Improvement on Pet-store cages?

[DearDiary]

Hey guys. I decided I should put this post here just in case there should be an argument.

I was browsing on Petsmart.com, and I saw something great. SuperPet brand has a cage called My Deluxe Home, Giant. It is the biggest pet store cage I have ever seen(my local mom-and-pop store had 2 in stock, so I could see some set up). The Measurements are 46" by 24". It also has a little ledge with a ramp.

I think this is a big improvement! At least there is SOME pet store cage that is big enough for 2 pigs! Way better than the 17" by 30" cages typically bought.

Although I don't think people should buy cages from the pet store, maybe someone will browse on the website(it is online only), and buy it because it is the biggest cage! Well, one could only hope.

Linking to products on Petsmart's page typically doesn't work, so if you want to go see it, it is a Super Pet cage, and it is called My Deluxe Home, Giant.

[Ly&Pigs]

The measurements of that cage are more than likely the outer dimensions and not the inner usable dimensions. And the little ledge with the ramp, well the ledge is dangerous as the pig could fall off and injure itself.

We do not condone petstore cages that do not meet the minimum recommended size for the amount of pigs that will reside in it. This cage does not meet the minimum size of a 2x3 C&C.

The purpose of this site is to educate people that guinea pigs need much more room than petstore cages can provide. We do not by any means encourage anyone on this forum (member or guest) to run out and buy a petstore cage. It's cheaper to build a C&C than to buy any sized petstore cage that would be large enough to house 2 or more guinea pigs. Hopefully anyone browsing on this website, will purchase the materials to build a C&C or C&C alternative and not buy a petstore cage.

And as a side not and this is not directed at you personally, but honestly, I'm about tired of the whole "this petstore has made this improvement" or "that petstore takes good care of their pets" arguments. After 3 years on this forum, I've heard about every argument there is and in the end petstores are still selling live sentient beings, still selling items that are dangerous, junky foods and treats and are still buying animals from backyard breeders and mills. I don't want to hear the same things anymore, I would rather hear stories of petstores that are stopping the sales of animals any day.

[Char-x]

My two girls are in the deluxe at the moment, the dimensions are the inner dimensions, but I'm not looking for this to be a permenant forever home for them, so I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone, unless they utmost refuse to do C&C cages. It needs that big yellow thing taken out of it too, in mine I fit two large hidey houses...a couple of toys a large stack of hay and food bowel..but it isn't the most spacious so they have to wait to get anymore toys till their C&C is done.

Before anyone jumps on me by the way, this C&C cage is costing me about £500 and since I'm XX and paying for a diabetic pigs vet bills it's a tad tough getting all that money. All of my bday & xmas money is going towards it so don't think I'm not tyring my best.

[daftscotslass]

Why on earth is a C&C costing you £500 when you can get the cubes from Wickes (I assume you're in the UK from the £ sign) for around £20 and the correx online (CPS supplies on ebay) for about the same? This would give you enough to make a 2x7, not that you even need it to be that big.

If it's the Ferplast "Deluxe" cage (irony, anyone?) then it is not big enough for two guinea pigs.

[Char-x]

Originally Posted by daftscotslass

Why on earth is a C&C costing you £500 when you can get the cubes from Wickes (I assume you're in the UK from the £ sign) for around £20 and the correx online (CPS supplies on ebay) for about the same? This would give you enough to make a 2x7, not that you even need it to be that big.

If it's the Ferplast "Deluxe" cage (irony, anyone?) then it is not big enough for two guinea pigs.

£22 from Robert May - need five packs to make my cage and have a few extra

I need to buy correx for a 7x4 plus 7x1 and 1x1 levels. I also need correx for my males cage 3x4 with 2x2 section on floor and 3x1 second level floor. This is probably the most expensive part since getting it here is going to cost because of weight etc.

Then I need to get fleece/towels.

That is the rough estimate I got when I looked through it all...

