A new indoor run - the cheap alternative!

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MintyAndGarry (TEAS)

MintyAndGarry (TEAS)

Adult Guinea Pig
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After seeing Chocco Slave's 'alternative cage' (which is ace by the way!), it set me to thinking. For the last year or so, my boys have had the use of an Argos paddling pool to run around in but they've now chewed holes in the bottom and it can be a nightmare to clean (and can get a bit smelly if it's in the bag for a while). I did look at the small animal pen things they had in Tescos last week for a fiver, but would have needed about 3 sets (and I thought they were a bit low for my piggies, considering Ben can stretch from bottom to top of a Nero 4...!). Looking at Argos and P@H, a small run would cost between £15 and £30.

So, with the alternative theme in mind, I went up to Wilko's yesterday and returned with 12 of their cooling racks. My Dad has helped me cable tie them together this morning, and this is the result! It's about 5 foot round - only just smaller than the pool - and it only cost me £12! Harder wearing and it will last AGES! I've got a reusable cable tie at the ends so it can be folded away and stored in a carrier bag. How cool is that?! AND it's not a pain to clean. All I need now is a bit of lino...

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Looks great! wish i had that idea. still tooies run only cost about £25 so not too pricey.
looks like they will have lots of fun in that!

oh and for my base i used some old plastic sheeting i found in the cupboard and just use old cardboard boxes on top to absorb the wet.
 
no problem. god knows why my landlord chose cream carpet throughout the flat!
 
i mean i know it make its look nice and smart but oh my god the cleaning and hoovering. no wonder originally he said no pets. now i have one piggie(hopeflly one day another) and were getting fish too!

but good jobwe find inventive ways of keeping piggies poo's and wees away from it hey?
 
Hi, Thanks for the comment on Chocco and Marvins cage. Your run looks ace, i use them for that purpose too, only **** is when folding away the leg bits stop it from folding flat.:{
Anyways sure your piggies will love it! :D
 
oh forgot to say...in the middle i use a old plastic picnick balnket thing and a old wolly type rug, soaks up the wee, but drys really fast... not that bothered that its a yucky weird colour, and pigs dont seem to mind either...plenty of popcorning :P
 
I put mine in the entrance hall where they can't chew anything. On top of a cheap piece of carpet (4m L x1m W). No need for walls as the hall is 1m wide! The lot cost me £11.92 exactly from Carpet Right. BARGAIN...

the most expensive items were the Chube and the plastic plumbing pipes they use as tunnels. They also have 2 shoe boxes where they can hide and eat hay and spare pieces of Vetbed they like to dig under.
I can roll the carpet when not in use and store it in a cupboard.
We love it all round...
 
right i have had tooie in her run for about 4 hours yesterday and 3 hours today. she has her chewb from her cage and a cardboard box as well as water and foodbowl from her cage and you know where she has spent the whole time?
in the box. i have left her alone and i have sat here and tried to coax her out but shes having none of it. what a blooming waste!
 
after posting that she did venture out to her food bowl. stomach rulling me thinks.

But not much running as she does in her cage. piggie doesnt know whats good for her!
 
MrsM said:
I put mine in the entrance hall where they can't chew anything. On top of a cheap piece of carpet (4m L x1m W). No need for walls as the hall is 1m wide! The lot cost me £11.92 exactly from Carpet Right. BARGAIN...

the most expensive items were the Chube and the plastic plumbing pipes they use as tunnels. They also have 2 shoe boxes where they can hide and eat hay and spare pieces of Vetbed they like to dig under.
I can roll the carpet when not in use and store it in a cupboard.
We love it all round...
Click to expand...


With regards to piggies peeing on the carpet do you put a litter tray on there? My lot only pee where there is hay and i want to get a cheap pice of carpet for their new run but unsure of how good it is?
 
Hey anyone got a good idea for Lu's run?:^-

The cardboard isnt much good at soaking up the wee and i dont want to put sawdust in it as it would go all over the carpet. @)

i cant use fleece as i cant wash it. so anyother ideas for wee wee's?

(and before anyone mentions a litter tray, dont, tallulah is very messy and loves to mess all around her run and cage! :)))
 
i usually put a throw down when they are in their run and put a towel in the spot where they like to wee, it isnt the most absorbant thing but does the job!
 
mm an idea but that means washing each time and i cant afford to do that. i wasthinking something like sawdust that i could throw away each day but something that wont be thrown accross the room?
 
You could maybe try layering up newspaper? It does tend to still go through a wee bit, which is why I favour towels, but I can see what you mean about the cost of cleaning them!
 
My run

I saw this post and I took your idea,

I went to Tesco and brought some £1.50 cooling racks,

But I am going to have to put it up later,

I hope my piggies like it.:{
 
i use a plastic tarpolin and just a fleece at one end so they do most of the wee's at the plastic end and only need to wash fleece every few days like with the vet bed! :)
 
thanks for your suggestions.
my issue with the washing is i live in a block of flats and we share top loader washing machines that are £2 a go. so washing every coupld of days will not be done.
i have got a kittlen littler tray with some sawdust and hay in one corner and ill layer up the newspaper like suggested. thanks!
 
That's a really good idea - its things like this, you never think of making yourself, until someone else does it and you think "why didn't I think of that" hehe, and I wish I had, cos I spent nearly £55 on two runs and they are a nightmare, too heavy and i have to crawl on my hands and knees to get into the thing each time i have to, and cos they are too tall and i can't just put my leg over.nice one!
 
I have to have the big tall run as mine get left out during the day (with access to their cage) and Squeaky can stretch to nearly a foot so i aint taking any chances!:))
 
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