temporary small cage

[SnowballandSmores]

so I have two guinea pigs that are classroom pets. they have a large cage at school with lots of space Monday through Friday.. however.. on the weekends and for spring break I don't have space right now (I'm moving in a few months and will then) for a large enough cage in my room. I live with three dogs (my roommates) so having them anywhere else right until I move isn't ideal. their home cage is about 5 square feet. on weekends I give them lots of free roam playpen time and I plan to do this during spring break so they're really only in the small cage at night. will having them in this cage kill them? I love them so much but I just can't really do anything else.

 

[Piggies&buns]

A cage of that size won’t kill them but it would make them unhappy, (along with the fact being in classrooms at all is very stressful for them) potentially cause bond problems and is also going against welfare requirements.
The welfare requirements state the smallest cage size for two Guinea pigs is 8 square feet, a cage needs to measure 120x60cm. This is just the minimum though and actually 10 square feet (150x60cm) is the recommended cage size for two sows.
It doesn’t matter that they get playpen time (although that is obviously good for them), and that they have a bigger cage elsewhere (which isn’t an ideal living situation in any event) the cage you have still needs to be big enough and meet requirements for the time they are with you and locked into it because they are always active.
Being classrooms pets and being moved between two cages and two environments repeatedly is also very stressful for prey animals like guinea pigs. They require a quiet and stable living environment to feel safe and secure.
I appreciate there may not be much you can do about the cage size at present, but all we can do is give you the information that at 5 square feet it’s not suitable.
If they are legally your piggies and it is therefore your decision, then it would be much better for them to never be taken into the classroom.

Cage Size Guide
Guinea Pigs as Classroom Pets - Why Not