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Grids Worried about grid size

stacimwb

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Hi guys,

I'm brand new to having pigs (just adopted yesterday) and I thought I had everything together. According to the internet my grid size (8x8) is unsafe! :sad: We set up a C&C cage I found on Amazon with fleece/towel/coroplast bedding. My question is - with the Coroplast siding up high enough, will my pigs be safe? I'm not sure if the "unsafe" warning was for people not lining the cage under their feet, or this is for the sides as well. My 2 guys are adults, but I'm wanting to be 100% sure it's safe for them.

My husband adjusted the layout a little - we put a guard around the ledges of the top and bent the sides of the ramp up so they can't jump off! Any advice helps!
cage.jpg
 

bpatters

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The 8-hole grids allow their heads to be caught. You can overlap them and make the holes smaller -- that's probably the easiest thing to do.

But that's not a good layout for guinea pigs. They need a large flat area to run around in. And if they're males, ramps and narrow passages are just invitations to squabble. Can you widen it to a 3x4 or 4x5 and forget the second story?
 

stacimwb

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The 8-hole grids allow their heads to be caught. You can overlap them and make the holes smaller -- that's probably the easiest thing to do.

But that's not a good layout for guinea pigs. They need a large flat area to run around in. And if they're males, ramps and narrow passages are just invitations to squabble. Can you widen it to a 3x4 or 4x5 and forget the second story?


Thank you for the reply. That is disheartening to hear - I was considering making it all one level until I was told they like having two levels by a rescue center. Grr! I'll head out to Home Depot for more Coroplast and convince my husband to take it apart.

Is it a bad idea then to make the Coroplast a little higher so they can't reach the squares?
 

bpatters

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Grrr... We hear some of the silliest stuff from supposed rescue centers. It's bad enough when it's just about cages, but some of the medical care "advice" given out makes your hair stand on end.

You could make the coroplast higher, but they like being able to see what's going on. You've got enough grids to overlap. If you're going to put the cage against a wall, you could make that coroplast full height -- it'll save your wall from being peed on.

Take a look at the Photo Galleries -- there are jillions of cage ideas there.
 

stacimwb

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Grrr... We hear some of the silliest stuff from supposed rescue centers. It's bad enough when it's just about cages, but some of the medical care "advice" given out makes your hair stand on end.

You could make the coroplast higher, but they like being able to see what's going on. You've got enough grids to overlap. If you're going to put the cage against a wall, you could make that coroplast full height -- it'll save your wall from being peed on.

Take a look at the Photo Galleries -- there are jillions of cage ideas there.


I was just looking through the photos, they're very helpful! I think I've decided to go with clear acrylic to put up around the border because I'd feel bad blocking their view as you mentioned (husband thinks we should leave the ramp and a small 2-block loft). I left a review on Amazon warning other pet owners that it isn't the right size...I hope people see it! Thank you for the help!
 

bpatters

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If you leave a ramp and a loft, you'll have to have rails. Guilnea pigs' eyes are on the sides of their heads, not in front, so they have very poor depth perception. Three inches or three feet, it all looks the same to them, and they can easily walk off a loft with no rails.

But a 2x1 loft isn't really a good size, either, because once they're full grown, they can't get past each other without shoving. Sows generally do better with that size than boars, although a really laid-back pair of boars can manage it. But truly, a large flat cage is easier to manage and to clean than one with a loft, IMO.
 

Soecara

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If you want to have a 2 grid x 2 grid loft and you have the space I would suggest you consider offsetting it, it makes the main cage much easier to access to clean.

Here is an image that shows what I mean by offsetting it, courtesy of spy9doc.
attachment.php
 

stacimwb

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Oh absolutely - we did bend the grids to create a rail on the ramp, and moved extra pieces to wall off the ledges for that reason. That does make it a narrow 1-pig-at-a-time ramp, however :-/ I agree 100% about it being easier to clean. I can see that being a pain already...I will see what he thinks tomorrow.

Soecara that is awesome! I'm going to take everything into consideration, and see what we come up with. Thanks again guys!
 

Gandalf

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Just wanted to chime in a little that I liked having a second level for the "kitchen" area. It is where they had a hay box, food and water bowl. I had girls though so the ramp wasn't an issue.

Having the kitchen above the main level gave them more lap running room below. The offset 2nd level is a neat idea. Just remember that any upper level must have barricades to prevent them from walking off the edge.
 

stacimwb

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20190210_174149.jpg

Just thought I would update on what we ended up doing! I decided to order the proper sized grids - I found some pretty inexpensively. They seem to be very happy with it, and it is MUCH easier to maintain this way! Thanks for all of the advice, everyone!
 
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