Can guinea pigs live in this?

[midori1999]

www.petsathome.com/shop/rabbit-100-two-tier-dwarf-rabbit-cage-by-ferplast-15992

If they were given time to free range in a large bedroom daily too? I'm mainly worried how they'd manage the ramp or get in and out?

Also, can they be litter trained like rabbits or am I being silly and will they chew as much as rabbits?

It's just a thought really as DS got an indoor rabbit as a pet and we now have four bunnies, although they're mine now really and outside. He's mentioned he'd like guinea pigs so we may consider it. He's almost 13 and sensible, so can do most of everything himself overseen by me. Anything else I should know? We kept lots of guineas as children and my Mum knew loads about them, but that was clearly donkeys years ago and they were outside in a large hutch and run all summer then in hutches in the conservatory all winter, so not in a bedroom.

[Chopchopbusybusy]

Ours has this cage. We put one of the nylon play tunnels around the ramp to encourage them to use it as they were reluctant initially. On the odd occasion they slip off the ramp it breaks their fall.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

The ramp looks really steep and narrow TBH

The cage is approx 1m x 50cm by 1m tall - doubled because you have two levels.
But GPs aren't very agile as adults so they'd not utilise all the space.
Babies might be more able to climb but they would be more tempted to jump from the upper level (skitty little devils)

There are loads more suitable cages but as an example- my guinea-pig boars shared a 4'x2' indoor winter cage (stuffed with hay and a duvet over the top, in our small bedroom) in the winter nights.
They tolerated it.
But since I bought my baby pig (so I've now got a 3yo and a 4 month old) I know it won't do for this year.

<br />
Interested why your DS wants guineas though when you've got bunnies (nosy). They are not the sharpest tools in the shed or nearly as acrobatic (though my boars throw a few shapes when they popcorn <img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Grin" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/assets/images/mumsnet-emojis/base/grin.png"> )<br />
<br />
We love our guineas and I've never kept rabbits.<br />
I just worry he might find them a tad - covers the boars ears - <span class="italic">boring</span> <img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Blush" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/assets/images/mumsnet-emojis/base/blush.png"><br />
<br />
<br />
And WRT litter training?<br />
I've had one guinea that trained himself. Every other one I've met just poohs and walks <img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Wink" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/assets/images/mumsnet-emojis/base/wink.png">

[alemci]

lot of money and gps aren't that nimble, one may fall. I wouldn't buy it.

[Sawdust]

I considered 2 tier cages too since I have indoor piggies. In the end I decided against them because I was worried they might fall off the ramps.

Now I've kept pigs for a while I have to agree with others that adults don't like climbing at all.

[Fairylea]

I used to keep 3 indoor piggies.

I wouldn't get anything that isn't on one level.

Ideally you want the longest, largest cage you can get. Plenty of people make their own with c and c squares from screwfix! (Little grated squares that fit together, you just need some waterproof flooring).

Mine were maybe a bit dim but despite lots of attempts they never got the idea of peeing in a set area...! Good luck with that one!

[guineapiglet]

Hi - Im not sure I would go with this cage to be honest, I am not sure any of my girls would have been brave enough to use that ramp. And the price and its from PaH!!!

The little pet warehouse do an indoor hutch/run combo which would be great indoors, some extra space for them to explore and ramps a decent size as well. Agree with the comments about having them all at one level, and a big ground floor cage is the best option. Try freecyle and gumtree for cheaper/(freer) options!

[midori1999]

Thanks. I should have mentioned we already have this cage. Our first bunny came in it and we quickly realised it was absolutely no good for a rabbit and despite the fact he came from the vet nurse friend he came from he really wasn't being kept in ideal conditions. (She had assured me that said bunny was fine in the cage for all but an hour or two a day and as we took him in a bit of a hurry as she was moving and she was a vet nurse, we didn't research too much until after he arrived. )

70isalimit I think DS might prefer guineas as they're less agile/active than rabbits and more inclined to tolerate picking up carefully and holding. Plus, I've sort of taken over the rabbits and the original boy sadly died a few weeks ago. As they're outside I feel it's too much responsibility for DS as obviously a door not shut is the difference between life and death now, as opposed to causing a bit of a nuisance. He does still help me though.

Really, we wanted an indoor pet for him that could be confined to a cage for most of the day bit he could interact with daily. I'm not really sure if guinea pigs would suit living like this or not? I've suggested rats as I've kept them before, but DS isn't keen. He's had hamsters and we may just decide on another, but they're difficult to get from proper breeders or rescue.

[Fairylea]

Definitely not a hamster, in my experience (and have had about 4 in my life) they just want to sleep all the time as they are nocturnal. They don't respond well to being woken up by a dc wanting to handle them...some can be tamed reasonably well but if they do bite - omg it really hurts! And they hold on! Out of the 4 I've had only one was really tame. The others were varying degrees of scary despite all my best efforts!

Gerbils are nice..desert animals so hardly smell and very clean. Lots of fun to watch and generally tamer than hamsters.

I love rats. But then I am biased as I fostered them for a while and at one time I had 8 of them in a big converted aviary!

Guinea pigs are gorgeous, hardly ever bite and are fun to watch - they make a lot of noise (wheeking!) And are fun to feed greens and strawberries to. Etc etc. But they do need a lot of attention, they need attention every day, a run about every day and preferably a run in the garden regularly even if they are indoor piggies. (Obviously use a rabbit run, no mixing with rabbits though).

[Fairylea]

Oh sorry I have just seen you've already had hamsters! Ignore my rant about them then oops.

[midori1999]

Thanks. The hamsters we've had have been lovely, except for one, who we could never tame, but DS still loved her and took her out for a wander about.

Would attention during the evenings and a wander around the room for several hours then be enough for guineas? I had assumed that in winter they'd need to be kept in all the time due to big temperature changes if they went outside in a run? Is this not the case? Obviously if expected to have to provide them with a run in summer and I wouldn't even consider putting them anywhere near the bunnies.

I'm assuming the cage linked would be too small on one level only if it was for most of the day?

I have to be honest, I'm quite willing to put the time into whatever pet we get, but I don't want anything near as high maintenance as the rabbits in case I end up doing most of the care and maybe guineas aren't as easier option?

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Guineas can't go out in winter when it's cold and damp (I don't know about rabbits, I've read that they'll happily stomp about in snow ).

My boys were out today for a couple of hours where the grass isn't in shade , so dry. But I know it's only now and again now.

With guineas the temp has to be constant. Cold hutch -warm house or vice versa is really bad for them.
I'm looking at place their heater in their shed now for night as it;s getting chillier (they have a huge haybox to insulate them and the shed is enclosed and insulated)

Thing to consider with space - most GP behaviour problems especially with boars is due to space issues. Yes they need company of the guinea variety. But they also need the option to tell their cagemate to DO ONE and walk away.

If you let them free range in a room you can give them a guinea village - boxes, tunnels . They do chew. And pee / pooh everywhere.

I love watching rats though in the Petshops but I've noticed the girls are running about climbing while the boys curl up and sleep.
I'd love rats - I think of them as the agility of mice but more the size of guineas with a million times the intelligence

And , though I've never kept them, would your cage (as you already have it) fit a rat or two?
Guinea pigs don't really need the height of the cage you have. They are pretty much feet on the ground .

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Or would you be able to do a Freecycle / Gumtree swap of the cage?

(My 2'x4' is going to have some major surgery this year. I need to seperate into the wire upper and the tray lower. Cut a 'door' in the tray to ajoin the wire part (to make it an 8'x2' or a T shaped) and put it on tarpaulin and old carpet. Then a grid (wooden frame with heavy mesh) to go ontop of the plastic tray.
It'll have enough depth. They can have one part stuffed with hay and the other bit for food.
Otherwise they'll be very judgey (especially as my little boy is getting big and into his 'Terrible Teens'.

I did think about one of the huge rabbit cages in Jolleys but they are ££ and the folding runs don't give much more space .

[LittleNoona]

No no no!

The guy at the pet shop encouraged me to buy a cheaper cage that only had one level.

He had seen a guinea fall off of one, break its back and die and said that he would never ever put a guinea pig in one and wouldn't sell one if it was for pigs.

[shrinkingnora]

Ours are in a sort of cubby about 1 metre square (probably a bit more) with a plank across the front. When we were children we used to have them in the corner of the room with a plank across from the chimney breast to the wall. It's on a tiled floor so we line it with cardboard to make sure they don't get cold. Could something like that work for you? Sheeting on the floor then cardboard then sawdust? Ours have drainpipes and boxes to play in and they wee and poo in two corners only which means we can scoop some of the sawdust out each day and replace with fresh which keeps their pen nice and clean.

[Harryhairypig]

Can you separate the two layers, put some hard plastic over the hole in the tray of the top one and have them next to each other's so they can get between them somehow, but on one level? Ours are in a 120 cage and now it's colder so they can't go out in the run I'm going to get a smaller compartment to go next to the main one so they have a bit more room in the day, they free range for a few hours in the evening. They poop all over but luckily ours only wee on towels when they are free ranging so we put towels down under the furniture that they hide under.