Need help with a cage

[KateandOscar]

I have had my guinea pig for about 2 months now, his name is oscar, and i got him from a friend of mine who had him for 3 years but couldnt keep him any more. he came with a cage from the pet store, food, water bottle, everything i needed. I am obsessed with knowing everythong about the animal before i get it so i have the best things, but he was a surprise gift. When i went to do research about guinea pigs i saw several things that needed to be changed: He needed a companion, and he definitly needed a bigger cage because the one he was in was only 5 square feet. Im only 13, so i knew my parents probably wouldnt let me spend too much money, but when i asked, they said no they wernt getting another guinea pig because he had been fine for 3 years by himself and he was fine now, and they wernt going to spend any more money on a bigger cage. I try to reason with them about getting another one for him, because I know its really neccessary, but they wont let me. I figured, if i cant get him a friend, he could at least have a bigger cage, but they wont spend money, so now I need to find a way to create a bigger cage with little to no money that I can do on my own, because my parents probably wont help. I have an idea of making his cage in the closet, which has no doors, and is very open and wont be too cold, and i have already gone over the problems about cages in the closet, but its open and not too cold. I have fleece, which i want to use for bedding, and a litterbox type thing with bedding in it for him, which he already uses in his small cage, i just need ideas on how to make the base, which should be plastic and the walls. Any ideas would be halpful, because right now i need all the help i can get, i have no idea what to do.

[Kimberly713]

Check craigslist often for grids or guinea pig cages and such. Often people will put things they are giving away free or for a small amount. Try to do jobs for your parents and neighbors to get some extra money.
Or my personal fav, save ALL your lunch money and eat some of your friends' lunch at lunch time and keep the money for a cage and whatever else. I have been doing that since about 6th grade 15$ a week for like 6 or 7 years now

[KateandOscar]

yah thanks, i will do that, and i tried the saving all my money thing, i had enough to buy the 2x4 cage, but my mom said that it wasnt a practical use of my money and i should use it to buy clothes or something "normal teenagers" use...

[Sirene]

Hi there! Do you know about making C&C cages? They are very cheap to make (about $25) and are made of storage cubes and coroplast. (Coroplast is a plastic material you can get in big sheets from sign stores for about $10. This will make the "base" of your cage" and some side walls.) The top and sides are made from the storage cubes. Here's how to make this type cage:

How to Make a C&C Cage

Once you've made it, there are lots of ways to customize it - have a look in the gallery for ideas: Open Cages - Guinea Pig Cage Photos

Please post if you need more help!

[KateandOscar]

Yes, I have, and I was going to buy one, but my parents said no.

[cam767]

Wow. If my kids wanted to use their money to upgrade their animal homes I would be jumping on it. As it is they don't. My oldest puts his whole paycheck in his savings for a "dream car".

You can use a shower curtain liner or a tarp for a bottom. They are both relatively cheap. Shower curtain liner is only about $2 and tarp depending on the size is about $10. The tarp is heavier in case you worry about leakage.
What size closet do you have? Is it a walk in type? How big is the door opening? I'm sure we can help you come up with something that will work.

[Sirene]

Yes, I have, and I was going to buy one, but my parents said no.

Were you going to buy one from the Cages Store on this site? It's a LOT cheaper to make your own, probably only about $25.

If this is still too much, maybe you can make a base out of something else, like a large storage tub or a box lined with shower curtain, or build an extension to your current cage. Do you have a pet store cage currently?

Also, are your parents going to be OK with you putting fleece bedding in the washer?

[KateandOscar]

I do have a pet store cage, which is 4 square feet. I have found a very cheap 2x3 cage on ebay for only 36 dollars, and I am trying to slowly convince my parents to let me buy it. I think it may work, because they didnt really object as much last time I asked, and my dad even did the math for me so I could show my mom how much bigger it would be for the guinea pig.

[Kimberly713]

Just give them the facts, and don't nag. Show them pictures and facts and ease them into it. My parents were difficult to ease into pretty much everything since I got my pigs. It was a bit easier for me since I am a few years older than you and have a small income of my own, but it is still their home.

