Coroplast Alternatives I want to hear from people who use/used shower curtain type material instead of corop - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**Onetwo** · #1 09-23-09, 12:00 pm

I have a 2x12 cubes and coroplast cage. It houses my 6 male piggies. They are paired off into 3 groups of 2 due to dominance and fighting issues.

My coroplast was hurridly and badly patched together from pieces and scraps. In addition my guinea pigs went (and occasionally still do) through a chewing phase. So my coroplast is uneven, jagged, dirty, getting hard to wipe down (I use fleece and towels) but I dont want to replace it with coroplast.

There is a clear plastic vinyl type stuff at walmart its about $3 a yard which will be 1/3 the cost of coro.

My guinea pigs are mostly potty trained and are on fleece so there isnt too much of an issue with mess.

My cage is also up on 3 banquet tables so there will be little risk of leakage.
My kids love the piggies and my piggies like my kids, another benefit would be that my kids will be able to see into the cage.

My piggies are not burrowers anymore as I have ceramic tiles and litter boxes that keep the fleece down so there is no risk of them chewing it.

I want to hear from anyone who has used plastic and if there are any problems I am not thinking about, how long the plastic should last, and how hard/easy it is to clean.

Thank you

**Onetwo** · #2 09-23-09, 02:58 pm

Anyone have any info on using plastic instead of coroplast?

**princesspoppy** · #3 09-23-09, 03:19 pm

yup i use thick plastic table covering. (see profile) i find it just fine. I have it going on the outter side of the grids and its kept in place by cable ties.
So far so go. Pigs don't chew on it.

**JD In Van** · #4 09-23-09, 03:19 pm

I use a hard sheet of acrylic instead of coroplast. As long as you have some way to make sure the piggies don't push your cage around you can put anything under it that's easy to clean really.

**Duffinvt** · #5 09-24-09, 11:18 am

I just got my two guinea pigs. I had enough grids to make a 2 x 5 but did not get the coroplast yet. I put down a heavy plastic table cloth with the towels and fleece on top and just set the grids on it. Is is not gorgeous, but it works. I had it out by the TV last night and today I put clean towels and fleece on carpenter's heavy duty garbage bags in my home office and set the grids up in a different way. The nice thing is the grids can bend around a corner. So it is 2 cubes at one end and 6 cubes long on one side, to end in a one cube end. If that makes any sense ! They are sleeping a lot today (noon here) and if they wake up I will take a picture.

**princesspoppy** · #6 09-24-09, 01:08 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by princesspoppy

yup i use thick plastic table covering. (see profile) i find it just fine. I have it going on the outter side of the grids and its kept in place by cable ties.
So far so go. Pigs don't chew on it.

Correction,guinea pigs are now chewing on it .

**MapleOwl18** · #7 09-24-09, 01:13 pm

You might want to put towels and fleece over it so they can't get to the plastic. Or at least some form of bedding.

This is what I did when I had the piggies at my parents for vacation.

Floor-Garbage Bag-Old Towel-Fleece-Piggies

The fleece was bigger than the garbage bag so they couldn't even get to it. The towel soaks up most of it, the garbage bag was basically there to protect the carpet.

The only problem I had with this was not having enough bracing and having a piggy who considered just moving the entire thing. I put some bins with stuff in them by the cage to keep them from being able to move it. Also I've read some people set it up so their grids are inside their coroplast to keep the coroplast from being chewed.

Also do your piggies have free choice hay, and other things to chew on. Most chewing problems go away with having an unlimited amount of hay in the cage (by that I mean you fill it up before its empty), wooden hidey huts to chew on, and other chewable objects, like pop/soda box huts, paper towel rolls, and cereal boxes. My piggies love the paper towel rolls so much, that I tear them in half so each one can have one.

Congrats on getting 6 male piggies to live together.

**princesspoppy** · #8 09-24-09, 01:24 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by MapleOwl18

You might want to put towels and fleece over it so they can't get to the plastic. Or at least some form of bedding.

This is what I did when I had the piggies at my parents for vacation.

Floor-Garbage Bag-Old Towel-Fleece-Piggies

The fleece was bigger than the garbage bag so they couldn't even get to it.

I made they walls on the outter side of the grids thinking it would be more difficult for them to get at it. Guess they are smarter than me. I posted a thread about it. So i think i'll have to go with ly's solution of Foldback Clips till i get the coroplast sorted out. That or put them back to being free range which is a last resort. They even managed to chew one of the cable ties.

**MapleOwl18** · #9 09-24-09, 01:32 pm

Yeah in your case I'd just take down the clipped platic walls and let it stretch out a few more inches. The poos will get flung out on to the plastic then while you build the cage. I'd also brace it with something, so they can't decide to scoot it around.

How to Make a C&C Cage

This section of the site is a godsend with the chloroplast cutting directions, and has the cutting dimensions for all the different cage sizes. Don't worry you'll get it up.

**Onetwo** · #10 09-24-09, 01:45 pm

Well with my cage being 2x12 grids (2.5 feet x 15 feet) it cannot be scooted around. Also the plus with the plastic is that I can get it in one piece. Coroplast is only available in 48"x48" sheets or smaller so I need to have 4 sheets. Plus the plastic will be 1/3 the cost of new coroplast.

**MapleOwl18** · #11 09-24-09, 07:10 pm

The coroplast I bought comes in 48X96 sheets (4ft by 8ft). Or is this just the coroplast by you.

Do you have other stuff for them to chew on? Its kinda funny they went after the coroplast. My piggies nibble but don't eat it that much.

**lissie** · #12 09-25-09, 04:59 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onetwo

Well with my cage being 2x12 grids (2.5 feet x 15 feet) it cannot be scooted around. Also the plus with the plastic is that I can get it in one piece. Coroplast is only available in 48"x48" sheets or smaller so I need to have 4 sheets. Plus the plastic will be 1/3 the cost of new coroplast.

Try this company. I got a 4'x8' sheet from them for $10. They have a branch in Minnesota.
GE Polymershapes, Branch Locator

"Thank you, princesspoppy, for this useful post," says:
Onetwo (09-23-09)

"Thank you, JD In Van, for this useful post," says:
Onetwo (09-23-09)

"Thank you, Duffinvt, for this useful post," says:
Onetwo (09-24-09)

"Thank you, MapleOwl18, for this useful post," says:
Onetwo (09-24-09)