Behavior Got Stephen a buddie, now what?

[akstrohm]

That is 4.4 square meters or 47 square feet, which is far more than the necessary amount for two pigs, which is 10.5 square feet.

 

[lissie]

Leyley, Catayn is in Brazil, the comma is their number system.
I'd also like to know what rs means.

 

[akstrohm]

The comma usage is correct.

15 square feet is much smaller than 5 square meters.

 

[akstrohm]

You can't multiply like that.

5.5m x 0.8m = 4.4 m^2

One square meter equals 10.76 square feet.

So 4.4 x 10.76 = 47.3 square feet

You can use online calculators for this sort of thing if it helps.

 

[Catayn]

Oh gosh, I don't really understand much about math, but we have the metric system and we do use commas in it. I'll try to use a converter next time so you can all know what I mean

RS means laughter (at least around here)

I could get the bigger cage because someone gave me a practical, pretty idea. I could be really wrong, and I really wish I am terribly wrong, leyley, but I think you just don't like me for some reason. The fact that my babies are OK and that I finally managed to find a cage that seems proper for them should make anyone happy (I would be happy if I were you) but it just seems that the fact that things worked alright just made you angry... Anger's not good for your heart, or your stomach

PS: Brazil is as hot as the devil's oven and it rains a lot. Because of that I need to keep all doors open so there will be at least some air circulation in the house so my pets won't cook during the day (and I won't cook during the night). And just for the record, I haven't even laid eyes on a guinea pig in my life before my husband gave me one, so forgive me leyley, almighty pig wizard, thou who knows it all, if I really have no idea of how to deal with them. At least I've been trying and with or without your poor judgement of the matter, I still think it was not my fault.

 

[bpatters]

Catayn, have you considered how much the bedding is going to cost for that huge cage? If you use disposable bedding, you're going to be going through sacks and sacks of it. If you use fleece, your laundry bill is going to go through the roof.

You're planning your cage more than four times as large as is recommended for two pigs. While I'm sure they'll love it, and you've certainly got room to add more pigs if you want, why on earth do you want it that large?

Also, as nearly everyone on this forum could tell you, you almost never get the cage the way you want it the first time. You live with it awhile, and you see three or four things you want to do different. You change those, and live with those awhile, and then you want to do something else.

If you make a huge welded cage, you've got no opportunity to redo anything. If it turns out to be hard to clean, you're just out of luck.

It'll stick out from the wall nearly a meter, which means that doing anything above it is going to be very difficult. You won't be able to get into cabinets without getting on a stepladder and leaning over the cage.

If you went with a 2 meter x .8 meter, you'd have a good bit more than the recommended minimum. A 3 meter x .8 meter would be huge, and would give you room to block off one end temporarily if you needed to because one of them has been injured, or you need to figure out which one has diarrhea or blood in the urine.

It's your cage, of course, but unless you're planning on starting a guinea pig rescue, or expanding to a herd, I just don't see the need for such a huge cage.

 

[GizzyandMe]

And wouldn't keeping the doors open when it is really hot just make the house ten times hotter?

I stayed in Brazil for a short while and we left the doors and windows open all through the day. The most amazing soft breezes would pick up every now and then and really cool the place down. If you leave every closed up (like we did the first couple of days) then you walk into a oven at night. We have the same kind of set up in our summers in South Africa.

As for the cost of things - I found a place where I could buy those grids that everyone uses for the C&C cages and it cost a fortune. To buy 10 grids would have cost me nearly half my salary. I am having a huge cage build for Gizzy and it is costing less than a quarter than the 10 grids would have been.

I also saw my first ever Guinea Pig when I saw Gizzy and I was 31!!! Guinea Pigs in South Africa are considered a "Luxury Pet" and I got very lucky with getting Gizzy from someone who wanted to "get rid of her" cause she was not a good "specimen" for showing!! The 2 piggys I am waiting for are from a breeder who gave them to home for abandoned pets cause they no longer "produce" "perfect" babies! Thanks to me being the first one on the list waiting for piggys I managed to convince them to give me both!

