C&C Finally!

[Julip]

I am finally getting a C&C cage!
The one we are getting is a 2x5.
It will be used for four pigs. It will have dividers, one side for the girls and one side for the boys.
It's not near as big as I would like, but it's all we can afford right now.
It's MUCH better than the ones we have now. The one we have now is a pet store cage, not a C&C cage.
But I am very excited to be getting a bigger cage to put new things in and start using fleece. It will be much cleaner, easier to clean, and I wont have to clean as often.
(2 times a day currently)
I will expand it ASAP.
I'm so excited!

 

[CavyMama]

Woot! So exciting about the C&C cage. I know it's not as big as you would like but I'm sure they will absolutely LOVE the extra space to roam around in!

If you are using dividers to separate the girls and boys, I would make sure that divider is reinforced. Males tend to do anything and everything to get to the girls when they are in heat. They may also tend to fight more with each other when there are females around.

 

[Julip]

Woot! So exciting about the C&C cage. I know it's not as big as you would like but I'm sure they will absolutely LOVE the extra space to roam around in!

If you are using dividers to separate the girls and boys, I would make sure that divider is reinforced. Males tend to do anything and everything to get to the girls when they are in heat. They may also tend to fight more with each other when there are females around.

Since they may fight, would it be best to maybe put a covering over the grids so they can't see through? Or would it not make much of a difference? :/

 

[CavyMama]

Since they may fight, would it be best to maybe put a covering over the grids so they can't see through? Or would it not make much of a difference? :/

I'm not sure it's so much seeing them as smelling them. Would it be feasible to have the males neutered so they all could share the bigger space without the divider? I know it's not ideal but males have been known to scale dividers or even knock them over to get to females in heat. Not being able to get to the girls creates a lot of frustration for them which may be what causes the fighting.

 

[Julip]

I did think about neutering them, but there are a few problems with this.

A: We don't have the money right now to pay for one operation, let alone two.
B: We don't have an exotic vet who has had many successful operations for about 3 hours away.
C: I'm a paranoid person, and I'm terribly worried something would happen to them, being as they are small animals and such.

I have considered just getting an entirely different cage, but that would have to wait a while.

 

[CavyMama]

I did think about neutering them, but there are a few problems with this.

A: We don't have the money right now to pay for one operation, let alone two.
B: We don't have an exotic vet who has had many successful operations for about 3 hours away.
C: I'm a paranoid person, and I'm terribly worried something would happen to them, being as they are small animals and such.

I have considered just getting an entirely different cage, but that would have to wait a while.

Okay, that's understandable. I definitely understand the worry about something going wrong during a surgery, especially without a cavy savvy vet nearby. I was so worried, I couldn't eat when Shammy went in to have a tumor removed.

Do you have extra grids? Maybe you could build a temporary cage with perhaps, a shower curtain for the base and bedding on top, until you are able to get more coroplast?

 

[Julip]

That might work. I could order maybe a 15 pack of grids next month.
I'm not sure if I will especially need the coroplast. maybe just make edges around the bottom with foam, fold the fleece over, and just put towels and newspaper under the fleece.

 

[Julip]

Just realized the typo, it's 2x4, not 2x5. But I will extend it with extra grids.

 

[CavyMama]

That might work. I could order maybe a 15 pack of grids next month.
I'm not sure if I will especially need the coroplast. maybe just make edges around the bottom with foam, fold the fleece over, and just put towels and newspaper under the fleece.

Towels should be fine for an absorbent layer but you can do without the newspapers. They don't absorb moisture and they usually just end up, a runny mess.

 

[CavyMama]

So you have a divided 2X4 with each pair (girls and boys) in a 2X2 section? Yeah, that's definitely too small, even for one pig, let alone two. If the boys don't fight over the girls being nearby, they would probably fight over the lack of space.

I would definitely consider making a separate cage with new grids.

 

[Julip]

Yes, I'll order more grids as soon as possible and just expand it. I can get coroplast any time, I would just get it from sign places around town.

 

[BFarnsey]

Julip, where do you get your grids in packs of 15? At Target, they have packs of 23 for less than $20. And yes, they have the right size, cavy-safe grids now.

 

[Julip]

Julip, where do you get your grids in packs of 15? At Target, they have packs of 23 for less than $20. And yes, they have the right size, cavy-safe grids now.

Really? I didn't know that. I think I will go to target now. xp
I usually just bought my extra grids from the site store.

 

[lissie]

For 2 pair, can you make a stacked cage like this?
Stacked 4x2 c&c cages - Guinea Pig Cage Photos

Be careful of the Target grids. Some are not safe. Look for the ones with 9x9 across.

 

[Julip]

For 2 pair, can you make a stacked cage like this?
Stacked 4x2 c&c cages - Guinea Pig Cage Photos

Be careful of the Target grids. Some are not safe. Look for the ones with 9x9 across.

Yeah, I could definitely make a stacked cage. I completely forgot about stacking them.
Thanks!
Once I get enough grids, I'll definitely try it.

 

[blackarrow]

I'm not sure it's so much seeing them as smelling them. Would it be feasible to have the males neutered so they all could share the bigger space without the divider? I know it's not ideal but males have been known to scale dividers or even knock them over to get to females in heat. Not being able to get to the girls creates a lot of frustration for them which may be what causes the fighting.

The problem with this (aside from Julip's practical difficulties) is that even neutered males will fight over sows to which they have access. You'd have to have a very large herd in an extremely large space (neither of which is happening here) for a pair of males to be able to coexist peacefully in the presence of females.

 

[GPonnett]

I am new to this forum, but have been learning so much! Congrats on your first C&C cage! I agree with a larger cage, I am expanding my cage for my 3 boys and I am considering adopting 2 girls. I have extra grids and I am planning for a second female cage. To you cavy experts. Is it OK to have them in the same room in separate cages that are touching? Any advice for how close they can be?

Thanks to all of the expert advice on this forum!