Cage Help- I need cage ideas...? about fleece, cage, everything!

dianeindy · Dec 10, 2010

Ok I am sorry for all the questions, but I am really hoping to find a solution that works for us! I am hoping to be able to upload a picture so you can get the full "picture" of what we have going on! (and don't judge me by my poopy cage lol...tomorrow is cleaning day).

So we have a big store bought cage for our two girls. At one point I had the cage on top of a tall dresser in my daughter's room, but we were having major issues with being able to catch and hold the pigs. So I thought getting them down on the ground and closer to us might help, so I put the cage on the floor. I also made a huge playpen out of grids.

Eventually I just put the playpen around the cage and now I leave the cage door open and they just kind of hop in and out of the cage as they please and run around. That part seems to work well.

So recently I tried to switch from bedding to fleece. Mainly because the pigs HAVE to be in my daughter's room (no other options) and they were making a huge mess all over the floor. I like the idea of fleece, but they will NOT leave the fleece flat on the cage floor! I have puppy pads under the fleece, and they bunch up the fleece and try to chew up the puppy pads (they have plenty of other things to chew on). It is making it impossible to scoop up poop like I need to because the poop is under folds and under and over the fleece.

I am almost debating getting rid of the cage altogether and layering the floor and just using the grid as the cage, but I don't think they would feel very safe or cozy that way.

Any ideas on keeping the fleece down or flat? And ideas otherwise? I like the idea of the C&C cages, but a) I haven't really done enough research to know how they work, and b) I have already put so much money into the current cage situation, I can't justify spending too much more!

And ideas or feedback would be great!

Silverbeat · Dec 10, 2010

Try clipping the fleece to the grids, for starters.
As far as a C&C cage being expensive, there are plenty of places you can get free coroplast. You can get them from grocery stores, "big box" stores, gas stations, state fairs, political campaign leftovers, glass shops... I'm sure other people from this site know of many more places to get cheap or free coroplast.
You already have the grids, so the most you should need to spend, if you can't find free coro, is around $20 from a sign shop or an art shop.
Also, it will be much easier to sweep, rather than scoop, the poop off the fleece.

dianeindy · Dec 10, 2010

Silverbeat said:
Try clipping the fleece to the grids, for starters.
As far as a C&C cage being expensive, there are plenty of places you can get free coroplast. You can get them from grocery stores, "big box" stores, gas stations, state fairs, political campaign leftovers, glass shops... I'm sure other people from this site know of many more places to get cheap or free coroplast.
You already have the grids, so the most you should need to spend, if you can't find free coro, is around $20 from a sign shop or an art shop.
Also, it will be much easier to sweep, rather than scoop, the poop off the fleece.

Well that is what I can't figure out- they don't really mess with the fleece on the floor....it's the fleece in the cage. And since the plastic base is about 6 inches deep, there is nothing to clip it to. I tried cutting it exactly to the size of the bottom of the cage, but they just burrow it more

Peggysu · Dec 10, 2010

This is sad to look at. That cage situation is just unacceptable and way to small. Poor thing can't even do zoomies if it wanted.

Also fleece in a very small cage like that is disgusting and unsanitary. It will stink pretty quick too.

I think when you joined this site you could have looked at how to make a C&C as they are cheap and simple to make yourself. Some members have even found recycled materials that virtually cost nothing.

For this current set up I have no suggestions other then assembling some kind of cage that meets the minnimum requirements.

lissie · Dec 10, 2010

Do you have space to make the playpen bigger? You can keep the cage as their feeding area and use plastic shower curtain/tarp/vinyl floor/anything waterproof to line the floor then add towels and fleece on top.

You can also remove the grids of the cage and use the base for the feeding/kitchen area. Like this:

Silverbeat · Dec 10, 2010

dianeindy said:
Well that is what I can't figure out- they don't really mess with the fleece on the floor....it's the fleece in the cage. And since the plastic base is about 6 inches deep, there is nothing to clip it to. I tried cutting it exactly to the size of the bottom of the cage, but they just burrow it more

I do agree with Peggysu, leaving them in their current setup is NOT ideal. They need a bigger slice of uninterrupted running space.

It's best to tuck your fleece underneath the towels or pads you are using.

dianeindy · Dec 11, 2010

lissie said:
Do you have space to make the playpen bigger? You can keep the cage as their feeding area and use plastic shower curtain/tarp/vinyl floor/anything waterproof to line the floor then add towels and fleece on top.

You can also remove the grids of the cage and use the base for the feeding/kitchen area. Like this:

Thank you! Your bottom picture is actually exactly what I was looking for and probably what my daughter and I will make our project of the day. ALSO.....thank you for your polite NON-RUDE response and for not making me feel disgusting, unsanitary, and downright ignorant for not knowing the ins and outs of the guinea pig world, which is still relatively new to us. I actually had a smaller cage originally started, but went back and got a 3 1/2 foot cage thinking that would be big enough. I didn't find this site until later......

