Just this week, we upgraded our two guinea pigs, Ginger and Cocoa, to a deluxe C&C cage with a loft. While the old Marchioro cage was pretty big, the new cage gives them a lot more room to run around and explore.
We typically like to do these kinds of projects ourselves. But with our daughter’s 13th birthday looming, time running out, and a new piggy cage at the top of her wishlist, we decided to take the easy route. We ordered a pre-cut 4x2 C&C grid cage kit with a 1x2 grid loft from Piggy BedSpreads (www.piggybedspreads.com). They are one of our retailers for STAYbowl™ tip-proof bowls.
When we looked at the time involved to build this cage ourselves from scratch, including tracking down all the materials, cutting and scoring the coroplast, and then figuring out how to assemble it all in time for our daughter’s birthday, we decided we were better off to order a pre-cut kit. The entire cost of the cage plus shipping was $138.79, which we figured was a bargain when you added up all the trips to the hardware store we didn’t have to make.
Ordering from Piggy BedSpreads was quick and easy. They have an easy-to-use website, with different sizing options, and many beautiful fleece items to spoil your piggies. It was hard to pull myself away from the computer without buying one of everything! Our order came within a few days, and everything we needed to assemble the cage was included in a single box.
It took my husband and daughter about 30 minutes to assemble the unit. Piggy BedSpreads had included everything we needed – grids, scored coroplast, a ramp with slip-proof fabric attached, connectors, zip ties, and (best of all) simple, yet thorough, instructions. Now that the project is over and done, I can definitely say that the kit was the right way to go.
If we had gone the DIY route, it would definitely have taken us a lot longer, and probably wouldn’t have turned out as nice. For example, the upstairs loft has a cool cut out that allows the ramp to go under the flooring, thus making a safer entrance for the piggies.
The install is now complete, the cage looks great, and I would say this project was a huge success. We have since ordered a custom Piggy BedSpread to finish off the Piggy Palace. This is a washable, reusable, absorbent “bed-spread” made of three layers to create a custom-fitted bedding system that fits snug against the bottom and over the sides of the coroplast tray. This should make cleanup a lot easier.
Needless to say, Ginger and Cocoa are loving their new digs. They haven’t yet figured out the ramp and the loft, but we are fairly certain their curiosity will win out in time. That, plus a little parsley will hopefully get them “to the next level” (so to speak).
I love the guinea pigs they are so cute 😍 great job on the cage