The reason for my whole post is to just say - things are different outside the USA and UK where Guinea Pigs are concerned and I am grateful that Catayn is sticking around to learn more so she can potentially give her piggys the best home ever. Catayn I am sure if you post some pictures (even a hand drawn one) of your new potential cage it would put everyone at ease. Keep coming back there are some absolutely amazing people on this site and the Mods are fantastic with giving advice - specially to us who struggle not only with the language but finding the perfect things for our special pets.

 

[Catayn]

Well, the cage is going to be delivered tonight, and it's going to be about 2,5 meters long and 80 centimeters deep, and 3 floors. I don't really think it's going to be hard to clean because it's just a little smaller than the rabbits' cage.
I decided to make the same thing I did for the rabbits, which works perfectly.
Don't laugh, but this is how it is:
I bought one of those really old, antique wardrobes, cut the top, the back and the front parts off and nailed the steel net on it. I made the one for the rabbits myself, but I won't do it again because I can't really do it well (I am not strong enough to nail things on the wood and it took like a week for me to do it) so I asked someone else to do it. It looks great and it's really large and fresh, besides it can be closed with keys. Guys, my cats open doors, don't yours? Of course, they can't unlock it, but if it's not locked they can open it.
As for the cleaning, there is no problem, because things will dry in seconds around here. And if I go for the litter, it is really not that expensive around here and the one I use for the rabbits can be reused after it dries.
I hope the cage arrives before midnight because I spent the night at the vet and he said they look really great, playing, eating, pooping and peeing. So they would be OK to come back home today. If they do get better and get along together I've been thinking about getting one more, but let's see what happens until the end of the year.
And I also need to go to the other vet (I have 3) to get one of my cats home too (nothing wrong with her, just got her spayed).
So, I think I'll be facing my 3rd non sleep night today ^^. All for the kids!
When the cage comes, I'll post a picture for you, ok?

 

[Catayn]

Funny fact: When my husband gave me Stephen, he was so cute with a red ribbon and 3 little stars on the forehead, I said: Oh my God, it's so cute!!! ...What is it?
kkkkkkkkkkkkk
As I had never seen a piggie, I though they would be like some sort of really smal pig, you know?
Oh, I felt so stupid!

 

[GizzyandMe]

As I had never seen a piggie, I though they would be like some sort of really smal pig, you know?
Oh, I felt so stupid!

Guinea Pig in South Africa is called "Marmot" directly translated that is "but, moth" so I said "No thanks - not into flying things!" So I know the stupid feeling! Had Gizzy for a week before someone told me it is a Guinea Pig in English.

 

[DalesLass]

Guinea Pig in South Africa is called "Marmot" directly translated that is "but, moth"

How confusing. In the Alpine areas of Europe we have Marmots but these are very large ratty/squirrel type things.

Marmot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The picture of the marmot sitting on the pile of rocks isn't a rare 'nature' shot. It is very common indeed to see them sitting around on the rocks near alpine paths or ski areas in the spring.

 

[Tessa Bea]

Guinea Pig in South Africa is called "Marmot" directly translated that is "but, moth" so I said "No thanks - not into flying things!" So I know the stupid feeling! Had Gizzy for a week before someone told me it is a Guinea Pig in English.

"But, moth"! HA, had me laughing out loud with that one. But I've had similar stupidity feelings---

When I was writing about guinea pigs for a Spanish project, I couldn't find the translation for the life of me and I called them "Guinea Cerdos". I got an "A" anyway, because my teacher had no idea what they were called either.

Now- I'm pretty sure that they're called Cuy. But I've only ever seen them referenced with that name as food. Does anyone know if there is a different translation for "Guinea Pig" in Spanish?

 

[akstrohm]

It depends on the country. I have also heard "cobayo" and "conejillo de indias" (conejo is rabbit so conejillo is like little rabbit).

 

[Catayn]

Tessa Bea:
I work in a language school, so let me see if I can find a Spanish teacher around here.
When I get the answer I'll let you know

 

[Catayn]

Chanchito de la India