If you get a 2x3 cage you can even buy some zip ties from walmart or somewhere and make his old pet store cage a kitchen or something

Good Luck to you and Oscar

[idramaxx0]

What other pets do you have? Try to express the need for a larger cage in terms of any other pets that you have. Keeping a guinea pig in a store bought cage is like keeping your dog locked in your bedroom 24/7. They get little to no exercise and if they need to do their business they are basically forced to sit in it all day until it is convenient for you to clean them up or take them out. You can create a make-shift cage for very cheap. People have already suggested shower curtain liners and large storage bins. If your father is anything like mine was when I was your age try to play the "it'd be a daddy-daughter project" card. My dad is a sucker for anything that meant spending time with me. Good luck!

[KateandOscar]

What other pets do you have? Try to express the need for a larger cage in terms of any other pets that you have. Keeping a guinea pig in a store bought cage is like keeping your dog locked in your bedroom 24/7. They get little to no exercise and if they need to do their business they are basically forced to sit in it all day until it is convenient for you to clean them up or take them out.

Haha, thats funny because I have a lot of pets, and that kind of adds to the reasons why they dont want another pig, because I have 2 ddogs, a cat, and a hamster. I said the exact same thing to them, I told them that keeping him in his small cage was like locking the dog in the crate all day. I try to slowly remind them about it, and not get into too many arguments, because that never works.

[maines pigs]

i had the same problems that you had but i just had to educate my mom about guinea pigs and let her see the reasoning why i wanted a bigger cage so bad.At first my mom thought i was spoiling my boys intell i explained to my mom bigger cage/c&c cage equal happy guinea pigs,less cleaning and a cheaper and better alternative to a stinky,crappy pet store cage. but to answer you qestion i would say maybe a plastic kiddie pool or plywood i hoped this helped

[TwilightStar]

Haha, thats funny because I have a lot of pets, and that kind of adds to the reasons why they dont want another pig, because I have 2 ddogs, a cat, and a hamster. I said the exact same thing to them, I told them that keeping him in his small cage was like locking the dog in the crate all day. I try to slowly remind them about it, and not get into too many arguments, because that never works.

Don't take this the wrong way,okay. But it seems like your parents do not really want you to have the guinea pig. A guinea pig truly NEEDS a friend and a large cage. What kind of diet does he have?
Perhaps you should think about rehoming him to someone who's looking for a companion for their guinea pig. I know, it's hard, but when you have a job, you can adopt your own pair. Just think about it and don't be offended.

[KateandOscar]

Dont worry, I dont take it the wrong way at all. My parents actually are fine with me having one, because they gave it to me. Yes, it was a gift, but I didnt know about the whole "Dont give guinea pigs as gifts" thing untill I started to research them. The problem is he has to stay in by bedroom for lack of space, so having a larger cage isnt really convenient for my room. I am thinking about getting the cage once my parents let me, which they most likely will, then using my money to buy more grids to make a stand for it. Im also going to attatch my old cage too the C&C as a kitchen so I can put food and hay in it with his water bottle, and that will bring the sixe to about 12 square feet, so if another pig is added, there will be pleanty of room. I have considered giving him up, but I cant really let him go and also getting the cage I think will probably happen with some hard work and some informing my parents on the needs of a guinea pig, and how much happier it will be.

[TwilightStar]

Dont worry, I dont take it the wrong way at all. My parents actually are fine with me having one, because they gave it to me. Yes, it was a gift, but I didnt know about the whole "Dont give guinea pigs as gifts" thing untill I started to research them. The problem is he has to stay in by bedroom for lack of space, so having a larger cage isnt really convenient for my room. I am thinking about getting the cage once my parents let me, which they most likely will, then using my money to buy more grids to make a stand for it. Im also going to attatch my old cage too the C&C as a kitchen so I can put food and hay in it with his water bottle, and that will bring the sixe to about 12 square feet, so if another pig is added, there will be pleanty of room. I have considered giving him up, but I cant really let him go and also getting the cage I think will probably happen with some hard work and some informing my parents on the needs of a guinea pig, and how much happier it will be.

