C&C Do CnC cages need the loft?

SonOfOdin · Jan 19, 2014

I have 2 pigs, their both a tad over weight. I want to get them out of this store bought cage they have been in for awhile now and let them get roaming. Im wondering if i should buy the loft or is it even needed. Im new to CnC cages and going to start saving up. Any suggestions please??? Thanks!

lost_lover · Jan 19, 2014

They are not needed and it just depends on the guinea pig if they are even going to use them. I got a loft for mine and in this case I am glad I did. The two boys are still 'working things out' in their new home, only one of them can figure out the ramp so he just goes up there to get away for a while. He has his own pellets, hay and water up there.

MrWhistles · Jan 19, 2014

How do you know they're overweight? The healthy weight of a guinea pig greatly varies. You don't necessarily need a loft. I'd rather avoid using one myself because ramps can easily get blocked and 1 pig could try to guard a loft.

Artista · Jan 20, 2014

I don't have a loft. Just spend the money you would on it to make the cage bigger for running around room. Loft is cute and all but it's basically a hidey spot and well you can put hideys on the ground floor.

JenNPiggys · Jan 20, 2014

I was just at a friends house checking out my new baby. She has 8 piggys in 2 cages. Both cages have lofts and EVERY pig uses the ramp. After watching all those piggys running up and down the ramps wheeking and having fun I'm so glad I bought a ramp and can't wait for it to get here! I think that it just depends on your pig. If you want to try a loft, just make it fun. Give treats for going up and have surprises at the top to encourage use.

Traysea · Jan 20, 2014

My three pigs use their lofts everyday, all day. They are up and down the ramp, on top in them, underneath them. I ended up creating a racetrack around the whole top level so there are two lofts and two catwalks. You do not NEED to have a loft. A loft is a way to expand the cage when you can't keep going out. So if you can only fit for example a 2x3 cage, adding a loft will give them more places to roam and explore. But if you had the choice between going up or going out it is always better to go out. So a 2x3 with a loft would not be as good as a 2x4 and so on from there.

I can only make my cage a 2x4 and I have 3 pigs in it so for me going up is the only option. I personally feel upper level space is always better to have, since it is essentially wasted space that could be put to use any size cage can be almost doubled. There are some people who do not like lofts because the ramp takes up a little room on the ground level but I feel that what upper levels add is much more beneficial than not having one, especially in smaller cages.

That being said, going out as far as you can is first before you start thinking about going up.

Starthecavy123 · Jan 20, 2014

It depends on the pigs some pigs just never get the idea of a ramp. A loft is a good place to put a kitchen. With the kitchen in a loft you don't have to worry to much about the hay and bedding from the kitchen getting on the fleece.

My pig could never get the hang of a ramp. I had one befor and she never could get used to the ramp. When she jumped off the loft instead of the ramp I took it out.

I would love to put a loft in my cage but it just won't get used. Some pigs just aren't ramp friendly. You simply just have to figure out what works for you. I hope this helps.

Traysea · Jan 20, 2014

It might help you encourage your pig to use the ramp if you lower it to patio height and also make it a covered ramp (clip some fleece over the top for a while until you see her using it easily) or hang some fleece forest in it to make her feel secure. I think a lot of the times people think their pigs won't use it is because either their ramp is too steep or it flexes too much and they don't feel secure using it. Using a bent grid frame ramp will make it feel very sturdy.

With the exception of special needs and geriatric pigs, there is no reason the average pig can't learn to use a ramp with a gentle incline, cavies live in the mountains and plains of south america where there are multiple elevations.

Princess_Piggie · Jan 20, 2014

It depends on the individual pig really. For example, my Minnie is a big fan of getting up on her back legs, climbing on top of hideys etc, so I know she'd get use out of a ramp. Daisy on the other hand, has no idea how to even get on top of their hidey, or over their fiddlesticks bridge, so I know she'd never bother with a ramp.

