CC Cage Questions ????

Birdeye723 · Jun 15, 2006

Ok, I have many questions.
Just to note. I am planning on a one story cage with fleece and a separate part with bedding for going to bathroom, I do not expect all of my piggies to do this but I am hoping that most of them will. I also plan on making a stand attached to the cage out of the cubed grids (zip ties or connecters ???) with more for a space for food, hay, etc.. This will be a pretty long cage and might even be split up to 2 or 3 different cages. I am planning on using mesh grids with zip ties. If I need to make more cages on top of the first level (which means I will be making a second level), then I will replace the whole front of both levels with cubed grids because I love to see my piggies and it will give them more light.

I want to use Mesh grids, what is your experience with them? Also I am thinking about making a 2nd level with more cages on top, completely enclosed. Now if I did this, I would put cubed grids in the front of the bottom and the top cages for ventilation and I love to see my piggies running around. Also, how hard is it to attach water bottles to mesh cages?
I also wanted to use zip ties to keep everything together but I am not sure on the stability of the zip ties. For the stand I am leaning more towards connecters as well as zip ties for extra support; the only thing is if I used connecters for the stand and I use zip ties for the top then, will it be uneven and possibly not be reasonable make and still be safe? However my boyfriend has told me they are very secure, so I am at a lost. Also, do the zip ties fit through the mesh holes or will I only be able to attach zip ties to the corners?
Doors, what would be the easiest way to make them? I need it to be easy for me access them for food, attention, etc. I have heard of people using clips, what kind is recommended? I have also seen and heard of some people if they have the 2 enclosed levels, they leave the doors open, do the piggies jump out or anything like that? I might have to make a level on top and I'm a real funny person when it comes to my pigs being able to have an open enviroment where my dog can go and see them, they love my dog and he loves them, and where I can go and pet them and get them out easily and just watch them playing and having fun, would it be safe for me to leave the door open for long period of time? I am guessing that most of that depends of the pig. Also if I wanted to create a ramp from the door to the ground for run around time, what would be the easiest way to keep the cut corplast together when I'm not using the door?
For the fleece, I have read most of the forums on fleece and what to put under it. Now I have went to Wal-Mart and they had some fleece but they only had fantastic four patterns, the only solid they had was in felt, could felt work the same as Fleece? Also how does this sound, from top to bottom, fleece; crib pads(flat ones); newspaper or fleece; newspaper; crib pads?
I know this is kinda of unrelated, but I figured that it would be ok if I asked this with all of my other questions. We actually have a room now just for the piggies and currently it has carpet, we need to get new carpet, should we just get new carpet or should we get some kind of hard floor for easy clean up. Note that I do let my pigs run around alot and I would love if I could let them run around in their room for a good hour to two each day, know any good floors that are good for that?
Also litter training, what has worked best for you if you have litter trained them?
Last one, if I make the second level with the mesh grids and have the front be cubed grids, do you think they will get enough light in their cages, during the day the light is great in the room but at night, not so great. What do you think I should do about getting more light to the cages, especially the bottom one?

ok, I am finally done. I think I've just about covered it. I might add more later though, we're really getting ready to transform that whole room for the pigs. We're painting and everything and it's going fast and I still have so many more questions. :eye-poppi Thanks for all of your help and a BIG thanks for reading all of this! lol

-Annie
[email protected]

katiecavyNC · Jun 15, 2006

Don't have any experience with mesh, but will just say that I'm jealous - a whole room for the piggies??!??

Maybe I can force all 4 kids into one room together and that would free up more space for the guinea pigs... mraahahahahaa

Birdeye723 · Jun 15, 2006

haha, hey sounds good, lol. I love that we're doing it, it is actually my old room. I am moving up to the attic where it's warmer,

WEAVER · Jun 15, 2006

Ok, I personally do not have mesh grids but have heard bad stuff about them. They do in fact make the cage more dark and the ventalation is not as good. Many pigs have actually had problems with their nails getting stuck in the mesh and them having to go to the vet's office and either have them fixed or even removed. The open grids really is the best option, it allows a lot of light, you to be able to see and enjoy them easier (and them you), poops are not going to get stuck as they put their feet on the cage , etc.

