About Christmas plans?

[rustypete]

I just found out I’m at my mums for Christmas for 1 week most likely. My mum lives in another city. She doesn’t drive so it takes a train ride & a bus ride. No longer than 2 hours max. My mums fine with me taking Pete & Rusty to hers as she thinks boarders will probably be very full due to Christmas and it’s nearly November. I have a few questions though.

1. What’s a good temporary cage for 2 males as obviously I can’t take a hutch with me. Also if I do take them my mum has a very small garden. So they would be inside for only 1 week. Would they just need to be kept at the same temperatures for these 1 week or how is best to deal with the change of outside to inside for a couple of weeks?

2. Would they be alright to be taken on the bus/train. ( I have checked both company’s allows small animals) ?

[Bean]

I thought you might be asking about what to buy them for Christmas!

Like you say, if you don't have a proper outdoor set up, they'd be better inside. Just put them in a room that isn't too warm if you can (but not draughty), so they don't start shedding their winter coats. They'll be fine.

I'm sure they'll be okay in a carrier, whether you were in a car or a on a train. I just stuff in loads of hay so they feel safe and held, that along with some nice slices of cucumber so they can stay hydrated. If they're used to your voice, hearing that will help calm them too, whether you're chatting to them and getting funny looks, or talking to someone else on the bus!

It might be a bit more effort to get a sturdy and spacious temporary set up. Have you seen the C&C cages? You can often get the shelving grids for those fairly cheaply, if not then maybe some large cooling trays joined together with zip ties. And if you have a thick plastic sheet to protect the floor, you could put the newspaper and bedding, or washable bedding, on top of there. Ask your mum what she's got handy in her garage as there are many other things that could be used at a push! It just needs to be escape-proof.

In the meantime ask your mum to save some smaller cardboard boxes for hideys and cardboard tubes so you can stuff them with hay - just to save you having to buy a ton of new stuff you might not be able to carry both ways. All the stuff like water bottles and food bowls soon takes up a fair bit of space when you're travelling with them (I used to take mine away with me when I lived in a different city and was visiting home, but we had a car which probably made it a bit easier).

[rustypete]

Oct 27, 2021 7:41:26 GMT Bean said:

I thought you might be asking about what to buy them for Christmas!

Like you say, if you don't have a proper outdoor set up, they'd be better inside. Just put them in a room that isn't too warm if you can (but not draughty), so they don't start shedding their winter coats. They'll be fine.

I'm sure they'll be okay in a carrier, whether you were in a car or a on a train. I just stuff in loads of hay so they feel safe and held, that along with some nice slices of cucumber so they can stay hydrated. If they're used to your voice, hearing that will help calm them too, whether you're chatting to them and getting funny looks, or talking to someone else on the bus!

It might be a bit more effort to get a sturdy and spacious temporary set up. Have you seen the C&C cages? You can often get the shelving grids for those fairly cheaply, if not then maybe some large cooling trays joined together with zip ties. And if you have a thick plastic sheet to protect the floor, you could put the newspaper and bedding, or washable bedding, on top of there. Ask your mum what she's got handy in her garage as there are many other things that could be used at a push! It just needs to be escape-proof.

In the meantime ask your mum to save some smaller cardboard boxes for hideys and cardboard tubes so you can stuff them with hay - just to save you having to buy a ton of new stuff you might not be able to carry both ways. All the stuff like water bottles and food bowls soon takes up a fair bit of space when you're travelling with them (I used to take mine away with me when I lived in a different city and was visiting home, but we had a car which probably made it a bit easier).

Thanks, here unless it’s peak hours, train and buses are relatively quiet. Making conversation with a stranger on a bus or train is not very common here.

Free roaming most likely wouldn’t be an option. Since my mums house only has 2 bedrooms. and majority of the time she also dog sit a family friends dog (Jack Russell) at Christmas (meant to mention this in the post) who doesn’t live very far from my mums. I’ve only seen c&c cages open. How do the Guinea pigs not decide to jump out.? Or is it possible to get lids for C&C cages. Also is there a minimum size for 2 males. Is the best places to find. C&C parts hardware stores. Here I think it would be easy to find the grids, don’t know about the coroplast.

