Reddit reviews AmazonBasics 4 Cube Grid Wire Storage Shelves, Black

If you're going to build your own C&C, look into purchasing grid shelving pieces:

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Cube-Storage-Shelves-Black/dp/B0735CKD6R/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2YBR4Y0MRE9SJ&keywords=grid+shelves&qid=1564848724&s=gateway&sprefix=grid+shel%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-3

It's a lot cheaper to go this route. If the connector pieces are giving you troubles, use zipties. For the coroplast, you may be able to find it at your local big box store or try a local sign company (sometimes they'll even have a piece they can sell to you for a discount because it was used as a sign and is no longer needed). Check out YT on videos on how to cut the coroplast to make it work at the bottom of your cage.

Lastly, remember that building your own cage may take a few weeks to get it exactly the way you want it. If you are concerned that Spiro isn't getting enough move around time, just give him extra floor time so he can get the exercise he needs.

They are a great pets, and they force more vegetables into your life!

1. Yes! In some countries its actually considered animal cruelty to only have one pig.. It is mainly because they are prey animals and having a pair is the only way to maintain a sense of safety that allows them to get comfortable in the enviroment, thats why if youve had a pair for a long time and one dies the living one usually will do ok with just a ton of attention and love from the owner.

2. They do not "need" them. That said remember pigs are prey animals and they WILL attempt to hide all sickness/injury from you, so they dont get eaten.

3. Here are a few things I didnt know right away..

• They need hay to help digest by breaking up food in the stomach. They have no limit on how much hay they can eat.
  
• They are one of the only other animals that can get scurvy from a lack of vitamin C like humans. Putting it in the water bottle is only ok if you change the water daily, and thats a big waste. So I gave mine a dab on some cucumber as a treat and they loved it! You should also look for a pellet brand that has vitamin C in it to help supplement.
  
• If you want to potty train them keep in mind they are bashful and would rather do the business under cover(warning they will eat there own poop sometimes, to digest it twice..). Also using some soiled paper scraps from the last cage cleaning when placing new bedding down is a good way at the beginning to help show them were the poop area is.
  
• Save yourself a huge headache and get two from the same group at the same time. Introducing pigs from different groups can work but it can also turn into a headache quickly if they dont hit it off.
  
• Pigs have a very interesting diet.. They cannot eat iceberg lettuce because it has to much water in it. Red/Green/Romaine will be your base and things like spinach/brocoli/carrots/green peppers/berries/grapes/etc.. will be your once/twice a week treat depending on what the pigs like. They will also need daily rations of hay and pellets. Bringing in an occasional handful of wild grass is also a nice treat from time to time, just try to be sure its not sprayed with anything.. It can stack up quick so try to use food you would also eat haha!
  
• Guinea pigs can be loud when they are happy and annoying when they are hungry.. Be ready for a fuzzie chirper!
  
• They also poo and pee ALOT.. so be ready to do half week poop scoops and once a week full cage cleans if you wanna keep the "farm" smell at bay.. Its a great way to use old clothes though, get a few washes and when they get to bad just toss them in the trash! Fleece blankets make a great top layer for both being easily cleaned and pretty absorbable.
  
• Making a cage is as easy as getting a grid shelves from basically any store that sells home goods. Some zip ties, and some coroplast from anywere that makes signs. You wont regret making one yourself as the cages you can buy are more suited as travel cages and are usually not big enough for a pig let alone two to be happy. Also note that pigs will prefer to be as close to hip/chest level as possible so they can see whats going on/not feel the ground vibrate every time you walk(they are totally fine on the ground though, just more skittish).
  
• When you are settling one in it helps to let it smell your hand while doing other things like giving hay, treats, pets, or even just leaving it in the cage doing nothing. You want the pigs to associate your smell with more than just being picked up. It will also take awhile for this to happen they are very nervous by nature and take awhile to get use to new situations.
  
• They sleep with eyes open.. Yep.. Thats to help with the not being eaten thing.. Eventually when they get comfortable they will start sleeping with eyes closed, thats when you know they really feel safe.
  
• The ideal temperature for pigs is 65-75 degrees. They dont do well with prolonged direct sunlight or humidity. But they do enjoy sunshine!
  
• Guinea Pigs can see color! It helps to maintain mental stimulation by occasionally changing the colors around the cage a bit.. Youd get bored living in the same room your whole life wouldn't you?
  
• They need outside of cage time at least once a week, but ideally whenever you get a chance. This time can be them just running around in circles in a slightly bigger and more open space with you monitoring and having made the space safe. Or it could be the pig being bundled up in a blanket while you watch a show or something on the couch. All that matters is the pig is outside of the cage and you are interacting with it! The key though is to listen to when they are ready to go back.. Like I said they are bashfull by nature and do want to poop/pee on you and or out in the open. They will attempt to make it known via uncomfortable shifting and tiny squeaks.. Like a kid that has to pee.. If you miss the signs, well.. They tried! It is also usually a good point for outside time to end.
  
  edit A few more thing i remembered..
  
  
• Make sure you get two of everything so there is less reason to fight.. two houses two food bowls, two water bottles..
  
• Pigs need something made of wood, be it toy or house to chew on occasionally to help keep teeth growth at bay.
  
• Trimming nails can be a pain in the butt.. It HAS to be done though so make sure you look into how its done before trying. When in doubt use a flashlight to help find were the quip ends and the nail starts so you dont cut to deep. If you do cut deep, dont panic! Use cornstarch to stop the bleeding as it wont hurt them if they eat it off later.
  
