How to make a cage for a guinea pig with your own hands?

For a guinea pig, you can buy a cage in a special store, because there is a huge selection of such devices. But if you can’t find the right cage for your pet, then you can make it yourself.

There are advantages and disadvantages of a self-made cell.

The pluses include the positions described below.

Saving money - it’s better to make a home yourself than to spend money in a store and purchase a small cage. To save even more, you can use fleece litter - it is quickly cleaned and installed in place.

If we make the cage for the rodent ourselves, then the pets will be healthy, cheerful and happy, because the home-made design will not become small for them, and the animal will not have restrictions on movement.

You can also create unique, having many levels, l-shaped designs. There are many options for creativity.

You can use almost any materials and elements. Of the building materials that are prepared for the housing of the animal, you can make a food part, a feeding trough and a house. If there are grates, then you can prepare bunk beds. It is necessary to bend them and secure with ties to the edges of the dwelling.

A self-made cell is easy to clean. If you make a large and unclosed structure, then you can well clean everything and replace the litter.A homemade cell does not need to be disassembled - it will not have hard-to-reach parts.

Of the minuses, it is worth noting the fact that in the absence of knowledge of all the rules and recommendations for the construction of home-made housing, it may become unsafe for the rodent.

Before you make a cage with your own hands, you should consider the size of the housing. You can make a small table of standard design sizes for rodents.

For one rodent, the cell size should be 80 × 110 cm, for two - 80 × 150 cm, for three - 80 × 180 cm, and for four - 80 × 220 cm.

If you want to make the territory larger, you should add a little footage so that the animals move freely throughout the entire free space.

Before constructing a dwelling, it is necessary to know certain conditions.

• The area where the rodent will be kept must be dried and cleaned and have equipped ventilation.
• To make more contact with your pet, you need to make a house in the room where the whole family will gather. The pet easily adapts if he hears human speech.
• The housing must be installed on a flat, smooth surface so that there are no inclinations and shaky areas.
• The pet's home should be level so that the pet is not injured.
• The height of the house should be about 36-41 cm. If the rodent is large and, standing on its hind legs, can reach the upper wall of the house, then the height must be increased.
• If there are other pets in the apartment, then the animal’s dwelling should be constructed directly under the ceiling. The ceiling can protect the pet from other aggressive pets, in addition, in this case, things will not fall on top of it.
• If the pet is already several years old, then for him there is no need to make a cage that has many levels.
• All walls in the house and floor should have good lighting. Better if it will be natural light.
• You can not install a home near heating appliances. Also, the cage must be installed no closer than 52 cm from the outer walls of the house.

To start designing a cage with your own hands for a pet, you must have the materials and tools described below.

• Corrugated cardboard with many layers. You can take it from a box or packaging of household equipment. To make the cardboard waterproof, you need to glue it with a wide adhesive tape on the inside - so all places will be protected from water. You can also cover with acrylic or fiberglass the inner side of the prepared box. Such material is well suited for the construction of pet cells. It is easily processed if you need to bend the edges of the cell at an angle of 90 degrees. Corrugated cardboard is a light and very durable material. There are many colors, but if the required color is missing, then the cardboard should be glued with adhesive tape of the required color.
• Lattice, made of metal, should have cells with a size of 3 cm for a large pet and 1 cm for a small one. A grill that has the right dimensions can be bought at a hardware store or in the market.
• Stationery knife.
• Tape, which can be glued.
• Scissors.
• Ruler either roulette.
• Pencil.

Before making the design, you need to choose the dimensions for the home. If there are several sea rodents, then you need to make a large home.

If pregnant or small pets are inside the cage, then they need to be equipped with additional protection at the edges of the home.

It is necessary to choose sizes with a rectangular section. The size of the lower base will depend on the size of the rodent's dwelling.

The recommended height is 16 cm.

It is necessary to draw the bottom of the future home on cardboard. To make the sides, it is necessary to measure the distance of 16 cm on each side and connect them with lines. Corrugated cardboard can have 2 layers and air pockets between them. Cutting the top layer, you can bend the corrugated cardboard 90 degrees. On the first layer, you need to make an incision, and then cut the sheet, collect the box and paste it with tape. Then you need to fold the edges. To do this, bend the protruding edges of the sides to the opposite side and, using adhesive tape, glue them together.

The result should be a rectangular box that does not have a top.

Now you need to assemble the walls from metal gratings - they will go along the perimeter of the rodent's dwelling.

From them you need to cut the panel. The panel height should be two times greater than the height of the box itself. To prevent the individual from being injured, it is necessary to process the edges of the panels. Use cable ties to connect the panels. The ends of the cable ties should be trimmed. Each side must be assembled separately. The length of all sides must be appropriate.

Now you need to attach the cardboard box to the grates.

Using cable ties, it is necessary to connect the edges of the sides. You also need to tie the edges on the upper, lower and central parts. The angle that you get should be straight. It is impossible to tightly attach the sides to each other, since because of this it is impossible to connect the sides on the opposite side of the cell.

Objects inside the home should be well attached to the walls or located on the floor. Inside the cage you need to place a drinking bowl, feeder, hay tray, toys, wooden sticks. It is also necessary for the animal to provide a place for privacy.

With the help of a drinking bowl, the individual will not spray water on the litter and will not be able to get wet. The volume of the drinker may depend on the number of pets inside the cage. If there are a lot of animals, then you can use several drinkers, which are small in size.

Also, an area for food should be present inside the dwelling of the individual. You need to purchase several feeders in order to spread various types of feed. Green, juicy, and tough foods should be placed in a variety of feeders.

For a rodent that lives at home, conditions similar to natural ones are needed. For a pet are necessary rough materialsso that he can grind his teeth. Inside the cell you need to put twigs but do not put branches from conifers. Branches that have large bones inside the fruit must be dried in advance. You can also put inside the cage mineral stone.

Can arrange hanging accessories, since they will not be able to cause injuries to the pet if they are correctly installed and secured. For example, you should take a closer look at the hammocks on which sea pets can relax.

The animal is shy and modest. Next to caring people, the individual will become more sociable and bolder. But the pet still needs a site so that he can retire. Inside the cage It is necessary to equip a nook, for example, a house.

If there are many rodents inside the cage, then they will fight for it. Instead of a simple house, you need to put a canopy or protect the whole cell with good material. Another option is to lay a pipe made of pressed hay.

If the guinea pig is constantly hiding inside the house, then it will not be possible to tame it, since inside it the animal can feel isolated and can not see people. So that the pet can get used to the person, the house needs to be temporarily exchanged for a handful of hay.

For the animal, you should buy toys so that the guinea pig can have a little fun. With the help of toys, the pet will be able to quickly master the entire territory of the cage. To move the animal more, you need to constantly change toys.

If you put a ball of hay in a cage, then many rodents will be able to pull straws out of it. But this design will not be convenient for eating. You can put both a special tray and a ball.

These pets feel comfortable in a territory that looks like a hole. For this reason, it is necessary to purchase toys that are in the form of a pipe. If several animals live inside the cage, then you need to purchase several pipes. The pipes can serve as a shelter if the pets conflict with each other. Also pipes and labyrinths can make a pet's life more interesting.

The animal may be interested in various labyrinths for a long time. The main thing is that the rodent is active, as this has a good effect on the pet’s health - it will not be obese.

See how to make a cage with your own hands.