[Ly&Pigs]

Why not start with basic C&C cages and not go for the largest, fanciest ones until you can get the money to buy extra grids and coro, then add on to them. It would be cheaper for now to do basic without upper levels or what have you.

It absolutely shouldn't cost £500 to build a cage. That would be US $991.65. Better be made of solid 24k gold at that price. I've not heard of anyone spending quite that much on grids (even 5 packs) and coroplast to make a cage.

Oh and it's the Super Pet Deluxe Giant cage at PetNotSoSmart. I went and looked up the page. The site quoted the dimensions at 46.5" L x 24" W x 24" H. Sorry but those are the outer dimensions not the inner dimensions. I have a SuperPet cage that I use as a quarantine/hospital/travel cage and although it's a smaller version than the one being discussed here, it has a good 1" lip around it where the top snaps onto it. I'm sure that this cage is the same way. Time you take off a good 2" or more that puts the inner part of the inner usable tray to about 22" W.

I would also have to say that anyone who would refuse to build a C&C for thier pigs are doing a big disservice to them.

[Char-x]

I could do that but if I made a smaller cage and got the correx to fit that wouldn't that go to waste when I need a larger peice for the rest of the cage? Also postage would cost more with Robert May. I need to get a quote from somewhere with correx, about their largest sheets really, then atleast I can get a definate price...roll on Christmas money!

[chexxy]

My question is...why buy that for $90? I ordered a C&C cage online, a 2 by 4 with a 1 by 2 loft that I am actually going to make a 2x5 with. And with shipping it cost me $90. Really....

[blairie]

Chexxy, good point.

It only cost $90 for all the supplies we needed to build a two story 2x5 (and that includes zip ties, an extra blade for my husband's saw, and $22 of shelving to make the cage top cat-proof).

[Rachy1412]

It cost me a couple hundred to build my cages. That's about 6 or 8 packs of Cubes and god knows how many sheets of Correx I have used! Thats to build a three story 3x3 and a four story 2x6. Lots more expensive than a pet store cage but so much bigger and better value for money!

I looked in Wicks today for those cubes, they are £24.99 for four cubes, their mesh.. no use to me unfortunately.

[ferndalezoo]

My C&C is two story, with the bottom level being 3x4, We used 2 packs of grids, and if you count the shower curtain we used to line it (can't find coroplast locally) and the zillion and nine cable ties we used (I could NOT get the connectors to work!) it still cost us less than $50 to build.

[gpigluver14]

My cage has four levels and is probably made up of a couple grids less than two boxes, but I've bought a total of three. Counting fleece, towels, hidys, and all other accessories in my cage, the total would still probably be under $100!

[Percy's Mom]

Originally Posted by ferndalezoo

the zillion and nine cable ties we used .

I think this is actually the technical number of cable ties needed to securely build a cage. Just kidding.

[ferndalezoo]

I think this is actually the technical number of cable ties needed to securely build a cage. Just kidding.

Hehe. I think it was at least that many. :-) Can't wait 'til I build my cube cage for my ferrets-- They're tricky things, so I'm sure I'll use 2 zillion and 6. At least. :-)

[Char-x]

For those who live in the USA, its definatly easy and cheap to build large cages for next to nothing but to be honest if you live in the UK and you want a large C&C cage the supplies can be differcult to get in bulk and definatly expensive. But it's so much better than a Petstore cage so like I said I think it's good they have made their cages bigger but I would still advise people getting C&C cages.

[pigsforlife]

My cage currently is slightly bigger than a 2.5x4.5. I purchased the largest 3mm sheet of corflute, chopped in thirds for $15. Cable ties were another $5, duck tape about the same. The grids were slightly more expensive as I had to order them online, I ended up buying 3 packs of 16 grids for $74.85, add another $30 for shipping. I sold 14 to a friend so that she could make a play pen for $30. So all up it cost me $99.85. Their other cage, which was smaller, cost twice as much and required twice as a much work.