DIY: How to Build a Small Animal (Guinea Pig) Cage

Learn how to build a cage for your small pet (in our case, a guinea pig) using cage wire!

We will admit. When our daughter first wanted to get a guinea pig for her birthday, we were more than hesitant. The thought of a rat-like rodent in our house was less than appealing to me and the thought of cleaning his or her cage was even less appealing. But after months of negotiations (only my husband and daughter clean the cage and my daughter must refill food + water) we finally caved and we became a guinea pig family!

Fun facts about guinea pigs:

• They LOVE people. The loved to be held, petted and can get lonely if left alone for lone periods of time

• They grow QUICK. Ours has nearly doubled in size the past 6 months and I'm hoping doesn't grow anymore quite honestly--ha!

• They squeal when they get excited

• They prefer to live with another guinea pig if you can handle two. We are not there yet so we give ours extra love and attention

• They really don't like a messy cage--it stresses them out

• Cuddle them often and they will become your best friend! Ours enjoys watching tv and outdoor movies (just don't put them on the ground outside or they will make a run for it!)

Building an Outdoor Space for our Guinea Pig

Since we spend so much time in the backyard--we wanted to create a small area where Dexter could get some fresh air. We decided to take a project we had made once before--a chicken wire garden cover--and convert it into a small animal cage for our guinea pig. The result was even better than we hoped and Dexter loved his new home! *Tip* Be sure to never leave your pet unattended outside because hawks love to eat small creatures unfortunately!

Supplies:

• 1x1 Cage Wire (available at Lowes or Tractor Supply)

• Wire Cutters

• Gloves

• Wood

• Screw Driver or Nails and Hammer

• Staple Gun

Step 1: Cut Wood Frame and Screw Together

A couple of years ago we made a raised garden bed cover using chicken wire. It worked great for what we needed at the time but since we now have two larger beds--we don't use it as much so we decided to re-purpose it for our guinea pig cage. Reference this blog post for how to build the frame.

Step 2: Unroll Cage Wire and Cut with Wire Cutters

Next, we measured how much cage wire we would need to wrap around in side of the frame in on continuous piece. Then we cut the wire and secured it to the frame with a staple gun. We didn't put any cage wire on the bottom so Dexter could be on the soft grass and we could easily each in and our of the top to get him.

Step 3: Staple Hardware Cloth to the Wood Frame

Then, we cut the wire and secured it to the frame with a staple gun. We didn't put any cage wire on the bottom so Dexter could be on the soft grass and we could easily each in and our of the top to get him. Like we said before, do NOT leave your guinea pig unattended outside because a hawk or some other predator could think your beloved pet is dinner! Otherwise--enjoy! You can tell from our photos that our daughter loved having Dexter outside and the dog was able to be kept at a safe distance-ha!