• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

help choosing an indoor cage. ferplast or skyline with links

Which cage for the piggies?

  • Skyline Maxi XXL

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Ferplast 120

    Votes: 6 100.0%

  • Total voters
    6
Its for the piggies, ive been wanting to get them in the house for ages now. I dont have that much money, especially after an expensive month with the buns! :roll: Ive been trawling the internet for some decent, but quite cheap cages. I dont want anything too flimsy and id like somethig that has a large door on the top so i can get in to feed/water and have a tidy up without having to remove the wire top.

Anything over 4ft wont fit in the space i have for them. The two ive seen are the Ferplast 120, which youve probably seen in p@h or the Maxi XXL. Ive found them both for a good price on zoo plus.

What do you think? Is the Maxi a bit cheap/flimsy looking? Im not sure about some of the reviews, although i cant find any bad ones.

Skyline Maxi - http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/rabbit_cage/120_cm_cages/83034

Ferplast 120 - http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/rabbit_cage/120_cm_cages/14083

I'd love the Ferplast Casita, but i cant justify spending money i dont have on something because it looks nice.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/rabbit_cage/120_cm_cages/95868

HELP PLEASEEE :) im VERY indecisive.
 
Last edited:
Of the three you selected I prefer the ferplast with the wider opening at the side. I think wider openings are easier for them to use.
 
well all you need on the dog cage is a wooden edging so the bedding cant come out

but if i had to pick something other than the dog cage i would go with the first one £35 is a good price
 
:wave: Hi, I have the Ferplast 120 for my guinea pigs. I bought it about 2 months ago from zooplus. I am really pleased with it. I have taken that ramp thing out but it is really easy to clean and the huge opening at the front makes it great for fussing my girls/cleaning etc.

Had great fast delivery from zooplus although the instructions were a bit random but it's not that hard to figure out! :D
 
thats one vote each. i should maybe do a poll.

i like the ferplast one, but people have said that the doors make the wire on top bend when they are opened. :? Im not sure if the skyline one looks a bit flimsy or not.

decisions decisions :?:
 
:wave: Hi, I have the Ferplast 120 for my guinea pigs. I bought it about 2 months ago from zooplus. I am really pleased with it. I have taken that ramp thing out but it is really easy to clean and the huge opening at the front makes it great for fussing my girls/cleaning etc.

Had great fast delivery from zooplus although the instructions were a bit random but it's not that hard to figure out! :D

Is there plenty of room for toys and water bowls? Mine have never used a water bottle.
 
It's massive!!! The pics on the internet don't do it justice! I have about 3 tunnels in there, 2 food bowls and the hay rack. I have tried to take some pics for you but they are on my phone so not the best. Lunar and Eclipse are in the pics and they are both 4 months so not huge yet but they have loads of room to popcorn and play chase.

05092010574.jpg


05092010578.jpg


05092010582.jpg


05092010584.jpg


Oh and before you think those poor piggies look at the empty food bowl. I have just refilled it for the 3rd time today :lol::lol:
 
It's massive!!! The pics on the internet don't do it justice! I have about 3 tunnels in there, 2 food bowls and the hay rack. I have tried to take some pics for you but they are on my phone so not the best. Lunar and Eclipse are in the pics and they are both 4 months so not huge yet but they have loads of room to popcorn and play chase.

05092010574.jpg


05092010578.jpg


05092010582.jpg


05092010584.jpg


Oh and before you think those poor piggies look at the empty food bowl. I have just refilled it for the 3rd time today :lol::lol:

:lol:

love the hairless piggy, ive never had the chance to see one but i always wondered what theyd feel like :love:

i have 3 piggies though, you still think its big enough? :?
 
Are your guinea pigs females or males?

If they are females you can get away with a 76x127cm cage. If they are males, you really need a 76x157cm cage. Bigger is always better though.

With this in mind, both cages are really far too small. To be completely honest, I would be very reluctant to even put one guinea pig in there.

Have you considered C&C cages? http://www.guineapigcages.com/index.htm
They are relatively cheap, and can be made incredibly sturdy. I can pop up pictures of mine if you like, but it is several stories high (two levels for the guinea pigs, and then the buns home base which is two grids high). The beaut thing with these is that they can be adapted to whatever you have available - they don't have to be any particular shape. If you struggle to find the correx, lino can be used. A little DIY is needed but you can get a significantly cheaper cage that provides them with a lot more space.
 
Are your guinea pigs females or males?

If they are females you can get away with a 76x127cm cage. If they are males, you really need a 76x157cm cage. Bigger is always better though.

With this in mind, both cages are really far too small. To be completely honest, I would be very reluctant to even put one guinea pig in there.

