Guinea pigs are social creatures. Now, if you have decided to adopt two or more of them, learning how to make homemade guinea pig cages is one thing you should do. Guinea pigs naturally love to probe. Hence, they demand larger spaces for exercising or living.
If you are in the stage of adopting guinea pigs but do not know how to set up their cages, then this article can give you the best idea on how to start with their cages. You’d love to try the tutorial as it involves easy-to-follow steps. Read on to start with the preparations and discover the easy steps.
What Do You Need to Follow this Tutorial?
There are some things that you need to secure before you can follow the tutorial:
- Materials and Supplies
You are about to execute an easy-to-follow tutorial. However, make sure that your materials and supplies are complete so you can execute the steps well.
Since you will be doing woodworking homemade guinea pig cages, the first thing that you should secure is solid woods. Make sure that your woods are of good quality. You do not have to buy woods for this project. You may consider renovating an old, huge cabinet or cupboard.
You should also prepare nails or screws, wood staples, galvanized latches, screwdriver, electric drill, hammer, wire-cutters, saw, and tape measure.
Step-by-Step Instructions
#1 Layout the Project
The first thing to do is to layout the guinea pig cage project. Essentially, the bigger the cage, the more ideal it is not just for the guinea pigs, but for any pets. If you only intend to raise two or more guinea pigs, you should allocate an additional 2 to 4 square feet for every guinea pig.
Other than constructing a single-story enclosure, you may also want to construct a two-story or three-story cage. However, this will need an attachment of a ramp so that your guinea pigs can easily move down or up.
Guinea pigs are naturally not agile, however, they like to roam around whenever they want to. Remember that guinea pigs are not meant for outdoors. They need an indoor setting with a temperature that ranges from 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
#2 Map Out
Before you start, design a comprehensive sketch of the homemade guinea pig cages. This should include the dimensions of the living area, the width, and the height of the cage, including any levels you wish to add. Having a blueprint of this woodworking task can help you smoothen the execution and will restrain any errors that may waste your time, money, and materials.
#3 Get the Dimensions and Start Sanding the Wood
Construct the frame by getting the dimensions and cut the materials. For this woodworking project, you have to secure three different lengths assigned for the wooden parts. One is for the width, another is for the length, and the last one is for the height. You need to secure at least four pieces for every size. These pieces will be used for the walls of your hutch.
You should also get the dimensions of wood that will be used for the opening door as well as the other panels within the hutch. Make sure that you accurately measure the wood before you begin cutting it. A circular saw a hand saw, or an electric drill can help you create accurate cuts.
After preparing the wooden parts, start sanding the edges to prevent any instances of harming your guinea pigs. Use huge grit sandpaper for the finishing of the pieces.
#4 Start the Assembly
Now, you should assemble the various pieces. Assemble the floor, roof, and walls. You can put these pieces together by using a staple gun. Remember that a good hutch should have a durable roof and floor.
Ideally, the floor must be built from plastic so it will not be easily damaged because of water and urine. The floor should not be built from mesh wire as it can easily injure the pets. The roof, on the other hand, can be built from solid wood. You can attach chicken wire to serve as the walls. Just suit the chicken wire to the corners of the cage and attach these by using a staple gun. Trim the excess.
Conclusion
There you have it! You now have the idea of how to make homemade guinea pig cages. Aside from the wooden DIY cages, there are other types of cages that you can try. However, if you will opt for an easy-to-make DIY cage, then this project will make a good choice.
With the comprehensive tutorial above, you can certainly finish this project with flying colors. Just make sure that you have the gather the required materials. Take time to understand and execute the steps well.
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