Your Pet Guinea Pig

In today’s short article, we are going to talk about bottoms. No – I don’t want to discuss your bottom – or even your guinea pig’s bottom. I want to talk about the need for incorporating a bottom when designing and building your C&C cage.


Go online and search for web pages and articles on how to build a C&C cage. The vast majority of results returned will show how to build a cage that looks less like a cage and more like a corral. If you examine it closely, you will note that this simplistic class of designs consists simply of a Coroplast bin or tub surrounded by a wire grid fence.


And I am not knocking this system. It is an absolutely fantastic and innovative design. It is both effective and efficient in its simplicity. It provides a lot of space for the money. And in my opinion, of all cubes and Coroplast designs out there; this simple, basic “pig corral” is the most economical and cost-effective design that can be had. However, there is one caveat – and it is an important one.


In my mind, this class of bottomless cage is generally safe only when used on the ground. Let me explain why.

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What is a C&C Cage?


First of all, I mention the phrase C&C cage in the title of this article. This is cage-building technology that has become more and more popular in recent years. C&C stands for Cubes and Coroplast – the two major components used to design and construct these types of cages.


In reality the word cubes does not accurately describe the construction material being used. In actuality, steel wire grids are used to construct the cage walls. They are referred to as cubes, simply because these grids are traditionally used to build storage cube systems. The steel wire grids are simply a building component in the storage cube system – just as they are a component in your C&C cage.


Coroplast is technically the brand name of the product. The name is actually a contraction of the words corrugated and plastic. Coroplast is a corrugated plastic material that comes in sheet form and is usually used to make signs. You may have seen political campaign signs, for instance, on people’s lawns made from this material.

Why Choose a C&C Cage?


The major reason that people chose C&C cages over mass-produced pet store cages is because pet store cages are generally much too small to provide a healthy environment for your pig(s). Larger cages can be difficult to find. Additionally, guinea pigs are social creatures so it is always recommended that they be kept in groups of two or more. This, of course, creates an even larger space requirement.

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When you go shopping for a guinea pig cage, what are the things you consider? Color? Price? An attractive design? People choose their cages based upon many different criteria. However, there is one extremely important factor that often gets overlooked or ignored.


The most commonly overlooked factor in choosing a guinea pig cage appears to be cage size. Sure, people may think they look at cage size when purchasing a cage. But, judging by the number of small, “standard” pet store cages still being purchased every year, it is clear that people do not really look at cage size.


Let’s do a little thought experiment. The average guinea pig is about 9 to 15 inches in length. The average height for a human is roughly 5′4″ to 5′10″. An average pet store cage is 24-inches by 16-inches.


Put yourself in your pig’s place. An equivalent size room for you would be approximately 8-ft by 12-feet – the size of a large bathroom or a small bedroom. So, living your entire life in a large bathroom or small bedroom may not seem horrible – but it would certainly be a challenge to get a significant amount of exercise in a space that small.

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Guinea pigs are lovable little creatures. They make great pets, are relatively easy to care for and can be very friendly if they are brought up with care and kindness. One very important step in bringing a new guinea pig into the home is providing adequate housing.


Pet store cages are an option that many people choose. They are certainly convenient. All one needs do is choose one and take it home. The major drawback is that most cages are too small and confining to insure a healthy environment for your pig. Larger cages can often be very difficult to find – and even when they are available, they can be extremely costly.


A very viable second option is to build your own cage. You can not only save a bundle of money by building your own cage, but you can get exactly the cage you want by adding any custom features you so desire. Most importantly, you can make your cage large enough so that your pig can get adequate exercise to remain happy and healthy.


The first step will be to design the cage. The most important item to be considered will be the dimensions of the cage. The following approximate de facto standards for minimum cage sizes can be found with a fast search on the internet. Your cage should provide at least the minimum square footage suggested:

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Your choice of cage is one of the most important considerations in determining the quality of life that your guinea pig will enjoy while living under your care. One must keep in mind that the cage is much more than just a container or enclosure to contain the cavy; it is the most major and important element in your pig’s immediate living environment. As such, the selection of a cage for your cavy is a serious matter and should be not be taken lightly.


