Midwest guinea pig habitat

[PretzelsMom]

I have been googling like crazy since we took Pretzel's cage back to petsmart (too small of course) and have him temporarily housed in a cat carrier. I am very frustrated that none of the stores here seem to have cubes. Not target, costco, sams, or walmart. Kmart has some cheap looking ones which I'm not sure about. Anyway, I wanted something I could buy in town and not online, but I found this cage made by a company that is expandable, 8 square feet of space, etc. The downside is I think the bottom is not as easy to clean as coroplast. It's canvas with a pvc lining. Many reviewers said they line with with newspapers and bedding or fleece.
Well...the deluxe version is on sale on amazon for $50. The regular version is $44 with free shipping, but no accessories. I don't know if anyone has posted about this yet, but here is a link:
Amazon.com: Midwest Interactive Guinea Habitat Plus: Kitchen & Dining

 

[pinky]

Have you tried Bed, Bath and Beyond? If you can't find grid cubes, you can also use wire shelving that's sold at Home Depot or any hardware store. They can cut them to the length you want and you can use zip ties to hold them together.

 

[RubyRain]

I used this cage before I got the cubes. It worked well and I think it's the best alternative out there to the cubes.
The lid is nice if you need to protect the piggies from other animals or kids.
I never used the ramp part.

You're right, it's good to put newspapers down under whatever bedding you use or towels/fleece just for easier clean up. The canvas is OK to clean up, but not as easy as coroplast.

Overall, it's a good alternative and way better than any pet store cage but the C&C is better for ease of cleaning and space and durability.

 

[sdpiggylvr]

Honestly, I wouldn't spend that much money on something that barely meets the minimum requirements for square footage. Your piggy deserves the best you can do, so try to make your own C&C cage for far less than half the price and with a whole lot more space. If your husband is handy, it's not too hard to set up on your own and will result in a happier, healthier pig. I would really make your own cage.

 

[RubyRain]

Just for the record-a C&C is not half the price in most cases. I know people here love C&C but they can still be expensive.
The cheapest I've ever seen 1 box of grids is $19 and the cheapest 4x8 coroplast I was able to find was $20. Add in the zip ties if needed and you are close to the cost of the cage listed.
I still agree that a C&C is better but if you just can't get the materials, it's still an acceptable option.

 

[TigerzGirl]

Honestly if you can't find grids and stuff I would say go for it That was going to be my first choice when I was looking into getting my pigs but I have to be sneaky about spending that much money on my pigs and spread stuff out or else my Mom gets mad about how much they cost so I decided not too. Plus, you can always buy another one later on and make it twice as big!

I loved the idea of those things <3

And actually C&C arent always super cheap to make, I ordered my 4 x 8 foot coroplast bottom online, 16 bucks for it and handling, then another 20 for shipping and cutting fees (had to get it cut of it would be 90 bucks to ship!) And I haven't even bought grids yet, which may have to wait as those are twenty and I should spend that twenty on more pellet food...
So at least 60 so far on mine. (Though I will admit it will be quit a bit bigger then 8 sq. feet)


But if you can't find the stuff and don't have a lot of pigs (I have 5) then definitely go it!
(sorry for long semi-ranty post)

 

[PretzelsMom]

Yea, we are going to check out prices in our area and if it is close to the cost of the midwest one to make a cage then we'll just order the midwest one...since it comes with a lid which I really need for the kiddos and dog. I'm not quite getting how it barely meets the minimum. Isn't the minimum preferred area 7.5sq feet? I had a hard enough time convincing hubby he needed something THAT big, let alone the 10.5 or whatever that this site says is better if you have two pigs. (We just have Pretzel but will probably get him a friend eventually) The midwest cage has 8sq feet. (It says 9 on the deluxe version but a foot of that is taken up by kitchen space)

Anyway, we'll see. I need to call around and try to find cloroplast tomorrow. I finally decided that would be the best bet and just use fleece with it- it seems easier than trying to scoop wood shavings out of a huge cage.

