C&C Cages for Guinea Pigs

four guinea pigs in a row

Quick Links

What is a C and C Cage

C&C cages are modular indoor guinea pig cages where you buy the separate components and fit them together to build your guinea pig cage. This enables you to make a cage the size that suits the number of guinea pigs you have and in a configuration that fits your space. 

This type of DIY cage is very popular in the guinea pig community as it allows for a huge variety of customizations for creative guinea pig owners.

What does C and C stand for?

“C&C” stands for Cubes and Coroplast. Cubes are the grids (or panels) that fit together with special four-way connectors. Although sold as a set of storage cubes, these cubes are multi-functional and this is what many guinea pig owners use to easily build their cage. Coroplast, also known as correx, is the plastic sheeting required that makes a base for your cage.

What do I need to make a C and C cage?

To make a C&C cage you’ll need grids, connectors and coroplast. Zip ties are also really useful to make the structure more secure and are necessary for more complex cages that include lofts or lids. 

Modular C&C cage for guinea pigs with a coroplast insert
C&C cage with coroplast insert

Which C&C grids should I buy?

It is important that you buy grids that are safe for your guinea pigs. The C&C grids you need for your guinea pig cage are the 9×9 square panels which measure about 14 inches or 35.5cm with a 1.4 inch or 3.5cm gap in each square. Grids with a smaller gap are also safe.

These grids will form the main structure of your cage.

Grids that have less squares across the grid and larger gaps can be dangerous for guinea pigs because they can get their heads stuck in the holes. Baby guinea pigs may also be able to escape from these unsafe grids too. Even with the safe grids, you should ensure, if you have baby guinea pigs, that there is no risk of them getting stuck or escaping.

C and C connectors

To join the grids together, you’ll need the four-way C&C connectors. You’ll get a number of these with the grid cubes but you may need more depending on your cage design. These are easy to connect and simply push and click into place. However, some people bypass the connectors and just use zip ties to join their grids. Using both connectors and zip ties gives a much stronger structure.

C&C Cage Connector
C&C cage connector

The grids we recommend come with a number of connectors but, depending on the cage size you require, you may need additional packs of connectors.

Coroplast sheets (or Correx)

Guinea pigs need a smooth base in their cage and should never be on a wire cage floor. Correx is a smooth plastic sheeting which is easy to cut to size and will form the base of your C&C cage.

This will form a kind of box which sits inside the cage frame and will help prevent bedding and hay spilling out of the cage. 

C and C Cage Sizes

When people talk about C&C cage sizes, they will be referred to by number of grids rather than the length and width of the cage in centimeters or inches. 

The table below will help you work out the minimum cage size you need for the number of guinea pigs you have. The more guinea pigs you have, the bigger your cage will need to be and we recommend going up a cage size to ensure your pets have plenty of room. This is because too little cage space can result in guinea pigs fighting and a larger cage will give them a much better quality of life. You can find out more about the minimum and preferred cage sizes here…

No. Guinea PigsCage in ft2Cage Size
(width x length)
Grids
1-27.5ft227″ x 41″2 x 3
2-310.8ft227″ x 56″2 x 4
3-413ft227″ x 70″2 x 5
4-516ft227″ x 85″2 x 6
Minimum Cage Size for Number of Guinea Pigs

What you need to buy for different C&C cage sizes

You can buy all the C&C cage components online and we’ve linked to the ones that are both safe and good value below. The cage plans are optional but will help assist you with the cage build and they also include measurements on how to cut the coroplast to make the base.

You can alternatively buy the full kits which come with everything you need. These C&C kits are more expensive than buying the separate materials but they are easier to put together.

2×3 C&C cage 

For a 2×3 grid C&C cage, you’ll need 10 grids and 20 connectors plus a piece of coroplast measuring 40″ x 54″.

Shopping list for 2×3 cage

2×4 C&C cage (recommended size for 2 guinea pigs)

For a 2×4 grid C&C cage, you’ll need 12 grids and 24 connectors plus a piece of coroplast measuring 40″ x 68″.

2×5 C&C cage (for 2-4 guinea pigs)

For a 2×5 grid C&C cage, you’ll need 14 grids and 28 connectors plus a piece of coroplast measuring 40″ x 83″.

2×6 C&C cage (for 2-5 guinea pigs)

For a 2×6 grid C&C cage, you’ll need 16 grids and 32 connectors plus a piece of coroplast measuring 40″ x 96″.

How to make a C&C cage step by step

Here are some step by step instructions on how to build a C&C cage for your guinea pigs. 

