How to Use Coroplast for Guinea Pig Cages

Silvia Carrus
2020-09-14T13:40:00+01:00

The beauty of C&C cages lies within the simplicity of assembly. You take a few grids, some connectors, and coroplast for your guinea pig cage, and suddenly, you’ve got a spacious piggy palace - no DIY expertise required!

If you’re thinking about adding a coroplast sheet to your cage, wondering where to find coroplast sheets for your C&C cage, and what coroplast sheet sizes to look for, we’ve got you covered. Let’s have a look at our top tips on coroplast for a guinea pig cage!

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The beauty of C&C cages lies within the simplicity of assembly. You take a few grids, some connectors, and coroplast for your guinea pig cage, and suddenly, you’ve got a spacious piggy palace - no DIY expertise required! For a sturdy base that’s also super easy to clean, coroplast is the ideal choice. It’s lightweight, waterproof, foldable and (most importantly!) so easy to wipe down, making cage cleaning day a treat for piggy parents.

If you’re thinking about adding a coroplast sheet to your cage, wondering where to find coroplast sheets for your C&C cage, and what coroplast sheet sizes to look for, we’ve got you covered. Let’s have a look at our top tips on coroplast for a guinea pig cage!

Coroplast for guinea pig cages

Coroplast is the most popular option as the base of a C&C cage because it’s easy to bend and cut to size, making it a perfect fit for any cage size or setup. It’s also lightweight, so coroplast sheets sit nicely in your C&C cage, even if you have a stand or a two-tier cage. But the benefits don’t end there! Coroplast is long-lasting, waterproof, and super easy to wipe down and clean. Sounds like an absolute winner, right?

Time to find out more about coroplast sheets for your C&C cage!

What is coroplast made of?

Coroplast is a corrugated polypropylene material that’s made from combustible thermoplastic. It’s somewhere between lightweight cardboard and sturdy solid plastic.

Coroplast has become a big hit with piggy parents across the world because it’s easy to cut to the size of your cage and is also foldable, so the edges of the cage base stand up and stop any poop or hay from flying out. Genius!

To add a little bit of fun to the mix, the coroplast cage bases come in lots of vibrant colours to match the aesthetic of your piggy's palace. Fancy a grass green cage base? We’ve got you covered! More of a blue fan? Not a problem.

Why use coroplast sheets for your C&C cage?

Coroplast sheets for your C&C cage are like magic. If you've ever had a hutch or a traditional pet shop cage, you’ll never go back once you’ve tried coroplast. Cage mess is a cause for stress no longer - coroplast makes even those tricky-to-reach corners easy to clean!

Here's why piggy parents all over the world love them:

They're lightweight - 4 ft. by 8 ft. coroplast sheets for a C&C cage only weigh around 4 pounds, around the same as two guinea pigs.

They're foldable, and can be overlapped to create a bigger area with two sheets.

They're transportable and easy to store since they fold down.

They're waterproof - an essential aspect when it comes to the mess our piggies’ can make.

They're easy to clean with a cage cleaner, cage wipes, or white vinegar and a cloth, down to the corners.

They're sturdy and keep your pets safe.

They're recyclable and more eco-friendly than most cage bases.

They're customisable, and can create a larger living area by overlapping with another coroplast sheet.

They're interchangeable and available in a variety of colours, making it easy for you to change up your cage’s look.

Is coroplast safe for guinea pigs?

Safety is always the most important factor when it comes to buying a new product for your furry friends. Luckily, a coroplast cage base is perfectly safe for your guinea pigs. Coroplast sheets for C&C cages have been around for 15 years, and there’s not been a single report of piggies getting unwell or even passing away from it. It’s also safe to be in contact with food because it’s chemically inert, meaning it’s not a reactive material.

The material is non-toxic, so a little nibble won’t hurt your beloved pigs. Although it’s not a good idea to let your pigs eat a lot of coroplast, it’s generally safe because it’s indigestible. That said, if you want to keep your cage in tip top condition for longer, we’ve got nibble guards to stop your sweeties from sinking their teeth into the coroplast of your C&C cage.

How to make coroplast bases for guinea pig cages

If you’re looking to add your own coroplast guinea pig DIY base, we’ve got a handful of tips that’ll see you through the process, from finding the best coroplast sheet sizes to cutting it. And if this sounds like too much hassle, we’ll also give you a quick rundown of the benefits of Kavee’s coroplast.

What coroplast sheet sizes are good for guinea cages?

When you’re choosing the right coroplast sheet sizes for your cavy cage, it all comes down to the size and setup of your cage. At Kavee, you can get pre-cut coroplast sheets for your C&C cage in the sizes of 3x2, 4x2, or 5x2. For a 6x2 cage, you’d simply add two of the 3x2 coroplast guinea pig cage bases together.

If you’re determined to create a coroplast guinea pig cage DIY base, you can choose a sheet of any size that’ll fit your cage. Remember that you’ll need some extra space on each side, so you can fold up the sides and keep the piggy mess contained.

While coroplast sheet sizes vary from shop to shop, it’s also important to watch out for the sheet’s grammage. This will determine how sturdy your base is, so we recommend looking for a grammage of 650.

How to cut coroplast for a guinea pig cage

The first thing you need for a coroplast guinea pig cage DIY base is, of course, a coroplast sheet that’s big enough for your cage. You’ll also want a box cutter or knife, duct tape, and measuring tape and straight edge. It probably goes without saying, but this is an adult’s task - younger piggy parents can help with the cage assembly instead.

