Upper Levels: hamster cage as second level?

[1frankie7]

As some of you may know I have a 2 x 4 c&c cage wich will soon house two males one of which is in quarentine. and I had this idea if I could use an old hamster cage as a second level it would be this one Hagen Living World Hamster Starter Kit Hamster Cage - eBay (item 350104046434 end time Nov-24-09 16:00:39 PST) but only the cage no hammie stuff.

would that be all right just as an eating area or?

[1frankie7]

Anyone???.

[Tessa Bea]

It looks really tiny, how big does it measure? I would think an upper level would be pretty pointless unless it was at least 1x2. It may make a good loft, though- put it at half level? I wouldn't even bother with the cage part if you did that, just the tray.

[Heady]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just use grids? I may be misunderstanding the question/intention, though...

[1frankie7]

I mean I found an old second hand one for a dollar and it would be more of a hay loft than anything. I think its about 7" x 20".

[JD In Van]

I don't think 7" is big enough. My guys are like 10" long.

[Tessa Bea]

I would use it, just put it halfway on a grid instead of all the way on top, I don't think it's worth making space for a ramp. That's how I did my grid square hayrack, but I didn't make it climbable. you could put a brick or two in front of the entrance for "stairs", and the pigs will probably also go underneath it and use it like a hidey.

[1frankie7]

so ita okay to use as a loft type thing I would put their food up there and mabye even is there is space their houses? would that be okay because that would leave the bottom level empty for pur running space.

or should I forget it and just use it as a hayloft?

[Tessa Bea]

If you left enough room underneath it they could run through it, it wouldn't subtract from floor space. Another option is to just add it to the end, cut out a space in their wall and remove a grid and use it as a kitchen area. I just wouldn't use it as a whole nother level unless you do an outside tunnel entrance, it'd take too much space away from them to have a ramp inside their current cage.

[Ly&Pigs]

It's too small for a full grown guinea pig. Don't use it, period. The doorway is too small for a pig to get in and out and once a pig gets inside, there's no room for them to barely turn around and if you add things in such as food dishes, etc., it's going to make it harder.

I have one of those cages that I use to take rats to/from the vet so I know the exact size of the cage.

[lissie]

Is that the correct measurements? 7"x20" is really small. You can probably use the tray as a litter box.

[Dichotomy83]

Honestly, with a 2x4 cage I wouldnt add a hay loft, especially one that tiny. Its not worth your effort, and the space that a ramp would take up is just taking away that much more from the little bit of floor space you already have. You'd really be better off extending the cage size, if you can.

Also please keep in mind that while 2x4 is the MINIMUM requirement for 2 pigs, boars usually need more room than that. I have a 2x5 for my 2 young boys, and although this works for me for now, I cannot wait to expand! Having a hay loft would simplify my cleaning SO much, but I really hate to take up the little bit of floor room they have to run.

[JD In Van]

Originally Posted by Dichotomy83

Also please keep in mind that while 2x4 is the MINIMUM requirement for 2 pigs, boars usually need more room than that. I have a 2x5 for my 2 young boys, and although this works for me for now, I cannot wait to expand! Having a hay loft would simplify my cleaning SO much, but I really hate to take up the little bit of floor room they have to run.

2x3 is the minimum for 2 pigs. 2x4 penty enough for two boars.
Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home

Also a ramp does not have to take up a lot of room. I have a hidy with steps up to the "roof" a ramp could easily be ziptied onto that and voila, ramp that doesn't take up any extra footprint.

[akstrohm]

Originally Posted by JD In Van

2x3 is the minimum for 2 pigs. 2x4 penty enough for two boars.

Not exactly. 2 boars really do need a 2x4, and a 2x5 is much better.

[JD In Van]

Originally Posted by akstrohm

Not exactly. 2 boars really do need a 2x4, and a 2x5 is much better.

More is always better but the front page says 2x3 so people build that. It really should be changed to clarify the differant needs of boars and sows.

Regardless telling her she doesn't have enough floor space for a ramp in a 2x4 is not really accurate.

Though I still say the hamster cage is way too small for a hamster let alone a pig even as a hay loft.

[akstrohm]

I actually agree with dichotomy--if she's already at the minimum for two boars, a ramp will only take away space needed for running. Guinea pigs don't need a second level. If the ramp is constructed in a way that it doesn't take up more space (i.e. outside of the cage), then I see no problem with it.

[JD In Van]

I don't think I understand that, a ramp takes up much less room then a kitchen area, or a litter box, or a hidy house or heck even a hay box (aka the things that would be put up in the loft SO there is more room on the ground level for running around). I can't imagine how people are building ramps that take up so much room but thats just me, I can think up dozens of ways to build a ramp that takes up minamal space and make more space then they take up.

[Dichotomy83]

The thing about ramps is that it really turns that part of the cage into dead space. An interior ramp cuts away from the cage borders, where piggies usually like to run laps. There will be at least a portion of the floor under the ramp that piggies wont be able to access, taking away from the interior square footage of the original posters already minimal cage.

[bpatters]

I agree with JD. I know that the ramp (at least the base of it, depending on design) occupies some space on the floor of the cage. But if you're adding a loft, moving the hay rack and presumably at least one litter pan up there, plus maybe a toy or two, you've got a net gain of space on the ground floor.

Also, depending on how you build the ramp, it doesn't have to take up much floor space at all. My ramp runs up the outside of the cage, so the only indoor real estate it occupies on the ground floor is a very short ramp (< 6") from the wall down to the floor -- way less than the hay/litter box that's on the second floor would occupy.

[akstrohm]

Except in this case the upper level in question would be far too small for a litterbox, food, or a hidey. So it's not saving space that those things would take up down below. It's not even big enough for a guinea pig!