Large "guinea Pig Wheel" Ideas

yayoiharuko

yayoiharuko

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 18, 2018
Messages
163
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Location
Georgia, US
Backstory:
So when I adopted Blue, I was given some of his belongings. One of these things included a massive "guinea pig wheel", or ball.
I forgot to tell the person that I was adopting him from that I didn't need it.. and now I have this giant hamster ball in my closet.
So here's the deal.. I've been thinking.. how can I make use of this plastic ball?
Maybe.. drill a couple holes in it and attach it to the side of the cage.. place some fleece in it and turn it into a little retro piggy bed?
I can't stand the idea of this thing just sitting at a landfill somewhere for the next several hundred years. I also just generally don't like to waste things.
So.. any ideas?
 
I can post pics if people want me to.
I'm not great at DIY stuff so any idea is a good idea IMO.
 
Hello :)

it's a definite no i am afraid. Guinea Pigs have really delicate spines so any type of harness, ball or wheel can cause serious injury/paralysis or worse :(

Sorry to dampen you enthusiasm but anything like that is really dangerous.
 
sport_billy said:
Hello :)

it's a definite no i am afraid. Guinea Pigs have really delicate spines so any type of harness, ball or wheel can cause serious injury/paralysis or worse :(

Sorry to dampen you enthusiasm but anything like that is really dangerous.
Click to expand...
Okay, so even if I cut out the bottom would it still be unsafe as a hutch?
 
I wanted to ask you a picture because I cannot picture this wheel in my mind...
if it is large enough, you could use some soft filler and some fleece and build a circular soft bed, something like this:
4775c9cc-b19f-4abe-9f2d-23be4319a384.webp
let me see a picture of the wheel; maybe also some hay rack
 
rome_italy said:
I wanted to ask you a picture because I cannot picture this wheel in my mind...
if it is large enough, you could use some soft filler and some fleece and build a circular soft bed, something like this:
View attachment 81471
let me see a picture of the wheel; maybe also some hay rack
Click to expand...
Think we are thinking about two different wheels. Here are some pics of it and some examples of what I was thinking of doing to it in order to turn it into something I can actually use. There's also the idea of using it for plants as Eriathwen mentioned.
Sorry for the bad drawings.

20180223_224958.webp

20180223_225109.webp

20180223_225119.webp

Note1_1.webp

Note1_0.webp
 
Betsy said:
The previous owner put your piggie in that?:yikes: That is a hamster ball!

I think what @Eriathwen said about turning it into a planter is inspired! I would do that as the best option. Your ideas are good but the ball has not got a wide enough diameter.
Click to expand...
I know, I'm hoping she didn't use it but who knows. I try not to judge people too much though >. < I mean, she was terribly sad to have to give him up :c

Anyway, I think I have to agree with you on this. I'm just having trouble figuring out how I would set up an indoor planter. I could seal the bottom with some aquarium sealant to keep water from making a mess...
And I suppose I could get a plant light at the hardware store.
 
maybe also some box with hay inside, a sort of a toy, but my piggies are not interested in such toys for example.
Maybe that ball was sold together with the cage, it was included...
Just one question: how large is the cage? two boars need a lot of room, at least 80x130cm, otherwise they might become a bit nervous especially when they grow up and double their weight...
It is a great luck that your lovely boys are living with you now! and you look so creative!:)
 
rome_italy said:
maybe also some box with hay inside, a sort of a toy, but my piggies are not interested in such toys for example.
Maybe that ball was sold together with the cage, it was included...
Just one question: how large is the cage? two boars need a lot of room, at least 80x130cm, otherwise they might become a bit nervous especially when they grow up and double their weight...
It is a great luck that your lovely boys are living with you now! and you look so creative!:)
Click to expand...

Its 2x4ft, here's some pics ^^

P.s. Sorry for the messy cage- I usually clean it while they're in the playpen and they were just put in the playpen earlier.

20180224_151607.webp

20180224_151725.webp

20180224_151824.webp
 
Also I have two layers of felt on the bottom and one layer of fleece on top. And they have two of everything, but they prefer to eat and drink next to eachother. (If I don't put the hay bins next to eachother they just argue over one bin)
 
And I feel like people are gonna bring up the outlets so I'll go ahead and say they're covered with many many many layers of tape. But you can't really see it so I'm gonna go over them again with tons of duct tape and take another picture XD
(And there's a good amount of distance between the cage bars and the outlet. So they wouldn't be able to reach it or chew on it.)
 
