Guinea Pig Cages - Why Your C&C Cage Might Need A Bottom
In today's short piece, we're going to speak about bottoms. No - I don't wish to discuss your bottom - or even your guinea pig's bottom. I would like to talk about the requirement for incorporating a bottom when designing and building your C&C cage.
Log on internet and search for internet pages and articles regarding how to build a C&C cage. The vast majority of results returned will show the way to build a cage that looks less like a cage and rather more like a corral. If you examine it closely, you'll notice this simplistic class of guinea pig cages consists simply of a Coroplast bin or tub surrounded by a metal grid fence.
And I am not knocking this system. It is an absolutely superb and inventive design. It is both effective and efficient in its simplicity. It provides lots of room for the money. And in my opinion, of all of the cubes and Coroplast designs out there; this simple, basic "pig corral" is the most economical and cost-effective design that can be found. Nevertheless there's one caveat - and it is a critial one.
In my mind, this class of bottomless cage is generally safe only if it's used on the ground. Permit me to explain why.
To make visualisation less complicated, let's forget the litter bin for a second. Imagine we place just the "fence" on a table. That is right; we'd have just a metal grid rectangle sitting on a table. Here is a common scenario: The standard folding table is 6-feet (72-inches) by 30-inches wide. A standard size for C&C cage width is 56-inches by 28-inches. So there is plenty of room (8-inches to spare) on each side. There is only an inch to spare in front of and in back of the metal fence.
If we bump the cage forward till the front wall of the rectangle slips off the table, there is truly no problem. The front edge of the fence will now rest on the two sides and these two sides still support the cage on the table so long as it's not bumped too far off the front edge. The same goes if it's pushed off either side. The cage will sit on the front and back walls.
The trouble comes when the rectangle is bumped diagonally off the table so it slides off one of the corners (for instance the front-left corner). In this situation, the whole left side wall and the front wall are forced off the edge. The remaining two walls (back wall and right side wall) can not support the cage so it falls off the table diagonally.
Now let's put the Coroplast bin back into the corral. Slide the cage off the front or side - once more, no problem. The cage rests on two opposite sides with the litter bin still contained within. However nudge it diagonally off the table and it slides off the table - and depending upon weight distributions and forces, it may pull the litter bin onto the floor with it. At the very least, it will most likely create a large litter disaster for you to clean up. At worst, you might be looking at an injured guinea pig.
Now let's add a bottom to our cage. Slide the cage diagonally off the table and two sides no longer slide off the table edge. Even with two edges off the table, the cage doesn't fall off the table because it now is supported by its bottom.
If you're having trouble imagining the scenario I have described, see our video on the risks of bottomless guinea pig cages. This video very effectively demonstrates this situation.
When thinking about a C&C cage design, many people consider a cage bottom to be wasteful addition. And if the cage is to be located on the floor then, except for adding some structural reinforcement, the cage bottom serves very little purpose. If, on the other hand, the cage is to be placed on a table, then a cage bottom can make the cage significantly more stable, more reliable and safer for your pigs. As an alternative, you may fasten the cage to the table top to prevent movement or attach a lip to the table edges so that the cage cannot be bumped off.
We here at BlueStoneCommerce are guinea pig owners as well as guinea pig cage sellers and we know what pigs like and what they require in guinea pig cages to be healthy, snug and secure. To visit our internet site and claim your special unadvertised discount on quality C&C guinea pig cages <--CLICK this LINK.
Guinea Pigs - Would You Make a Good Guinea Pig Owner?
Guinea pigs are amazing pets with great dispositions. They require just a little care and make brilliant pets for older children. But guinea pigs are not for everyone. Here are simply a few factors to think about before running down to your favorite animal shelter or pet store to pick one up.
Guinea pigs don't do particularly well living alone. They are social creatures who hunger for the companionship of others. Consider the lifestyles and personalities of you and your family. Will your new addition be really integrated into your family and get plenty of attention - not only at the start when you first bring it home - but for its whole life? Or will it be mostly ignored, sitting alone in its guinea pig cage, left to become "just an obligation" once the original novelty has worn off? Or, if you can't give it enough attention, are you willing to house at least two pigs together in order that they can keep one another company?
