Cage Help! My girl turned out to be a boy!

[VanillaTwilight]

So recently my family and I've found out that our new baby guinea pig, who we thought was a girl, is actually a boy! hmy:

At the moment, I already have a beautiful guinea pig named Vanilla. I am also taking care of two other guinea pigs while my friend is overseas for two more months. They are all girls, except for Honey. But right now, I'm extremely worried because Honey is getting near the age of reproduction. :/ I do NOT want to get the girls pregnant, but I am not allowed to desex Honey. I'm currently looking for cages that have been divided that Honey and Vanilla may share, but I current have made no progress whatsoever.

If you guys have any ideas- PLEASE TELL ME! :important Whether it is to suggest a cage ( I can get two cages, but my space is limited) or suggest a way to divide a cage, I would love your ideas! This is urgent!! :'(

- VanillaTwilight

 

[ShadeyPig]

You can make a c&c cage with a dividing wall and lid.

 

[lissie]

Please take the boy out of the girls' cage immediately.

Putting him in a makeshift cage made from plastic container is better than getting the girls pregnant. Here's an idea:

If you really have nothing to put him in, you can just put him in your bathtub for now.
A laundry basket or cardboard box with the top open will work too.

How old is he? How long has he been with the girls?

 

[VanillaTwilight]

Please take the boy out of the girls' cage immediately.

Putting him in a makeshift cage made from plastic container is better than getting the girls pregnant. Here's an idea:

If you really have nothing to put him in, you can just put him in your bathtub for now.
A laundry basket or cardboard box with the top open will work too.

How old is he? How long has he been with the girls?

Thank you for the advice!

He is about a month or a few days less old at the moment, now. He's been with the girls for about two weeks? We got him around the 14th of November. I'll try to make him a makeshift cage. I've found an old cardboard box that I can use now.

Thanks again for your help!

P.S the white guinea pig in your photo looks nearly exactly like my bby Vanilla!
P.P.S what is the bedding you used there?

 

[VanillaTwilight]

(broken link removed)

Is this a good new cage for my two pigs? I could remove the ramp and replace it with a secured wooden block or something.

 

[pinky]

If my calculation is correct, 90 cm is 35 inches so it's too small for even one. See if you can get some closet shelving to make side and add a water proof base to protect your floor or rug. It also be a lot cheaper than the cage you're looking at. I agree with @lissie that you need to remove him immediately or you'll end up with two pregnant females. I've taken in fosters in an emergency and put them into laundry baskets until I was able to make C&C cages for them.

 

[korryn92]

I think the best permanent solution would be to get a C&C cage. You can get one with a divider so the pigs can still interact through the bars without risk of pregnancy. For now I would do one of the options lissie has mentioned. You can purchase complete C&C cages on the store on this site and then you just have to put them together when they come in the mail. I am not sure if they ship outside of the United States but you can find that information at the cage store.

Hope this helped

 

[VanillaTwilight]

Thank you for your suggestions, but I don't keep my piggies inside. I put them in a wooden cage (my friend's), outdoors. They are well protected, though, but there is limited space. I'm sure my parents won't let me buy a table to put the C & C cage on anyway.

 

[pinky]

You run a huge risk by keeping them outdoors. If you read up on some of the threads, you'll find a lot of information on the risks of keeping them where predators, snakes or insects can get to them.

 

[VanillaTwilight]

:/ I'm sure they're not very threatened by snakes but they seem fine after a few months of caring for them. The cage is actually on my balcony, in the shade and is very well protected. And don't worry, I do notice the weather. When it is wet, I put more bedding in and place a light towel around the cage to prevent the guinea pigs from getting wet. When it is sunny, I take them inside and give them plenty of water. I have so far not been confronted with any problems here.

 

[GuineaPigster]

Is there anyway you could show yur parents this thread?
Why don't they want them inside?
Welcome!

 

[foggycreekcavy]

If the male is a month old, there's a possibility the females are already pregnant. Remove him immediately.