 

[PretzelsMom]

Yea, we are going to check out prices in our area and if it is close to the cost of the midwest one to make a cage then we'll just order the midwest one...since it comes with a lid which I really need for the kiddos and dog. I'm not quite getting how it barely meets the minimum. Isn't the minimum preferred area 7.5sq feet? I had a hard enough time convincing hubby he needed something THAT big, let alone the 10.5 or whatever that this site says is better if you have two pigs. (We just have Pretzel but will probably get him a friend eventually) The midwest cage has 8sq feet. (It says 9 on the deluxe version but a foot of that is taken up by kitchen space)

Anyway, we'll see. I need to call around and try to find cloroplast tomorrow. I finally decided that would be the best bet and just use fleece with it- it seems easier than trying to scoop wood shavings out of a huge cage.

 

[sdpiggylvr]

There are ways to get cheaper prices on the grids and coroplast. For one, you can go to Craigslist for grids (I got 35 for $5), get coroplast from the distributor (mine costed $10), and buy scraps of fleece from the remnants bin or for on sale.

 

[TigerzGirl]

Many people say barely because they prefer you go bigger, but if thats all you can get to then honestly go for it and ignore them (my opinion) because its bigger then what the piggy would get in most homes.

And you may be thinking 'Holy crap that is a huge amount of space for just one/two pigs!' which is fine because I thought the same, but once you get that big (or bigger) you will never be able to believe people keep them in anything smaller! At least, thats what happened with me.

Thats my 2cents anyway.

 

[Onetwo]

I agree that at first its like..."omg that is a big cage." Now I'm like "ok what can I get rid of now to make room for a bigger cage! Haha my cage is currently 4 feet by 6.5 feet and its about 1/3 of my dining room space but I dont care. PLUS my piggies are free to roam from their cage to the living room floor by opening a large door which they get for 5-8 hours a day! They love all their space and coming and going into their cage. They are defiantely happier than they ever were in a small 2x4 cage... Haha

 

[Kimberly713]

If it's truly all you can get for Pretzel then I say go for it. C&C cages are pretty pricey in reality unless you go completely simple, on the floor cage. Mine was like over $100 in the end, but still worth it space wise.

I too think my 2x5, two floor cage is "too small" for my two girls and want to make a 3x5, which is the beauty of C&C cages! You can change the design whenever the heck you wanna! hehe

Worst case scenario is in a few weeks or months when you find materials you can add on to the Midwest cage or use it as a quarantine cage for his soon to be new friend.

 

[sarahczspots]

I have the Midwest Habitat at my college apartment and a C&C at home. I actually had all the supplies for the C&C cage around the house and didn't know until after I bought the Midwest to use until I found the supplies.

My advice about if you decide to go with a C&C is to ask around your town (gas stations/grocery stores) about coroplast signs that they use to advertise sales. Normally when the sales are over, they toss them out or shove them in a corner in their stockroom for years to come. I know this because my dad owns a grocery store, and that's where mine came from.

About the Midwest cage though...it's pretty good. I know that my pigs LOVE their C&C so much more because it's larger and they like to run laps around the perimeter. I use fleece in mine, and vinegar to get the pee stains off of the canvas. Overall, the Midwest cage is good because its fairly flexible so it's easy to transport. I'm actually going to DC for the weekend and going to fold their cage into the back seat.

Hope this helps!

 

[pinky]

Look around for the coroplast and include the word corrugated plastic in your search since it's also called by that name. I was able to get my coroplast on sale for $10.50 at Sign Store Outlet which I think might be a chain. My grids were from KMart and are the 9 space across ones. They're very sturdy. They were on sale because the boxes were opened. I don't remember exactly how much I paid. I had zip ties so I didn't have to buy them. I did buy package sealing tape to hold the coroplast corners together. You can also post an ad on Freecycle for any of the items you need if you have it out by you. Craigslist is also a good way to get item for less. Good luck.

