C&C a few questions about the cages

If you look at the photo gallery HERE and HERE, you can get some good ideas for tops and cat proofing.

I don't have any experience with cats and a C&C cage, but I know my dog couldn't care less about the guinea pigs in their open-top 2x6. And he's supposed to have a pretty big prey drive (as a terrier). I doubt you'd have any issues with a closed cage.

Personally, I've never had an issue with the pigs chewing the coro. Sophia is a pretty big chewer but has never munched on the coro. I have 8" edges which are out of her biting range. This might help you with your chewer. I think most pigs won't chew the grids - which are really solid! You probaby won't have any problems.

There's a bunny area of this forum, (broken link removed). I would think if your bun is a jumper, you'd need to have at least 2 grids height to prevent it from jumping out. It shouldn't be much different than with pigs. The rabbit area of the forum is a great place for you to post your questions, if you have any further ones.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!

My piggies will chew on the grids kind of. I think they do it just to see if they are soft enough to bite, and then check on them every now and then to see if anything has changed.

My coro is not so high that my piggies can't stand on it with their front paws to come see me. This allows them to bite the coro and the grids. One of my piggies will bite the wall when she is upset about something but she doesn't eat it and this is really rare at that. However, if it became a problem I could just add a couple inches height on the sides and she wouldn't even be able to reach it to bite it.

With the cats, just find something to lock/tie the cage shut. I don't feel like the cats will so much try to get into the cage as they will try to reach into it. If they are not declawed I would try to be strategic about placing the cage so that maybe it is off of the floor and not next to anything they could sit on and bat at the piggies. Most cats get used to guinea pigs and lose interest so the big worry will be their initial interest in them. If they can jump on top of the cage make sure the cage is taller and there are lots of hiding places so the cat arms can't actually reach the piggies.

Hello and welcome.
I have a household full of creatures as well and the cubes (I used mesh cubes) work well for me, BUT the creatures are mine and have been trained by me, so I have instilled the fear of God in them should they harm the piggies. If I had it to do over, I would use closet shelving for the cage and top. It is a lot more rigid and offers more protection. Whatever you decide to do, making a bottom out of cubes or shelving will also add to the strength of the cage. The chewing may lessen with a friend or paper bags/TP tubes full of hay. Piggies should always be "rollin' in the hay". A line clip, like on the end of a dog leash, will keep the top closed. If you're worried about kitty paws in the cage, you could drape or wrap the cage with window screen until the kitties are no longer a worry. If you have an ongoing problem with the kitties, hardware cloth (welded wire) wrapped around the outside of the cage would deter their paws. Sounds like you are one busy slave. Me and mine wish you the best.

Sdpiggylvr, thanks for redirecting me. I found the rabbit section after I posted this and I will definitely be visiting there should I have any problems. I checked out the pictures too and they gave me and my husband some ideas. I am glad to see him excited about building the cages because he is actually afraid of Hermione. Hahaha, I laugh at him all the time for being a strong, brave Air Force man afraid of a little piggy. lol As far as the chewing, if 8'' sides is what you use than that's what I'll do. Anything to keep her safe since she can't seem to keep her mouth off of everything in the cage.
Maggiemae, you made me laugh at the first part, "to see if anything has changed". I think you're right. Even though she knows she can't chew through the metal sides she still tries it every now and then.
As far as keeping the cats out, I am going to take Toadies advice and use the closet shelving. That should keep any of my cats and fosters out. I found some really neat spring latches that will secure the door snug-tight so they shouldn't be able to lift the top. My two personal kitties are not declawed, but they don't have much interest in the smaller creatures of the house anymore. one cat used to occasionally bat at her through the cage until she bit him pretty hard and now he's afraid of her. Now, he uses her cage as a look out spot, until she moves and it scares him so he runs away. My cats aren't as much of a concern as my foster kitties that come and go, but I think the hard top and sturdy latches will do the trick.
Toadies, are the mesh cubes you use the wire mesh? I had saw them in a person's picture of their cage in the gallery, but that person doesn't appear to still post. Wire mesh would probably work better for me, but I am not sure where to get them. I was going to look around the stores and see if I might happen to cross them. I will definitely take your advice on the closet shelving. My husband agreed too that it will be better protection. With her chewing, she does have tp tubes and oatmeal cans and other toys, but they still haven't stopped her constant chewing on the cage. she has done it since I got her and the vet said it may be a mental thing since she was in a 1' by 1' cage all of her life before I got her. I hope getting her a buddy will let her live a more normal piggy life. And yes, I am a busy slave to all my pets and fosters. They truley are my world (along with my human family of course) :cheerful: