In today's short piece, we're going to discuss bottoms. No - I don't want to discuss your bottom - or even your guinea pig's bottom. I would like to discuss the need for adding a bottom when designing and constructing your C&C cage.

Go online and search for internet pages and articles on how to build a C&C guinea pig cage. Most of the results returned will show you the way to construct a cage that looks less like a proper cage and more like a corral. If you inspect it closely, you may notice this simplistic class of guinea pig cage designs consists simply of a Coroplast bin or tub surrounded by a metal grid fence.

And I am really not knocking this system. It's an absolutely superb and innovative design. It is both efficient and effective in its simplicity. It provides plenty of space for the money. And in my opinion, of all cubes and Coroplast designs out there; this simple, basic "pig corral" is the least expensive and cost-effective design that can be had. Nonetheless there's one caveat - and it is an extremely important one.

In my mind, this class of bottomless cage is generally safe only when used on the ground. Let me explain why.

To make visualization less complicated, let's forget the litter bin for just a second. Imagine we place just the "fence" on a table. That's right; we'd have a wire grid rectangle sitting on a table. Here is a common scenario: The standard folding table is 6-feet (72-inches) by 30-inches wide. A typical size for C&C cage width is 56-inches by 28-inches. So there is plenty of room (8-inches to spare) on each side. There is only an inch to spare in front of and behind the cage.

If we nudge the cage forward till the front wall of the rectangle slips off the table, there is actually no issue. The front edge of the fence will now rest on the two side walls and these two sides still support the cage on the table so long as it is not nudged too far off the front edge. The same goes if it is knocked off either side. The cage will sit on the front and rear walls.

The trouble comes when the rectangle is bumped diagonally off the table so that it slides off one of the corners (as an example the front-left corner). In this situation, the entire left side wall and the front wall are nudged off the edge. The remaining two walls (back wall and right side wall) are unable to support the cage so it falls off the table diagonally.

Now let's put the Coroplast bin back into the corral. Slide the cage off the front or side - once again, no problem. The cage rests on two opposite sides with the litter bin still contained within. However push it diagonally off the table and it slips off the table - and depending upon weight distributions and forces, it may actually pull the litter bin onto the floor with it. At the least, it will most likely create a huge litter disaster for you to clean up. At worst, you might be looking at a seriously injured guinea pig.

Now let's add a bottom to our cage. Push the cage diagonally off the table and two sides no longer slide off the table edge. Even with two edges off of the table, the cage will not fall off the table because it now is supported by its bottom.

If you're having difficulty imagining the situation I have described, see our video on the dangers of bottomless guinea pig cages. This video very effectively exhibits this scenario.

When thinking about a C&C cage design, many people consider a cage bottom to be an unnecessary addition. And if the cage is to be put on the floor then, apart from adding a little structural reinforcement, the cage bottom serves very little purpose. If, on the other hand, the cage is to be placed on a table, then a cage bottom can make the cage considerably more stable, more reliable and safer for your guinea pigs. As an alternative, you can also fasten the cage to the table top to prevent movement or attach a lip to the table edges so that the cage cannot be pushed off.

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