I am using a calculator, your cage seems to be 124cmx60cm. It is a good cage, but when the piggies will grow up, maybe they would like a larger room. rather than changing the cage you can consider adding an extension which can be folded. That is what I did at home when the third piggie arrived and the 130cmx80cm cage was not comfortable enough for the group. I bought a cheap run on Zooplus composed of 6 foldable metallic pieces and I cut some big hole on the wall of the cage. You have a cage and you can let a door open:
100_8250.webp
it is nothing special as you can see, but it is very practical. On the floor I put an old blanket, some newspapers (leaflets from supermarkets; I can get tons of them) and the fleece. If I have guests at home the extension can be removed in one minute
100_8248.webp
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another advice I want to give you: don't feed them with coloured pellets; they are never good and the vets never allow them.
About the pellet (which I use only as a treat) there is a limit which is 5-10 grams daily. Not more.... because the piggie should never feel full and should chew the hay (or the grass) all day long for eroding his teeth. (a vet bill for filing the teeth is high and many vets are not even able to do that... and the piggie can die then)
There are pellets cereals free without any flour; you only need to read the label. Cereals modify the gut bacteria balance...
Here you can find good guides about many subjects, also about the diet, but you can read something interesting also somewhere else, for example in Guinea Lynx.
Pellets are never illimited and no (good) vet will tell you to let them available all day long.
 
rome_italy said:
I am using a calculator, your cage seems to be 124cmx60cm. It is a good cage, but when the piggies will grow up, maybe they would like a larger room. rather than changing the cage you can consider adding an extension which can be folded. That is what I did at home when the third piggie arrived and the 130cmx80cm cage was not comfortable enough for the group. I bought a cheap run on Zooplus composed of 6 foldable metallic pieces and I cut some big hole on the wall of the cage. You have a cage and you can let a door open:
View attachment 81547
it is nothing special as you can see, but it is very practical. On the floor I put an old blanket, some newspapers (leaflets from supermarkets; I can get tons of them) and the fleece. If I have guests at home the extension can be removed in one minute
View attachment 81545
View attachment 81546
another advice I want to give you: don't feed them with coloured pellets; they are never good and the vets never allow them.
About the pellet (which I use only as a treat) there is a limit which is 5-10 grams daily. Not more.... because the piggie should never feel full and should chew the hay (or the grass) all day long for eroding his teeth. (a vet bill for filing the teeth is high and many vets are not even able to do that... and the piggie can die then)
There are pellets cereals free without any flour; you only need to read the label. Cereals modify the gut bacteria balance...
Here you can find good guides about many subjects, also about the diet, but you can read something interesting also somewhere else, for example in Guinea Lynx.
Pellets are never illimited and no (good) vet will tell you to let them available all day long.
Click to expand...
Oh wow thank you so much for all of the information! ^^
I'll try to respond to it all c:
I totally agree with what you said about them getting older and needing something bigger. My biggest issue? Well.. my room. It's not big.
I 'could' theoretically move my desk out of my room annd that would give me another 4 feet or so to work with, but it would be in an 'L' shape. My mother and I discussed making a rabbit hutch outside in the garage, but I wouldn't want them out there when it's cold. However adding on some square footage with what you recommended wouldn't hurt and I will definitely be looking into it.
As for the guinea pig food, I'll look into getting another kind of food for them. The bowl they have is pretty deep so I can't use it for food.. maybe a water bowl?
And I'm gonna need to make them a new food bowl then. Any DIY ideas?
Thank you so much for taking the time to educate me on these things ^^
 
rome_italy said:
I am using a calculator, your cage seems to be 124cmx60cm. It is a good cage, but when the piggies will grow up, maybe they would like a larger room. rather than changing the cage you can consider adding an extension which can be folded. That is what I did at home when the third piggie arrived and the 130cmx80cm cage was not comfortable enough for the group. I bought a cheap run on Zooplus composed of 6 foldable metallic pieces and I cut some big hole on the wall of the cage. You have a cage and you can let a door open:
View attachment 81547
it is nothing special as you can see, but it is very practical. On the floor I put an old blanket, some newspapers (leaflets from supermarkets; I can get tons of them) and the fleece. If I have guests at home the extension can be removed in one minute
View attachment 81545
View attachment 81546
another advice I want to give you: don't feed them with coloured pellets; they are never good and the vets never allow them.
About the pellet (which I use only as a treat) there is a limit which is 5-10 grams daily. Not more.... because the piggie should never feel full and should chew the hay (or the grass) all day long for eroding his teeth. (a vet bill for filing the teeth is high and many vets are not even able to do that... and the piggie can die then)
There are pellets cereals free without any flour; you only need to read the label. Cereals modify the gut bacteria balance...
Here you can find good guides about many subjects, also about the diet, but you can read something interesting also somewhere else, for example in Guinea Lynx.
Pellets are never illimited and no (good) vet will tell you to let them available all day long.
Click to expand...
Also I disagree about your setup! Its adorable! :love:
 