Keeping guinea pigs outside is never a good idea, no matter what the climate is, unless you are out there with them. Are you willing to spend your time outside with a "light towel" to keep the rain off you? There's a thread somewhere on here right now about a guinea pig that was injured by a rat and needed immediate vet attention. Animals kept outside are also at risk for being stolen or worse--I just read about a family who found their rabbits all horribly killed and mutilated by someone.

 

[lissie]

P.S the white guinea pig in your photo looks nearly exactly like my bby Vanilla!
P.P.S what is the bedding you used there?

Not my cage. Found the pic on google search.
The bedding looks like paper pellets.

Please move your pigs inside. You'll never know what will happen when they live outside.

Show your parents this news article.
(broken link removed)

 

[VanillaTwilight]

Show your parents this news article.
(broken link removed)

I have read the article and my parents and I are not very concerned about the risk of a dog attacking our piggies. As I have mentioned before, they live on a balcony, sheltered from rain and any other problems. The only way a dog/cat could reach them is that we would bring a cat or dog into the house, and let them into the balcony (which will CERTAINLY NOT happen!!). I appreciate your concern, though.

I'm afraid I can't move them all of them inside, as there is limited space. I have moved Honey inside with me, in a spacious cardboard box with food and water. The girls are outside, with no harm done to them.

 

[VanillaTwilight]

Is there anyway you could show yur parents this thread?
Why don't they want them inside?
Welcome!

I would love them inside, but there is unfortunately no room. And also, they complain about the smell a lot and I'm sure they wouldn't let me.

 

[VanillaTwilight]

If the male is a month old, there's a possibility the females are already pregnant. Remove him immediately.

Keeping guinea pigs outside is never a good idea, no matter what the climate is, unless you are out there with them. Are you willing to spend your time outside with a "light towel" to keep the rain off you? There's a thread somewhere on here right now about a guinea pig that was injured by a rat and needed immediate vet attention. Animals kept outside are also at risk for being stolen or worse--I just read about a family who found their rabbits all horribly killed and mutilated by someone.

Thank you for the suggestion, I have removed him.

That is dreadful! hmy: I'm absolutely sure, though, that no one could reach my piggies. For that to happen, they'd have to break into my house and find their way to the balcony.

 

[Aleks]

I have read the article and my parents and I are not very concerned about the risk of a dog attacking our piggies. As I have mentioned before, they live on a balcony, sheltered from rain and any other problems. The only way a dog/cat could reach them is that we would bring a cat or dog into the house, and let them into the balcony (which will CERTAINLY NOT happen!!). I appreciate your concern, though.

I'm sorry but I just wanted to add that dogs/cats are not the only thing you need to be concerned about.
The rescue i volunteer for saved a rabbit that was attacked by a hawk-- large birds are also something to be concerned about as they are predators.

 

[VanillaTwilight]

I'm sorry but I just wanted to add that dogs/cats are not the only thing you need to be concerned about.
The rescue i volunteer for saved a rabbit that was attacked by a hawk-- large birds are also something to be concerned about as they are predators.

Although that problem has never occurred, I understand your concern. I'm afraid, though, that we have no other choice than to put them outside. I regularly check up on them. They can be viewed from inside the house and they are right next to the dining room, and they can be seen through a glass door. I hope that makes it any better. :/

 

[VanillaTwilight]

You can't underestimate the threat of weather, too. Guinea pigs don't do well in fluctuating temperatures, and do much better in an environment with a steady temperature similar to what is comfortable us. That can only be done inside.

My parents simply won't let me keep them inside, unless it's only one piggy. We have a one-day rule for inside boarders, unless it's like the situation of Honey. I've been trying my best to allow them to cope with the weather.

 

[CavyMama]

If he is a month old, he isn't NEARING the age of reproduction, he is there. Males generally can impregnate a female at 3 weeks of age.

Everyone else already mentioned why keeping them outside isn't a good idea so there's no need for me to add my two cents on it. I just urge you to read over the reasons given by members here as to why keeping them inside is a much better/safer option.