Behavior: My guinea pigs are being very mean to eachother and attacking eachother?

[kaaayemm7]

What's going on? This never happend before! They are jumping at each other and chattering. There hair sticks up and they charge at each other. They lived together for less than a year and this never happend. This started like a week ago. They are in a small pet store cage because we don't have the money to buy things for a c&c cage. Is this territorial? Please help!

[rabbitsncavyluv]

It's probably the tiny cage. They need more space.

What gender are they and how old?

It's pretty inexpensive to build a C&C - usually $30. It may be one is sick and the other one is picking on him. But it is likely the tiny cage.

Can you at least get a box of grids or a storage unit shelving and built a free range type set up? Or pen?

[kaaayemm7]

They are both male and i got them the same day last August. I'm am limited space because they are in my room! They won't hurt each other will they? Grids are $15 a pack. Plus I need the coroplast.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

They can hurt each other in cramped quarters. Two males need more space usually, esp. if they are of the same age.

Sometimes you can find free or cheap grids on freecycle or craigs list. But a sheet of coro shouldn't be more than $20.

Is there a hidey house in the cage? You should take it out.

[kaaayemm7]

I'll look. Thank you. They like the hidey out because they lay on it and in it.. I should take it out?

[Holliegh]

If you have a good look, you should come across some cheap grids.
I find that ebay is good for cheap coroplast.
I also find cheap grids on there, too; but sometimes people will charge you the earth.

Just use a search engine and have a hunt around for a few hours, you'll find some nice cheap ones.

They really do need the extra space. Trust me on that one.
I had to keep mine a pet store cage for 4 days while I stayed with my mother and they really went for each other.
Arnold ended up with a split lip and Ralph hurt his paw...It was horrible.

They could really hurt each other. I don't want you to panic but we have to be honest, for their sakes.

Oh! I forgot about freecycle. That place is great!

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
Okay?

[blackarrow]

They're fighting because they're growing up and need space. Yes, they may hurt each other if they don't get it. C&C is going to cost less than a vet bill.

You may be able to make do with a large hard plastic kiddie swimming pool, which you should be able to find in any hardware store for $10 or less.

[akstrohm]

Once you get them a big cage (which you need to do or they could seriously injure each other and require expensive vet care), then add in 3 hideys so they don't fight over them.

[kaaayemm7]

I need to wait til we get money. My step mom is sooo rude and doesn't care about my piggies. It's stressful! I'm trying guys I really am.

[SnowFlower]

Best place I've found so far for coroplast is a plastic manufacture/warehouse in town. If you can find one in your city you might be able to get a 4x8 sheet for as little as $10 - I just googled "plastic <city> <state>" and bada-bing!

[akstrohm]

Can you block off part of a hallway or let them run around your room? Make sure there are no electric cords or tight spaces for them to get into first. As long as you cover the floor, this will be fine for them.

The cheapest way to make a C&C cage is often to get a shower curtain or liner to use for the bottom. You can often find grids at garage sales, on Craigslist, and on Ebay. If you can't find them right away, be creative and look around the house for something else to use. Just make sure it has some airflow and is safe for your pigs.

If you get an allowance or have a job, start saving money to build a decent cage. Also, if you can't afford a cage that only costs $20-30, how are you going to afford medical bills if one of your pigs gets sick or injured? I would start an emergency medical fund for your pigs... even putting in $5 a week or so will help. If you don't get an allowance and are not old enough to get a job (don't post your age) and your stepmom is not willing to help you out financially with the pigs, the best thing for them may be to consider finding them a new home. They do need a large space and proper care, and sometimes even with the best intentions and a lot of work, not everyone is able to provide those things.

[kaaayemm7]

I let them run around my room for about a half hour when I feed them their veggies. I'm very limited to space. How big does it have to be? How do I take out the coroplast and clean it? My dad hoses down the cage and cleans it and the grids would break if I tried to carry them downstairs.

[akstrohm]

If possible, let them run around your room more often. Could you let them run around it while you are sleeping? Or all the time? Or for a few hours a day? You'll have to be really careful about covering the carpet, but this will give the pigs a lot more space.

The cage should be as big as you can make it. Have you seen the instructions for making the cages? The link is here: How to Make a C&C Cage I would suggest at least a 2 grid x 4 grid cage (10.5 square feet), although more is definitely better, especially if your pigs are already not getting along. I realize you're working within the constraints of your room, so be creative with shapes. It can be an L shape or a square instead of a rectangle if that fits better. Just try to keep it at least 2 grids wide.

You don't have to take out the coroplast to clean it. You will quickly find bigger cages do not get nearly as dirty as quickly. You'll have to clean it less often and it won't smell. To clean it, take out the old bedding (or fleece, which would be cheaper). Then spray 50% vinegar on the cage. If there are any white spots, let it soak there for a bit. Then take a paper towel and rub the vinegar off. It should be perfectly clean that way and not smell at all. When it dries, refill it with new bedding or clean fleece.

I hope that helps. Good luck convincing your dad and stepmom! Maybe you could ask your dad if he would help you build the cage. It might be a fun project for the two of you. If you have any other questions, let me know.

[kaaayemm7]

So wait I spray it down with 50% vinegar , but whats the other 50% ? I remove the bedding with like a dustpan or something right? Does fleece really work? When i used it, it smelled in like two days. Maybe it was because of the small cage. I don't know.

[gooberific]

Originally Posted by kaaayemm7

So wait I spray it down with 50% vinegar , but whats the other 50% ? I remove the bedding with like a dustpan or something right? Does fleece really work? When i used it, it smelled in like two days. Maybe it was because of the small cage. I don't know.

Spray bottle with 50% vinegar and 50% water.

I would use a dust pan for the bedding removal for shavings/carefresh. Or whatever type of "scoop" you can come up with. A washed out milk jug could be cut so it forms a scoop with a handle. (Or for easier washing you could cut it first, then wash it... )

Fleece really works as long as it's prepared right (wash/dry cycle 3-4 times with no fabric softener -- I use vinegar in the wash and it ends up even better than using Tide or All). And you have to use something absorbent underneath... I don't put newspaper down at all anymore because it gets stinky quicker. If they are boys, they are notoriously stinky the first day or two of new fleece because they're busy marking stuff. And yes, a small cage will smell faster than a large one because the "waste" builds up faster rather than being more spread out.

[PiggieMom]

The other 50% is just water to dilute the strength of the vinegar. Yes, a dustpan is good at removing shavings. Read up on how to use fleece on The Fleece Project thread. It most likely smelled because of the small cage, smaller cages will smell quicker no matter what bedding you use.

Edit: Goob is much faster than I am.

[gooberific]

Originally Posted by PiggieMom

Edit: Goob is much faster than I am.

I love being called Goob, and then that face just really goes with it, don't you think?

Okay, enough off-topic.

[Rnd210]

The Cleaning solution is 50% Vinegar and 50% water and The fleece would stink rather quickly in a small cage however in a bigger cage it does not stink much even on cleaning day if used correctly.

[gooberific]

Oh, I forgot to mention. I use fleece in my Super Pet cage (which I use for traveling, to the vet, or as a temporary place for an injured guy), but I have to change it every day or two because the mess is that concentrated. Mogwai used it as his quarantine cage when he was new, and that was a lot of washing in three weeks... (and my son likes to get into it, too, especially when it has fleece in it. If there's a piggy in it, it has a clasp he can't undo [yet]. He's 3 and frankly, I was surprised he fit through the door... I swear, the things that boy does when I go to the bathroom and take my eyes off him... But that's just another thing about pet store cage dangers we can all add to the list...)