• When washing(rarely!) make sure you dont get water on the head/in the ears as it can lead to serious problems for the pig.
  
• The grossest thing I learned is as pigs get really old they can get clogged butts from soft poop+weak butt muscles from age.. So.. Thats a fun one to look forward to!
  
  Wow jeez... Im sure there is more but at this point i dont wanna get auto mod banned for spam or something haha.. Good luck!

1. If you're getting two, not an issue. If you just get one, make sure to have plenty of toys it likes to play with on its own.
   
   
2. My cats haven't ever gone after my cables. Once in a while they'll take a nip at one but they've never even left tooth marks. May vary by cat. I used to have a rabbit though and she chewed through everything. They make cable covers you can find at pet stores and online (try to get the unscented ones as the scented ones are offensive to people as well as animals). If you have an area with a lot of cords (desk, tv area) you may want to temporarily fence it off (more on that later).
   
   
3. You don't need a huge one to start out with. Basically any one from the pet store will do. Ask the breeder what kind of litter they're using and start out with that kind. Usually for two cats you want at least two litter boxes. Most people keep them in the bathroom.
   
   
4. TOYS. MANY TOYS. Cat teasers/cat dancers, feather toys, the thing that's a captive ball on a track, sparkle balls, kicker toys, etc. Also of course scratchers - I'd get a flat cardboard scratcher (they're on amazon for like $5 as an add-on item) and also a tall sisal post, just so you can see which one they like more, then buy more of that kind.
   
   Health and grooming-wise - nail clippers, pet shampoo, a blow-dryer if you don't have one (it's best to blow-dry them after bathing them), pet-safe wet wipes, tiny kitty toothbrushes and pet toothpaste, metal grooming comb, flea comb (not for fleas, just because their fur is so fine it really does a better job imo than the regular comb), Revolution for flea and heartworm treatment (you get it from your vet, so when you take them in right after you get them be sure to ask about it).
   
   A baby gate if you have anywhere you need to keep them confined. Be aware that they'll initially be small enough to go through the pet gates with the vertical slats, so a grid gate works better.
   
   Fencing supplies if there is anything you may need to fence off until you have a handle on the cats' behavior - cords, under the bed, etc. So what you do is you get zip ties and wire storage crates like these: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0735CKD6R/ and then instead of using the corner clips to make cubes, you just zip tie them together into a fence. You can use command hooks to attach the fence where you need it to go. It's not attractive but it's good for a temporary solution.
   
   5 Five. (WHY does it keep starting me back at 1? Is there a secret to making the list continue with 5?) Kids like to do a lot of things to pets that pets don't necessarily want done to them. Ragdolls are very docile and won't fight back, but they may start to become unhappy and hide a lot or be unsociable. I've seen plenty of Ragdolls returned to the breeder or given up for adoption for this reason. Most cats will give a good whack if someone for instance pulls their tail, but a Ragdoll won't. It's a benefit in many ways but if you have a situation where the cat is getting harassed it's very distressing to the cat since they don't know how to respond. The only time my older cat has ever hissed or growled at me was when his leg was injured, and he's never hit or scratched me, and my kitten has only hissed and hit me (claws in) when I trimmed his claws and nipped the quick. So you need to be really on top of helping your child understand the cats' personal space and body language and learning to interact with them in ways that are not overwhelming and scary to the cats.
   
   Fortunately, Ragdolls are people-loving and very social, so it'll be easy to have your daughter play with cat dancers, throw balls for them, etc, and pet and cuddle them and interact a lot with them. And mine are both totally fine with wearing clothes - the kitten ripped his tshirt off the first time I put it on him but all this weekend I had him in a pumpkin costume and he was fine with it. So you might want to pick up some small cat clothes if that is something that would delight your daughter. They're not too into hats but shirts without sleeves are great.

I’m the same way with my spare bedroom now, it’s my office/bun room.

The setup I have is about 5’x7’ of the grid shelves with an outdoor carpet as the floor over a plastic sheet. The sheet is big enough to cover two walls since my buns pen in in the corner. The sheet also covers my apt carpet so I know theirs not gonna be any any bunny messes on it.

These shelves are shit. Never buy those - they're worthless.

I can't believe somebody actually used these in a warehouse setting.

It's a bunch of sets of these wire storage things. https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Cube-Wire-Storage-Shelves/dp/B0735CKD6R/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2ANC2Z91OT891&keywords=wire+cube+storage&qid=1556678618&s=gateway&sprefix=Wire+cube+%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-3 I assembled it in the configuration I wanted, then made a tray out of coroplast.

coroplast walls is what it sounds like you need. i use these wire shelves for daphne's cage and have added 10 inch walls to prevent her from climbing out. here is a picture of what my setup basically looks like

Something like this might help add some lower storage:

AmazonBasics 4 Cube Wire Storage Shelves - Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0735CKD6R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_prGCCbB58KJ64

Or use something like these stackable crates:

http://www.spacesavers.com/Storage/Plastic-Storage-Crates

AmazonBasics 4 Cube Wire Storage Shelves - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0735CKD6R?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

“Just Airflow” huh? I call BS, look at this
Perfect Airflow and nothing else.

I use wire squares around areas with cords to keep Marble from chomping them , but if you're living with escape artist bunnies they probably figured out they can jump over things.

Did something change recently in the home environment? Marble goes insane when the seasons shift until we get the thermostat adjusted back to where he wants it. Are they kept in a room where there's usually a person present?

First thing to resolve would be how they're escaping their pen. If you put them in the pen during the day do they try to stage a jail break so you can see how they're getting out?