When considering a cage, be sure that your pig has plenty of room to move around and be comfortable. Most importantly, your pig needs room to exercise. If the quarters are too cramped, your pig will not move around much and will not get its much-needed exercise. Guinea pigs do not use exercise wheels like hamsters. Because of this they need a cage large enough to facilitate walking, hopping, “popcorning” and other full-body exercise.


Also remember that the pigs will not be the only objects taking up space in the cage. You will need to provide them with a comfortable nest box or other similar shelter. In addition, your pig will need other accessories such as a food dish, hay rack, water bottle and perhaps some toys.

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A guinea pig is just a rodent – a tiny insignificant animal. Sure, the kids like them. But just the same, when you bring them home from the pet store, they’re just like any other possession (except they have that annoying habit of moving around) so they must be contained. So we have to toss them in a cage and give them food and water every day. They’ll be fine.


Hopefully that’s not your attitude.


Too many people seem to forget that cavies are actually living breathing beings that need to be cared for and shown the same respect that every living creature deserves. Not all people with this attitude are cold-hearted, unfeeling villains. Most are probably just well-meaning pet owners who simply haven’t done the research in order to educate themselves well enough to become knowledgeable, competent pet-owners.


As Guinea Pig C&C cage designers and sellers, we come into contact with a lot of guinea pig owners (often brand new guinea pig pet owners). We also communicate with, and are monitored by various guinea pig rescue organizations. As such, there is one common specific cage-related situation which keeps surfacing and which is also decidedly hazardous to your pigs’ health and safety. The purpose of this article is to alert you to this common hazard so that you can easily avoid it.

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Everyone loves a guinea pig. But a this lovely pet cannot be properly taken care of without the right pet cage. Your cute little friend needs a spacious and clean environment to run free, play, and be kept healthy in. Without a properly cage, your little buddy would run everywhere and possibly get into everything imaginable. He is more likely to feel safe and at home in the proper cage. We all need a little advice from time to time when choosing these kinds of things for our animals. Here are some tips to help guide you in making the right choice for your little buddy:


1. Consider the size that you are looking for. This should be the first thing that you think of when choosing a proper cage for your pet’s. All animals need to be active in order to maintain health. Like humans, animals need room to walk and run. A cage that is too small is not going to allow your little friend to do that. A cage that is suitable enough for your pet’s size, gives him room to run free and play in, and also fits where you would like to put it will be just what you need in a good cage.


2. Pet’s like to remain comfortable just like any other animal does, so bedding should be your next choice. They are going to need something to sleep on. While you are looking at your cage, think about the amount of bedding that you would like to purchase. Guinea pigs like to hide underneath things, it tends to make them feel safe and comfortable. You can even buy them a small house to place inside of the cage. Since these are rather shy and nervous animals by nature, you will need to do everything you can to make sure that they feel safe. Be sure to leave enough room outside of the bedding for them to be able to run around in. Most bedding is made out of hay or towels.

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What are C&C cages and what makes them so popular? Let’s take a closer look at the C&C cage:


As far as we can tell, the original C&C cage design was developed (and made popular) a few years ago by an innovative guinea pig rescue organization. This cage style was developed as a matter of necessity so that the guinea pig shelter could efficiently house a large number of pigs in a cost-effective manner. For this reason, to this day, the C&C cage tends to have a very low cost per square-inch of living space — in other words – C&C cages tend to offer a lot of cage for the money.


The mysterious name C&C originates from the two main materials used to construct this category of small animal cage: Cubes and Coroplast.


The frame and wire lattice portion of the cage is built from wire grids normally used in the assembly of wire grid storage cubes. These square wire grids are usually 14-inches long on each edge. This sort of shelving is often seen in stores or boutiques where clothing or other items are displayed in arrays of wire grid cubes or cubbies. Hence, the first C in C&C comes from the word cube.

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