Homemade Guinea Pig Cage

Guinea pigs are docile pets that thrive on food, companionship and exercise. In order to maintain optimal health, their habitat should be large enough to encourage activity throughout the day. Although pet stores sell a variety of cages for guinea pigs, homemade cages are less expensive, more customizable and generally more attractive. The most popular, and easy to build, homemade guinea pig cages are made using wire storage bin cubes and Coroplast plastic.

Things You'll Need

  • Coroplast plastic sheet
  • Wire storage cubes
  • Box cutter
  • Yardstick
  • Packaging tape
  • Zip/Cable ties
  • Newspapers
  • Pet bedding/litter
  • Water bottle
  • Food dish
  • Guinea pig igloo
  • Hay rack
  • Wooden toys
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Instructions

    • 1

      Calculate the proper size for the cage based on the number of guinea pigs it will house. To provide ample living space, the Cavy Spirit website recommends a cage no smaller than 7.5 square feet, or 30 inches wide by 34 inches long, for one or two guinea pigs.

    • 2

      Purchase the necessary supplies. Coroplast, a plastic used for outdoor signs, is sold at stores like Fast Signs, while the wire storage shelving units are available at Target and Bed, Bath &Beyond. Cable or zip ties can be found in home improvement stores including Home Depot and Lowe's.

    • 3

      Open the wire storage shelving package and snap the grids together to make the walls of the cage. Each single square of wire shelving is considered a grid, and a large cage for a single guinea pig will require four grids for the length and two grids for the width. The connectors that come with the storage unit will snap each grid into place, and you can further secure the grids together with zip ties.

    • 4

      Measure the length and width of the Coroplast sheet and the dimensions of the interior of the cage walls to determine how much material you will need for the bottom of the cage. Then add 12 inches to each measurement so that you will have enough material to fold up to make the sides of the base. Mark these measurements on the plastic sheet.

    • 5

      Measure, mark and cut the Coroplast using the box cutter and your previous measurements. Once the entire piece is cut, measure and mark 6 inches in from all four sides and corners. The inner rectangle that results from this measurement will be the base on the cage and the rest of the material will be folded to make the sides. Score the plastic along all of the lines that you have drawn, being careful not to cut all the way through the plastic material. This will allow the material to become more pliable in order to create a base with walls.

    • 6

      Cut the corner flaps all the way through, but only 6 inches into the center from each of the longest sides of the plastic. Then, fold all four edges up along the lines that you have scored to create a box with four walls. The flaps that remains at all four corners of the box will need to be folded over and secured into place using the packaging tape.

    • 7

      Place the plastic base in the walls made from the wire grids. Line the bottom of the cage with newspaper and then with ample amounts of a non-toxic pet bedding. Litter made from recycled newspaper is safest for guinea pigs.

    • 8

      Add all of the common guinea pig supplies to the cage, including food dish, water bottle, house to sleep in, hay rack and various wood toys.