I'm having a hard time making a safe sturdy ramp for my 2 level cage. Any ideas?

[maxyluver43]

I tried to make a ramp with 2 grid squares connected with cable ties with a peice of coroplast with foot-holds on it. Then I put a peice of fleece on that but my guinea pig slides down it. Should I make a wooden ramp or try a different covering? Any suggestions?

[maxyluver43]

Please post ideas!

[Raisintosser]

My boyfriend made me my ramp:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos...o/7541/cat/506

Its a long skinny piece of pine with 2 pine sided glued and tacked down with small nails. The small landing in the middle has a small piece of wood nailed into it like a leg. To attach it to the top level he drilled 2 holes at the end of the wood and we used zip ties to secure it to the top level. The 3 piece of wood are held together with door hinges screwed in underneath so it can bend. Then we covered it with carpet. I didn't glue the carpet down so I can take it off and clean it. It just fits snuggly so it doesn't move at all. I made the carpet long enough so that if there were any tiny gaps between the levels the carpet would cover it and the piggies would not get injured but getting a foot or toe caught in the gaps.

Home depot has wood for cheap in their section of odds and ends near the wood cutter. And they can cut it for you if you like. I think my ramp cost about 15 dollars for the wood and hinges. I had to buy wood in the regular section because they didn't have much in there odds and ends section at the time. I think the main wooden plank was about 6 dollars (canadian) and then another 5 dollars for the 2 sides.

[pignewton]

Try a piece of towel - its easier for them to grip onto.

[TX_2_Pigs]

Here is my latest ramp.

I took those dollar store baskets that you get for 3 for a dollar, cut the ends off and overlapped them. I zip-tied the "rails" at the top and put tape along the seams on the bottom (on both side of the plastic). I covered a piece of coroplast with the brown fleece and made my "steps" by cutting smaller pieces of coroplast and covering them with brown fleece also and wrapping them around the first piece and taping them. Laid the platform on the baskets and zip-tied the whole thing to the bottom grid of the loft. As you can see, it is pretty sturdy.

The one thing I should probably note is that my loft is not at full grid height. If you are putting your second level at full grid height, you may need one more basket to keep it from being too steep. You don't really need the brick under the end of it, but it does give them something to scrape their toenails across as they walk on it. I think it has really helped keep the number of toenail clippings down to a minimum, since I hate to do that anyway.

This is my old ramp. It has a landing and is zip-tied to the grids. The treads were made the same way I described above. This one is just made of coroplast covered with fleece. I did tape a paint stir stick under it for added strength but it didn't really need it.
http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos...00/ppuser/6189
http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos...00/ppuser/6189

Hope this helps. Can we see pictures when you are done?

[Terekins]

Originally Posted by TX_2_Pigs

Here is my latest ramp.

I took those dollar store baskets that you get for 3 for a dollar, cut the ends off and overlapped them. I zip-tied the "rails" at the top and put tape along the seams on the bottom (on both side of the plastic). I covered a piece of coroplast with the brown fleece and made my "steps" by cutting smaller pieces of coroplast and covering them with brown fleece also and wrapping them around the first piece and taping them. Laid the platform on the baskets and zip-tied the whole thing to the bottom grid of the loft. As you can see, it is pretty sturdy.

The one thing I should probably note is that my loft is not at full grid height. If you are putting your second level at full grid height, you may need one more basket to keep it from being too steep. You don't really need the brick under the end of it, but it does give them something to scrape their toenails across as they walk on it. I think it has really helped keep the number of toenail clippings down to a minimum, since I hate to do that anyway.

This is my old ramp. It has a landing and is zip-tied to the grids. The treads were made the same way I described above. This one is just made of coroplast covered with fleece. I did tape a paint stir stick under it for added strength but it didn't really need it.
http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos...00/ppuser/6189
http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos...00/ppuser/6189

Hope this helps. Can we see pictures when you are done?

I was just looking for ramp ideas last night and came across this. I'm off to the dollar store today to get some baskets! What a great idea, since the rails are already in place. I currently have a tube on the outside of my two level cage, in place of a ramp; It worked well until the babies came along. They are afraid to go upstairs via the tube, and so everyone stays downtairs. I thought a ramp would be easier for them to use, and then they can enjoy the other half of their cage. Thanks!

[gpigluver14]

I used rubber shelving as a non-slip mat on my ramps. I got it at the dollar store, and if you use binder clips it doesn't get ruffled by the pigs or anything.

[Slave to the Rose]

I made a ramp out of straight coroplast. I then ran a length on non-stick rubber (like what you use to line the inside of kitchen drawers) along the middle. To hold it in place I ran to strips of black duct tape (to match the black coroplast) and it works wonders. Also you might try decreasing the angle. That helped my Rose a lot!

[Ramon]

I covered a bent-grid ramp with a particularly grooved placemat I found at Meijer's. I had to cut it in half, and I clipped it to the grids with binder clips.

[Jenni_Feathers]

I covered a 1x6(board) with a towel by wrappign the towel around it and stapleing it.

[CavyHubby]

I used a 10' piece of 1" x 10". I cut the ramp to 8", the back side to 10", and the front to 8", and mitered the ends. I used left over plastic to cover the wood, then carpeted. The piggies don't even slow down to use it. Oh, and I drilled 3 holes in the top of the ramp and zip tied it to my 2nd level support 2"x2".

[Miss-S]

I took Tx-2-Pigs advice, best thing I ever did. Here are my results:



I did the same, used 4 cheap baskets. Ziptied them together, reinforced with coroplast and then put a cheap £1 mat cut to size, over and then ziptied the whole lot to the upper level.

I origionally put in on a brick, but they soon got wise and started hopping over it. So I bought a stone sleeper and cut it in half (well my boyfriend did actually), then I put half in each cage in front of the brick. The nails are definately looking shorter now.

Good luck x

[pigsforlife]

The ramp in the girls cage is made out of a plank of pine. I layed the pine out and got the size I wanted, then I cut it to that size. Using the left over pine I made 1 railing (the railing is about half the width of the ramp), because the ramp is close to the side of the cage the side of the cage acts as a railing for the other side of the ramp. I then drilled a pilot hole and attached the ramp to a piece of wood I had prepared earlier using nails. For grip I used an old carpet door matt which I cut to the appropriate lengths and attached to the ramp using sticky velcro bits.

[I<3MyBabies]

I took VooDoo's idea, and made a ramp using black plastic corrugated drain pipe. I just made the ramps today and they LOVE it. Its basically a piggie tunnel with steps from the ribs in the plastic.

http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos...o/3024/cat/523

I'm not sure how to post links, so sorry if this is wrong.

But you can see the material. I just cut it to the right length, and actually I got the perferated kind, it has little slits in it, so I just used craft wire, and wired it to the top level. They love it so far! People always say it takes awhile for the piggies to catch on to the ramp idea...it took them about 3 minutes :-) I love it!

Heidi

[HowietheGreat]

That is the same type of pipe I used and after my pigs chewed it a bit, caused a large cut on my Teddy's belly and and infection insued. he was on antibiotics for over a month. Keep a close eye on the pipe to make sure they do not chew it. Once the edge becomes sharp, their low bellies can easily be cut by it.

[I<3MyBabies]

Ooo, ouch! Poor piggie! Thanks for that Howie, I'll definately keep an eye on that!