies I have in.

you can have the open on the floor (You can also put a lid on to stop cats/dogs gettin gto them but I don't have a photo of my lidded cage)










Two Apartments for two sets of pigs










Split down the middle for two sets










Or to extend the original pet shop cage


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## xchocolatexmustardx (Mar 14, 2011)

I know it is risky, but have you ever considered neutering piggy? He seems to only be happy when with a female and your female probably can't constantly handle having little piggy's. Just a suggestion.


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## MrsSmith (May 24, 2011)

xchocolatexmustardx said:


> I know it is risky, but have you ever considered neutering piggy? He seems to only be happy when with a female and your female probably can't constantly handle having little piggy's. Just a suggestion.


we live in a very rural area, the closest vet willing to do a neuter is almost two hours away and wants almost $200 for the surgery, we have been considering it for a while now. Honestly was hoping that with the two new girls I would be able to rotate it, so that I don't have on girl having to have babies all the time. Each girl would still be having two litters a year though, which is A lot of pigs and though I have had no problem finding new homes for them so far, we only have had 7 piglets total this year.
The two new girls don't like piggy either. Today I had piggy out in the exercise pen outside and had some of our 5 week old mini lop kits in with them. He seemed so happy, but right now they are all about the same size, in a couple weeks they will be three times bigger then him. I may move him out to a rabbit pen for a few weeks but it will soon be to cold outside for him.

I should just try to find him a new home, preferably with someone who has a group of girls they want babies from. I just don't know of anyone who would want an adult boar that can't be housed alone.

How long do guinea pigs live?


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## mstori (May 22, 2009)

MrsSmith said:


> we live in a very rural area, the closest vet willing to do a neuter is almost two hours away and wants almost $200 for the surgery, we have been considering it for a while now. Honestly was hoping that with the two new girls I would be able to rotate it, so that I don't have on girl having to have babies all the time. Each girl would still be having two litters a year though, which is A lot of pigs and though I have had no problem finding new homes for them so far, we only have had 7 piglets total this year.
> The two new girls don't like piggy either. Today I had piggy out in the exercise pen outside and had some of our 5 week old mini lop kits in with them. He seemed so happy, but right now they are all about the same size, in a couple weeks they will be three times bigger then him. I may move him out to a rabbit pen for a few weeks but it will soon be to cold outside for him.
> 
> I should just try to find him a new home, preferably with someone who has a group of girls they want babies from. I just don't know of anyone who would want an adult boar that can't be housed alone.
> ...


Im sorry, whilst the piggies are beautiful, are you being serious?

you cant just keep having more babies and you cant keep rehoming either. Nor can you mix the rabbits and guinea pigs together! its dangerous!

Please do not put him with your girls anymore you are risking their health!!

the best way of bonding him would be with a baby boar, and if you cant, then do rehome to someone who will or will neuter him to be with a group of girls!

Build a c&c cage, the bigger the better. Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home gives you the MINIMUM sizes.

Sorry if you think I am being blunt, but it doesnt seem you have your guinea pigs health and welfare interests at heart.


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## Myanimalmadhouse (Mar 6, 2011)

Sorry but 2 hour drive and $200 is going to be alot cheaper than finding yourself stuck with an extra god knows how many guinea pigs to look after! With 3 ladies, that can produce up to 8 babies per litter even with just one litter each thats 24 babies that you may not find homes for - then what? Rescue centres are full to bursting in the us just as much as the uk and it pretty obvious although you are doing your best to care for the ones you have you are struggling and wouldn't cope with the extra!

They do look in good condition at the moment but things can easily slip on a spiralling down road when you find yourself stretched more than you can cope with. Keep your boar seperate and really you should have 2 options:-

1 Hope that one of the babies is also a boar and try bonding them or
2 Neuter your him and let him happily live with his lady without adding the stress of constant babies to her and yourselves.

Good luck x


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