I've decided that Friday will be Update Day, since I have a lot of time and not much to occupy that time. I'm sure everyone was waiting on the edge of their seats for another update, right? Haha!
So, after the rumble-butting fiasco that never ended, I decided it was time to expand. I knew the day was coming... it was just a matter of deciding what I wanted to lose to make room for more cage space. I decided the best thing to do is just have stacked 2x4's, which meant losing the supplies storage space. I suppose that's better than losing my bed or bookcase though, right?
Another thing I wanted to try is a half-height loft, so I decided to work that into my design. All went well and there have been no major mishaps with the cage design thus far. I did run out of zip ties. I do still have almost a whole package of grids. I never want to cut coroplast again.
I was hoping to find a picture of the old setup for comparison, but I neglected to take one. So, I'll describe the various stages!
Cage 1: just the boys
-two grid heights of storage area with living space on the third story
-dimensions: 2x2 with a 1x1 extension. Yes, much too small, but it's what I was able to do at the time and it was still a little more than double the pet store cage size. They had a lot of floor time.
-I liked this cage. A lot.
Cage 2: girlyboars join the family
-level 1: 2x4 living area for the girlies with a 2x1 storage space
-level 2: boys. Same dimensions. Three grids hung over the girls cage. Covered unless I was accessing them.
-This was ok, but obviously not great for the guys.
Cage 3: Equality for All
-Level 1: 2x4 with a 2x1 half-height loft.
-Level 2: empty space and supports. I didn't want to have them stacked right on top of each other because I don't have the space to slide out the corofloor for cleaning every day.
-Level 3: Another 2x4 with loft.
Here is a picture:
Note that the bottom was un-fleeced at that point. I realized *after* building that I didn't have the fleece capacity to cover it, so I had to wash the girls' extra bedspread. I plan to order some more bedspreads soon, but I'm being thwarted by Mom's New Interest in my kiddos. She volunteered to science together some spreads for me, since they're pretty expensive to buy. I'm a little obsessive about having matched sets of things, though, so I don't know if I'll take her up on that offer or go behind the back and purchase them. We will see. For now, there will be LOTS of floor time while bedding is washed.
Also note the Christmas lights. I like seeing my guinea pigs, but the stacked cages don't allow enough light in to suit my tastes, so I added lights. So far, they've been left alone and are only on when I'm present. I should also note that I'm the type that leaves lights up all year 'round because I like the pretties. I started that in college and got a lot of weird looks, but everybody liked hanging out in my room because of the mood lighting. (This was before I finished adding all of the water bottles and other things.
This happened. I think the loft/ultra-large and accessible hidey is a win. Sorry for the blurriness. I also added a fleece forest (not pictured), and the girls LOVE it. The boykids are still confused and not sure how to use it, but they've grown accustomed to the loft.
It's amazing how messy the boys are with their hay and food. I have tried EVERYTHING to contain their hay, but nothing works after the initial confusion wears off. I've learned to just deal with extra cleaning and fleece-shaking.
This was 3 minutes after sweeping and supper. THREE MINUTES! (The little bits of hay were leftovers from the previous day's sweeping. The veggie chunks were new. They'll grab something from the bowl, take a few nibbles, and then throw it.)
And then this happened last night.
My sweet boys were acting sweet again. For a few minutes. I think they were interested in the hay I swept into the sweeping bowl.
Cali has also been very sweet lately, but I failed to get a picture. For the last few days, she finds a comfy spot and sits there, waiting for me to look up at her. Then she does a popcorn and perches her front feet on the grids and waits patiently for a chin scritch. THIS is the kind of thing I was hoping would happen eventually.
I'll probably be doing a Valentine's pig-ture party next weekend. I'm excited! My pictures don't turn out very good, but it's fun finding the props and setting everything up.
SHOP AMAZON