Soon to be new mommy...

mmstras · #1 07-23-06, 07:54 pm

Hello... My name is Michelle and I am adopting a guinea pig from our local shelter (the shelter workers were not able to tell me if it was a boy or girl, now I have read enough that I will be able to tell). I have been doing my reasearch, but have not found much about cats, I know that they cannot obviously safely play together. I wanted to place "Patches" in my living room where I usually am, but I am afraid my cats (red tabby persian that I adopted at age 10 who is NOT declawed because of his age I just think it would be cruel and a seal point himilayan that is declawed) will terrorize the poor piggy. My friend has a siamese that sits in the same chair as her piggy and does nothing, I guess I am just looking for a little more reassurance on a few things. I am getting him/her on Tuesday. Hopefully the cage I ordered (Prevue 320 - 29L x 19D x 31H plus stand) will be big enough to have a playmate for Patches, once I figure out the sex. Any advice, would this cage be big enough for two, I have read so many different things? I have gone to see him/her he nibbled a little bit but we defintely bonded, but at the time didn't know how to sex the animal, I can't believe that the shelter workers don't know or that the people that surrendered the animal didn't even know! Does anyone have any tips on how or if you can litter train a piggy, I have read that they usually go in the same place in their cage all the time and if possible what do you use for litter?

**Texas Rustlers** · #2 07-23-06, 08:19 pm

We have 5 cats at the rescue, all of our cages are open top cube and coroplast cages. All of our cats have claws and always will.

We adopted Maud (or Evil Weavel) Jan 2005, she hates and attacks other cats but ignores the piggies, she has been caught lying on their hay.

Our 6 year old Libby we adopted Nov 2005 and doesn't care to even look at the piggies

Chicken Little a kitten that I found at work Oct 2005 washes the piggies and shares the cages that have fleece lining, but that's all

Percy Pants, a street cat from Dallas, adopted Feb 2006, likes to play in the fiddlesticks, gets in their cuddlecups and peers in their pigloos.

Our newest kitten I adopted last week and is in quarantine

If the pigs don't want them in the cage they charge the cats or chatter their teeth, none are really bothered by them and are certainly not scared.

In our 5 years of rescue, we have had 12 adopted piggies killed in their adoptive homes by dogs, 3 pigs attacked by ferrets and none even hurt by a cat.

I would of course recommend caution and do not leave them unattended until you are sure. I hope this helps

mmstras · #3 07-23-06, 08:32 pm

Anyone have any advice on litter training, whether my cage is big enough and what kind of piggy he/she is by the picture?

**Percy's Mom** · #4 07-23-06, 08:58 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmstras

(Prevue 320 - 29L x 19D x 31H plus stand)

This cage is 31"high when it's on the stand. The 29"LX19"D is only 3.8sq ft which is less than half of what we recommend for even 1 pig to live in. Look at the main page for this forum http://www.guineapigcages.com for sizes, directions, and links to help you find the materials you will need to make a very inexpensive large cage for your cavies.

That cage also has a removable grill which equals a wire bottom which equals dangerous to your guinea pigs.

**WEAVER** · #5 07-23-06, 09:11 pm

Could you call the place you ordered the cage from and get your money back?? You would be saving a bunch of money and giving your pig a much better home if you built a CC cage. Please consider it

That cage is barely going to give your pig enough room for a food bowl, haybin, and hidey house, never mind having room to run and around and play. Putting two pigs in that small cage would be out of the question, and your piggy needs a friend once you get him/her properly sexed.

**Aertyn** · #6 07-23-06, 09:14 pm

Welcome to the site.

That cage costs $70 on ebay, and is way too small.

You can make a C&C cage for $30-$40 and it will be 2-3 times that size.

mmstras · #7 07-23-06, 09:21 pm

I know my cage is already on it's way

I dont know what to do now! I can't send it back and not have anything for him/her to live in! What is the link for CC cages?

**Aertyn** · #8 07-23-06, 09:26 pm

http://www.guineapigcages.com/index.htm

It's the homepage for this forum

mmstras · #9 07-23-06, 09:30 pm

It looks like the shoe rack I have at home?! Doesn't look like there is much to them.

**Percy's Mom** · #10 07-23-06, 09:33 pm

Check the photo galleries at the top of the page. It will give you lots of ideas of how you can configure large very sturdy cages for far less than buying a pet store style cage.

mmstras · #11 07-23-06, 09:35 pm

So forgive me because I am new to this, so you don't buy these pre-made you make them yourself? I am lost?!

**Percy's Mom** · #12 07-23-06, 09:41 pm

Yes, we make the cages ourselves. You can also purchase a kit to put a basic cage together from http://www.guineapigcages.com/buycc.htm. Like I mentioned before, you can also find directions for building and links to help you find materials on the home page for the forum.

mmstras · #13 07-23-06, 09:49 pm

Thank you for all of your help. I guess I will have to see what happens as it is kinda late now to send my cage back. I may have to do with it for now and get something bigger when I can afford it.

Rather disappointing, but I should have done more research before I spent $80+ on a cage.

**Susan9608** · #14 07-23-06, 10:27 pm

Live and learn. You can always keep your store cage as an emergency, travel to the vet kind of cage.

Some people also find other uses for their old store bought cages; I think one member uses hers to stack her pigs' towels in.

You could also donate it to you local animal shelter; even if it is too small for every day/all day living, your animal shelter could use it for a travel cage or temporary, quarantine cage.

It's too bad about the money, but $80 really isn't too bad for a store bought cage.

OR - I just had a thought - if you start putting your C&C cage together tomorrow (it's not that hard) you could probably be done by tomorrow night, and then you could ship the store bought cage right back as soon as it got to you, totally unopened and totally unused.

mmstras · #15 07-23-06, 10:31 pm

I think for now I am just going to see how my cage works out because I don't trust the looks of those cages with my cats, they are VERY curious. I wouldn't be able to get the bottom part in time regardless.

**Percy's Mom** · #16 07-23-06, 10:31 pm

If you do decide to hold onto the cage for a travel/quarantine/hospital cage, please look into getting an extra piece of coroplast to cover the grid base that sits above the pull out tray.

mmstras · #17 07-23-06, 10:32 pm

It is removeable so I planned on taking it out anyways. I feel bad for the poor little piggy at the shelter he has a "screen type" bottom on his cage and that cage is TINY!

**Percy's Mom** · #18 07-23-06, 10:33 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmstras

I wouldn't be able to get the bottom part in time regardless.

You could go to a sign shop and have the coroplast to make the tray by tomorrow afternoon. Obviously, you intend to completely disregard our advice and house your possible guinea pig in a much too small ca

Thank you Texas Rustlers, for this useful post, say these 2 members:
CavySpirit (07-23-06), Sabriel (08-08-06)

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