With the pleasure of pet ownership also comes responsibility. Are you ready to fully commit to long term care and feeding for your new pet for its entire life? Guinea pigs normally live 5 to 6 years - and some can live as many as eight years. So remember, when you bring home a guinea pig, you are bringing home another living being. And in the final analysis you'll be the one accountable for its health and well-being for the rest of its life.
Are you emotionally strong enough to suffer the loss of your pet in the future? As I said earlier, guinea pigs sometimes live about five to 6 years. While this may be a long time in terms of making a commitment to your animal; it's a comparatively short time in relation to the lifespan of you or your children. Put simply, as indelicate as it sounds, it is likely that you will sometime have to watch your pet die.
This is neither bad nor good - it's simply life. But it could be a good learning experience for your children in terms of learning how to handle death and loss in a healthy way. But it can also be a really unpleasant and difficult time.
Our family has owned many pets from guinea pigs to rabbits to dogs. We've had fish, snails, mice and even frogs. And, unavoidably, we have unhappily lost many pets. Over time, the woods in our backyard have become a little pet graveyard. But on the whole, those pets have all contributed so very much more to our family during their lifetimes than they ever took away with their deaths. For us, the pros far outweighed the negatives of pet ownership.
On the other hand, my sister-in-law was devastated by the death of her ferret. So much so that she decided never to own another pet again. For her, the negative overwhelmed the positives. Which type of person (or family) are you? You ought to know before you bring home a guinea pig.
Bringing home a new pet is exciting - and also implies a serious commitment. Are you happy and willing to spend time with your pet and give it the attention that it needs? Are you willing to fully commit to this stewardship for the entire lifespan of your new animal? And are you emotionally prepared to handle the inevitable bad times that come with the good experiences that your guinea pig will provide? If you can say yes to all these questions, then you're a good candidate for a guinea pig owner. Enjoy.
Regardless of what type of guinea pig you're looking to own, each one of them have just about the same desires for a healthy, spacious and secure home. We here at BlueStoneCommerce are guinea pig owners as well as guinea pig cage sellers. Everyone knows what pigs like and what they have to have in a guinea pig cage to be healthy, satisfied and secure. So if you're looking for a lot of guinea pig cage for the money, Click one of these resource area links to go to one of our online web stores
Guinea Pigs Cages - Safety Alert
A guinea pig is just a rodent - a tiny inconsequential creature. Sure, the youngsters like them. But all the same, when you bring them home from the petshop, they're just like every other possession (except they have that annoying practice of moving around) so they have to be contained. So we have to confine them - toss them in guinea pigs cages and give them food and water each day. That's okay - they'll be fine.
Hopefully that is not your attitude.
Too many folks appear to forget the fact that guinea pigs are basically living, breathing beings that have to be cared for and shown the same respect that each live being on earth deserves. Not all folks with this approach are cold-hearted, unfeeling villains. The majority are probably just well-intentioned owners of pets who simply haven't done the study to educate themselves sufficiently well to become knowledgeable, competent pet-owners.
As Guinea Pig C&C cage designers and merchants, we communicate with a number of guinea pig owners (quite often first time guinea pig animal owners). We also communicate with and are monitored by several guinea pig rescue associations. Consequently, we see one common specific cage-related situation which keeps surfacing and which is also decidedly unsafe to your pigs' welfare, health and safety. The object of this short piece is to advise you of this common potentially harmful danger so you can easily avoid it.
This frequently seen issue is the use of cage floors and other cage walking surfaces made of metal bars or grids. Many commercial guinea pigs cages are built with wire floors. The object of the wire floor is to allow feces and other solid materials fall though the openings into a litter pan below. To clean, one just slides out the litter pan and empties the pan. Very convenient - but also very dangerous for your guinea pigs. While these types of cages supply a marked convenience advantage for the owner, they are potentially dangerous for your pig's foot health.