  • Build the sides to the desired shape and size by connecting your grid panels using the connectors top and bottom.
  • Measure the interior of your cage but leave a little space to ensure it’s not too tight a fit.
  • Add 12″ to the width and length you have measured (to allow for the sides) . This is the size you will need your coroplast to be.
  • If you have smaller coroplast sheets rather than one big sheet, you may need to use some clear packing tape to stick them together at this stage to give you the desired size.
  • Using a strong, sharp pair of scissors,  cut your coroplast taking into account the additional 6″ you need to add as mentioned above.
  • With a marker pen, draw a line on each side of the coroplast 6″ in from the edge.
  • Score the marked lines with a craft knife making sure you don’t cut all the way through.
  • On just two of the opposite sides, cut along the vertical lines which you marked and scored – this will enable you to fold the sides up into a box.
  • Secure the flaps behind the sides with clear packing tape. Make sure this is on the outside so your guinea pigs can’t chew the tape.
  • Place the coroplast box inside your cage.
  • You’ve now completed the cage and are ready to add the bedding.

How to make a hinged lid for your C&C cage

Making a lid for a one-level C&C cage is really easy. All you need is grids, connectors and lots of zip ties.

A hinged lid is ideal as it allows easy access to your guinea pigs but you want to make sure it’s made safe and secure so there is no chance of it collapsing into the cage and on to your piggies.

Watch the video below on how to make a safe hinged lid for a 2×4 C&C cage.  It’s easy to adapt for a 2×3, 2×5 or 2×6 cage simply by using more or less grids.

How to make a C&C cage loft and ramp (fits 2×4, 2×5, 2×6)

Creating a loft in your C&C cage will provide your guinea pigs with additional space which could be made into an eating or sleeping area to allow more room on the lower level for them to exercise.

We’ve put together a step by step video on how to make a 2×1 loft for any cage that is 2 grids deep and at least 4 grids long. This follows on from our previous video on how to build  a 2×4 cage which you’ll need to watch first.

Tips on making a C and C cage ramp

It’s important the cage ramp is secure and solid because you don’t want it to collapse when your guinea pig is using it. Another important factor to bear in mind is how to make the ramp so it’s easy to clean.

We recommend building the cage ramp with C&C grids and coroplast for super strength.

A guinea pig won’t be able to use a coroplast ramp unless it has some kind of covering that their feet can grip on to.

We’ve seen carpet glued to coroplast ramps in an effort to make them more usable for the guinea pigs. But this isn’t very hygienic as they will pee and poop on the ramp. The ramp cover needs to be washable.

You could make a fleece cover but it would need some thickness to it because the ramp will still be too slippery to use, unless it is extremely shallow.

A folded up towel cut into the right dimensions works really well and is easy to remove and wash too. Covering the sides of the ramp will also protect the coroplast from getting chewed as well.

It’s important that you use a large piece of towel that you can fold about 4 times. This is what gives it plenty of grip and makes it a lot easier for your guinea pigs to use.

You’ll need to make sure the towel is tucked under the fleece liner in the loft space to keep it in place. If you’re not using fleece liner you may be able to clip it to the sides of the ramp with strong bulldog clips.

What do I need to make a 2×4 C&C cage with loft and ramp

How to make a base, stand plus storage for your C&C Cage

There are  several reasons a stand is useful:

  • The piggies feel safer when raised above floor level, especially if there are other pets in the house
  • It is much easier to clean the cage when it is at a higher level
  • You can organize all your guinea pig supplies and have them on hand by storing them underneath the cage

In our video below, we show you how you can add a base and a stand which also acts as storage for all your guinea pig supplies. Our video shows a 2×4 cage but the same method works for any sized cage.

C&C cage liners

Once you’ve made your C&C cage, you’ll need to add some bedding.

Many C&C guinea pig cages are lined with fleece liners and you can buy them ready made to the exact size you need in many different designs and colors. Here are some of our favorites:

If you prefer a more traditional disposable bedding, you could use any of the following:

Do I need a top for the C&C cage?

Most C&C cages don’t have tops. This is really good as it allows for plenty of interaction with your guinea pigs than with a traditional cage which will usually have a built in lid.

However if you have other pets you’ll need to make a top to keep them safe.

Are C&C cages safe for baby guinea pigs?

If you are planning on adopting baby guinea pigs or you have a pregnant guinea pig you need to be very careful to ensure they can’t get their heads stuck between the bars as baby guinea pigs are very small.

You could make your coroplast base with much higher sides to get around this problem until they are a bit older. Once your guinea pigs are a bit bigger you could cut the sides down a bit shorter.

How to stop your guinea pig chewing the coroplast

Sometimes guinea pigs will chew on the coroplast. To prevent them from doing this you can cut some pieces of fleece to put over the edges. This also helps brighten up the coroplast and can look really funky if you use different patterns and colors!

Alternatively you can get some slide binders to cover the tops of the coroplast.

Extra large C&C cages means happy guinea pigs!

Space is really important for guinea pigs. The more space you can offer them the happier they will be. 

Making a C&C modular cage means you can build a much bigger cage than those you’ll find for sale in the pet shops. This also allows more scope for you to have more guinea pigs, which can be more work, but great fun too!