C&C Alternatives I (attempt) to recreate the Midwest Guinea Pig Habitat for roughly $10!!!

[ElaineDeus]

So I wanted a cage that is big enough for my guinea pig, especially when I'm planning to get another pig to accompanied mine. The place I live have a flea market and I went there I coincidentally found someone who sold woven plastic bag for like 50c a piece (STEAL!). Then I had an epiphany moment and bought two to make the cage bottom ( similar to the style of the Midwest Habitat). One bag was big enough to make a 2x4 but need bit extra length for the side to make a wall. I don't have a sewing machine (TT-TT), so I had to sew EVERYTHING by hand (lord have mercy on me). Coroplast is the most common one used but I prefer something that is easier to disassemble and clean and easy to put away and most importantly CHEAP >_< (rather use that money to buy veggies in stead and hay). It was a bit rough when making the side because I had to cut extra pieces and so since the plastic is woven...let's just say string of plastic got everywhere. But when I finish sewing in everything, I cover the edges with aluminum foil and went over it with an iron, and cut extra pieces. The most annoying thing was sewing a piece of cotton fabric to make a wide string in to attach it to the plastic base in order to tide it to the side of the cage for support. I guess My calculation was a bit off so instead of 2x4 it kind of have to be turn into a 2x3.8 xD to have a better fit. But yea xD.

Cost:
Grid ($4)- got it from Andy's Pet shop used section (love this shop this is where I'm planning to adopt my next guinea pig if everything works out, this place is where my local small animals rescue NorthStar use as a place to house some of the animals.
Playpen ($3)- from Andy's Pet shop used section
2 Woven Plastic bag ($1)- flea market
1 bag of zip ties ($1)- flea market
cotton fabric, needle, threads +time- who the hells know.
Total= $10


So uh i intended for the photo to be view hamburger wise but i'm seeing it in hotdog...whatever...it's a bit shabby and not as pretty (>-<) as other cages but it was cheap and most importantly big enough for 2 (hopefully they won't mind the missing .2 of the grid.
P.S. How do people without sewing machines even make their cage liner? I just made some extra pad for the eating area and my fingers :crazy:. My mom does know a person with a sewing machine but i'm too shy to ask to use it because it will take a long time if I'm planning to make a cage liner, but I don't know how to use a sewing machine so they either have to teach me or do it for me which is a big no-no since I don't want to be annoying *cries*. I guess I just got to do it by hand then.

P.S.S I have only seen introducing younger guinea pig to older guinea pig, but not so much on introducing an older guinea pig to a younger one and how that younger one would feel. My guinea pig is like around 3 months? not so sure. Does anyone have any experiences with that.
p.s.s.s. Ever since I have a guinea pig, I have not look at dandelion and grass the same say =_=.

 

[Happy Cavy]

Hello @ElanieDeus. I went to Etsy and got a cage liner. Some sellers allow you to order custom sizes. I had to order a custom size since I don't have a C&C cage. I tried a make shift cage liner but it didn't work.

unfortunately I only have one guinea pig and can't help with bonding. But this website it good start : https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/adoption/guinea-pig-bonding-basics

 

[ElaineDeus]

Thank you for your suggestion =D.

 

[lissie]

See this page. It has the best guide for introducing guinea pigs.
https://guinea-pigs.livejournal.com/3002707.html

 

[silverblood]

Hi. I wanted to let you know that there are really strong water based fabric glues you could use in place of a seam made of thread. The glue is washable and meant to permanently bond fabric together. It is also non toxic should your pigs test nibble your fabric. You would start by placing your top fleece and bottom fleece pieces on top of each other with the sides you want showing facing each other. Next, just follow the instructions for the fabric glue and glue the edges of the fleece together leaving a side open for you to put your towel or uhaul inside. Flip the pouch you've just made right side out and you should have decent seams. Add your absorbent layer and then fold the edges of the open side under a bit and glue those shut. I can't say I've used fabric glue, but I know several people who have and say good things about it. It would also save you the time of hand sewing and you could always go back and hand sew it if the glue doesn't work out the way you like.

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[CavyHouse]

Andy's Pet Shop will most likely do the bonding for you. They've done a lot of them.

 

[Happy Cavy]

whats the name of the product

 

[silverblood]

If you're talking to me about the fabric glue, there are several. I hear a lot about liquid seams. You can just search fabric glue at Joanns or Walmart and look for water based. Sorry if you were talking to someone else!

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[CavyHouse]

That's great that you were so creative in making a cage for your piggy.
I hope you don't mind this piece of advice that you're not asking for... but I can't tell for sure from your photo but it looks like the hay rack that you're using is the type that a few piggies have gotten their heads stuck in. I honestly don't know how much of a risk it is (like only a freak accident or something more common?) but it has happened to a few piggies. These hay racks are marketed for guinea pigs so people buy them not knowing the danger they present. Whenever any of those hayracks come into my rescue, I throw them out. Please don't take that as criticism, just trying to help prevent an accident.

 

[ElaineDeus]

Thank you for all your suggestion! @CavyHouse thank you for your concern, I really didn't think the bar were wide enough for the pigs to get into it. I'll either just put the hay in a dish for the moment or make a hay bag, yay more sewing =_=, but anything for my guinea pig. BTW about those grids, mine is the 9 square per grid and I thought it was super safe since that is what is required vs the dangerous 5 or something square per grid. But I guess it's because my guinea pig is still really young, during floor time during the first few days I got her, she either was really curious or was scared and try to find a way out, she POKE HER HEAD THROUGH THE SQUARE and I was like O_O. I was shock so I guess I move abruptly so she got scared and pull her head back in, thank god!Can't imagine what would happen if she had tried to squeeze her whole body through. So when I made the cage I made sure the side was high so she won't be tempted to do it again. I'll keep an eye on her until she gets a bit bigger because who the heck know, freak accidents can happen.

P.S Andy's pet shop doesn't have any lone female available so I had to look at other rescues. Unfortunately they didn't have any either =[. BUT one of my friend's relative's kid got bored of their guinea pig (oh boy, why does this sound so familiar) after like 1 month or two? I asked her what sex it was and my friend said it was a female. I was like are you surreee??? She was like yea, the guinea pig was bought from a store that only sell one sex of guinea pig at a time. I only took in the guinea pig and not the cage that came with her because it was really tiny (=_+). Made sure to ask how healthy she was and if there was any symptom (scabs, dirty eye, fur loss, etc), before introducing her to my pig. It went really well, like I mean TOO WELL....i was like aren't you gonna do many of the things they say you will in those bonding website??? but nah, it took like 15 minutes...-_-...worried for nothing. Anyhow, it's strange how when I need a friend for my guinea pig, been searching on all the shelters and craigslist for weeks, only to have my friend one day ask if i wanted a guinea pig because she saw a post I made about my guinea pig on Facebook. Fate works in such strange ways.

 

[lissie]

Please verify the gender of both pigs again to make sure they are what they are supposed to be.

https://www.cavyspirit.com/sexing.htm

https://www.guinealynx.info/sexing.html