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What to do???1 piggy or more?

Alexander

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Hi everybody and their adorable piggies^^
well..my problem is my parents keep complaining all day is i keep 2 piggies,the cage will be too big too fit into the house..
so,my question is..if i keep 1 piggy at home,can i use a mirror to be like the 2nd piggy??
i know we should keep 2 piggies to keep the piggies each other company..
so..if i should not keep 1 piggy and use a mirror..
i will think another way or not to keep any piggies at all until my house is bigger or i move to a bigger house...
thanks in advance^_<
 

HannibalLecter

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A mirror won't help at all. If you imagine never interacting with humans again, would a mirror work as a replacement? No of course not. Guinea pigs are highly social animals just like us humans, and should always be kept with it's own kind. No mirror or human can ever replace that.

Are you sure you can't move things around to fit a proper C&C cage? The cages can be built in many shapes, such as an L shape to fit in corners/around something. Even if you don't adopt a second pig, the current one also need the proper space with a at least a 2x3 minimum.
 

Alexander

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ya,i already measured the house...
and the worst part is..
the most empty space that my mom will let me have is only a cage for 1 piggy...
then..can i have 2 piggies in the cage but have a lot of floor time for them??
 

Alexander

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but still..tanks for the reply HannibalLecter^^
 

HannibalLecter

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Floor time won't replace the proper cage space, but is important until you figure out how to arrange that. Don't get another pig if you don't have the space for one.

Believe me, I've had to squeeeeeeze in my 2x5, and move every single piece of furniture around. Can't say my mother was in any way approving of it, but I payed for it & it's this responsibility of the pigs welfare you take on by bringing them into our home. Research it, show your mother all the health benifits of a proper sized cage & ease her into it. Or as for the cage space & grids for christmas? :)
 

pandaloki

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I don't have room too, I honestly keep a 1x4 (cubes) cage with a 1x2 second floor, it's still too small for two pigs, so the whole day I give them floor time. The only time they're locked in a cage is when other people are in the house and when it's bed time :)
 

Alexander

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well (broken link removed),i haved done the researched and told my mum,and now i have asked her again and she's now thinking about it~
(broken link removed) ,that's a great idea and my family and dog can watch them running about instead of watching them suffer because of me
 

grace&piggies

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There is always the option of multiple levels.
Explain to your mother that by having the appropriate amount of cage space, you are lowering the possibility of future health complications which leads to vet bills. By having a larger cage, it is also easier to keep it clean, therefore lowering any unpleasant piggy smells. Healthier, happier, cleaner pigs.
 

HannibalLecter

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That's great! Once you manage to plant the seed they usually aren't as difficult to convince. ;) Just let her think about it for a while before you bring it up again.

Your pig isn't suffering, you are making a big effort to improve the quality of life & health. Until you figure it out the pig will be fine with extra floor time. Just make sure to keep your pig's safe from your dog, as even the calmest dog has a hunting instinct with running smaller animals.
 

Alexander

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well...i'm now thinking a way of having a cage that has a lot of levels.
my mum told me the area i could have,but not the height of the cage..
i'm wondering..can i have the ground floor is 2 x 2 and the second floor is 1 x 2?
 

HannibalLecter

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With multiple levels, the base space is what's important & it still has to meet the recommended size, ramps will take away quite a lot of that space & the other levels are not counted.
 

HannibalLecter

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But if a 2x2 or even 2x2½ is larger than the inner measurement of your current cage, it's an improvement. You can build it as a temporary expansion to the cage you have. Once you have a C&C in place, your mother might be more interested in expanding it.

Other benefits for both you and your pig that your mother might like, is that a larger cage stays cleaner much longer & often only requires spot cleaning daily, and a full clean once a week.
 

Alexander

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but we here don't have C&C cages and even we have it here,it is SUPER RARE!!
 

HannibalLecter

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If you live in the US, there are quite a few sites online where you can get cheap grids. You could get cheap or free coroplast from sign stores, they can even help you score it.
Type in your location here to see if there are any local stores why carry grids & coroplast:
Cubes
https://www.guineapigzone.com/supplies/coroplast-listings (Coroplast Sources)

Also take a look in the photo gallery - Alternative cages:
Alternative Cages - Guinea Pig Cage Photos

Grids don't even exist in my country, I really don't understand as they are so functional. Had to have it shipped in from the UK. Payed more than anyone EVER should for a sheet of plastic & a few squares.
 

Alexander

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erm...
what are grids???
 

HannibalLecter

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Those cubes/squares most of us build the cage with. They are sometimes called grids in stores. Coroplast/correx/corotherm is the plastic used as the base of the cage.

If the store is wondering what the heck you are asking for, use a different name.
 
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CavyMama

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I don't have room too, I honestly keep a 1x4 (cubes) cage with a 1x2 second floor, it's still too small for two pigs, so the whole day I give them floor time. The only time they're locked in a cage is when other people are in the house and when it's bed time :)

A 1X4 cage is too small for ONE pig much less two. Having a second floor doesn't add to the dimensions of the cage.
 

CavyMama

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well...i'm now thinking a way of having a cage that has a lot of levels.
my mum told me the area i could have,but not the height of the cage..
i'm wondering..can i have the ground floor is 2 x 2 and the second floor is 1 x 2?

No, a 2X2 is too small for one pig even with an upper level. Upper levels don't count toward dimensions of the cage.
 

grace&piggies

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It is sometimes called "chloroflute" and resembles a plastic version of corrugated cardboard.
 

Alexander

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o....
ok..
i will try to get a bigger space for my piggies~
 
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