Does your parents cover food/vet bills?

[Kimberly713]

Don't take this the wrong way,okay. But it seems like your parents do not really want you to have the guinea pig. A guinea pig truly NEEDS a friend and a large cage. What kind of diet does he have?
Perhaps you should think about rehoming him to someone who's looking for a companion for their guinea pig. I know, it's hard, but when you have a job, you can adopt your own pair. Just think about it and don't be offended.

Rehoming is almost never the best answer. She is giving it her all to give this pig the best possible life she can. I give her props for that, it's not an overnight process to get your parents to understand all these things this little guinea pig actually needs to live happily and healthily, I understand this from experience . Give her a chance is all I'm saying...

If Oscar has lived 3 years by himself an introduction to another pig could take ALOT of time and patience, so I would wait on that until you have the new cage and are settled for awhile, so your parents don't have to deal with too much at one time.

[TwilightStar]

Rehoming is almost never the best answer. She is giving it her all to give this pig the best possible life she can. I give her props for that, it's not an overnight process to get your parents to understand all these things this little guinea pig actually needs to live happily and healthily, I understand this from experience . Give her a chance is all I'm saying...

If Oscar has lived 3 years by himself an introduction to another pig could take ALOT of time and patience, so I would wait on that until you have the new cage and are settled for awhile, so your parents don't have to deal with too much at one time.

How isn't? If you have to make a struggle to make it work, maybe it's time to consider if you're the best home. You can try all you want, but if there's an emergency, who's going to pay the Vet bills? Can you have the pig suffer from sub standard care hoping that your parents will one day cave in?
Sometimes "your best" isn't the best your animal needs.

[KateandOscar]

Actually, my parents cover everything except toys and of course the bigger cage. They buy the food, shavings, the vet, almost everything, and they will definitly take him to the vet if there is an emergency and I wouldnt need to pay for it myself. Most days that I have free time he gets a lot of floor time, at least an hour but a lot of times more, and because of the weather, I have neen home all but 2 days this week and he was out a lot and got to play. I take very good care of him with the cage he is in now, and his home with me now is better than his previous home with my friend. My friend had him for three years and didnt bother to really learn about guinea pigs, so they didnt even think of getting him a companion or a bigger cage, and he never got any floor time, he was stuck in his cage all day, and my friend didnt clean the cage that often. He has a great home with me besides the cage, all of my family brings him veggies and treats all the time.

[idramaxx0]

It sounds like Kate has not had Oscar for too long, I don't think jumping to rehoming right away would be a good idea. Right now at least he is in a place where someone wants to do the absolute best for him, whether its possible or not. If she rehomes you never know if the next family is going to give that animal just as much love and care, even if you give them all the resources and they yes you to death, some people are just lazy and think "it's only a guinea pig".
In the meantime Kate, do you think there is anyway you could purchase one of these:
Super Pet » CritterTrail Playpen with Mat
or something similar and attach it to the cage? This way when you are in your room you can let him have a little extra room to run around. I wouldn't leave him in there unattended though, my guinea pig once climbed out of it while my back was turned.

[Kimberly713]

How isn't? If you have to make a struggle to make it work, maybe it's time to consider if you're the best home. You can try all you want, but if there's an emergency, who's going to pay the Vet bills? Can you have the pig suffer from sub standard care hoping that your parents will one day cave in?
Sometimes "your best" isn't the best your animal needs.

Yes, but you are jumping the gun here, she never said anything about her financial situation... Until after the post, it's not like she can't afford the guinea pig she is just trying to convince her parents the new "right way" to care for her pet. Just relax and give some solid advice for her to work with. It's only been maybe a week or so, not like she has had him herself for 3 yrs and is now deciding she should do something.

I also think a playpen is a good idea, or just block off an area to give him some exercise everyday, at least for now