C&C We're building our cage! - Page 3 - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**vicky2** · #41 10-12-09, 01:37 pm

Actually, limiting their pellets can be a matter of health. That is a habit you have to break for their sake. Write it down on the food container or something.

**IluvePiggies** · #42 10-12-09, 01:43 pm

I don't have a food container. We wanted to get one but we haven't gotten there yet.
Carly finally went up the ramp today! All on her own! I didn't have to lift her this time.

**lissie** · #43 10-12-09, 01:44 pm

Can't you make the bottom full 2x4? It's not like you don't have space for it. Why limit the coroplast to 2x3 when you're already using 2x4 grids?

**vicky2** · #44 10-12-09, 01:46 pm

A food container is just an example. You could just write it down on a piece of paper and put it by the food.
Anyway, I got my container at the dollar store for a dollar.

**blackarrow** · #45 10-12-09, 03:40 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by IluvePiggies

Yes, there's a hidden area underneath the loft for privacy. That's where they go the most.
Yeah, I know I should

Its just once you get into the habit, its hard to break. If you know what I mean

I actually don't know what you mean about overfilling pellets to your cavies being a hard habit to break. I mean, you have to deliberately put pellets in their bowl, I don't know how you can do that and not have a conscious thought about what you're doing. And is that all their hay? That's not nearly enough.

I can't imagine why you've given your pigs a 2x3 bottom floor when you obviously, from the photo, have a 2x4 space available to them.

**rabbitsncavyluv** · #46 10-12-09, 03:57 pm

It's not a full 2 by 3 due to the way the ramp is built either way but nice try.

Are you still feeding poor quality pellets?

**juliaaa** · #47 10-12-09, 03:57 pm

Your pigs would appreciate it more if you got rid of the loft and extended the lower level to the full 2x4. With this set up, they barely have room to run because of the hideys and the ramp. Also, they need WAY more hay than that.

**Paula** · #48 10-12-09, 03:59 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by IluvePiggies

I don't have a food container. We wanted to get one but we haven't gotten there yet.

I'm sorry but there seem to be entirely too many things you just "aren't there yet" on. Cutting down on pellets and feeding your pigs fresh veggies twice a day are not things you work up to. They are things you do for their health and well being. If you can't manage these things, I really have no idea why you or your parents are even entertaining the thought of adding another animal to this household.

I do think it's *fantastic* that your pigs finally have a 2x3-ish cage ... But the other things need to fall into place too, so your pigs can have long, healthy, happy lives with you.

**juliaaa** · #49 10-12-09, 04:02 pm

Also, how tall are the sides of the upper level? It looks like a determined pig could climb over them.

**IluvePiggies** · #50 10-12-09, 04:09 pm

6 inches. They won't climb out because my piggies are afraid to jump from high heights like that BUT we're keeping my door shut at night just in case.

**vicky2** · #51 10-12-09, 04:10 pm

Pigs can't tell height so they could far too easily hop right over.
Keeping the door shut at night won't prevent them from hurting themselves.

**rabbitsncavyluv** · #52 10-12-09, 04:17 pm

Where are you planning on putting a new guinea pig anyway? That cage is definitely not big enough for three though it is a vast improvement over what you had. But that may not be saying much.

**xxlizzybordenxx** · #53 10-12-09, 06:09 pm

My guinea pigs would jump out of that top level in a second! You should really just make it a 2x4. Your pigs would have much more room to run around, and then you could buy some more grids and build a proper second level. Its very easy to do my boyfriend and I built our whole 2x4 cage with a loft in no time at all.

**xERICx** · #54 10-12-09, 07:05 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by vicky2

Anyway, I got my container at the dollar store for a dollar.

That is were we got ours too. It's cheap and it works well.

Yes, I am too wondering why you didn't build a 2x4 since you are using that many grids anyway? Though I am sure it is a vast improvement to a pet store cage. I would also be worried about them jumping over the side of the loft, they could get hurt badly if they land wrong, and you can never fully predict what a pig will do so you can't really say they wont. It only takes one time for things to go horribly wrong. Also they definitely need more hay but maybe you added more after taking the picture? Not trying to bash you or anything.

P.S. - Adorable piggy.

**1frankie7** · #55 10-12-09, 07:42 pm

Is that all the hay I have one big pile of hay in my cage its spread all over in fact my cage IS a pile of hay!

I was going to just make my cage kind of like yours but i decided to make a 2 x 4 instead. Because it would give my piggy more space

.

But I feed my piggy as much pellets as he wants my piggy is 2 1/2 Months old!

**ferndalezoo** · #56 10-12-09, 07:50 pm

Quote:

Is that all the hay I have one big pile of hay in my cage its spread all over in fact my cage IS a pile of hay!

One big pile of hay isn't alot better than not enough hay. Hay makes a bad choice for bedding, and if your cage is "one big pile of hay" that's, in effect, what you're doing.

**1frankie7** · #57 10-12-09, 07:52 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferndalezoo

One big pile of hay isn't alot better than not enough hay. Hay makes a bad choice for bedding, and if your cage is "one big pile of hay" that's, in effect, what you're doing.

I have bedding underneath its fleece what i mean is i put hay all over the fleece because he likes it that way that is NOT my bedding!

**IluvePiggies** · #58 10-12-09, 07:57 pm

I must say something. My bowls have a lot because my piggies DO NOT eat every single pellet there is. SO, I put that much pellets so it lasts over night and if they do eat all of it, I refill it.

**vicky2** · #59 10-12-09, 08:01 pm

If the pellets are left in there, they loose their nutritional value over some time.
When I fed Lucky unlimited pellets, she would barely eat any. When I started feeding her the right way and limiting her pellets, she started to eat them.
Besides, pellets make up the least of their diet so they don't necessarily have to eat the whole thing.

**IluvePiggies** · #60 10-12-09, 08:03 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by vicky2

If the pellets are left in there, they loose their nutritional value over some time.
When I fed Lucky unlimited pellets, she would barely eat any. When I started feeding her the right way and limiting her pellets, she started to eat them.
Besides, pellets make up the least of their diet so they don't necessarily have to eat the whole thing.

Thanks Vicky. I like the name

That's a good thing that they don't make up the most of their variety. They eat their hay like crazy so I'm good on that and they are getting veggies.

I did not build my cage to where it was a 2x3. My Dad built the cage the whole way and he WAS orginally going to build it a 2x4 but by accident, he put it to where he couldn't expand the Coroplast.

"Thank you, lissie, for this useful post," say these 2 members:
1frankie7 (10-12-09), vicky2 (10-12-09)

"Thank you, Paula, for this useful post," say these 7 members:
1frankie7 (10-12-09), ferndalezoo (10-12-09), IluvePiggies (10-12-09), juliaaa (10-12-09), katiewilson (10-12-09), MapleSyrup (10-12-09), rabbitsncavyluv (10-12-09)

"Thank you, vicky2, for this useful post," says:
IluvePiggies (10-12-09)