a guinea pig cage

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Did You Know That a Guinea Pig Cage is the Most Underestimated Secret to Guinea Pig Health and Happiness?

This is the secret pet stores will not tell you!

Did you know -

Most of the information about guinea pigs and guinea pig care found in popular pet care books, in pet store handouts, and offered by pet store employees is either outdated, disproved, or used to encourage you to buy overpriced, unsafe food, accessories, and supplies that can be hazardous to your guinea pig’s health!

That’s right, the people who you turn to for expert advice are actually giving you information that makes you guinea pig listless, unhealthy, unhappy, causes cage odor, and actually ultimately will reduce your guinea pig’s life span!

Fact #1: A Guinea Pig Cage Needs to be Larger Than You Think

Most people think that guinea pigs don’t need a lot of space. This is true in comparison to a larger animal like a dog. However, guinea pigs need a lot more room to run around, play and express their personalities than the average person thinks. A larger cage with the right type of bedding will also prevent 100% of all unnecessary guinea pig cage odor!

A Guinea pig cage – What you need:

A single guinea pig needs a cage about two and a half feet by three feet. If you have two guinea pigs aim for two and a half feet by four feet.

While it is not common to find a cage this large in your average pet store, a lot of guinea pig owners have better luck building their own cages or purchasing kits off of the Internet.

Fact #2: A Guinea Pig Cage Should NOT Stink EVER

Guinea pig cage odor is a major complaint for many owners. The first thing you need to do to prevent odor is make sure you cage is large enough. Secondly, clean the cage at least once per week – remove all bedding and clean out cage using vinegar. If using fleece as a bedding, try washing the fleece with a little vinegar. During the week you can make a vinegar/water solution and place it in a squirt bottle and use it to spot clean.

Sometimes pet urine develops a particularly sharp smell when there is too much sugar in the urine. Try reducing sugar intake, including fruits, and see if the smell improves.

Lastly, many people have been happy with using litter box training to reduce cage odor.

Fact #3: You can Make A Guinea Pig Cage – for less money and better quality

The most commonly built cage type is known as “C&C“ which stands for cubes (as in organization cubes like you would find at Bed Bath and Beyond) and coroplast, which a strong lightweight plastic that strongly resembles corrugated cardboard. When making a C&C cage your main concern should be to buy cubes that are safe. Many stores have cubes that have fewer than 9 x 9 grids. This results in opening larger than 1.5 inches. This can pose a danger as numerous guinea pigs have been known to stick their heads through these holes, get stuck, and then die by strangulation.

Also, try not to section off the cage – you want your guinea pigs to be able to run without any obstructions. Place hiding locations and other objects in the center of the cage.

How to make a guinea pig cage – C&C

What Is a C&C Cage?

“C&C” stands for cubes and coroplast. Coroplast is actually a brand name but the product itself is basically corrugated plastic (two thin layers of plastic separated by hollow columns) and “cubes” refers to the square metal grids that one would fit together to make storage cubes (like you would see in a closet organizer system.) So, a C&C cage is essentially a custom designed guinea pigs cage using square metal grids for the walls and then the coroplast sits inside the cage to form the cage floor or bin.

What are the advantages of C&C guinea pig cages?

The main reason that guinea pig owners are drawn to making their own C&C cages is primarily due to the fact that most commercially available guinea pig cages are simply too small. Ideally a lone guinea pig would have a cage of approximately 7.5 square feet; however most commercially available cages are closer to 40″L X 18″W X 20″H.

The modular nature of the metal grids allows one to create a variety of cage sizes to suit one’s particular needs while the coroplast is easy to work with, lightweight, nontoxic, strong, and waterproof (meaning it will last and be easy to clean)– in fact some C&C cage owners have had coroplast liners last for five years. The simplicity of the materials also allows one to design more elaborate and customized cages with features like wheels and multiple levels.

What do I need to consider when choosing the materials for my C&C guinea pig cage?

When choosing the metal grid cubes for your cage, be aware that while the cubes themselves may be a standard size, the actual grid spacing can vary between models and manufacturers. Some grid layouts will be obviously too large such as a 14in square cube that has a 5 by 5 grid layout. Other grid layouts will look deceptively small enough, such as the 8 by 8 grid layout. The danger with this size is that the grid spacing is just large enough for a determined guinea pig to partially work themselves through the bars and in some cases strangulation has occurred. If you build your own C&C cage, please make sure you select a 9 by 9 grid layout (this breaks down to 1.5in spacing) as this is the safest option.

Where can I get the materials to make a guinea pig cage?
In the US any store like Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, or Walmart is a good starting point. Online sites like guineapigcages.com and ebay will also sell the particular equipment. Coroplast can usually be obtained from stores tyat carry materials for making signs.

Outside of the US, many people seem to be struggling to get materials. I recommend contacting your local rescue/shelter/or breeder to see if they know of a good source or if they sell kits.

In the UK, many people have recommended B&Q (in-store, not always online) http://www.diy.com/ as well as Wickes http://www.wickes.co.uk/ In general these seem to go in and out of stock periodically. Guineapigcages.com maintains probably the best source directory online.

In Australia people are reporting that materials can be found at some Bunnings (called IBEX GRIDS) but not all. This seller on ebay is a good source for the coroplast.

In Singapore, people seem to have luck finding grids in Daiso.