Your guinea pig's footpads are delicate and sensitive structures. To your pig, walking on wire mesh is just like you spending your entire day walking on rebar, metal pipes or similar metal bars in your bare feet.
Living in a cage with a wire floor can cause sores and ulcers on your pig's footpads. In addition, your pig's feet can get wedged or entrapped between the metal bars. Pigs housed in cages with wire floors frequently suffer damaged toes and legs.
The same is also true of ramps in multi-level cages. Ramps shouldn't contain metal bars, mesh or anything else which may trap or cause irritation to your guinea pigs tender feet. Sure, it's critical to provide an effective gripping surface - the surface must have something on it to prevent slipping. But the point is, these features shouldn't be able to snag or trap your pigs ' feet and toes.
So as to avoid unwarranted injury to your pig's feet and toes, just follow these two easy rules. Be certain to purchase or build a cage with a smooth bottom to avoid the injuries detailed above. Also, if relevant make sure the ramp has a non-slip surface to permit your pig to run up and down it it without falling or slipping but
avoid ramps with metal bars or wire grids as these can trap delicate guinea pig feet and toes and cause unpleasant injuries.
We here at BlueStoneCommerce are guinea pig owners as well as guinea pig cage sellers and we all know what pigs like and what they require in guinea pigs cages to be healthy, snug and secure. To visit our internet site and claim your special unadvertised discount on quality C&C guinea pigs cages <--CLICK on this LINK.
Guinea Pigs Cages - Getting Yours Set Up Properly
So you've just brought your new guinea pig home from the shelter or pet store. And now, you're not totally sure what to do. Let us help you to get off to a good start with this quick-start guinea pig owners ' guide.
Firstly, if you have just come back from the shelter or pet store with a single pig, we highly recommend that you turn right around and go back. Guinea pigs are social creatures and have a tendency to do better when there are at least two pigs living together. Two females are a good combination. Two males can live together peacefully so long as they have been raised together. And while it is possible to introduce two grown males to each other, it does require patience and care. A male and a female are the absolute best combination, but of course one of them needs to be "fixed" so as to avoid a future in-cage population explosion.
Your first task is to select a cage. Pet store cages have a tendency to be too small to adequately house a single pig "not to mention multiple pigs. Use the following recommendations when choosing guinea pigs cages:
- One guinea pig: 6-7 sq. Ft.
- Two guinea pigs: 7.5 sq. Ft.
- Three guinea pigs: 10.5 sq. Ft.
If you can't find one big enough at the pet store, you can always build your very own cage or buy one online from a trustworthy cage seller. Recently, C&C (Cubes and Coroplast) cages have become reasonably popular because they provide a lot of cage for the money. Take a look at the resource area and the end of this article for links to some online C&C guinea pig cage stores.
Place a nest box, a chunk of PVC pipe or other enclosure within the cage. Pigs like to hide out in cozy tiny places and providing a hiding place inside the cage will make your pigs feel more happy and more secure.
Never place your pigs in an aquarium. Yes, some uninformed people do house their pigs in an aquarium, however it is very unhealthy for their respiratory system. Poisonous ammonia gas forms as your pigs urinate within the enclosure. In a wire cage, there's satisfactory ventilation to carry this gas away. Nevertheless in an aquarium the ammonia gas is contained by the glass walls forcing your pigs to inhale it in all day long.
Fill the cage with litter or bedding. Avoid cedar chips and cat litter made of clay. Both are very bad for your guinea pig's respiratory system. A litter made of recycled paper works extremely well. Also, many of us have begun to line their cages with an absorbent material covered in fleece. The fleece permits liquids to wick right through into the absorbent layer.
In general, Timothy hay is superb for your pigs. Your pigs can have it in just about unlimited amounts. Alfalfa hay should be given much more sparingly. Alfalfa hay is richer and will cause your pigs to gain exorbitant weight.
While, commercial pellets are fine for your guinea pigs , however , they also are very rich and may be given in low amounts as a supplement to the main diet which should consist mainly of fresh fruits and vegetables. Only plants with rich dark colours should be chosen. Iceberg lettuce shouldn't be fed to your pigs; it is mostly empty calories with only tiny nutritional value.
