Do The Cages Need To Be Long?

[Sara'spets]

I am trying to come up with a design for a new C&C cage.

My plan is to make 3 levels - 1st - 4 x 4
2nd - 3 x 4
3rd - 2 x 4

The cage would be square instead of long and narrow like I've seen on this site.

I will be housing 6 female guinea pigs.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Piglet]

Nope - the cage doesn't have to be long. I prefer square cage, just don't have the room to make one of these myself.

Wouldn't your ramp be really steep if your second level is 3x4 though? The same applies to the ramp that connects the 2nd and 3rd level

 

[Sara'spets]

The floor of each level would only be 1 grid high or am I missing something.

Right now I only have a 1 level cage.

 

[Piglet]

Yes it would be, but would you have the space to build a nice, low ramp? Maybe I have got it wrong....

With my cage, I had a second level. It was a 2x1 on top a 2x3. I made a ramp that was nearly 2 grids long.

 

[Sara'spets]

I figured out what you meant. I totally forgot to consider the slope of the ramps. Like I said I only have a one level right now. That's why I want to have this all figured out before I even attempt the new one.

Would this work - 5 x 3
3 x 3
1 x 3

 

[Piglet]

Sorry, I didn't really word my posts that well either! Yes, that will work perfectly.

 

[Sara'spets]

And it gives me 21 sq ft.

I wanted a large bottom level since 2 of my pigs love to do laps.

Can the ramps be made from the grids - bent with some type of covering?

A friend who is also going to build one suggested cutting a PVC pipe in half, but then holes would need to be drilled for attaching.

Since I need to build such a large one I'm trying to keep the cost down.

 

[laura220]

You should also consider cleaning. Will it be easy to clean under a 3x4? You may want to make a side open down unless you change the whole design.

 

[Piglet]

That's a very valid point - Do you think it will be too hard to clean under the levels?

 

[Sara'spets]

Actually, the 2nd level will be 3 x 3.

I really don't worry about the cleaning part. I just work around things like that.

Right now I am using a plastic trash bag as a liner with newspaper and bedding on top.

I have one bad habit - the pigs usually come first.

 

[Piglet]

Oh, then that's ok! Remember to post pictures, sounds like a very cool cage

 

[Rachy1412]

You could build a 5X4 which is just a bit bigger than what you need for six girls. Then you could do a 2x4 top.

 

[Sara'spets]

Thanks for the suggestion - that could also be an option.

 

[Piglet]

I like the idea of a 5x4, with a 5x2 second level.

 

[RustBottum]

That is going to be a huge cage!!! post pics after you biuld it i would love to see it!

 

[Slap Maxwell]

I don't believe you are supposed to use any trash bag liners.

 

[Sara'spets]

That is going to be a huge cage!!! post pics after you biuld it i would love to see it!

I like the 5 x 4 with the 5 x 2 second level. I just have to make sure it doesn't take up my entire spare room - the pigs have to share it with 14 hamsters, my computer and craft supplies. That was why I was thinking about going up, but I'm afraid my pigs may not use all levels. I also have a disabled one who might not be able to go up the ramps, so I have to make sure the bottom level has everything on it.

I have 4 female pigs that are around the same age (over a year) and will be adding 2 much younger ones (4-5 months) that have lots of energy, so I am sure the younger ones will be driving the older ones nuts.

 

[Sara'spets]

I don't believe you are supposed to use any trash bag liners.

I don't see why they can't be used as long as the pigs can't get to them. It makes rolling up the bedding much easier.

 

[Baby Bears]

For my ramp, I took two grids and bent them in a half circle. I then overlapped them into each other and used electric ties to hold them together. This made the ramp not quite two grids long. I then cut a strip of carpet and used that inside the grids as a liner for them to walk on. Does this make sense? It's hard to describe in words!

 

[Sara'spets]

For my ramp, I took two grids and bent them in a half circle. I then overlapped them into each other and used electric ties to hold them together. This made the ramp not quite two grids long. I then cut a strip of carpet and used that inside the grids as a liner for them to walk on. Does this make sense? It's hard to describe in words!

It totally makes sense and that's what I thought I would do also. A friend suggested using the halves of PVC piping, but I'm not sure how that would work.