I Had To Downgrade The Boys Cages And I Feel Like A Terrible Owner

Status
Not open for further replies.
LydiaMinx

LydiaMinx

Teenage Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 25, 2012
Messages
884
Reaction score
604
Points
500
Location
South East England
I switched bedrooms with my mum as my previous room never got any sunlight, it was making me pretty slumpy and sad when it's glorious outside, and I was practically living in a cave. My boys lived separately (had a falling out and I've never been in a position to bond them with others), in a 4x3 split (so only a 2x3 each) C&C cage with a hay loft each. I know that wasn't huge but I felt OK about the size. The room I switched to today is smaller, and I tried so hard to make the cage fit this way and that but it just wouldn't - I had to go and buy the only cages that would fit the space - a 100cm cage each.

Now I feel like a terrible person, because they're used to something much larger, with a loft, being able to communicate through the grids. I've placed the cages end to end, and added a shelf so they can sit next to each other, but I still feel awful.

I'm going to try to counteract the smaller cage with extra floor time, but I still feel like a terrible person. Just wanted to come somewhere and vent this because my parents still think that the 100cm are excessively large :(
 
Sorry that you're feeling this way! My girls had a 2x7 c&c between three and loved it. But mallow was bullying my elderly piggy and after seperating her it was clear fudge was better without her. I seperated the c&c into a 2x4 for cruncie and fudge and a 2x3 for mallow. Plenty of space for them and mallow interscted theough the bars. But she clearly wasnt happy being on her own and chewed the bars (something none of them have ever done) and ended up snapping her front tooth twice. I got her a friend but still they have only a 2x3 c&c, which is minimum for 2 sows and i feel terrible about that. They get lots of floor time on a huge rubber mat, id love to expand the cage but it literally goes from wall to wall. I dont like the idea of stacking them up. Every second cage clean, i switch the pairs over so they each get a turn of the bigger side. Neither seem bothered by less space and still popcorn every morning. When fudge leaves us (bless her wee heart) hopefully crunchie will take to the baby and then il have a trio in a 2x7 again. If not, il be back to the same situation!

Could u place the 2 2x3s in a corner? One fully in the corner and one against it going long ways so two panels are still between them?
 
Adelle said:
Sorry that you're feeling this way! My girls had a 2x7 c&c between three and loved it. But mallow was bullying my elderly piggy and after seperating her it was clear fudge was better without her. I seperated the c&c into a 2x4 for cruncie and fudge and a 2x3 for mallow. Plenty of space for them and mallow interscted theough the bars. But she clearly wasnt happy being on her own and chewed the bars (something none of them have ever done) and ended up snapping her front tooth twice. I got her a friend but still they have only a 2x3 c&c, which is minimum for 2 sows and i feel terrible about that. They get lots of floor time on a huge rubber mat, id love to expand the cage but it literally goes from wall to wall. I dont like the idea of stacking them up. Every second cage clean, i switch the pairs over so they each get a turn of the bigger side. Neither seem bothered by less space and still popcorn every morning. When fudge leaves us (bless her wee heart) hopefully crunchie will take to the baby and then il have a trio in a 2x7 again. If not, il be back to the same situation!

Could you place the 2 2x3s in a corner? One fully in the corner and one against it going long ways so two panels are still between them?
Click to expand...

I tried it like that, we live in an old house so corners aren't corners and nothing fits in the rooms right, it was impossible :( I'll be keeping the grids in the hopes I can build it again in the future, but at the moment I think these cages will have to do :( But honestly, the boys don't seem too bothered - they're both getting on and they never did much more then sleep in the old cages anyway, so hopefully the extra floor time will balance out the smaller space. I just feel awful when I see massive cages on here anyway, now I feel even worse!

Thank you for replying, Adele, means a lot that someone indulged my moping! :P No one I know IRL seems to get why it is upsetting me
 
I felt awful just last week for the same reason! As long as the boys are popcorn in they are happy and probably won't even notice!
 
Hey, sometimes we have to do things like this when things are out of our control. Your boys still have 100cm cage each so plenty of room for Bachelor piggies :)) You feel worse than they do for sure, I bet they are happy as larry. You are a great owner so chin up :)
 
It sounds like you are doing a wonderful job caring for your piggies.
In an ideal world I am sure we would all do something differently, but you have to work with what you have got.
At the end of the day I personally think that a change of scenery (regular floor time) is probably as good as (if not better) than spending all their time in a larger cage, so if they get out more often I am sure they are just fine.
 
I just wanted to wholeheartedly agree with sport_billy I think you are being too harsh on yourself. I think your boys sound happy in their 100cm bachelor pads and if you think about it that really isn't that small!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top