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Things To Do With Cardboard

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Drezella

Drezella

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I thought I'd create this thread for people to share ideas on things that you can do with cardboard for your piggies. Sorry if there's already one like it, I haven't checked.

If you have a spare box and a few extra pieces of cardboard then you could create a cardboard house/mansion/castle. I made this piggie mansion out of a cardboard box and spare sheet of cardboard that I had. My boys loved it during floor time, it doubles as a hidey place, but I've also made a makeshift hay feeder out of a sheet of card upstairs, so they can pop inside for a munch when they are hungry too. I used some smaller cardboard boxes such as a tissue box to make the staircase, then I covered the top with a cat scratcher strip of carpet from pets at home.

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What have you made out of cardboard? I love to share ideas :)
 
I really like these. Love the house. Is there a ramp inside the house? Can you use cereal boxes I didn't know whether you could with the ink and stuff.
 
Cavy Lover said:
I really like these. Love the house. Is there a ramp inside the house? Can you use cereal boxes I didn't know whether you could with the ink and stuff.
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Yes there is a ramp inside up to the second floor. I used some food packaging boxes and a tissue box to make the stairwell, then I covered it all in paper so that the boys can't chew the printed cardboard, and I covered the top of the ramp with a strip of carpet. The strip of carpet is actually a cat scratching strip from pets at home, it fitted perfectly inside. I've coved everything with paper and/or thick wire tape so that there are no sharp edges etc, and I supervise them at all times. I've also lined both floors with puppy pee pads to soak up any wee. I can access the ground floor to poo pick via the front door, and I've left the back part of the roof unstuck, so it can fold down and I can poo pick on e upper floor. It's fine for them to chew the cardboard but not the tape, so I keep a watchful eye on them. :)

If you'd like to see more of the house I've posted a thread on the your photos and videos forum entitled 'Labour of love, No 1 Piggy Lane'.

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The ramp leads upstairs to this area:
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They are all fab! I love the tissue hay box, bet they had loads of fun with that :)
 
The stairs are really cool. The puppy pads are a great idea. It is great what things you can do without spending money. This looks much cooler then something you can get in the pet shop. And the pet shop is really expensive.
 
Cavy Lover said:
The stairs are really cool. The puppy pads are a great idea. It is great what things you can do without spending money. This looks much cooler then something you can get in the pet shop. And the pet shop is really expensive.
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Indeed, that's why I believe it's nearly always better if you can make things yourself. Pet shops always charge a premium because they can. Plus you can personalise it then and make things that meet your piggies needs.

Well I'm looking forward to seeing people's ideas on here :D
 
Drezella said:
Indeed, that's why I believe it's nearly always better if you can make things yourself. Pet shops always charge a premium because they can. Plus you can personalise it then and make things that meet your piggies needs.

Well I'm looking forward to seeing people's ideas on here :D
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Yes, also the houses in the pet shop are way to small yours is a nice big one
 
I bought a pack of boxes in bulk from Amazon, so that when this house gets wrecked I can make another one. The box bit is 20 by 16 inches not including the roof just in case you want to know the measurements. :)
 
You are so clever. We tried to make a castle with ramps out lf boxes for our piggies, they loved it but it was not as pretty as your house! We tried to copy the one that is sold in Pets at Home.
 
Those pet castles are cool, I wish I knew how to make houses/castles that slot together rather than having to use tape to stick them together. The houses I make would be much more piggy safe/friendly then. :)

Here is the latest house (for my friends guinea pigs):

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Keep your ideas coming, I love sharing them :D
 
Your houses are brilliant! With slotting things together, you just need trial and error and a tape measure/ruler and keep re-cutting and trying it :) But yours are prettier!
 
Measuring and maths are my downfall sadly, it took me ages to measure all the windows up on those houses. XD I do have some leftover scraps of cardboard though, so I should have a go at making a mini slot together house to practice. :D
 
Wow Drezella, those piggy houses are fab!
I'm quite creative (work with children) so have ideas but don't know whether I can use what I want to. I have the play pen box to use, I'm going to use it as a wall across the playpen with 2/3 openings in to split it up and any left over make some sort of shelter for them.

Yesterday, I gave them a cereal box, cut the flaps off and half of one side and put hay in, thinking they could sit in it. It worked and they seemed to enjoy eating hay from it & kept going back to it. Fudge did nibble it a little and Biscuit used it as a toilet so it went in the bin after floor time. Is it safe to use cereal boxes (or similar)? Or are they best avoided? Also, I could get empty crisp boxes from the local shop, could I use these?

I already use toilet & kitchen rolls, with holes in/cut in half for hay & tissue boxes.
 
The cardboard houses are so cute and inventive!

Mines not so inventive but i recycled a old easter egg box as a hay rack for them which the piggies really liked until they had chewed it to bits!

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:)
 
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