The best place for your pigs is indoors with you. Guineas become more tame & friendly this way & so you get the most out of your pet. Guinea pigs like the same temparatures as we humans. You havn't really had guinea pigs until you have had INDOOR guineas! You should protect them from extremes of temparature & direct sunlight. See our Indoor piggy's page to discover the benefits of indoor guineas! |
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There are lots of cages on sale for guinea pigs but many are unsuitable. There are also a number of options to Do IT Yourself with both indoor & outdoor cages! Check out www.cavycages.com for a cheap & simple indoor cage idea that is perfect for guinea pigsRight- C&C Cages: Cubes & Correx. These cages are made from Cube grid shelving & correx, a sort of plastic cardboard used to make signs. For details of how to make a C&C cage cick here. and visit our C&C page for ideas. |
Having had many kinds of store bought cages I can say that nothing is as good as C&C. We have a multi story C&C set up on a wooden unit- (top layer right) more photos soon. In the UK Correx is available from sign makers & the Grids can be bought from Argos, Kleanease Catalogues, Pound stretcher (from time to time), QD stores or online at monarch-direct. These sourcesseem to no longer stock the cubes so we have found a new source at www.robertmay.co.uk, a shop fitters. These cages are perfect for single boars living side by side as you can seperate them with just a grid wall, so they can still interact. The grids are not big enough to allow teeth or fighting to occur but do allo them to snuggle up through the cage bars. If the boars end up getting on then the dividing wall can simply be removed at no expense. They are also extremly flexible & allow room for & ease of reconfigeration, and making more or larger cages. Right: Kathryns set up uses Cubes & Wood to make lage cages with cube mesh as dividers. |
Above: C&C cages are versitile. You can make a made to measure home for your piggys that suits your set up. Here two boars that cannot live together due to fighting can have company through the bars living side to side thanks to the C&C. They each have a 2x3 grid cage.
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! Left: A tank cage makes the perfect indoor abode. |
Below: a tank cage with a temporary bar cage for a young boar on top of a unit made of Cube shelving grids & cable ties.
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These tank cages are perfect for keeping an indoor boar they are durable, easy to clean & keep all the bedding inside the cage! They are also relatively cheap to buy. Available online from pet centre online. However they are not really big enough for a pair and the largest size is 1 meter in length.The bar cage shown is sold in petshops as suitable for 2 guinea pigs. In reality it is barely big enough for one. This cage is was used as temporary accomadation for a young boar. Barmy for boars recommend you keep pigs in a cage no smaller than 100cm x 45 but the rule here is... THE BIGGER THE BETTER. So please opt for the largest size of accomadation you can fit & afford. |
Hiding Holes for your Pigs Quaters
You should always pride your pigs with a hiding place in their quaters where they can nap & feel secure. There are a number of different types available. We like to change our hiding hole regularly to make the boars cages more interesting for them by adding a little variety! If you have allot of boars you can rotate the houses between them, after washing. |
Below: Spam enjoys hiding in his Plastic pigloo. You should avoid using p lastic toys in your guineas quaters as they tend to chew the edges, which could result in them swallowing sharp pieces of plastic which may cause internal injuries or lead to bloat. We no longer use these plastic igloos as we find they are not hygenic either & plastic tends to sweat. Wooden or grass/straw structures are far safer & a bigger hit with the piggys. |
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Left: Prince & Spam enjoy snuggling in a cozy cuddle cup where they can feel secure but are still visible & accesible. These can be left in the cage and are also great for lap time and for children to cuddle pigs. Fully machine washable and big enough for 2 chubby boys! Available online from petpack, Bunny Mail & bunny bazaar.
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Left: Prince enjoys hiding in his fiddlestix. A big favorite with our boys. Fiddlestix come in various sizes. This is the largest size. They are sticks connected with wire can be bent to make a variety of shapes. They are natural & safe for piggys to nibble. Shown here is the fiddlestix made into a tunnel. The perfect retreat for a piggy or two. You can use your fiddlestix in your pigs quaters if they are large enough, as well as to provide essential shelter in an outdoor run & a bolt hole for floor time.
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Left: A wooden house is a perfect hiding hole. This one is large enough to accomodate 2 large adult boars and still fit nicely in a large cage. It is a firm favorite with us! You can buy simlar homes online or perhaps if you are talented you could make something yourself! You should try ensure you have at least 1 wooden structure for safe chewing in your piggys home. |
