Hello, just got piggies today and had some questions!

you are correct, cedar is really bad for pigs. i started out with the carefresh pet better but eventually switched to just using fleece and towels, its cheaper and quicker to clean but your pigs will be just fine even though you handled them. typically you just kinda wanna let them get used to their new environment for a day or so, but interacting with them will help them bond to you also, you may want to look into getting (or making) a larger cage. C&C cages are the popular answer to guinea pig cages, but we made our own out of plywood and covered it in laminate tiles. but the grids and coroplast are pretty cheap. my pigs always love new things so i've got a whole box of stuff that i switch in and out every time i change the cage. best of luck in your new adventure with your piggies!

lizlee said:

Hi everybody! Today I just got two new female guinea pigs! In fact, I was very much hoping that some more experienced guinea pig owners could help me out with my questions, as a first-time owner.

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Welcome aboard the piggy train! You have definitely come to the right place for good information about guinea pigs and their care.

The first thing I noticed was that the cage they came in is very small (14"x25"). The second thing I noticed was that their bedding was cedar chips, which I read are very bad for guinea pigs. So I immediately went and bought them proper bedding and a couple of new toys (their cage had none).

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Well, it sounds like it was meant to be for you to have them It's a good thing you were able to get them out of that situation. Although she probably didn't mean to provide sub-par care, sometimes ignorance is the culprit. People just don't bother to research about proper care.

So, basically, my question is: will they be okay despite the fact that I had to handle them and take them out of the cage to change the bedding so soon?

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It's stressful for pigs to be moved from place to place but cedar bedding is a major concern and you were right to swap it out for good bedding. Cedar has strong aeromatic oils that can cause respiratory problems and can sometimes lead to death for the pigs. Did you make sure to scrub down the cage bottom where the bedding was before adding the new bedding? You don't want to take the risk that there are any remnants of the cedar left.

You are correct that the cage is very small. Have you looked into C&C cages? There is a lot of info about them on this site. And they are highly recommended for a lot of reasons. I would check out the testimonials on the main page of this site.

They have been eating non-stop since I put them back in the cage and they move around when I sit and watch. How soon can I start touching them? Was it okay to put new toys in there?

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Based on what you mentioned about the kind of care they were getting, they likely weren't getting fed enough. So it's not surprising that they would be hungry. As for the toys, guinea pigs don't tend to play with the toys that are sold at the store. More often, they enjoy crumpled pieces of paper, toilet paper tubes (with all glue cleaned off, of course), paper bags, etc.

As for touching them, it was necessary for you to touch them when changing out the bedding. I would let them dictate how much interaction to have with them. If they are hiding most of the time, it just means they are nervous and need some time to adjust. If they are coming out and moving around even if you are sitting there, they are likely comfortable so you can see how they feel about interacting with you.

I was in a similar situation when I got my piggies. They weren't in an especially great place when I got them... Did the person who you got them from have any hay, proper pellets? Was ANYTHING done right? Can we have pigtures?! Pretty please?

I would put my hand in there, and let them come up to it and sniff it. They're probably not going to be traumatized by you picking them up, taking away the evil bedding, putting in new, fluffy bedding, and putting them back. Have they started to popcorn yet? Or wheek? Those are the greatest joys of guinea pig ownership!

I wouldn't try and pick them up again for a day or two so they get used to their surroundings, and just be there, put your hand in, maybe rest veggies on your hand so they start to associate you/your hands with food, and good things. If they seem pretty outgoing (nipping, biting, licking, walking, peeing (kidding!!) etc) on your hand, maybe gently, slowly petting them if they let you while they eat some veggies from your hand. Most likely, they'll creep up to your hand, grab the desired veggie, and flee to the nearest hiding spot or corner. One of my girls still does.

They'll appreciate something to do all day, other than eat! A pigloo or hidey hut would be top priority. They need somewhere to hide! Tunnels, 4" PVC pipe (a favorite is a Y shaped one!!!) or those bendable log thingies that they can chew.

I like to think they're eating all day means "You're the best mommy ever, and I'm soooo glad that I live with you! I will show my appreciation by eating everything, because I know that your reason for getting out of bed in the morning is to feed us!" But it probably means "Food! Must eat all the food before she takes it away! Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom!!" I don't ever take it away, but it's either a reaction brought on their previous owners, or just instinct. Maybe a bit of both...

I agree with @rachelappel. A C&C cage would be top priority for the time being. WalMart has great, affordable ($20 per box of around 21) cubes that even come in pretty colors! They should be able to ship it to the nearest WalMart for no cost. Contact your local sign shops, and explain that you have guinea pigs, and want to make a cage. If a regular piece of 4x8 Coroplast is too expensive, ask if they have any scrap (misprinted, overstock, minor cosmetic flaws, etc). If you just would rather get a piece of scrap for cheap, ask something on the lines of: "I'm making a guinea pig cage, and I was wondering if you have any scrap I can use?" If they say yes and ask what size, say "I'm looking for a piece ___ x ___ or bigger." Most places will give it to you for free or very cheap. I compromised, and got 2 pieces that I just duct taped together. The base cost me a dollar. And that was gas money. Sorry for the VERY long post! Once I get going, I just can't stop...

Hello guys! Thanks so much for answering my million questions! Yes, I have indeed looked into getting a c&c cage. I contacted a local sign shop two days ago to see if they would see me a sheet of coroplast. They haven't gotten back to me, but even if they don't, I found a place online where I can order a 4'x8' sheet for about $24 (and $21 in shipping).

The main problem I'm having is knowing where to go to get the storage cubes. I think I found some in Target, but I don't know how many come in a box, so I don't know how many boxes to get (and at $30/box, I really don't want to have to buy too many).