[Bean]

I linked to the C&C Cages website in my post, not that it was obvious!

C & C Cages

There are cage size guides on there, and examples of cages with lids. My cages are open topped but I did add lids at one point, when we had a workman with a dog changing an external door. I hinged the lid with cable ties on one side and fastened it with bulldog clips on the other and while if I had a dog in the house (this one stayed outside, I was just worried about an internal door being left open by accident as you probably will be if there's a dog staying at your mum's), I might have gone to more effort, it was certainly secure enough for our purposes.

As for jumping out, I often think they could if their lives depended on it or they actually wanted to escape, but if they're happy and feel safe, I've never heard of it being an issue. Guinea pigs can be good jumpers, but don't tend to do those sorts of massive leaps routinely!

Look on Amazon or eBay for 'cube shelving', they often have some. As for correx, you can certainly buy it online fairly easily, but have a look for somewhere local as shipping can be expensive if you're only getting one piece. I've heard sign makers will sometimes sell a sheet directly.

[3piggles]

This is what you want+ www.amazon.com/Safco-Products-Organizer-5279BL-Construction/dp/B000789RSQ/ref=asc_df_B000789RSQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167166621599&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17246656476157033398&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9002313&hvtargid=pla-187922490983&psc=1 I wish you lived closer, as I have boxes of the grids and connectors. I googled Grid storage cubes to get to these.

Once you build a temp cage, use cardboard boxes or paper bags as houses. The pigs will love chewing on them, and you can always replace them if they get soiled. You can also just drape a towel over a couple of the cage corners, making tents for them, and that doesn't require buying anything.

I also recommend you use put something around the cage so urine can't get out and on the surrounding area at your mum's house. I use a vinyl tablecloth I got at a very inexpensive store. It's big enough to cover the bottom of the cage, and up most of the sides.

Keep the bedroom door shut against the dog, simply because you're not going to be there long enough for the animals to be properly introduced, and you probably won't have enough grids to make a cover for the cage. Just make sure your mum knows not to open your bedroom door, or let the dog in there.

If you're going to give them lap time, you can let the dog meet them, well supervised. Some Jack Russell terriers are trained as ratters, so you don't want them thinking they need to rid the world of your babies!

[rustypete]

Oct 28, 2021 18:37:06 GMT 3piggles said:

This is what you want+ www.amazon.com/Safco-Products-Organizer-5279BL-Construction/dp/B000789RSQ/ref=asc_df_B000789RSQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167166621599&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17246656476157033398&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9002313&hvtargid=pla-187922490983&psc=1 I wish you lived closer, as I have boxes of the grids and connectors. I googled Grid storage cubes to get to these.

Once you build a temp cage, use cardboard boxes or paper bags as houses. The pigs will love chewing on them, and you can always replace them if they get soiled. You can also just drape a towel over a couple of the cage corners, making tents for them, and that doesn't require buying anything.

I also recommend you use put something around the cage so urine can't get out and on the surrounding area at your mum's house. I use a vinyl tablecloth I got at a very inexpensive store. It's big enough to cover the bottom of the cage, and up most of the sides.

Keep the bedroom door shut against the dog, simply because you're not going to be there long enough for the animals to be properly introduced, and you probably won't have enough grids to make a cover for the cage. Just make sure your mum knows not to open your bedroom door, or let the dog in there.

If you're going to give them lap time, you can let the dog meet them, well supervised. Some Jack Russell terriers are trained as ratters, so you don't want them thinking they need to rid the world of your babies!

Thanks, i'll see if there available on the uk amazon, bean also has good suggestions and yeah, jack russells are breed to hunt rodents, (Like how corgi's were breed to herd cattle) Before when i had hamsters. Once my brother left the door open and we were sitting the jack russell. She went in but litreally just sat down and the hamster stared at her. Luckily she didn't try to get to him.   With small pets another reason i keep doors closed is so if they escape they escape into that room only.  