This is the food I've been giving them. I'm looking on the guinea Lynx website but can't seem to find anything on this particular food.
I see whole wheat in the ingredients.. is that bad? Here's a pic of the ingredients.

15195091467051841545290.webp
 
Also, I read on the website that Adult guineas over a year old need timothy based diets whereas younger guineas need an alfalfa based diet.
I'm unsure of their age.. but I'm assuming they're under a year old. Should the next food I buy be an alfafa-based one?
Sorry for asking you guys so many questions.
 
yayoiharuko said:
Oh wow thank you so much for all of the information! ^^
I'll try to respond to it all c:
I totally agree with what you said about them getting older and needing something bigger. My biggest issue? Well.. my room. It's not big.
I 'could' theoretically move my desk out of my room annd that would give me another 4 feet or so to work with, but it would be in an 'L' shape. My mother and I discussed making a rabbit hutch outside in the garage, but I wouldn't want them out there when it's cold. However adding on some square footage with what you recommended wouldn't hurt and I will definitely be looking into it.
As for the guinea pig food, I'll look into getting another kind of food for them. The bowl they have is pretty deep so I can't use it for food.. maybe a water bowl?
And I'm gonna need to make them a new food bowl then. Any DIY ideas?
Thank you so much for taking the time to educate me on these things ^^
Click to expand...
I understand... I also had to remove two armchairs... But mine was only an example, the run can be fold in different shapes or you can put some boxes on the floor for delimiting an area (for example the piggies can move under your desk or under your bed). They actually don't like open spaces. My piggies spend part of the day in the kitchen but they don't move around especially when we are there... I put some old yoga mats under the chairs for building some tunnel and they love those tunnels...:D
Like you I also don't like wasting money...:roll:
100_6970 (2).webp
about the bowl... well, my piggies are quite bad mannered... and I removed their bowl when they started making wee into it, especially for protesting about the dinner...:gp:when there were no fresh vegs for example...
100_6877.webp
Now I put the food directly on the fleece (fresh grass and pieces of vegs).
@flowerfairy and other members here scatter pellets through the hay. Piggies love building tunnels through the hay searching for the pellet. :)
 
yayoiharuko said:
This is the food I've been giving them. I'm looking on the guinea Lynx website but can't seem to find anything on this particular food.
I see whole wheat in the ingredients.. is that bad? Here's a pic of the ingredients.

View attachment 81549
Click to expand...
it does not seem a bad food, althoguh as usual there are some weird ingredients, but all the pellets have some... wheat, SALT (!), cane molasses (this is a common bad ingredient unfortunately).
Try to read the label with the percentage of nutrients; there should be some label on the bag. Be sure that the % of fibres is higher than proteins and that the ratio calcium:phosphorus is something about 1,3:1 (a little more calcium than phosphorus)
It seems a vitamin supplement... usually pellets have some vitamins, but not so many.
What is the name of this pellet?
(anyway I cannot help you in choosing the best pellet; I don't trust any pellet...:twist: for too many reasons...)
 
yayoiharuko said:
Also, I read on the website that Adult guineas over a year old need timothy based diets whereas younger guineas need an alfalfa based diet.
I'm unsure of their age.. but I'm assuming they're under a year old. Should the next food I buy be an alfafa-based one?
Sorry for asking you guys so many questions.
Click to expand...
yes, anyway I have never fed my young piggies with alfa alfa and they have grown amazingly as well. They are two girls, now they are 1 year old, one is 1100g and the other one whom I adopted underweight (she was skin and bones) is now 950g. They eat a lot of fresh grass which here is available all year round. Alfa alfa is very nutricious and rich of proteins.
@Wiebke can tell you if alfa alfa is really necessary for young piggies.
 
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