The only thing is, I'm moving in about 3 weeks, so I don't want to build the cage right now when I'll just have to disassemble it again. I was thinking that I would keep them in the cage they came in until I moved into my new place, but the cage is so terribly small. I can only hope that now they have a clean, healthy environment, they won't mind three more weeks in it.

Also, I definitely will be switching to fleece once I get the c&c built. Is there any special way to switch or anything I should keep in mind at all? Thanks everyone!

I love using fleece for my girl but I still using wood chips in her kitchen area with her hay and food, it is also her pee area, so she doesn't pee on the fleece but still does a few poos (;

Welcome to the forum!

You're right, that cage is way too small. If you don't have other pets or kids around, why not just make a temporary cage with grids zip-tied together, and put it on a plastic tablecloth or a shower curtain? You can brace it with other grids, put cardboard around the sides to sort of keep the bedding contained. It won't take much time to build or take down when you move, but will be better than what they've got.

Last time I went to target, they only had 5x5 grids for their storage cubes. Just make sure you buy ones with 9x9. Bed, Bath, and Beyond has some for around 20.

lizlee said:

Hello guys! Thanks so much for answering my million questions! Yes, I have indeed looked into getting a c&c cage. I contacted a local sign shop two days ago to see if they would see me a sheet of coroplast. They haven't gotten back to me, but even if they don't, I found a place online where I can order a 4'x8' sheet for about $24 (and $21 in shipping).

The main problem I'm having is knowing where to go to get the storage cubes. I think I found some in Target, but I don't know how many come in a box, so I don't know how many boxes to get (and at $30/box, I really don't want to have to buy too many).

The only thing is, I'm moving in about 3 weeks, so I don't want to build the cage right now when I'll just have to disassemble it again. I was thinking that I would keep them in the cage they came in until I moved into my new place, but the cage is so terribly small. I can only hope that now they have a clean, healthy environment, they won't mind three more weeks in it.

Also, I definitely will be switching to fleece once I get the c&c built. Is there any special way to switch or anything I should keep in mind at all? Thanks everyone!

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There is only one sign shop in your area? I've found that if you leave a message at a business, 99% of the time, they don't respond in a timely manner. Don't pay $50 on a piece of Coroplast!!!!!!!! That is a total waste of money! Just call them again and again until somebody answers and they give you a price on a piece of Coroplast. I can guarantee that it will be cheaper than getting it online!

Just go to the Walmart website, and order them, and have them ship it to the store for free. With the money you save with buying Coroplast locally, you can buy another box of grids! The Walmart grids are cheap, come in pretty colors (!), and are safe! The Target grids are dangerous!!!! Half of them are useless, the holes are so big, and the other half is still too big to house guinea pigs safely. I would only use them if you are making a base for the Coroplast base to go on. If you cable tie the grids together, you can fold them right up in 30 seconds, and the grids will lay flat. Honestly, if you put down the sides of the cage (I duct taped mine up) it'll lay flat, and you can put it up against the all of the truck, trailer, or whatever you are using when you move. Just don't let something go on top of it, or else it'll leave huge dents in the sheet.

Honestly, all you have to do is put down the fleece, and let them go into the new cage. If you really want to, you could put in a piece for them to walk/lay on to see what they do..

Well, my current house has carpet, so if I set up the temporary cage, how high should I make the walls so that bedding doesn't get everywhere? My new place will be all tile, so cleanup should be a cinch.

The fleece sounds like a great idea. Does it soak up the pee very well? And does it keep the odor away?

Sadly, I could only find one sign maker in town (which is weird, because I live in a very large town/city). I will definitely contact them again in hopes that they'll answer me. The scrap signs idea is wonderful and I definitely would prefer to get it for free rather than pay $40.

And as requested, I have some pictures!


This is my black and white guinea. Her name is originally Gabby, but I'm probably going to change it to Pepe. She's much larger of the two (I think she's obese, but she probably just needs more exercise). I also think she's the more dominant female. Sadly, her coat is pretty dirty and not shiny at all. I am guessing her old owner played favorites and preferred the other one.

This is my other female. She's tri-colored and smaller than Pepe. She's also more playful. Her coat is very shiny and clean. She doesn't eat as much food, but she really loves hay. Her name was originally Tiger, but I'll probably change it to Iggy (but I'm not 100% sure).

This is the cage they came in. You can see that it's obviously too small for two guinea pigs, let alone one. I didn't take a picture of it before I cleaned it and put in the new bedding, but it was pretty bad.
The bowl is new, as is the dangling toy (originally for birds with a bell at the end, but they've been having a blast with it). The fabric is just an old rag that I tied on the bars to give them a place to hide but still doesn't take away too much room from the cage.

Hooray! Your piggies are so cute! While I do have a sligt favorite, I still love and cuddle my girls just the same! Sometimes grocery stores, gas stations, and political offices will have old Coroplast signs in the back. If you ask, they might have a big sign or two from an old promotion that you can have for free!

If you use fleece (which most people here will recommend) the walls could be as little as 1.5 inches. It really varies, depending on what you want. I would make your sides as high as possible, with the Coroplast given. If you want the cage to be 2 grids wide, then you could have 6-7 inch sides if you got a piece of Coroplast 4x8. I don't know how high the walls should be for regular bedding... If you use fleece, it will wick away the wetness after being washed 2-3 times. It's MUCH cheaper in the long run to use fleece, because each liner or plain fleece-over-towel set up will last for at LEAST a year.

awww your piggies are so cute!

i'd have to agree with narwhalsrock; make some phone calls to businesses and see if they've got any old coroplast signs. you'd be surprised at what some businesses hold onto lol