[rustypete]

Oct 28, 2021 7:43:35 GMT Bean said:

I linked to the C&C Cages website in my post, not that it was obvious!

C & C Cages

There are cage size guides on there, and examples of cages with lids. My cages are open topped but I did add lids at one point, when we had a workman with a dog changing an external door. I hinged the lid with cable ties on one side and fastened it with bulldog clips on the other and while if I had a dog in the house (this one stayed outside, I was just worried about an internal door being left open by accident as you probably will be if there's a dog staying at your mum's), I might have gone to more effort, it was certainly secure enough for our purposes.

As for jumping out, I often think they could if their lives depended on it or they actually wanted to escape, but if they're happy and feel safe, I've never heard of it being an issue. Guinea pigs can be good jumpers, but don't tend to do those sorts of massive leaps routinely!

Look on Amazon or eBay for 'cube shelving', they often have some. As for correx, you can certainly buy it online fairly easily, but have a look for somewhere local as shipping can be expensive if you're only getting one piece. I've heard sign makers will sometimes sell a sheet directly.

thanks, i'll have a look. I missed the link earlier sorry. Didn't spot it. 

[Bean]

Here are some (<- link!) at the UK Amazon, but if you search cube shelving there are other options.

[3piggles]

Those are the same ones I posted, and definitely the best to use. The holes in the grids aren't big enough for them to get stuck in, and the grids are inexpensive enough per box for people to be able to buy enough to make quite elaborate cages. The other C is Coroplast, or I think it's Corex over there. You don't really need to buy that, as you probably won't use it very often. Just get something to keep the liquid and other junk in the cage, and not all over the room. I use a vinyl table cloth, but I've use beach towels and lots of other things.

[rustypete]

Oct 31, 2021 18:05:14 GMT 3piggles said:

Those are the same ones I posted, and definitely the best to use. The holes in the grids aren't big enough for them to get stuck in, and the grids are inexpensive enough per box for people to be able to buy enough to make quite elaborate cages. The other C is Coroplast, or I think it's Corex over there. You don't really need to buy that, as you probably won't use it very often. Just get something to keep the liquid and other junk in the cage, and not all over the room. I use a vinyl table cloth, but I've use beach towels and lots of other things.

I actually was thinking something I just found out my family friends have a spare dog playpen. They don’t use anymore. I was wondering would that be fine for a temporary area for Christmas? We would make sure the dog doesn’t go into the same room as them. Asking as because I’ll be there for a week I’ll have a weeks suitcase, the guinea pigs in their carrier and a backpack to carry. So it’ll be hard to carry more stuff as well especially with using public transport. The essentials we can easily get from a nearby pet store in my mums area. But if a spare dog playpen is fine to use. That would make things a lot easier as we can collect it from our family friends house who live near my
Mums house

[3piggles]

I used an animal playpen as an outoor run for my piggies. It should work fine, and if it's a foldaway pen, you can fit it to the space you have.

Same indoor precautions, put the pen on something waterproof, and surround it with something to keep urine, etc., in the playpen. Great not to have to buy or take anything with you. Just the piggies.

[Bean]

Just check the width of the gaps/ bars and make sure they're not wide enough for the guinea pigs to walk straight out of! Hope it works out as it'll definitely make it easier for you.

[3piggles]

If they can walk out through the openings, just attach whatever you're using to keep the mess in the cage and off the floors, so they can't push it out of the way and get out in to the room

[Bean]

Just wanted to wish you well with your guinea pig travelling over the festive period, rustypete. I hope it all goes well with the boys, and that you have a fantastic time with your family!

[rustypete]

Dec 23, 2021 9:02:57 GMT Bean said:

Just wanted to wish you well with your guinea pig travelling over the festive period, rustypete. I hope it all goes well with the boys, and that you have a fantastic time with your family!

Thanks everything is prepared for, leaving a bit later.

[3piggles]

Safe and happy travels