Do not forget to install a water bottle in your pig's cage. Water dishes don't work well "as pigs have a tendency to tip them over.
Above all, don't panic. Guinea pigs are terrific animals and don't need an exorbitant quantity of work. Remember that guinea pigs do better in pairs or groups than living alone. Be certain to provide sufficient living space. C&C cages are a popular choice these days because they do provide a lot of room for a reasonable price. Supply a cozy and comfortable hiding place for your pigs - many nest boxes are available for guinea pigs. An upside-down little cardboard box works well too (although guinea pigs like to chew so you could have to replace it often). Feed your pig generally deep-colored fresh veggies and provide a water bottle. That is all you need to know to begin.
To learn more, pick up a good guinea pig reference guide - see the left sidebar on our guinea pigs cages default page for links to a couple authoritative guinea pig care guides. Also, for an unadvertized discount special on quality C&C guinea pigs cages <--CLICK on this LINK.
Guinea Pig Cages - Room to Ramble
What is the most critical factor when choosing guinea pig cages? Quite possibly, the most significant factor in most cases is "space" - sq footage. Your guinea pigs need room to run, room to romp - that's right - room to roam. The bare minimum space endorsed for two pigs by many guinea pig rescue associations is 10.5 sq. feet. And because you should usually keep at least two guinea pigs together (they're social animals and need company); you shouldn't ever be considering getting a cage any smaller than 10.5 square feet.
But what about those mass produced petstore cages? Aren't they adequate? I mean - they seem to be everywhere. They certainly have to be okay. Don't they?
No they don't. See for yourself.
Just look more closely at one of those factory produced cages. Imagine putting your fully grown adult pig in there. Clearly, she is taking up a serious amount of space in there. Now add a nestbox, a hay rack, a water bottle and a feed dish - just to make the environment more comfy for your pets. There's no room to move around - no room for exercise - no room to run, romp or roam. And that's without toys or other accessories.
It has been said before: Making your guinea pig live in one of those cramped pet store guinea pig cages is like someone making you live your entire life in your bathroom.
And remember:
There's meant to be at least two pigs in there - so now, in your mental picture, select a buddy to live in there with you - 24/7.
And to make matters even worse - you and your buddy are sitting there quietly in your bathroom habitat and your owner decides that it might be a great idea to put a kitchen table and a refrigerator in there with you - simply to make things more "comfortable" for you. Aren't you beginning to feel just a bit like a lab guinea pig stuffed into a rodent cage?
And there's the crux of the difficulty. Guinea pigs have an unlucky history as lab test animals. In fact , the term "guinea pig" is still regularly used to refer to someone who is being used as a test subject. Due to this unfavorable past history, I suspect that many guinea pig cages were originally designed to contain guinea pigs in labs. That is - they were first invented to store guinea pigs - not to comfortably and safely house them. Cavy Spirit - a well regarded guinea pig rescue organization calls standard pet store cages "glorified litter boxes". (Seemingly, the pet store cage isn't just like you sitting in your bathroom - but also like your pig sitting in their bathroom.)
The solution? You actually know the answer" C&C (cubes and Coroplast) guinea pig cages. 2x4 guinea pig cages are around 10.3 square-feet - perfect for two pigs. Go longer if you can - or add an additional story or two - the bigger, the better. Treat your piggies right. Build your cubes and Coroplast guinea pig cages from scratch or order a kit from a trustworthy online seller like BlueStoneCommerce.
Regardless of what breed of guinea pig you prefer, every one of them have nearly identical needs for a safe, comfortable and secure home. We here at BlueStoneCommerce are guinea pig owners as well as sellers of comfortable and spacious guinea pig cages. If you want to have pigs that are healthy, contented and secure, you need to house them in guinea pig cages that permit them to be healthy, happy and secure - but without spending an "arm and a leg". Therefore if you're trying to find a lot of guinea pig cage for the money, CLICK HERE--> Guinea Pig Cages to RECEIVE A SPECIAL DISCOUNT.
