Cage extension

Post Reply
CavyGirl04

Post   » Mon Jul 30, 2018 9:59 pm


I have 2 girls living in an 8 square foot cage and have finally found a way to convince my parents to let them have more floor space. They're worried about using coroplast, though, so instead I'm going to do a cage extension.
Basically, I'm going to take the wire top off their current cage and put an under-bed storage bin right beside it with a ramp to go between the cage and bin. I'm going to then put some wire shelving around the entire thing (it's adjustable shelves so I can make them fit whatever the lengths are). Are there any really basic issues I'm missing with this? And any suggestions for making a ramp?

JX4

Post   » Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:02 pm


What is their concern about coroplast? So many guinea pig owners use it. What is their concern?

CavyGirl04

Post   » Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:06 pm


My mom's worried about how I'll clean it (right now I hose it off outside, which I obviously couldn't do) and that it will leak and damage our hardwood floors. Also, this way we don't have to store the old cage, and "cage extension" sounds a lot better than "new cage" to my dad, who doesn't want me to give them more space for some reason.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Mon Jul 30, 2018 11:07 pm


It won't leak if you seal the seams. And most of us clean it by wiping it down with a vinegar solution.

CavyGirl04

Post   » Tue Jul 31, 2018 10:39 am


I know, but I'm pretty sure there's no convincing my parents. This is the only way I've been able to get them to agree to more space at all. This cage extension lets me add around 6 square feet, which is better than nothing.

CavyGirl04

Post   » Wed Aug 01, 2018 6:22 pm


I was wondering if anybody has ideas for ramps to go from one side to the other? I want to DIY something (and not spend $18 on two pieces of wood with a hinge from Amazon) but I'm not sure what I could use and how long it would have to be.

rjespicer

Post   » Wed Aug 01, 2018 6:44 pm


Depends how high the piece they need to get over is. Ours were able to hop over a 1-1.5 inch lip between areas. The higher the obstacle then the longer the ramp will need to be

Not tried them myself but maybe a grass mat might work as an alternative. obviously not rigid but better than a fence edge and gives them some traction too but as i said it depends what they need to get over and how high it is.

Something like this

https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Ware-Natural-Handwoven-Grass/dp/B01BYJML34/ref=sr_1_29?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1533163058&sr=1-29&keywords=Ramp&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_three_browse-bin%3A7270405011

User avatar
PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Wed Aug 01, 2018 7:28 pm


Go to guineapigcages.com and check out the albums - there are a ton of ideas over there!

CavyGirl04

Post   » Wed Aug 01, 2018 8:37 pm


I don't think the grass mats would work since it needs to be 5+ inches tall. I bet I can find something on guineapigcages. Thanks for that recommendation!

Also, with this addition my two piggies will have about 14 square feet. Will I still need to give them floor time with this much space, or will they be able to get enough exercise in the cage alone?

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Aug 01, 2018 8:54 pm


If you want to make it yourself, do a practice on out of cardboard from a big box. You can take the dimensions from there if you need to get a piece of wood. Check to see if a relative or neighbor has scraps of wood you could use. Wood can be salvaged from wood pallets too. You just need to knock it apart and pull out the nails.

rjespicer

Post   » Thu Aug 02, 2018 3:19 pm


OK understood we used one when we needed a ramp but it only needed to be a couple of inches high.

Good luck finding something on guinepigcages!

Post Reply