 

[Slave to the Wheek]

That DOES look like a really good deal, and for your little baby piggie who only looks like he's about 2 months old, it's plenty of room. Once he's about a year old you might find that it's too small. Personally, I like CC for adults, especially if you have two, because I HATE :yuck: cleaning cages. My cages are 2grids x 5 grids and only have one pig in each. I only have to spot clean them once a week, and full change out once a month. Although....I spend an enormous amount of money on carefresh. I can get it for $14 for the big bag and it takes 2 bags to fill one my cages all the way for a full 5" thick fill.

Also just a little FYI:

Coro= Corrugated
Plast= Plastic

Hence the name Coroplast. It's actually a brand name. You haven't said the region you live in but if you let me/us know I'll bet I can find you both grids and cubes near you. Unless you live outside US or in seriously rural area the chances for finding both are pretty high.

Personally I think it's worth the effort to take a little longer to find the cubes since with those you can not only reconfigure it as you need to, you can also add to it should you have the desire to add additonal piggie.

 

[MyLittlePiggy07]

I think making one will still save you some money. I made a 2x4 cage for only $35. I googled sign shops in my area & called around asking if they had any coroplast. I found a place that had to order it for me, but it only took 3 days & costed me only $15 for a HUGE piece (I can't remember the dimensions) & I found my grids at Kmart for $20. If you could tell us the area where you are some of us might be able to refer you to a place.

 

[Slave to the Wheek]

IC&C cages are pretty pricey in reality unless you go completely simple, on the floor cage. Mine was like over $100 in the end, but still worth it space wise.

I too think my 2x5, two floor cage......

Actually, a commercial cage of the size of your cage would cost you more than double that if they even made them. You'll notice the regular price on the little Midwest one she's looking at is $99. They point out it's "8 Square Feet" but that is misleading. The dimensions are listed as 47 x 24 x 14 inches. This puts the cage equivalent to the size of a 2gX3g cage. The other thing that is obvious, is the Midwest cage is very flimsy, especially compared to a CC habitat. It can't take anywhere near the beating that a CC cage can. My original Target 2x3grid cage is 28"x43" I use the connectors along with zip ties.Also take a look at the photos added by a customer who has 2 full grown pigs squished into on of those cages. Not enough room for two hidey homes or a tunnel or..much of anything...

This size cage really only works for a single adult guinea pig, and only if you give it a lot of freeplay floor time. The 2gridx3grid cage I built for my first pig, is in my photo gallery.

I have had it for SIX years now. It's been used for a top level on two floor cage, and a single cage. It's been bumped, beaten, taken from room to room. I built it with zip ties so it never comes apart. It worked really well while my first boar was a baby. Because it's a CC cage I was able to easily customize it to create a little "condo" in the corner for him, and then a single grid haybin to manage the hay...once I added a second pig I went a little nuts and built out a 2 story custom habitat for them putting the little cage on top, which you can view in my gallery. Eventually, I had to separate them because I got a 3rd pig and they all started fighting. $1200 in vet bills later I had to separate them and build out yet another set of cages. This is why CC cages simply can't be beat.

I currently house a single adult male in my little cage. Sadly he became very depressed, and really fat, unhealthy fat. It was only supposed to be for a few weeks until we built our...<sigh> THIRD cage (my 3 boars all fight)but we've been sidelined with other issues and he's been in it for over 6 months now. Fortunately he made a visit with my nieces family for a couple months where he got out for several hours a day. He came home nice and slim and muscular, but within a few weeks he's packed on a couple of ounces. We are trying to come up with a cage setup that is like a trundle bed, where one rolls under the other and of course HUBBY is the delay there!!

ANYHOO...in my mind the investment in a box of cubes and some Coroplast is worth the effort and time to find, because you can build up your cage and customize it as your pigs grow. You can use grids to build tunnels and hayracks and anything you can think of. You can use leftover coroplast to create hideys and tunnels.

I agree with mylittlepiggie. I'm sure we can help you find grids/coro if you let us know your regional area. If your worried about posting it you can PM me.