Cage Location:: lack of light but big cage vs. light but small cage?

[sabrinaxceleste]

Howdy all. I needed some input on what to do about my guinea pig cage location... you see, I moved about a year ago. I was unable to take anything with me - to the point I put my guinea pigs in a box and left.
For a few months, I stayed with friends, who provided me with a plastic tub container with large holes poked in the lid to keep them in in the hallway. So when I moved in with my boyfriend's family a few months later, his mom bought a store bought cage. No bigger, but better aired. They've been in this little thing for a year, and due to of lack of room (I share a room with my boyfriend) I've never been able to give them a big cage again.
Before I moved, they did have a grid/coroplast cage more than big enough for them.
On top of that, I haven't been able to give them much free time, because my boyfriend has a cat who wants to eat them, and our room doesn't have a door or any way to keep her out.

So onto my question.
I have two options in regards to their cage.

I've worked out that I can build them a nice bigger grid cage again, but to do that, the cage would need to be placed in a little 'nook' in our room. (I'll see if I can get a picture to show what I mean about this) However, there's not really any lightning over there. It's in between the staircase and the closet, a little square area underneath a 'desk.'
(Plus, I'd get the top of my dresser back)

Or they can stay in this tiny little store cage (that barely fits them and their pigloo and food bowl...) which sits atop my dresser, next to a window, and right beneath a lamp. A lamp that actually gets extremely hot and I wonder if that's bad for them too.

There's no where else in the room the cage can go. I just don't know which would be better. Lots of light in a small cage, or lack of light in a big cage?
I'm leaning towards the latter, but I'm still worried about light...

[HappyHopperz]

I would go with anything that is biggest for them. You can always put a small lamp or such nearby as a source of light.

[sabrinaxceleste]

I was thinking that- I just wasn't sure if a lamp would be the same thing?

I was also wondering if anyone had any thoughts on whether it would be bad for the cat's littlebox to be 'too close'? Where their cage would go is right where we keep the cat litterbox and food/water bowls, and they might have to go right underneath the cage. (The cats wouldn't be able to get in the cage, the wood above it would prevent that.) The cage wouldn't be on the floor, obviously... it'd be built up to fit under the desk, but be over a foot and a half or so above the floor.
For anyone wondering, this is the area I'm talking about. Pardon the mess; my boyfriend's currently cleaning.

[z123carleigh]

My guinea pigs currently live in a room with no windows, I just make sure to keep the light on during the day. They don't seem to mind. They do like having lap time in the sunshine in the other room though. I might be worried about the kitty litter box though. First of all there is the smell of the cat waste itself, but a lot of cat litter is scented. I read somewhere that it's actually better to get unscented litter because of cats' sensitive nose, so I imagine that guinea pigs might be the same way. It would depend on how close the cage is to the litter box, what kind of litter you use, and how often you clean it.

[KiwiCavyAdorer]

I've not considered your kind of situation before, but reading it brings to mind those gro lamps one see's adverts for, for growing indoor pot plants successfully in area's that are too dark normally for plants to grow well... I'd look into your lighting options, because you don't want heat beating down on them for sure, and you can't keep them totally in the dark or dim light all the time either... but keeping them in a toilet sized cage is not up to welfare standards either, I'll be interested to see what the others have to say....

just thought could you not give yourself head space above the dresser and fashion a raised cage above it... bracketing the space you have in the light but clearing the dresser surface...?

[sabrinaxceleste]

Hmm... interesting idea, but I'm afraid not. The vent's above the dresser, and my boyfriend's parents don't want us attaching things into the wall regardless because it's not a normal wall, but rather, wood paneling.

Urk... such a dilemna!
In regards to the litterbox, if we mvoed the cage, it'd probably have to be kept... under it, so to speak? Tucked in the corner under it. There's no place else to put the darn thing...

Edit://
Oh! I should also probably mention that I've wondered if I could build a bigger cage on my dresser before, but unfortunately, the width of my dresser is lacking; it would only fit one grid the short way, then three the long way... 1x3 doesn't really seem worth it.

[horsenkat]

Believe it or not, my guinea pig seems more active in the dark then in the light! I think you could put them in the bigger area. Plus, couldn't you put a lamp down there if you really wanted too?

[Crystalkate]

It made me feel good to hear that someone was responsible enough to keep their piggies even through hard times. Most would drop them off at a shelter, or outside. The same goes for all the other pets people own and can't take care of. It's so sad. It's one of the reason's why our shelters are over flowing.
They have a wonderful parent, and that makes up for small cage.

[suzilovespiggie]

I would opt for the bigger cage. A store bought cage is to small for one let alone any more than one. They will be much happier in a bigger cage. In my own home it is dark, I sleep during the day and need it darker. My 3 girls have never had a problem with it abit darker. When I am off I open the drapes so they can have some sun/daylight. Try to work out some play time that is in a lighter area.

[KiwiCavyAdorer]

I have been thinking about the darkness and looking at Maximus von Lichtenwalders home - he is totally covered by his top floor, and the top floor is a calzone type douvet so that is covered too...
That's why we made sure we got that secure outside playpen for him, but even in that he only goes out into "the light" if I cover the sides and top with a cotton sheet so it's all shady... if I stand with him in the sunlight paddock part he hops into the shade made by my shadow... so I think you might find that your situation may well turn out working... especially as others have posted about dim light mostly and light sometimes. I hope you go for the bigger cage
you can always scoop your kitty litter tray as a daily chore - I do for our cat... then there is no issue.