Small Cage Dimensions
- Lower level = 27" x 41" = about 7.5 Square Feet of cage space
- Upper level = about 2 Square Feet of additional space
- Total = about 9.5 Square Feet of cage space
- Exterior: 30" x 44" when assembled = you will need a table space of about 2.5 feet by 3.75 feet to accommodate this cage.
Upper Levels are Good For
- Providing variety to your guinea pigs to help reduce boredom.
- A potential Kitchen or Hay area separate from the main cage area. But please note, not all guinea pigs will want to use this.
- A get-away area for some guinea pig pairs or groups who may not get
along all the time. When one guinea pig can get out of sight from
another, that can go a long way towards keeping the peace and keeping
harassment down.
Upper Level Things to Consider
- Older
guinea pigs typically loose their interest in going up a ramp to an
upper level. Some are not able to as arthritis can bother guinea pigs,
just like it can people.
- Not all guinea pigs will want to use a
ramp. It can take patience (as in days, weeks or even months) to get a
guinea pig to change and adapt. Do not expect overnight results when
adding an upper level. Training with pieces of food can help.
- While
a wider upper level provides more space on top, it is more difficult to
reach under a two-grid deep upper deck. It is trickier to clean and to
retrieve your guinea pigs for lap time.
- The gentler the slope of
the ramp, the better, but more slope also takes up more precious
downstairs cage space, so it's a trade-off.
Flip-Fold Cover�
Our Flip-Fold Covers� are designed with you and your guinea pig's
safety in mind. We compromise on neither and give you the best of both!
- Easy
Our
cover design is based on many years of guinea pig experience with many
hundreds of guinea pigs. When you are standing in front of your cage,
you need to be able to open the cage easily and quickly. You need
immediate access along the full length of the cage.
With Flip-Fold Covers�, you only need one hand to open and close our covers, and you don't
need something to lean them against to hold them up. Most people have their cages against a wall. Our covers do not require
you to rest the cover against your wall, leaving unsightly scratch marks. They rest nicely
pushed midway out of the way or all the way back. Or you can just flip
the front section over the back section. -
Strong
Not only are they easy to use, our custom-designed and
custom-manufactured Ultra Rods and Wonder Bars are very high-quality and
provide added durability and strength. - Safe and Convenient
Not only are they safe for the guinea pigs, they won't fall down and whack you in the head
while you are trying to feed or pick up your piggies or clean your cage!
In
addition, our covers are reachable by the average person who can reach
moderately across the cage. You don't have to be super tall to manage
the covers safely, so it's safe for a younger person to simply fold back
the front half to access piggies quickly.
Counting Cage Space
Please
keep in mind that you should only count the lower level when
determining how much cage space is required for your guinea pigs. Upper
levels DO NOT COUNT in determining how much space you are
providing. They are used occasionally and sometimes not at all by some
or all of your guinea pigs.
Coro Height Preference
This refers to the HEIGHT of the COROPLAST on ONE long-side of the cage -- for the back wall.
- 6" (inches) is standard. 6" sides all the way
around maximizes ventilation and visibility, and it is generally high enough to keep in bedding for most guinea pigs. Also, a water bottle spout resting on the top of the 6" Coroplast is a good height for guinea pigs to drink from.
- 12" (inches) is good if the long side of your cage
is going up against a wall. This helps prevent hay (and in some cases bedding) from being kicked up and getting stuck against the wall. You can always cut it down later if you decide it doesn't work for you. The 12" option is just to help you keep your floor and wall cleaner in some circumstances.
NOTE: We do NOT offer 12" walls all the way around because we do NOT
recommend it. It cuts off too much air circulation for the guinea pigs.
In addition, even if you wanted it regardless of our advice, coroplast
is only 48 inches wide and that would require 51 inches.
Deluxe Covered Cage Kit Includes
- (27) 14" Powder coated Grids in black or white (safe grids with 1 3/8" openings)
- (28) Connectors in black or white
- (1) C&C Wonder Bar for support (29"x1" custom-designed by us for C&C Cages) in black or white, matching the grid color
- 4mm Coroplast bottom in your choice of 16 colors! The base and loft are cut and scored so you only have to secure the flaps with the rivets provided. (Coroplast base is scored and folded for shipping, which makes an indented "crush" line, but it does not affect the function of the cage. It's barely noticeable when fully assembled.)
- Rivets for fastening all coroplast flaps
-
27" Ramp in Coroplast color of your choice and edging to match grid color with grey Carpet.
- Cable ties that match the grid color. (Using cable
ties to reinforce the grid connections helps make the cage extra tight and super secure.)
- Easy-to-follow, color assembly instructions with photos
- Two-page Guinea Pig Care Sheet
Please NOTE about the Cage Bottom
The cage does not have grids on the bottom. They are
unnecessary. The cage is designed to sit nicely on a flat surface -- a
table top, a desk, the floor (if it's draft-free), etc.
However, if you desire, you can make a cage stand out of grids. Please see our matching Small Cage Stand if you are interested in a cage stand.
ASSEMBLY
We include detailed instructions with every kit, but if you have questions, we are always more than happy to help you out! Just
contact us--pop us a note with your phone number and we will call you back as soon as possible with in-person assistance!
PLACEMENT
Please do not put the Coroplast directly on a hardwood floor. Moisture from the air and/or wood can get trapped and has nowhere to go and hence can cause sweating -- which has NOTHING to do with the quality or character of the cage. Nor is the cage
leaking. All you have to do is put something absorbent down first like a towel or carpet and set the cage bottom on that instead of directly on wood.
NEW! Rivets on the Flaps!
- We've updated our cage design to make it even easier and more secure than ever! All of our Coroplast bases now come with nice, clean holes -- professionally punched in the appropriate locations. We include our new, easy-snap-in plastic rivets for securing the base.
- The rivets, while very secure when in place, can also be popped back open with a little separation pressure should you need to dissemble your cage and are generally reuseable.
How many Guinea Pigs will fit in a 2x3?
- 1-2 guinea pigs. This is the MINIMUM cage size for 1 or 2 guinea pigs. This cage is too small for 3 or more guinea pigs.
- ONE guinea pig needs at least a 2x3 grid-sized cage. TWO guinea pigs who get along well can also live in this 2x3 grid-sized cage. Although we do recommend a larger cage, this will suffice.
- The 2 guinea pigs should be a BONDED PAIR. If you have two new males who have not been together yet in a pet home, then in all likelihood, this cage will be too small. Or if you have two guinea pigs who do not get along -- either they bicker all the time or occasionally -- then this cage is too small.
- This cage size may not be divided to accommodate two guinea pigs who do not get along, nor is it appropriate for separating two guinea pigs of the opposite sex. It is just not big enough for that.
Guinea Pigs should have a Friend
Just a note that guinea pigs are a social, herd animal and are happier and healthier in pairs or groups. If you only have one, please consider the best interests of your pet and adopt a same-sex friend.