Have you considered C&C cages? [/B]http://www.guineapigcages.com/index.htm
They are relatively cheap, and can be made incredibly sturdy. I can pop up pictures of mine if you like, but it is several stories high (two levels for the guinea pigs, and then the buns home base which is two grids high). The beaut thing with these is that they can be adapted to whatever you have available - they don't have to be any particular shape. If you struggle to find the correx, lino can be used. A little DIY is needed but you can get a significantly cheaper cage that provides them with a lot more space.


Id love to use C&C cages, but i dont have enough space to make a big cage and keep my room looking like a bedroom. I cant find anything to line the floor with that will stop bedding and litter going all over and im not going to have any help because my parents want nothing to do with it.
 
Id love to use C&C cages, but i dont have enough space to make a big cage and keep my room looking like a bedroom. I cant find anything to line the floor with that will stop bedding and litter going all over and im not going to have any help because my parents want nothing to do with it.

:oops::lol: You should see my room.

I have my bed, and a wardrobe and a bedside table. Their cage runs along one wall - 6ft long, and 4ft high. To the left of that is 4 x 65L plastic tubs filled with hay. Then grids that run around the base of my bed (to stop buns getting underneath there)..plus bun toys all over my floor. The other free wall has another cupboard with food containers, spare tunnels, containers containing everything imaginable that is animal related (have one that is full of meds and shampoos that I have accumulated over the years treating a range of illnesses). My room is really not my room.

Anyway, I digress! The point I was trying to make was that with C&Cs you can actually make the most out of the available space. You will often find that with petstore cages the pans will slope in taking away even more running space. You can line the floor with either correx or lino - you make a pan out of this which stops all bedding getting out. It is very simple to make. I also have a clear plastic sheet that the cage and their hay boxes sit on..just protects the floor that little bit more. An alternative to traditional bedding is fleece and towels. I use this and it lasts a week between cleans - saves heaps of money as well as you are not forever buying disposable bedding.

This style of cage isn't for everyone, but just like buns, guinea pigs need plenty of space too. The petstore cages mentioned are really not big enough at all - sorry :(
 
Hiya, not sure about 3 piggies to be fair but for 2 it is more than ok. Do they get any free time? Could you put a run anywhere and then for a base it would be fine. I know these C&C set ups are the thing to have but I have cats and dogs and the pigs would not be protected enough in them. Plus I think they look messy :oops: Are there any similar cages that are on 2 levels? That would be big enough then and if you make the ramp safe then they wouldn't fall? These cages are bigger than they look though!!
 
Hiya, not sure about 3 piggies to be fair but for 2 it is more than ok. Do they get any free time? Could you put a run anywhere and then for a base it would be fine. I know these C&C set ups are the thing to have but I have cats and dogs and the pigs would not be protected enough in them. Plus I think they look messy :oops: Are there any similar cages that are on 2 levels? That would be big enough then and if you make the ramp safe then they wouldn't fall? These cages are bigger than they look though!!

The C&Cs are actually incredibly sturdy. I have two small-medium sized dogs, they are very bouncy and in to everything. Prior to the buns, I just had the one C&C for the guinea pigs - it did have a roof, and the dogs would sometimes lie on it but it was fine. In the latest cage, I used over 300 cable ties. It sits on a wooden base with wheels, so that I can move it out underneath the patio when we have house inspections.They are incredibly strong - and there are also additional ways you can pet proof them (eg a table) shown on the link I gave above.

2 level cages are brill - but they don't add to the overall square footage. This is because a) Guinea pigs are primarily ground dwellers and b) the ramp takes away floor space, so actually gives them less running space.

I do agree that in some cases they look messy. The pictures I have of mine aren't the best but there are some fantastic set ups out there and they look real neat. If you scroll down to the bottom of this site it shows a couple of pictures of my fav set up http://www.cozycavy.com/3.html .

The petstore cages may look big, but their dimensions don't tell the same story. Also on the guinea pig cages website, there is a table with the guidelines for cage sizes. Guinea pigs need the room to do zoomies and pop corn, and they dont get that from the cramped conditions that most petstore cages provide.

