Upper Levels How do you access bottom levels with multiple level cages?

[KristenMatejka]

I have a 2x5 for my girls and currently looking for a cage mate for my male skinny pig so i may have a 2x5 on top of my.current 2x5. Is there any way to set it up for easy access to both cages, especially for cage cleaning??

 

[sallyvh]

The easiest way is to leave a grid of space between the cages, this allows you to easily reach in on the bottom cage.

I love my stacked C&C, it works amazingly well and allows me to have my 6 guinea pigs in properly sized cages without taking up tons of floor space.

 

[KristenMatejka]

Do you have any trouble accessing the top cage? Im pretty short. I like the look of this alot though!!! I'll have to purchase more gride though. Especially since I'll have yo baby proof. My one male skinny pig is 9 weeks old and the other one we will be getting is only a few days old.

 

[sallyvh]

It is a little difficult to reach the very back but it could be remedied by having the cage on a shorter table. My table is custom made and 22 inches tall. I'm short as well (just over 5 feet) and I can reach, but even an inch or two shorter would be nice.

It's hard to tell from the photo but I don't have a full grid in between the cages. There is a 2 square overlap at the top. I was originally going to have a full grid in between but as I was building it I realized it was going to be too tall, so lowering the top cage by 2 squares helped shorten it a bit and added a lot of stability.

Another thing to help is having doors on the front of the top cages. I have these V-shaped Springs and latches on the front to form doors so it opens and I can reach. If it didn't swing open, I wouldn't be able to reach the back.

You don't have to use grids for baby proofing. You could make your coroplast trays have higher sides and cut them down later. Or you could just punch holes in and zip tie on some cardboard.

 

[KristenMatejka]

I am using the connecters so im not sure if overlapping would work. What could i use to stabilize everything?

 

[sallyvh]

Overlapping wouldn't work with the connectors.

I honestly am not a fan of the connectors at all, I built this whole thing using clear 50lb zip ties. It holds really well and I have no issues with it.

 

[KristenMatejka]

Only problem is i cut coroplast to the size using the connectors so idk if it would fit without �� I don't mind the connectors...but I may measure tonight and see if i can remove the connectors. I'll just have to cut alot of zipties because i used connectors and zip ties.

 

[KristenMatejka]

This is my girls cage right after i finished the liner

 

[Hankskr]

Your cage looks neat! I've been racking my brain on how to expand my boys' cage but somehow stack cages and save some floor space! This looks like a great answer but what is that supporting it up front? Also is there grids on the bottom of the top cage? It doesn't appear to be but I can't tell. How does that area get supported? Thanks!

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[sallyvh]

@Hankskr Yes, there are grids on the bottom on the top cage.

I have a few support bars running across it and one vertical bar you can see supporting the L-shape. I used these round metal bar things I found at Lowe's... I think I found them in the plumbing section.

When I was building it I knew I needed support bars so I toured the hardware store to find something strong enough, long enough and not ridiculously expensive. I needed two bars total and I think they were about $8 dollars.

Here's a photo from when I was still constructing it.

 

[KristenMatejka]

Got the top level on our cage today!!! Thank you for the help and pictures! It turned out great! I put one grid in the middle of the front but didnt zip tie it so i can remove it to access the girls for now and it helps provide support.

 

[Hankskr]

Thank you for your help! I too am planning a trip to Lowe's. I am thinking maybe making a pvc pipe outer stand because the top cage will be smaller than the bottom.

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