Guinea Pigs - A Quick Outline of Breeds
When we think of a guinea pig, the first picture that often comes to our mind is the American Guinea Pig - the "classic" or "standard" guinea pig - and the most popular. But there are several other types as well as the common American Guinea Pig. This text will introduce you to a select few of the breeds frequently living in family homes today.
American Guinea Pig
This is the variety that everybody immediately pictures first as we hear the words "guinea pig". It is also commonly called the English guinea pig. This is a short hair breed which makes it very suitable for a pet. It does not require grooming and may be held and petted without disturbing its coat.
Abyssinian
The Abyssinian is a long-haired breed of guinea pig. The coat on this animal is quite distinctive because it tends to curl itself into whirls and swirls. These whirls and swirls are called rosettes. The Abyssinian is one of the oldest breeds that may be found today. If you're looking for a low-maintenance cavy, keep looking. This breed needs daily grooming of the coat to avoid snarls and keep the pig looking attractive.
Peruvian
The Peruvian breed is an unusual long-haired breed. Its hair can grow to a surprisingly long length of a foot or even more. The hair is smooth and straight and has a tendency to part in the middle and hang naturally to each side of the pig. The long hair requires a lot of attention; so many owners like to keep the coat trimmed shorter to make this task simpler to do.
Silkie
The Silkie is a less common breed and is also known as a
Sheltie. It has a long (and, of course silky) coat - similar to the Peruvian. In contrast to the Peruvian, the hair does not tend to part naturally down the ridge of the back. The hair of the Silkie sweeps backward from its head. The coat of the Silkie is also softer than that of the Peruvian.
This short essay has presented a short description of some of the more common guinea pig breeds. Irrespective of the breed, guinea pigs can make great loving pets and help to brighten a household. Even though long haired breeds have a tendency to look more exotic and sometimes make good show animals, the common short-haired American breed is a very popular household pet because its coat needs so very little care. The good news is guinea pigs are relatively low-maintainence pets. They require little more than healthful food; fresh hay; water; a clean, safe, comfortable and spacious guinea pig cage and - a little love and attention from you.
No matter what sort of guinea pig you prefer, they each have similar needs for a good, healthy and secure home. We here at BlueStoneCommerce are guinea pig owners as well as guinea pig cage sellers. We all know what pigs like and what they need to have in a guinea pig cage to be healthy, safe and secure. Hence if you're on the lookout for a lot of guinea pig cage for the money, Click one of these resource area links to visit one of our internet stores
C&C Cage Hazard Warning
In recent times, C&C (Cubes and Coroplast) cages have grown gradually in popularity and have taken over a serious segment of the small animal pet habitat market. A fast internet search will reveal many web sites that now offer directions for building basic C&C cages. Additionally, many C&C cage sellers have appeared online and offer C&C cages in kit form. The main reasons for the booming popularity of this cage technology is that 1) very large cages are available - typically much bigger than those sold in pet stores and 2) C&C cages are relatively inexpensive. By virtue of these factors "the consumer can get plenty of cage for the money. But as the old proviso goes: Let the buyer beware. There is one serious potential hazard that the responsible pet owner must watch for when obtaining or building their own C&C cage.
As I discussed before, many sites offer instructions on building easy, basic C&C cages. Many of them also list sources for materials. A few nationwide department store chains are mentioned as sources for metal grids. The difficulty is that a lot of this information is now several years old and some of the grid sources have altered their products.
Not many years ago, one of the nation's dept. store chains was a great spot to buy grids for C&C cages. They were sold as cube or shelving unit kits. The kits contained both the metal grids and plastic connectors required to fasten them together. The square grids were 14-inches on each side and were laid out in a 9-space by 9-space grid. So, each opening was about 1.5 inches square. And these girds made absolutely wonderful cages.