Sorry if I get carried away :oops: I just hate how, although smaller than buns, some think (and I am not talking about anyone here) that because of this they are ok in small cages. When you see them play, and run laps, and pop corn in a nice, roomy cage - there is no way you can advocate small petstore cages :)
 
Its difficult though, my parents like them, but dont really want them living in the house. They didnt mind untill the buns came along and they found out that they could be house trained. The piggies had a run and free range time in the hall way, but the parents put a stop to it because they pee on the floor. Now they are restricted to the outdoor run, which they arent going to be able to use in the winter, so its just going to be a couple of hours a day when they get out this winter :(

I really want them to come in the house, they are happy and healthy but apart from having cuddles on a morning, being fed and let into the run they dont get much more attention. They deserve so much more but if i cant find some way of getting them in the house then i think im going to have to rehome them. :cry:

I dont have a lot of room left in my bedroom as it is, i have the biggest one but because of that i get everyone elses junk chucked in too, so its full of chunky furniture and there isnt a single free wall! Im going to have to move my bed to the middle of the room just to make room. Then there will be 1 free wall, but the alcove is only 4ft, so there isnt a lot i can fit in as i need to be able to get from the door to my bed without stepping over a huge cage.

If i keep going on to my parents, they will just get sick of hearing about it and tell me to forget it because its too much hassle. :roll:
 
Its difficult though, my parents like them, but dont really want them living in the house. They didnt mind untill the buns came along and they found out that they could be house trained. The piggies had a run and free range time in the hall way, but the parents put a stop to it because they pee on the floor. Now they are restricted to the outdoor run, which they arent going to be able to use in the winter, so its just going to be a couple of hours a day when they get out this winter :(

I really want them to come in the house, they are happy and healthy but apart from having cuddles on a morning, being fed and let into the run they dont get much more attention. They deserve so much more but if i cant find some way of getting them in the house then i think im going to have to rehome them. :cry:

I dont have a lot of room left in my bedroom as it is, i have the biggest one but because of that i get everyone elses junk chucked in too, so its full of chunky furniture and there isnt a single free wall! Im going to have to move my bed to the middle of the room just to make room. Then there will be 1 free wall, but the alcove is only 4ft, so there isnt a lot i can fit in as i need to be able to get from the door to my bed without stepping over a huge cage.

If i keep going on to my parents, they will just get sick of hearing about it and tell me to forget it because its too much hassle. :roll:

Sounds like you have a bit of a tricky situation there! If you were able to rearrange some furniture - so that you could happily fit both you and the guinea pigs in, what sort of sized cage would you be able to fit in (length and width if possible)? And are they males or females?
 
The C&Cs are actually incredibly sturdy. I have two small-medium sized dogs, they are very bouncy and in to everything. Prior to the buns, I just had the one C&C for the guinea pigs - it did have a roof, and the dogs would sometimes lie on it but it was fine. In the latest cage, I used over 300 cable ties. It sits on a wooden base with wheels, so that I can move it out underneath the patio when we have house inspections.They are incredibly strong - and there are also additional ways you can pet proof them (eg a table) shown on the link I gave above.

2 level cages are brill - but they don't add to the overall square footage. This is because a) Guinea pigs are primarily ground dwellers and b) the ramp takes away floor space, so actually gives them less running space.

I do agree that in some cases they look messy. The pictures I have of mine aren't the best but there are some fantastic set ups out there and they look real neat. If you scroll down to the bottom of this site it shows a couple of pictures of my fav set up http://www.cozycavy.com/3.html .

The petstore cages may look big, but their dimensions don't tell the same story. Also on the guinea pig cages website, there is a table with the guidelines for cage sizes. Guinea pigs need the room to do zoomies and pop corn, and they dont get that from the cramped conditions that most petstore cages provide.

Sorry if I get carried away :oops: I just hate how, although smaller than buns, some think (and I am not talking about anyone here) that because of this they are ok in small cages. When you see them play, and run laps, and pop corn in a nice, roomy cage - there is no way you can advocate small petstore cages :)

Never apologise for trying to get the best for an animal and I don't think you get carried away. :D I agree I have seen some fantastic set ups that people have done. My cats would not be the problem it would be the dogs, mine are large. Skinny pig has to be in my bedroom for warmth. These cages are only ok if the pigs are able to come out. I agree that they need room to popcorn and play. My girlies are happy in here at the moment as they are small still but they will need a run in the bedroom soon so they can play all day. (Not told hubby that one yet :lol:) But as the guinea pigs in the porch have that set up I don't think it will come as a great surprise to him :lol:

The cage is definitely not suitable for 3 who would only get 2hrs max out of it a day. Could you put something down on the hall floor? Like a pond liner or something so when they pee it doesn't matter?

I would rehome everyone elses junk if I were you. Try and work out a plan first and then when it is sensible and nothing to argue over then ask your mum and dad. I have to say though much as I am not sure about the c&c cages in my bedroom you would be able to make it fit the space in your room better.

Tough call. Maybe pigsforlife could help you design it if you put up the dimensions?
 
i guess i have space for 4x3 and their all sows. :)

how big are the c&c grids? and how much space would a 3x2 and a 4x2 c&c cage take up?
 
Back
Top