C&C Plan For New Cage/Kitchen Question

[Wandalea]

I am going to order a C & C 2'x4' cage & connect this current store bought one (40"x17.5" outside measurements) to it as a kitchen. I got it with my 2 new boar piggies not knowing how much space they truly need, even though this was the biggest one at the store. No piggie rescues here because I live on a small island that didn't have any place selling them until a few months ago. Now I've been drawing plans & I would get a new 2'x5' but it just won't fit in my space. My idea is to get fleece for the 2'x4' & use bedding for the kitchen. I have been using Sophresh compressed paper bedding with baking soda. I will put a 2-door hut for each in the main section & the food bowl, veggies, hay, & water in the kitchen. How does all this sound? I estimate that they are about 6 weeks old--7" & 8" long--does that sound right? So far they don't fight at all. I'm not sure if I should put the loft that came with this cage in the kitchen. They have a hard time going up the slippery plastic ramp. If it's good to keep the loft, what would be best to cover the ramp or use for a better one with traction? I see from the photos that some people put the hay rack in a loft. Any particular reason for this? Thanks!

 

[lissie]

A C&C is not measured in feet. 2x4 is referred to grids. Each grid is 14 inches. Not sure if you are measuring your space in feet. A 2x4 grid cage is 28 inches by 56 inches. (a little larger if you count the connectors too)

 

[magicpiggie]

Your cage plan sounds great. Although your pigs seem to get along now, later on, when they hit puberty, they'll have a harder time getting along. So make sure to have two of everything. Two hideys, two food bowls, and two water bowls. And all hideys must have two doors to prevent pigs from trapping one another in.

As as for the ramp, you can cover it with a towel or a piece of carpet, I believe @spy9doc really likes the ramp cover they are using and finds the pigs like it as well, and get a good grip on it. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but I also think spy9doc has a thread on making a reinforced Coro ramp. Please do forgive me if I get the user wrong. Im not good with memorizing, which is why I flunk almost every quiz that requires memorizing, unless I study very very very hard.

 

[Wandalea]

I was measuring in ft. Now I'll have to measure the space again. I could then get a 2x3 & that would be 8.1 sq. ft. plus the kitchen. I'll get the 2x4 if I can possibly fit it in. Do the connectors add about 1/2" on each side? Thanks!

A C&C is not measured in feet. 2x4 is referred to grids. Each grid is 14 inches. Not sure if you are measuring your space in feet. A 2x4 grid cage is 28 inches by 56 inches. (a little larger if you count the connectors too)

 

[Wandalea]

I'll get another water bottle & bowl & I'll try a towel on the ramp--I could sew it so it fits like a sleeve. Fun! Thanks!

Your cage plan sounds great. Although your pigs seem to get along now, later on, when they hit puberty, they'll have a harder time getting along. So make sure to have two of everything. Two hideys, two food bowls, and two water bowls. And all hideys must have two doors to prevent pigs from trapping one another in.

As as for the ramp, you can cover it with a towel or a piece of carpet, I believe @spy9doc really likes the ramp cover they are using and finds the pigs like it as well, and get a good grip on it. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but I also think spy9doc has a thread on making a reinforced Coro ramp. Please do forgive me if I get the user wrong. Im not good with memorizing, which is why I flunk almost every quiz that requires memorizing, unless I study very very very hard.

 

[Wandalea]

Now I see that the Guinea Pig Cages Store (link at top of page) gives all the details & inside/outside dimensions. What a great site! There is so much choice of coro colors & fleece fabrics.

 

[Wandalea]

A 2x4 will just barely fit. The current cage attached as a kitchen will stick out into the room quite a bit farther than I thought, but it will be fine. I put it in the position it will be in to see my sweetie's reaction when he came home. Doesn't bother him at all. I have my C & C cage, colors, & fleeces (leopard!) picked out, now I will order as soon as my piggie budget catches up. Piggies are still getting along great, popcorning, & being adorable. Thanks everyone so much for all the help--I would never have realized all this without this forum.

 

[lissie]

I have my C & C cage, colors, & fleeces (leopard!) picked out, now I will order as soon as my piggie budget catches up.

It is much cheaper to build your own. A box of grids is about $20, and a large sheet of coroplast is $10 -$20. See this thread.
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/107825-Where-to-find-C-amp-C-cage-materials

How to make: https://www.guineapigcages.com/howto.htm

JoAnn is having 50% off fleece sales right now.
http://www.joann.com/fabric/fleece-fabric/

 

[Wandalea]

I will check out the 3 stores on island where I might find coro & grids. They will be much more expensive here & there might not be a color selection at all. Most items cannot be ordered & shipped to the stores here like mainland stores. To ship components to Hawaii all separately would end up costing more in shipping than getting everything at once from the cages store, for which the shipping cost would be $93 & I think it was $24 to ship 2 ready-made fleece pads. The fleece might be available at Walmart, but maybe not with this climate. There is no fabric store except one that sells only batik cotton & Hawaiian prints for quilting. I could order online maybe from JoAnn's & order U-Haul blankets, however, my sewing machine recently seemed to blow it's motor--arrggghhhh. It's an oldy-goody Bernina, but the factory storage place in Switzerland burned & all the old machine parts are gone, not to be remade. Soooo...it really might be best to order the whole thing at once. Thanks Lissie for all these links! I'll be putting Dink & Doink in a big cardboard playpen & attach it to the door of their current cage during the day so they can come & go. I'm retired so can spend most days with them supervising. I'll still check out the grids & coro situation here this week.

 

[Wandalea]

I read the threads about wood pellets & decided to use those with fleece on top. I ordered a few yards of fleece from JoAnn's (half-price sale online now). There will be enough for 2 big pads & some left over for fleece forests. Still might order a cage kit, but will check out grids & coro locally. My partner will make a platform on caster wheels for it so it aligns with the kitchen cage. Ha ha, he is getting into them.

 

[Wandalea]

I plan to put a triangular fleece forest in each corner of the upcoming new 2x4 C & C cage. Does a fleece forest need to be covered on top like a hidey so they feel secure?

 

[lissie]

I think it's a good idea to cover it.