XL Cage Dimensions
- Lower level = 27" x 71" = about 13 Square Feet of cage space
- Upper level = about 2 Square Feet of additional space
- Total = about 15 Square Feet of cage space
- Exterior: 30" x 76" when assembled = you will need a table space of about 2.5 feet by 6.5 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 lose 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.
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 Cage Kit Includes
- (22) 14" Grids in black or white (safe grids with 1 3/8" openings)
- (36) Connectors in black or white
- 4mm Coroplast bottom in your choice of 15 colors!
The base and loft are cut and scored so you only have to secure the flaps.
(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.) - 27" Ramp in Coroplast color of your choice and edging to match grid color with gray 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 XL 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 2x5?
- Up to 3 adult guinea pigs comfortably. It varies a bit depending upon your group. This is actually the recommended size for 2 males. Males typically need a bit more room than females. They need space to get away from each other when they want to.
- It would be possible to house a larger, well-bonded group of 4, perhaps as many as 5, but that would really be pushing it.
- ONE
guinea pig needs at least a 2x3 grid-sized cage. This cage could temporarily be divided to accommodate splitting a bickering pair or separating a male and female.
You just need a Cage Divider or our "Wall of Silence" down the middle of a 2x5 to instantly create two 2x2.5 grid cages. But, as we really recommend a 2x3 for even one guinea pig, using this cage to separate them should be a temporary situation.