Anyway, thanks. This is very helpful!

Peggysu · Dec 11, 2010

I figured since you have been a member here for at least four months that maybe you might have some clue.

I wasn't trying to be rude, I was just being very straight forward.

I get tired of reading about people not having enough space to make an adequately sized cage, etc.

Once you make the cage bigger it will be so much easier to maintain. Good luck and I look forward to seeing pictures of the new design.

umjess · Dec 14, 2010

Peggysu said:
Also fleece in a very small cage like that is disgusting and unsanitary. It will stink pretty quick too.

Oh my goodness, my mom said my fleece smelled & I'm not going to lie my poor guinea pig's cage is small (for the moment, I will most likely get her a bigger cage for christmas lol ) & this will help me presuade her o let me go to fleece again( she said it smelled too much before :sorry:

anwaflynurse · Dec 15, 2010

In your pic you have the cage door open and laying flat for the piggers to use as a ramp to get in and out of the cage. I just want to make sure you are using something wrapped around it. It is so easy for the little guys to have their paws slip thru the grid, then they panic and can easily break a little leg. It happened to my guy and luckily he didn't break his leg, but he was limping for a couple of days. I would wrap a piece of fleece around it and secure it with zip ties under the ramp. (I found that zip ties are my new best friend since I made my cage. You can even get the reusable velcro zip ties!)
Good Luck with the new cage design. Once you start, it gets addicting.

Thisisaline · Dec 15, 2010

dianeindy said:
I am almost debating getting rid of the cage altogether and layering the floor and just using the grid as the cage, but I don't think they would feel very safe or cozy that way.

I think you kind of answered your own question right there. You've virtually got a C&C cage minus the coroplast with a store bought cage inside apparently serving no real purpose since you don't really seem to be using it as a kitchen or litter box. With regards to how they feel, I guess it is up to you to provide them with the necessary hideys and accessories to make them feel safe and cozy, and it is up to them to get used to living without the store bought cage. Anyway I would guess the pigs would rather the pigloo be on the floor than in the unusual spot it is now.

You might want to get more grids to make it closed top to make the pigs feel safer. On a side note, you should probably cut away the excess of the cable ties you've got holding the grids together.

gpig4 · Dec 16, 2010

If you can't find coroplast i would use a laminated table cloth (plastic?) as a base under the fleece because urine can seep through and ruin your carpet.

tiffers · Dec 16, 2010

gpig4 said:
If you can't find coroplast i would use a laminated table cloth (plastic?) as a base under the fleece because urine can seep through and ruin your carpet.

I use puppy pads. Two layers of XL puppy pads underneath my fleece. The fleece and puppy pads are changed out every Saturday. I also use a pet odor/stain remover in the 'bathroom' corners, even though I never see anything and the carpet is always dry under the puppy pads.

Lauren326 · Dec 16, 2010

I don't use coroplast for my cages, instead I use a shower liner (folded in half so it is 2 layers) they are $2.50 at Walmart & then I use a u-haul blanket (2 layers) & 1 layer of fleece.

umjess · Dec 16, 2010

anwaflynurse said:
In your pic you have the cage door open and laying flat for the piggers to use as a ramp to get in and out of the cage. I just want to make sure you are using something wrapped around it. It is so easy for the little guys to have their paws slip thru the grid, then they panic and can easily break a little leg.

Thanks for the concern, but her small cage door is only opened up for this picture & that door is rarely ever opened.

Peggysu · Dec 16, 2010

umjess said:
Thanks for the concern, but her small cage door is only opened up for this picture & that door is rarely ever opened.

What picture are you talking about? It doesn't look like you've posted a picture.

And unfortuately it's a legit concern for guinea pig to be walking on open uneven surfaces as it is very easy for them to injure themselves.

Also small cages are nasty and get very dirty fast. It's like common sense.

umjess · Dec 16, 2010

Wow, I am blonde. I'm sorry I thought that comment was about my avatar thingy and I feel dumb and todays just not my stinking day . Sorry

Deb's4Pigs · Dec 17, 2010

When I got my first two girls about 8 years ago I got what I thought was a good sized caged. Then about a year later I got a bigger store cage. Then a couple years later I got a bigger store cage. You can guess where this is going. I didn't have a computer yet so I just kept buying from the pet store until I finally did get a computer. Then I found this site and got two girls from the shelter and made a bigger cage from C & C. Guess what? Still wasn't big enough so I went even bigger until it takes up the whole hallway. Every one thinks I am crazy ( which I am) lol and that I have 8 very spoiled pigs.

daltonpearson · Dec 21, 2010

i would suggest putting velcro on bottom with the hook facing up so that attaches to the fleece and won't come up when the pigs run on it or pull at it

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Cage Help- I need cage ideas...? about fleece, cage, everything!

dianeindy

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