Do you have a perfect space for your piggies but don’t know which cage would be best? C&C cages are perfect indoor cages because they can be adapted for size and shape to fit any space and design you’d like. This article will show you the few items neccessary to build c&c cages as well as a step-by-step guide to help you create your own.
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You might have previously met my three guinea pigs here. They live in a 4×2 c&c cage which I ordered online. However, these cages can be expensive so why not build one yourself using the same materials which you can buy separately for much less money?
I recently adopted four beautiful female piggies from my local rescue centre and of course I wanted them to have a c&c cage. So, in this article, I’m going to explain the process building your own c&c cage for your piggies.
Things needed to build c&c cages
Grids & connectors
I wanted to be able to make a 4×4 c&c cage for the girls to give them lots of room. I purchased these grids and connectors from Amazon. Whichever grids you choose to purchase, make sure they are 9 holes wide. This is to make sure that your guinea pig cannot get his head stuck in the holes.
Correx (corrugated plastic)
Bedding
My favourite bedding choice for c&c cages is towels topped with fleece. You can buy these pre-made or you can simply place a large piece of fleece on top of some towels. However, you must treat the fleece first to remove it’s waterproof layer so that the urine can flow through to the absorbant layer (towels). The absorbant layer could also be made of anything absorbant such as puppy pads or simply newspaper (although newspaper often gets stuck once wet).
Treating the fleece is straightforward. You simply wash the fleece on a high temperature and tumble dry it several times. However, you need to be careful not to add fabric conditioner as this keeps the waterproof layer intact. To test whether your fleece is ready, place it on an absorbant layer and pour a small amount of water on it. If there is still a bubble of water on the top, it needs further treatment. If the water soaks through to the absorbant layer and the fleece dries out, it is ready. The process usually takes about 3 washes but can take as little as 1 cycle up to about 7 cycles.
How to build your c&c cage
First you need to choose where you will put your new cage and decide how many grids you’ll need. Each grid is roughly 37cm wide. Then you’ll want to use the connectors to build your cage.
A great thing about c&c cages is that you can build whatever size or shape your space allows! I opted for a 4×4 square to fit my space. I like to add cable ties to the grids once they are connected to keep them more secure.
Now that the outer cage is built, you can move on to the inner correx base. Check your internal measurements of your grids and make a note of these. Make sure you measure from the inside of the connectors otherwise your correx won’t lay flat. If you want the correx to act as walls to stop hay escaping, you’ll want to add about 10-20cm all the way around.
The next step to mark out your cage dimensions on the correx plus the extra bit if you want walls. Here is a diagram of how to score and cut the correx. This shows A and B as the base of the cage with C and D as the walls.
Once you’ve cut and scored your correx, you’ll need to fold along the lines and sellotape the corners together to make a box. Then you can place it into your grid cage.
After that, you just need to put your bedding in and any toys your guinea pigs will want and you’re ready to add your piggies! (Here’s how to use fleece bedding)
The girls seem to be enjoying their new home. I have since added fleece on top and more decorations and toys. Also, I have added a square of fabric to one corner to put the hay on as it is easier to remove excess hay from fabric than fleece.
I hope you’ve been able to follow this information to build your own cage. I’d love to see pictures of your own c&c cages, feel free to post your pictures in the comments below!