As the economy took a turn for the worse, the company had this product re-designed in order to take metal out of it and save cost. The new design now contained grids that had only 8 spaces per side. Therefore, each space was slightly bigger - only around a 5th of an inch. No big deal if you were building a shelf to hold stuffed animals, comic books or your hat collection from Sweden. However , that 5th of an inch was a very big deal to C&C cage builders and owners.
Right after the design change, guinea pig rescue organizations began receiving reports of guinea pig strangulation deaths. Many of the organizations started issuing warnings to avoid 8x8 grids and only use 9x9 grids. Several also made contact with C&C cage stores with the same caution. In fact , it was thru contact with these organizations that our company first heard of this issue.
After deciding on the C&C technology, you will have 2 choices in obtaining your cage. You can design and build your cage from the start out of grids, corrugated plastic and other hardware that you get yourself. Or you can order your cage in kit form and build it with the instructions and materials provided. Either way, be absolutely certain to use only grids with spacing of 1.5 inches or smaller. When using 14-inch grids, be certain to use only 9x9 girds and absolutely avoid 8x8 grids.
We here at BlueStoneCommerce are guinea pig owners as well as guinea pig cage sellers. We all know what pigs like and what they want in a guinea pig cage to be healthy, safe and comfortable. So , if you're searching for a lot of guinea pig cage for the money, Click on one of the resource area links to visit our internet stores.
Constructing Your Own Cubes and Coroplast Guinea Pig Cage
Guinea pigs are charming little creatures. They make good pets, are usually relatively straightforward to care for and are usually quite friendly if they are raised with care and kindness. One very important step in bringing a new guinea pig into the home is giving them safe and comfortable housing.
Pet store cages are an option that many folk . They are certainly convenient. All one needs to do is choose one and put it in the car. The major downside is that typically the pet store guinea pig cage is much too little and confining to provide a healthy and spacious environment for your pig. Bigger cages can sometimes be very hard to find "and even if they are available, they can be extremely expensive.
A particularly viable alternative option is to build up your very own cage. Not only can you save a bundle of cash by building your own cage, but it is possible to get exactly the cage you want by adding any unique features you so need.
Step 1 will be to design the cage. The most vital item to be considered will be the dimensions of the cage. The following approximate de facto standards for minimum cage sizes can be found with a fast search online. Your cage should provide at least the minimum sq footage suggested:
- One guinea pig: 6-7 sq. Ft.
- Two guinea pigs: 7.5 sq. Ft.
- Three guinea pigs: 10.5 sq. Ft.
- Four guinea pigs: 13 sq. Ft.
A cage construction technology called C and C (cubes and coroplast) has become popular lately. This method uses steel grids to form the walls of the cage (and optionally a top and bottom). A corrugated plastic sheet is used to form the litter pan or litter box on the cage. The grids are joined using either plastic connectors designed for this application or tie-wrap (zip tie) fasteners.
The grids are each 14-inches square. So your cage design can be any size, shape and design that may be formed using 14-inch x 14-inch squares. Many cage design permutations are possible including squares, rectangles, triangle "and even multi-level cages with ramps for moving between levels.
From our experience as cage builders and designers, multi-level cages are the most popular. And most guinea pigs appear to love them.
Designing, planning and building a C and C cage for your guinea pig (s) is something that nearly anybody can do. No special abilities or tools are required. All that it requires is a little planning and access to the right materials. As an alternative, you can get a C&C cage kit online from a trustworthy seller.
We here at BlueStoneCommerce are guinea pig owners as well as guinea pig cage sellers. We now know what pigs like and what they want in a guinea pig cage to be healthy, cozy and secure. So , if you are looking out for a lot of guinea pig cage for the money, Click one of the resources area links to visit our internet stores
Don't Buy A Guinea Pig Before You Buy His Guinea Pig Hutch
A wonderful hobby for children and for adults is keeping guinea pigs. And because of this guinea pigs are becoming an extremely popular pet. However if you're now considering buying your first piggy you do need to first spend some time thinking about the guinea pig hutch you will house him in.
