Cage sizes

They need to have 2 hides, each with two exits. As I mentioned before, have a plan B. I'm afraid April is a while away given they'll be in their teens in about 2 weeks.
 
guineapiggies123 said:
The whole front is cut out
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as long as it is big enough or them to pass by each other comfortably. A hide with only one exit can cause problems if one piggy corners the other inside and blocks the only exit (this is how defensive injuries can occur)
 
Am leaning towards the ferplast 160. Will try and convince them. It’s 70 quid which isn’t too much for the size so will maybe try to save up!
 
I am writing a persuasive letter to them to send tonight. It’s basically says:

the cage we have is too small and we need a new one. We will see a change in behaviour in the coming weeks meaning we will probably need a bigger cage. I’ve found one i can afford myself and am willing to pay for it for the well-being of the guinea pigs. Can we monitor their behaviour to see if this is the case?

obviously in a persuasive and kind way!
 
I wouldn't put in the bit about monitoring their behaviour. They need what they need and no amount of monitoring will change it. Good luck.
 
:agr: You are going to see teen behaviour, no doubt about it! But even as adults, lack of space is going to be a problem. My own two adult boars have well above recommended space and can still manage to get into squabbles with each other each other!

What you don’t want is for them to fall out over lack of space. It would be an utter shame for your piggies but it would also cause you logistical issues because you would then need two cages would have to be side by side which would then take up 240cm of space
 
Piggies&buns said:
:agr: You are going to see teen behaviour, no doubt about it! But even as adults, lack of space is going to be a problem. My own two adult boars have well above recommended space and can still manage to get into squabbles with each other each other!

What you don’t want is for them to fall out over lack of space. It would be an utter shame for your piggies but it would also cause you logistical issues because you would then need two cages would have to be side by side which would then take up 240cm of space
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I know that but want to seem naive in a way if that makes sense. They’re brothers
 
Edit: they said no for the moment but would review the topic in a few weeks time when they become teens. I am so worried for them and feel like crying! They don’t understand that they will fall out. It feels cruel in my opinion. They say every piggy has personalities and may not become aggressive. This is only partly true
 
Let's hope the situation doesn't become too severe - injured guinea pigs. Are they willing to take them to the vet if that happens? At least it's not a no but I say prepare for the worst and hope for the best. There's nothing you can do if they've made their decision.
 
Siikibam said:
Let's hope the situation doesn't become too severe - injured guinea pigs. Are they willing to take them to the vet if that happens? At least it's not a no but I say prepare for the worst and hope for the best. There's nothing you can do if they've made their decision.
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They’re prepared to do so. They said as I’m at home all the time until they’re teens we can keep a good eye on them, make sure they have lots of exercise and come up with a solution when needs be. I know it will happen but they don’t!
 
Minimum is 150 for boars so 140 still isn't enough even with exercise.
 
The preferred for two piggies is 2x4 (142x68cm). With boars it's recommended you go up a size. So 2x5 or 180x68cm.
 
Not necessarily cruel but it wouldn't meet their needs.
 
They would be missing the space that they need. It is about a need rather than a want. They need (more) space because of how they are. And they also need the space to run around to 'burn off energy'.
 
Yes, i know. What I’m trying to say is what difference does 10cm make if i can give floor time during their active hours of the day? Sorry if i may come across as rude, I’m just a bit confused as a new piggy owner
 
It may not seem like much but to them it would make a difference. The majority of their time will be spent in the cage so you have to make sure that it meets their minimum needs regardless of the exercise. This is all the more important when they're in their teenage months. Everything else aside, hormone spikes and general teenage behaviour is enough to jeopardise a bond. You don't want to make it worse by adding lack of space into the mix.

In the end it's up to you (and your parents) what to do. But you should know what could happen.
 
Yes. We’re keeping an eye out on their behaviour and i hope we can upgrade to the 160 however will take the 140 if that’s all i can get. It’s better than what i have now. They are 14 weeks. How many more till they’re teens?
 
Have a look at the cage guide thread below to see what a difference 10cm would make. I hope you can expand to the bigger size sooner han later :)
Cage Size Guide
 
If you can afford the cage yourself why not just order it, get it set up and then by the time your parents notice it'll be too late to send back :))
Don't forget to put some of your wages aside regularly in case either of them need the vet
 
Lady Kelly said:
If you can afford the cage yourself why not just order it, get it set up and then by the time your parents notice it'll be too late to send back :))
Don't forget to put some of your wages aside regularly in case either of them need the vet
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Would love to but not sure it would end very well with my parents! Just to clarify, is the 160 cage a good size given i have limited space?
 
guineapiggies123 said:
Yes. We’re keeping an eye out on their behaviour and i hope we can upgrade to the 160 however will take the 140 if that’s all i can get. It’s better than what i have now. They are 14 weeks. How many more till they’re teens?
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I did answer your question earlier on when they are teens. They are teens from 4 months until 14 months. You said they are 3.5 months now so you’ve got about two weeks until they officially hit their teens. There are then hormone spikes throughout this period - main ones being at six months of age and then again at around 9/10 months of age but the entire 10 months of the teen period is a hormonal filled time. but it doesn’t just calm down when they hit 14 months. You could still be seeing hormonal behaviour until 18 months. Even as almost three year old adults, my own two boars have hormone spikes (mostly in spring time) and chase each other around, rumbling, mounting for a period of time (and mine have access considerably more than the recommended space).

it’s the other things which are also important in dealing with teen boars to minimise the risk - ensuring you don’t change all the bedding in one go if they are really struggling with territorial changes (leaving some dirty bedding in the cage will make it still smell of them and mean they can feel a bit more secure that the space is still theirs); handling the dominant piggy first so to respect their hierarchy.

guineapiggies123 said:
Would love to but not sure it would end very well with my parents! Just to clarify, is the 160 cage a good size given i have limited space?
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The 160 is only a little over the minimum of 150cm for boars, but the 160 is still better than the 140. Yes those extra centimetres make all the difference. I would not entertain the idea of getting a 140 for two boars at all - it’ll definitely be too small given we recommend 180 for them. If you’ve got to have a commercial cage and can’t have a 2x5 c&c then the 160 is the only viable option for them really.
 
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