Does this sound like a good set up?

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Charadrii

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I am moving house in a few months and hope to be able to get guineapigs. In the mean time I am planning and reading all I can.

So I am planning a c&c cage, at least 2 by 6 possible longer if space allows. Located away from windows, drafts, radiators probably in the sitting room. At table top height on a plywood base. Hay from a local feed merchant, is there any type to avoid or that is recommended? I'm thinking piles of hay and that hemp bedding (also from the local feed merchant), or will this get too expensive for a large cage? Water bottles, ceramic food dishes, hideys and tunnels. A covered run for the garden in summer, including and off the ground house for hiding in.

I would like to get at least 3, from a rescue (will contact the rescues listed here nearer the time). So probably girls or girls and a neutered boy. There is a local vet listed here as good for guinea pigs so plan to use them. I know to have some savings put by for vets bills! I have kids so technically they will be family pets but really they will be mine to look after! We have friends near by who will guinea pig sit if necessary.

Can anyone recommend a list of safe or poisonous veg/fruit/herbs? We have hard water here do I need to filter the water for the guinea pigs?

Does this all sound reasonable and what have I forgotten?

Thank you
 
Also meant to say will use pellets, thinking its best to ask which brand they have at the rescue and to get the same just to minimise changes.
 
Charadrii said:
I am moving house in a few months and hope to be able to get guineapigs. In the mean time I am planning and reading all I can.

So I am planning a c&c cage, at least 2 by 6 possible longer if space allows. Located away from windows, drafts, radiators probably in the sitting room. At table top height on a plywood base. Hay from a local feed merchant, is there any type to avoid or that is recommended? I'm thinking piles of hay and that hemp bedding (also from the local feed merchant), or will this get too expensive for a large cage? Water bottles, ceramic food dishes, hideys and tunnels. A covered run for the garden in summer, including and off the ground house for hiding in.

I would like to get at least 3, from a rescue (will contact the rescues listed here nearer the time). So probably girls or girls and a neutered boy. There is a local vet listed here as good for guinea pigs so plan to use them. I know to have some savings put by for vets bills! I have kids so technically they will be family pets but really they will be mine to look after! We have friends near by who will guinea pig sit if necessary.

Can anyone recommend a list of safe or poisonous veg/fruit/herbs? We have hard water here do I need to filter the water for the guinea pigs?

Does this all sound reasonable and what have I forgotten?

Thank you
Click to expand...

Hi!

Good that you are doing your research beforehand, and hopefully have a happy and smooth start into your guinea pig life!

Please make sure that you have a watertight layer between the plywood and the cage to prevent the urine from soaking into the wood. Also make sure that the plywood is thick enough and/or has regular props to prevent it from bowing, especially over that length.
A couple of spare grids to make an impromptu divider for a hospital cage or a temporary separation are always a good idea for the long term; they also allow you to make modifications as you go along and your needs change with practical experience.

You can find a list of safe and unsafe foods via our New Owners guide collection. Please be aware that while lots of stuff is safe to eat doesn't necessarily mean that it is good to be part of a regular diet. Some veg like carrots or sweetcorn can be like a fatty burger for a guinea pig while too much fruit or tomato (or feeding a little daily) can lead to potentially fatal lip infection. Other foods high in calcium can contribute to bladder problems, while a no calcium diet is not healthy. Any diet is in effect a compromise; with all the confusing information out there we aim to provide a sensible and practible starting point.
You may find our diet guide helpful as it looks at all aspects of a diet and also comes with an illustrated balanced sample diet. While we do not pretend that it is the non-plus-ultra, our long term members have made good experiences with their individual versions on re. cutting down on urinary tract problems/bladder stones and other conditions that can be influenced by a good diet as well as extending the general life span. So it is not the worst place to start out from to find what ultimately works best for you!
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Having a pet fund and/or exotics insurance takes out a lot of avoidable family stress at a time when tempers are already strained because of the pet's illness/injury. With more and more expensive diagnostics, procedures and medication that needs to be stocked crossing from human into veterinary medicine, vet fees have risen massively in recent years. You can with good care learn to avoid a good number of common problems, but leaves the field unfortunately to more things that you cannot prevent.

All the best!

You may find our New Owners guide collection helpful as we are addressing the most often asked questions and concerns that we get from any new owners. Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
I have my c&c on top of a 6ft folding craft table. You can buy them for about £30. I put a base of grids on my cage so it sits on the table. ( a 6x2 half a grid overhangs each end) then my mother in law made curtains hung by old net curtain wire for around the bottom of the table so we have storage underneath.
 
Thank you both. I have found the veg guides, they look very comprehensive.

Julie, yes thats the sort of thing I was thinking, with storage underneath. I can get a 2m long table from ikea but it's slightly too narrow, so the tip about grids underneath is useful thank you.
 
Hi, I have a 7x2 C&C cage up on a home made table. I use underneith to store all the piggy stuff (there will be more than you expect!) I also use hemp bedding. I minimise waste by having trays under the hidey areas, which is where they toilet the most, and throwing these out each week (I also spot clean poos and soiled hay twice/thrice a day) The rest of the cage I just treat like a stable - only take out what is actually dirty and leave the rest. Saves a lot of money on hemp!
 
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