Your new piggie will be kept in a guinea pig hutch in most cases. They can be kept indoors or outdoors although if kept outdoors you should be aware that they can be subject to stress from excess heat or cold. But before you buy your first guinea pig house you need to be aware of several things.
There are plenty of guinea pig cages available on the Internet or in pet shops, though in the vast majority of cases they are way too small, and will be much too cramped for your new favourite pet. The reason most people buy a guinea pig hutch which is too small is that the smallest cages are the cheapest. So it's important to make an effort to ensure that your pet is housed in a cage that is sufficiently spacious.
Some people overcome the problem of cost by making their own guinea pig hutch, and if you are able to do so this is a fine way of housing your favourite pet in a spacious house that will do an optimum job. It is quite possible to build housing that is entirely adequate and which is very low cost if you source your own materials, including second-hand materials, and build it yourself.
But you should also understand that guinea pigs get bored easily and will still need entertainment even if they have a nice large hutch. The best way to provide entertainment for your guinea pig is to provide him with a companion, thoug you do need to research which sexes go together and which do not.
If you put a male with a female you will end up with a large number of guinea pigs very quickly, unless of course you desex one of them. If you don't then you will need to keep them apart and this defeats the purpose.If you put 2 males together you can end up with fighting, so the best combination is to start with 2 young females.
And you'll also need to provide something for your piggies to chew on as their teeth grow continuously and they need to chew to help wear them down. A piece of wood is sufficient and if they don't have this they will chew on their hutch. As well they need a constant supply of fresh hay and some playthings such as plastic pipes or boxes for them to play in.
So before you buy one or more guinea pigs understand the requirements for adequate housing, in particular buy or build a guinea pig hutch that is sufficiently spacious, provide them with playthings, and if you are buying more than one make sure you buy the correct sexes.
One Guinea Pig Hutch Pluse Two Guinea Pigs And You Have The Perfect Companions For Your Children
There are small animals around which are cute and furry and make wonderful pets for children (and adults). For many people a dog or a cat is a very serious commitment and a dog or cat is often too large to be the perfect pet for small children.
And they pose some risks. For example that have been many instances of young children being attacked by their own pet dog.
I personally think that one of the best small animals that makes the ideal pet for young children is guinea pigs. We have a guinea pig for my own daughter and she absolutely loves him.
They have some huge advantages as a pet. They rarely live much longer than around 5 years, so you won't be looking after the guinea pig after the kids have left home. They are cheap to buy, usually under $20, they are cheap to feed and don't get sick as often as other animals. They are warm and furry and like company and will happily sit on your child's lap in the evening being petted.
Despite the fact that guinea pigs are small cheap pets there are still some important matters to think about before you get your first guinea pig. And the first of these matters is how you will house him.
Generally guinea pigs live in what is normally called a guinea pig hutch or a guinea pig cage. Guinea pig hutches or cages are normally kept outside and are often built from timber and wire, though metal is useful and easy to clean.
Normally a guinea pig hutch will have 2 areas, a sleeping area that is covered over and protected from the weather and an outdoors area where he can play and exercise and nibble grass.
It's better not to use wire on the bottom of the hutch as this can hurt guinea pigs feet and cause a condition called bumble foot.
The majority of guinea pig hutches sold in pet shops are way too small. It's not difficult to make your own cage, and if you're handy you can do so quite cheaply, but it is most important to ensure that it is as large as possible. If not then you must give your guinea pig time each day to run around and play and exercise.
Guinea pigs are is not hard to feed although like all animals you need to learn about what they should and should not eat. They need hay which is good for roughage and will eat a range of fresh green leaves from vegetables as well as fruits like pears and apples. Avoid lettuce and cabbage. They love grass.
You need to understand that once you buy one, (or more), guinea pigs you are committing to cleaning out their guinea pig cage regularly, as young children will rarely do this do this well. And you also need to ensure that he is regularly groomed to keep his hair in good condition and free of knots. This of course is part of the fun.
So if you're looking for a small, soft and cuddly pet for the children consider a guinea pig. He is the perfect pet provided you house him in a good large guinea pig hutch and feed him properly.
