Jade's Bunk Bed Cage

Yes, it's Cubes and Coroplast but a very interesting approach! And this album has Jade's ideas for recycling inexpensive items into cage accessories. 

Linoleum (instead of Coroplast)

These are single level, open top Cubes and Coroplast cages of different sizes.

Wire Shelving (instead of Cubes)

White closet or utility shelving can be purchased in any home improvement store. They can cut it to size for you at the store with heavy-duty bolt cutters. You can connect the sections with cable ties. Be sure to buy the little end caps to put over the cut ends for safety.

Don't SECTION it OFF

Please don't section off the cage. When building your Cubes and Coroplast cage, it is tempting to section it off. However, that is the last thing your pigs need. You are only reducing the room they have to run around the cage. Maximize their ability to run laps. Always keep the perimeter of the cage as clear as possible. Try not to put houses and accessories right up against walls or in the corner. Give them room to maneuver around all the objects in the cage. In a much larger cage configuration, the idea is okay, but in this size cage, it makes the space too small.

Don't Use BINS

Please don't use tubs and bins. They are just too small. The "large under-bed storage container" are usually barely 2/3 of the minimum 2 x 3 grid space. The largest containers readily available are commonly 6 square feet or less (80% of the minimum required at best). It only takes a little more effort to increase the real space your cavies have to run laps and explore. Don't settle for less just because it's convenient for you. Inches matter.

Just increasing the space from 6 to 7 1/2 square feet is a 25% increase for your guinea pig! A foot and a half may not seem like much to you, but if someone gave you a 25% increase in the total living space in your home, you'd be thrilled, especially if you were living in a tiny studio apartment! And if it doesn't seem like much, why not give it to them?

If you must use the bins, then you should have two, side by side, with at least an 8" wide section cut down from each adjoining side, creating a "gate" for them to walk and run through. Don't leave it so that they have to leap over the sides or climb over steps or ramps. (And it will take you more time and effort to cut it down, than make the Coroplast bottom. We know, we've done it. And it's messier to clean.)
 

Don't go HIGH

Don't think that if you don't have enough space you can go high instead of wide for your cavies. THIS IS NOT a good environment for your guinea pigs. Ferret and Chinchilla cages are for Ferrets and Chinchillas -- NOT guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are low-to-the-ground dwellers and need the full and proper space on their ground floor. AFTER you have given them proper, unencumbered rectangular square footage for living, THEN you can add SAFE upper decks, limited only by your creativity and safety for the animals.   

Don't Use TALL BINS

Tall bins and tubs, in addition to being too small, do not provide enough VENTILATION for your guinea--especially if you are using pine (kiln-dried or otherwise) or any other wood product type of bedding. Guinea pigs rely on their sense of smell to participate in their environment. Urine and ammonia build-up effect them more dramatically in this kind of environment, making them more susceptible to Upper Respiratory Infections and other problems.