About Me Excited! - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**SLS5173** · #1 10-13-09, 07:29 pm

Hey everyone! My fiancee and I are in the process of adopting 2 male guinea pigs. We are building a 2x4 cage with a 1x2 loft. We would really like any advice you have to share. I would really like to know if you think the cage is big enough for 2 they will only be in it when we're at work. They will have free range of our living room when were home with plenty of toys. If you don't think this is enough please let me know.

**akstrohm** · #2 10-13-09, 09:41 pm

Welcome!

A 2x4 should be okay especially since they are getting plenty of floor time. If you have trouble with them getting along, you might want to expand to a 2x5. It's important to have at least 2, preferably 3 hideys. Hideys with multiple entrances/exits work best (cardboard boxes with holes cut out or small towels clipped to the corners of the cage work fine). It can also help to have multiples of anything they fight over--food dishes, hay racks, water, etc. Pigs don't play with toys very much, but they love new places to hide in and run through.

Definitely read over the diet and nutrition stickies (especially nutrition charts and sample menus) if you haven't already. Also, you might want to look into fleece as a bedding option if you haven't heard of it (read the fleece project sticky in the bedding section). Don't forget to clip your pigs' nails and weigh them weekly. And congratulations on adopting!

**blackarrow** · #3 10-13-09, 09:45 pm

Yup, should be a nice size for them!

Congratulations on the upcoming adoption, and thanks for choosing adoption!

I second all of akstrohm's suggestions, especially with regard to the unbeatable nutrition info here, and with checking out fleece, which has made life SO much nicer and neater for me and for our pair of boars.

Welcome!

**Tessa Bea** · #4 10-13-09, 10:02 pm

That's so exciting! I hope the loft works better for you than it did for me, my pigs never used it so I just got rid of it... They'd been in a one level 2x5 for a long time at the rescue, so I figured I may as well just stick with what works.

I also agree that fleece is the way to go- I've housed pigs in all types of bedding and nothing beats fleece in my book so far!

**SLS5173** · #5 10-13-09, 11:25 pm

I have 2 dishes, one for each of them and I have a separate dish for veggies I have made 2 snuggle sacks and a tunnel made out of an extra grid that is covered in fleece. I've bought enough fleece to make to 2 sets of floor covers that I plan on changing once a week. I'm not a big fan of the coroplast because it's hard to find so my finace is building a base out of wood. The only grids we could find are the ones at target that have some that are to big so were using wood as a barrier. I know that air flow is a big deal so there is going to be a space between the grids and the wood and also we are using peg board which has holes so there will be air flow.

**SLS5173** · #6 10-15-09, 01:57 pm

I am in the process of looking for more treats and toys for my little piggies and I came across these

GuineaPigSupply.com. Super Pet Crispy Crops, Carrot, 3 pc

I was just wondering if anyone had any idea if they are good for piggies or if i should steer clear of them .

**Ly&Pigs** · #7 10-16-09, 10:15 pm

No store bought treats. They are not healthy. Fresh veggies and occasional fruits only. They are better stayed away from.

**akstrohm** · #8 10-16-09, 10:56 pm

I wouldn't use the wood. It gets wet easily and can harbor bacteria and mold.

Coroplast is definitely worth spending some extra time to find it, but if you really don't want to use it, then I would use a shower curtain or something else waterproof, not wood.