Your boyfriend is absolutely right in thinking the cable ties are great and strong. Most of us use both the connecters and the cable ties to make the cage as sturdy as possible to be able to be durable for years to come.

As far as the fleece issue, you are on the right track. You just have to find a combination that works well for you and your pigs. Some people find something that works for them, others use the same one and think it smells. It truly is just trail and error. I will give you this tidbit of advice---patterns are better than solids. Solids you will see every piece of poop and your cage will look dirty all the time. Patterns make it a lot less noticable. If you can not find something you like at Walmart, try a fabric store. They have fleece on sale a lot or have coupons in the paper.

Good luck making your cage, your pigs are going to thank you for it.

jdomans · Jun 18, 2006

If you put your hay rack over the bedding/potty area you get better results. More pee in there.

Birdeye723 · Jun 18, 2006

ok, that sounds like a good idea to put the hay rack in the litter pan. Thanks everybody, I don't think I will be using Mesh Grids after all, I don't really like the idea anymore and I have smaller grids for little pigs, I've actually got a young one right now who I put in a playpen of the grids and he could almost get his entire head through.

Please keep the comments coming, I still need some help on getting everything together.

littlebear · Jun 19, 2006

Okay here goes I am going to try and reply to as many of those questions as I can!

1. I really have no experence with mesh grids, so I really cannot comment on it. But I think from experence that the normal grids are the best. I am not sure if thats true but by how my cage has held up I think that the normal ones are much better.

2. Well I use the connecter things that came with the grids and for extra strength I added in cable ties. If the cage is going to be covered up completley I think it is very important to use the zip ties at the top of the cage to make sure that it does not come falling down on the poor little piggies.

3. For Doors I just made two openings and user cable ties for hindges and clips to lock it. So when I open the doors it comes up. And from past experences when I left the doors open to get veggies from the fridge or something like that they have never jumped out. So I don't think that should be a huge problem for you.

4. No comment! I use saw dust. I have no idea how to use fleece cause my piggies will just pee all over it and it would be a bigger pain to clean up.

5. If you are going to let them run around for long periods of time ie. 2 hours I think maybe a tile or lanolium floor would be good so its easy to pick up little droplets of poop and there pee. Oyah beccause of the pee wood floor is a no no cause it will stain it.

6. Cannot help you here. When my pigs were babies I never trained them to poop in one specific spot and when I did try they would budge. But what jdomans said seemed good.

7. Open grids all the way!

Anyhow goodluck on building your cage. With all the details you gave us it seems like it will turn out great.

fourbwabbys · Jun 19, 2006

littlebear said:
4. No comment! I use saw dust. I have no idea how to use fleece cause my piggies will just pee all over it and it would be a bigger pain to clean up.

Please switch from sawdust. It's very bad for their lungs.

Birdeye723 · Jul 27, 2006

Thanks guys for all of your help, sorry I havent been on in a while. Anybody have anymore suggestions?? I'm still looking

Thanks again for all of your advice.

Oh and I just wanted to to throw in a funny thing. The room that the piggies are getting is going to be painted in this really pretty green color called "Lettuce".

Also I have decided not to get the white cubes but to get the black cubes to make it look better in there, I don't know but for some reason I have a problem in the way the white cubes look.

There are going to be a whole side of the room for my girls and then the boys are split in pairs and they're going to be spread out within 2 walls and the girls might get the last wall as well, they probably will.

Ms.Chompers · Jul 27, 2006

Yea, the black ones are nice. I used them with yellow cloroplast and thought it came out quite nicely.

Birdeye723 · Jul 28, 2006

that would be cool, reminds me of a bumble bee lol I don't know what color of coroplast, probably the dark green or something lighter but I wanted to color cordinate everything, well at least most.

Ms.Chompers · Jul 28, 2006

Birdeye723 said:
that would be cool, reminds me of a bumble bee lol

That was exactly my thought when I went witht the black cubes over the white ones.

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CC Cage Questions ????

Birdeye723

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katiecavyNC

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Birdeye723

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WEAVER

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jdomans

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Birdeye723

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littlebear

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fourbwabbys

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Birdeye723

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Ms.Chompers

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Birdeye723

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Ms.Chompers

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