Second guinea pig/ c&c cage?

Question

okay, well i have had a guinea pig for about a year, and hes in a slightly small cage, and i can tell that hes lonely, and i REALLY think that he needs another pig to be happy. but my only problem is that my mom wont let me, how to do i convince her?

Also, i want to build a c&c cage for one (or 2!) guinea pigs, i was just wondering what i need, and how to build one. thanks very much!

Answer 1

use cavyspirit.com and go to target to get the cubes and go to your local plastic store to get the coroplast it is really easy to do and fun to make if you get 2 guinea pigs you will need to socialize them first and keep the cage neutral territory ( put them both in together @ the same time)

Answer 2

Yes, your piggie needs a friend. Either a same s*x piggie or a spayed female would do. Show this to your mum.

http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm

Here is the site for the C&C cages.

http://www.guineapigcages.com/

They are really easy to construct and the cost is no more than a very small pet store cage (around $40). There is a search feature on the left side of the page to help you find the supplies in your area.

Good luck!

Answer 3

i dont know how to convince your mom, but a large plastic container with holes and a circle for tubes is a big nice cage.

Answer 4

i had guinea pigs before and i have one now.you could convince her by you clean their cage,you buy the 2nd guinea pig.

Answer 5

I think the best way to convince your parents is to be adult about the situation and give them the facts.

1) Guinea pigs need more space than most people assume. A cage should be big enough to provide them with food, water, unlimited hay, at least one hidey where they can feel safe, plus some other "furniture" or toys (known as environmental enrichment - plus the piggies. The cage needs to be big enough for all this AND still have enough free space for the piggies to move around freely - including rnuning laps and popcorning.

To keep you guinea pig happy and healthy it needs a proper environment. This means enough space to exercise normally, things to do to stop it being bored, and opportunities to express natural behaviours.

2) Guinea pigs are a social species. Their wild relatives, and ancestors, are completely social - they NEVER live alone. Being alone is totally unnatural and very bad for any social animal. Even lab animal guidelines (in the UK and EU at least) specifically state that social species should not be housed singly unless there is a d**n good veterinary or scientific reason for doing so!

Contrary to popular belief, giving a piggie lots of attention does not count! You are not a guinea pig, so sadly you can not communicate and interact with your piggie in a natural and meaningful way. Even if you were home with him all day, you can't make up for him not having another piggie for company.

Both inadequate housing (i.e. too small or too boring a cage) AND isolation (i.e. not having company of the same species) are known to cause a wide variety of haelth and welfare problems. These include:

Abnormal behaviours, eg stereotypies.

Depression

Obesity (and associated problems)

Reduced fitness

Reduced immune respone and increased healing time

Muscular-skeletal problems

Reduced learning ability and memory

Reduced lifespan!

Overall, it is not fair to keep a guinea pig on its own, in a small cage. It is probably depressed and bored, its health could suffer, and it may not live as long as it should.

I have to say, making a c+c cage is one of the best things I have ever done!

They are much cheaper than pet store cages, but much bigger. You can find all the details and info you need at http://www.guineapigcages.com

You make the "fence" bit using storage grids (cubes) which you join together using the connectors they come with or with zip ties. This literally takes a couple of minutes. You make the base using corrugated plastic (coroplast). It is usualy found in local sign shops or you could buy it on ebay. You mark the plastic where you need to cut (the outside edge) and where you need to score (the inside edge). Cut it to the size you want (total size including the walls) Then score the inner square (to fit the floor of your cage). When you score you only cut through the top layer, so that it will fold. You then just fold up the corners and tape them to form a box shap. Put the base in the cage and you're done.

I would suggest talking to your parents first.

Guinea pigs should be introduced on neutral territory, so the best plan would be to get a new piggie and quarantine him for three weeks in a separate room. Then put both piggies in their new, big enough c+c cage at the same time.

If you do get another - please make sure you have a big enough cage to keep them in (boys especially). The most common reason for guinea pigs fighting is lack of space.

If you really can't convince your mom to let you have another piggie, it is even more important to provide your existing piggie with the best possible environment - so try to build the biggest, best cage you possibly can.

Good luck!

Answer 6

tell her that you're guinea pig is extremely lonely. Offer to pay for him. And say that you feel bad for your little piggie. Tell her that guinea pigs are usually supposed to have a cage mate other wise they will be lonely and sad.