Teresa Murphy, Cavy Spirit Guinea Pig Rescue

About the Team and C&C Cages

The ORIGINAL

The improved standards for Guinea Pig cage sizes were put forth by Teresa Murphy of Cavy Spirit Guinea Pig Rescue in 2000. Teresa started doing guinea pig rescue in late 1998, when she inherited a lone guinea pig from a boyfriend. As her cavy population grew, she realized that even the largest cages available in pet stores or the wire contraptions used by breeders were just too small. In addition to being inadequate and unhealthy for the guinea pigs, they were not easy to maintain or keep clean. And it was difficult to access your guinea pigs.

Teresa hit upon the dynamite combination of Cubes and Coroplast--which she shared freely with the entire guinea pig universe. Her initial, original cage designs and evolution of ideas are well-documented and available publicly in the Internet Archives. At first, her ideas were promoted on her Cavy Spirit website. Then she created CavyCages.com which later became www.GuineaPigCages.com. It took years of contributing content, posting on groups, forums and lists, bucking the nay-sayers and navigating controversy to get where we are today -- proven and time-tested solutions and standards that WORK around the world!


And STILL THE BEST!

There is no cage vendor on the market today (from the biggest to the smallest) who cares more about the welfare of pets and ease of care by their owners than the team at the Guinea Pig Cages Store! Our value system and commitment to both the animal and that animal's caretaker is stellar. Others try to copy what we do -- from some commercial vendors to other C&C Cage vendors. But, being a little different for the sake of being different means nothing. Our designs are the best combination of what's right for the guinea pigs and what will inspire YOU to WANT to care for these wonderful creatures over their entire lifetime.


Proof Positive

  • No other vendor will say, "Would you like to save money and make your own? Here's how and here are the resources you need to do that." We do. Because our PRIMARY concern is for the pets. It's not about making money at all costs. We have invested enormous amounts of time and money in providing sites and free resources (like the Guinea Pig Zone and Guinea Pig Cages) where you can do just that -- save money and make your own if you choose.
  • Join the largest Guinea Pig Forum on the internet, also hosted by us. Our commitment to you does not end once you've assembled your cage. Our forum is made up of people just like you, from beginners thinking about guinea pigs to experienced guinea pig guru's to rescues, vet techs, and more. It's moderated by a wonderful staff of volunteers who ensure you get the best quality information available. No poor or misleading information is allowed to stand unchallenged. You can upload your favorite guinea pig photos. And please do share your wonderful C&C cage photos with the rest of the guinea pig-loving world!
  • We try to keep our margins as low as possible to keep our products as affordable as possible and still stay in business. And even so, we carve out some sharing of revenue for Rescues who want to participate in our affiliate program, providing them with much needed CASH with no effort other than adding some links to their websites.
  • Custom orders. Yes, we do custom-cut coroplast for people who have particular layouts and needs for their cages. But we will and we have turned down business when we feel the cage someone wants is too small or not in the best interests of their pets. We try to counsel those folks into a better design. We are usually successful.
  • Phone consultations. While we don't encourage people to pick up the phone, as we are all very busy getting things done, we will answer every call and help our customers with any questions, be it about guinea pigs or cages or ordering.
  • We REINVEST back in the product. We don't just go out and buy materials off the shelf for our cages and accessories. We have custom-designed various components that add great value to the cage solution and had them manufactured for you. We have to buy in large quantities and manage that inventory. We feel these extra components add fantastic value to our C&C Cages. Not only that, the quality of these items is amazing. Try our Wonder Bars or Ultra Rods--made exclusively for you!
  • Teresa also authored an incredible, vet-approved weight charting, journaling and alerting system for guinea pigs (www.PetCareChart.com)-- which can be used for any pet.
  • Longevity and a great partnership! Back in 2003, Sue Galanto wanted to sell the C&C Cage Kits and so Teresa hosted her kit items on a very basic store page on her Cages site as an 'authorized' seller. Sue and Teresa struck up a great partnership of trust. Teresa knew that Sue would only sell approved items of the right size and was dependable with great customer service. Sue was able to count on Teresa for her marketing and guidance on products. Over time, the need for a better ecommerce solution became apparent. In late 2010, the store was moved to the new Guinea Pig Zone site--a huge improvement. The idea at the time was that when people wanted to buy a cage, they would also see guinea pigs for adoption on that site (and vets and other resources). And when they wanted to adopt, they could also find a cage solution. But, even that was just too much overhead for one site. And so the need for a dedicated ecommerce site just for the store has led to this site!
  • We continue to evolve to provide you with the best experience and best products. Almost a decade of commitment and thousands of happy customers and even happier guinea pigs keeps us motivated to always do better for you and your pets.

MOM and POP SHOP with High-End Customer Service!

It's only a few of us working very hard to provide you with great products that are fun, appealing, safe, and productive! While we do our very best to provide a highly professional experience for you, we are not a huge company with a big staff. So, we appreciate it when our customers also appreciate us. We all wear many hats but really enjoy doing a great job for you. We make sure we keep everything IN STOCK, answer your emails and questions almost instantly, pick up the phone whenever possible, and ship orders almost always the next business day after we get them. We know once you've made up your mind, you want it yesterday!