Lining a cage with a trapdoor

[RubberDuck]

Help meeeeee again

I've bought a hutch with a run underneath and a clever little trapdoor thing and ramp.

How the hell are you supposed to line the living area with paper when there's a hole in the middle?! There's something obvious I'm missing, isn't there? Some cunningly clever trick?

Haha, my big two are in a double hutch at the moment, the tod deck has a holw for the ramp to the bottom. Its a pain tbh, i use woodshavings though, and i pile it up in the corners and they scrat about in it and spread it around themselves. Most of it falls down to the bottom deck in a few days, i find i top up the top deck twice a week, and empty both decks and a wipe over once a week. They are in the conservatory and never smell so it seems to be enough.

A tip for anyone with a hutch who uses shavings/other loose bedding, i have perspexed the cage part of the hutch, so the front and sides. Only an inch and half up from the bottom so loads of room for air flow ect, it just saves half of it ending up on the floor after they do that ''stood-still-to-60-mile-an-hour-turn'' thing that piggies do so well and flick all the bedding up :)

OH that's such a good idea - I already seem to have half the shavings on the floor :D I think I'm very quickly going to get to a state of not caring though as long as they're happy.

I think I bought too small a hutch though - it's okay for their size now but once they reach adult size it's going to be a bit pokey - didn't think that one through :( Still, hopefully should see me through the summer - will give them lots of exercise in the A-frame run I've got (which is a sensible) size. Bring them in for the winter in a better researched cage then get a proper large SINGLE decker hutch for the spring

OH did I say, we have names - Biscuit and Bramble. Bramble is the bravest so far and has snuck out a few times to eat (and kick shavings out). Biscuit is still shy.

Kids are WELL put out they haven't seen them properly yet!

Aww fab names :)

In the hutch i have the top deck has their water and a V large food bowl, plus an enclosed end for a sleeping compartment that is full of hay. This means there is little room for much of a floor covering anyway. I just wet wipe it out twice a week when i top up a couple of cups of shavings. its never been dirty really as their poops are solid and just scoop up, they tend to wee in corners but the corners are taken up with food/water/ramp down/door to sleeping compartment, so they go downstairs - Easy!

Could you fill up the area and have downstairs for mooching perhaps?

Give them a day to settle then just start getting them out and plonking into childrens laps, so long as the kids are semi still they will be happy to sit there, its just the actual catching they dont like to start with. Well thats how mine have been anyway :)

Oh that's good to hear :) I don't want to make them uncomfortable if they're genuinely terrified but at the same time I do want them to start getting used to being handled regularly. I bought a little brush and everything! (Okay, I may not have been thinking straight and got a brush that's nearly the size of their head - I did get a little carried away with my list of essentials).

Ooo while you're here - how often do you do the vit C in water thing? The dosing bottle isn't really clear and it seems to be LOADS of drops and makes it look like orange squash!

Haha, just have some greens ready to give them, piggies ARE piggies iykwim...they only care about food :) start making a noise when you feed them treats or veggies etc, i use shush shush shush, they come to that now when i say it at the cage. Apparantly guinea pigs never bite, there is always an exception to the rule. But dont worry, i have that bloody exception, she goes buy the name of Coco and will eat anything that is in front of her....wood, cardboard, towels, plastic toys, my cardie, my bloody finger! little sod is beautiful though

Im sure you will be fine...you sound more than prepared Get some pictures on when they finally make a show :)

I dont use the vit drops, My four get through a good cup and half each of fresh veggies a day and i try to vary it as much as poss. Plus the food is kept in airtight containers and contains vit c. My vet said that souded fine and last trip my two big girls were very healthy (little two arent but for different reasons and are getting there :)

Might have some pictures - dh took some while I was checking on them this morning!

They definitely need cleaning out already - pellets EVERYWHERE and they squashed (what I thought was loads of) hay in the bedroom right down. Hopefully the rain will hold off and I can get them in the big run for a bit while I clean their cage :)

Oh and the kids got a brief cuddle. Bramble is a brave little soul but Biscuit was very wriggly then started to squeak and sound distressed so I put her back quickly.

Picture on my profile :)

Aww so sweet, lovely colours and markings. such fluffy little things :)

I will make it my mission to go round and get pics of my brood today, bout time i showed them off :) Dh will upload mine tonight :)

Successfully put in run while I cleaned them out, but oooooooo traumatic! Bramble tolerating being picked up but Biscuit just wriggles wriggles wriggles - trying to support her properly AND keep a firm grip is hard. Got her in the run but I think we're both a bit wobbly now

And how on EARTH did a hutch manufacturer not put a door on the mesh side?! It's insane. Cleaning out that side is a nightmare! Need to invest in one of those little handheld hoover things I think to make life easier!

How are you getting on Duck? Have they settled in? :)