Now let’s get going!

Step 1: Measure the inner base of your cage

With a tape measure or a long ruler, take note of the measurements of the cage base inside the cage. It’s important to be precise here, so your base fits snugly in the cage.

Step 2: Mark the measurements onto coroplast

On each side of your coroplast, add an extra 6 in (15 cm) to the measurement. This will allow you to fold up the sides of your coroplast guinea pig cage DIY base later.

Step 3: Cut out a 6 in × 6 in (15 cm × 15 cm) square from each corner

Draw a square in each corner of the coroplast and cut it out completely. This step is essential for folding up the sides of your coroplast guinea pig cage base later.

Step 4: Score the bottom of the coroplast walls

For a clean look and no sharp edges, we recommend using a straight edge that keeps your coroplast sides even and straight. Use that or a knife/box cutter to score the coroplast walls.

Step 5: Fold the walls up along the scores

Now, you can fold up the sides of the sheet along the marks you made earlier for the cage’s inside measurements.

Step 6: Duct tape the corners of the coroplast together

Once you’ve folded the sides neatly, you can secure them with duct tape. Make sure they’re stuck together neatly to keep in any pet mess.

Step 7: Place the base inside your cage

Finally, it’s time to add your coroplast DIY base to the inside of your cage. And you’re done!

Now you know all about preparing your own coroplast sheets for your C&C cage - but if this sounds a little complicated for you, don’t worry. We’ve got an easy, DIY-less option for you!

Why Kavee coroplast sheets make life easier

If the 7 steps to create your own coroplast guinea pig cage base seemed overwhelming, we’ve got a fantastic solution that’ll speed up your cage assembly so much. Kavee’s coroplast sheets are pre-cut to the size of your C&C cage, so there’s no need to get out your measuring tape or knife. They’re also pre-folded, with the sheet’s corners neatly slotting into one another, to make the coroplast guinea pig cage base assembly a matter of seconds.

Follow these steps for the perfect C&C cage base:

Step 1: Prepare your Coroplast sheets by folding the edges

To start off, simply fold the sheet along the pre-folded edges. This gives them even better hold when they’re sitting in the cage.

Step 2: Slot in the edges

Each of the 4 corners slot into each other, from the outside in. Double-check that the corners have fully interlocked.

Step 3: The coroplast sheets for your C&C cage are good to go!

The final, and fun, step is to pop the sheet inside your cage - and feel extremely satisfied at the snug fit! Now it's time to add your fleece liner for guinea pigs.

How to expand your guinea pig cage base

If you’re wondering how to create a base for a larger C&C cage with the Kavee coroplast sheets, it’s really easy to overlap them. A 6x2 cage, for example, would have two 3x2 coroplast sheets interlocking. The steps are roughly the same as above, so it’s just as easy to set up your coroplast sheets for the C&C cage.

You’d start off by folding the sides of the coroplast sheet, just like you did before, and slotting the edges in. But there’s one major difference: the edge that’ll sit in the middle of the cage just stays as it is, flat on the ground. The two flat edges will overlap when you put both coroplast sheets for your C&C cage down, and you can then interlock the two standing sides that meet in the middle.

Prefer a visual tutorial? This video explains exactly how to put together a larger cage with two coroplast sheets for a C&C cage:

Common coroplast alternatives for guinea pig cages

Coroplast guinea pig cage bases are a popular choice for piggy parents because they’re so easy to put together and care for. But if this doesn’t strike your fancy, there’s more than one coroplast alternative you can look at. The most common ones are:

Linoleum: cheap and easily available, but doesn’t deal well with piggy bathroom breaks; also dangerous if ingested.

Shower curtains and plastic tablecloths: easy to cut and cheap, but often very thin and dangerous if ingested.

Waterproof drop cloths and mattress liners: easy to come by, but not sturdy or easy to clean.

Tarpaulin: easy to clean, but difficult to secure and not sturdy; also dangerous if ingested.

Moisture barricade underlayment: easy to clean, but dangerous if ingested and not sturdy.

Conclusion

Coroplast is a safe base for guinea pig cages, that can easily be set-up, comes in a variety of colours, and is simple to maintain clean. While there are other options on the market, none come close to the convenience and safety of coroplast, so for us it's a clear winner!

Plus, every C&C guinea pig cage at Kavee comes with a coroplast base included and pre-cut for you - so that you'll waste no time setting up your piggy's new home.

FAKs - Frequently Asked Kavees About Coroplast In a Guinea Pigs Cage

Is coroplast recyclable?

Good news! Coroplast is recyclable and environmentally friendly.

Is coroplast waterproof?

Coroplast is indeed waterproof. Just be mindful if you’re building a coroplast guinea pig cage DIY base that you don’t cut across the coroplast sheet by accident. If the sheet is damaged, it’s not going to keep out water anymore.

What if my guinea pig eats the coroplast?

Coroplast is non-toxic, so if your piggies take a curious nibble out of the coroplast sheet, it won’t harm them. If they seem to chew on bigger chunks, it’s worth looking into nibble guards before they get a sore tummy.

Where can I buy coroplast for my guinea pig’s cage?

Coroplast is available in many online shops. If you’re looking for pre-cut coroplast sheets for your C&C cage, Kavee offers a variety of sizes available in different colours.

What is coroplast made of?

Coroplast sheets for C&C cages (and other purposes) are made from a combustible thermoplastic material called polypropylene. It’s best known for being sturdy and lightweight.