MrWhistles · Jan 20, 2014

I want to add, you shouldn't try adding a loft to a 2x3 unless its going to be one of those patio type lofts. The ramp takes up ALOT of space. And you'd really be doing your pig(s) a disservice by adding a loft and taking away running space.

sdpiggylvr · Jan 20, 2014

I tried a loft for a while but it ended up being just a pain when it came to cage cleaning -- the ramp got in the way, the loft covered part of the cage... I just didn't see it as worthwhile. My guinea pigs didn't really seem to want to climb up there, but that was just my experience. Some guinea pigs love the ramps and lofts! For me, I just made my cages longer, and that was much more beneficial.

pinky · Jan 21, 2014

If your guinea pigs are older, I'd stick with a single level so they don't have to go up and down the ramp. If they're on the young side, they're probably more active and going up and down the ramp won't be an issue for them. I've rebuilt my cages many times. My own preference is for a single level. It takes me a few minutes to sweep up and change the bedding. I have a footstool in each cage for them to sleep under. Sometimes I take a large piece of fleece and drape it over a section of the cage for variety. I hated having to clean the loft and under it. When I had 5 in my cage with a loft, my neutered male spent most of his time under the ramp while one of the females guarded the entrance to the loft at the top of the ramp. They seemed to be in each others' faces a lot more. Once I took it out, they seemed to calm down and get along better.

Traysea · Jan 21, 2014

I couldn't agree more about the whole hard to clean under thing. Almost my entire upper level (except for the one catwalk in the back) swings up and out of my cage for easy cleaning.

spy9doc said:
I think Traysea made a good point........expand the main level if you can. However, I have limited room for a cage (2x5) and I find my 2x2 loft to be invaluable. My two don't run around the cage very much so no matter how large the main level might be, I don't think they would utilize the space. They get f-a-r more exercise with running up and down the ramp than they ever do with the occasional zoomie.

The ramp takes up little space and is positioned where the piggies can run on both sides of it. Some people constantly mention how difficult it is to clean a cage with a loft. I just don't get it! I have utilized an offset/overhanging loft and find it very easy to clean under it........despite the fact that my cage is wedged into a corner between the wall and my desk.

Having a 2x2 loft creates the equivalent of a penthouse apartment for the cage. The loft has a large litter box with hay rack suspended over it, water bottle and pellet dish........and a cardboard house/tunnel. My kids seem to enjoy having a space where they can get away from each other for privacy. And, they take turns sleeping either in the loft or downstairs.

Suggestions from everyone are helpful, but you ultimately have to experiment and decide what is right for your situation.

kamkam822 · Aug 13, 2014

My husband and I are thinking about making a loft area with a ramp our boys roam but they don't race around even when they have floor time so we think a ramp will give them more exercise and more places to hide and explore ... we have a c & c cage already and reading around the forum I saw several people suggest shelving or bed bath & beyond storage grid box things to make additions... could we potentially use the latter with the cage or should we invest in the additions from the c & c website that are made for the cage?
I want to save money if that is possible but not if it will jepordize the safety of my boys
Thanks for any advice!

lissie · Aug 14, 2014

kamkam822 said:
My husband and I are thinking about making a loft area with a ramp our boys roam but they don't race around even when they have floor time so we think a ramp will give them more exercise and more places to hide and explore ... we have a c & c cage already and reading around the forum I saw several people suggest shelving or bed bath & beyond storage grid box things to make additions... could we potentially use the latter with the cage or should we invest in the additions from the c & c website that are made for the cage?
I want to save money if that is possible but not if it will jepordize the safety of my boys
Thanks for any advice!

It is perfectly fine to make your own from storage grids. You just need to make sure the grids you buy are 9x9 squares across, and not the 8x8 or 5x5 squares.

Bed Bath & Beyond have the 9x9 grids, which are safe to use.

pinky · Aug 14, 2014

Before you go out and buy storage cube grids from a store, check out Goodwill near you or place on ad on freecycle or craigslist to get them cheap or free. Look at the photos section to get ideas on how to build one. If you have something in mind, explain what you'd like and maybe we can give you ideas on how to build it.

Flowering · Aug 18, 2014

I made a loft and then unmade it. For me it was just to much hassel to clean. It was hard to reach and just 2x the work of a one level cage. I aldo found it took up floor space on the main cage area which wasn't good. So overall lofts are a thumbs down from me. I managed to extend the same level and I find it sooo much simpler no cutting up bedding to fit the loft no extra small bedding pads to wash just one big pad for the main floor area. The piggys also got a lot more space like this. It's easier to deal with and clean and piggys are happy. I now have a kitchen area 1x1 grid on the main floor.

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C&C Do CnC cages need the loft?

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