Archive for September, 2010

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-09-25

posted by bob
Sep 25

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Cages for Guinea Pigs – Why do Small Cages Persist?

posted by bob
Sep 18

By now, you have to know the story. Small cages for guinea pigs are out – big guinea pig cages are in. It’s a fact. People (people like you and me) are becoming more educated about animal and pet care.

Sure, years ago, we had an excuse for stuffing our pets into tiny cages—ignorance. That’s right. We didn’t know any better.

When I was growing up, we didn’t fully understand nutrition and exercise for humans—let alone for our pets. Our parents were stuffing us with fried foods, whole milk and red meat because, back then, it was good for us. They didn’t know any better. And pet stores were selling small lab-rat cages for guinea pigs—and we bought them. Again, we didn’t know any better.

But today we know better. Small cages are too small. And there is a great movement going on by cavy owners to provide larger healthy environments for their pets. But why don’t the cage manufacturers learn? Why do they insist on continuing to manufacture small, confined cages.

And what about the retailers? Why do pet stores and department stores continue to sell these tiny cages to new guinea pig owners?

I have a theory.

My speculation is that large cages cost too much to ship, handle and store compared to their smaller counterparts. Large cages contain a lot more empty space than small cages. So, the manufacturer must spend more money to ship and store a large cage—but—they are shipping and storing mostly empty space.

Small cages are a more efficient product from a space-usage perspective—and thus, they are more profitable.

That’s just my observation. It may be right. It may be wrong. But it makes sense to me.

Want to see the BlueStoneCommerce selection of big guinea pig cages (and receive a SPECIAL deal on shipping)?

 

For more of large cages for guinea pigs CLICK HERE to read The Guinea Pig Hutch – Yesterday and Today.

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-09-18

posted by bob
Sep 18

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Are our guinea pigs spoiled?

posted by bob
Sep 12

I stumble down the stairs still sleepy at 7:00 AM. Our five guinea pigs can hear my footsteps on the stairs. Usually Apple is the pig who begins the cacophony of wheeking from the large C&C cavy cage.
 
They demand food. All five of them wheeking and calling for food. Like young, spoiled children – give me food! Give it to me now!
 
Are they spoiled? Are they like little children throwing a tantrum? I don’t think so. They’re just hungry little guinea pigs and they’re excited.
 
Actually, I love waking up to the sound of their wheeking. I think I’m the one that’s spoiled.

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WARNING!!! “Mr. & Mrs. BlueStoneCommerce”
Going to Hawaii!!!

posted by bob
Sep 12

Mr. & Mrs. BlueStoneCommerce going to HawaiiBob and Nancy (Mr. and Mrs. BlueStoneCommerce) will be going to Hawaii to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They leave Oct. 7, 2010 & will be gone for 17 days.

What does that mean to you? It means a smaller selection and limited quantity of cages while we’re gone.

We plan to pack a limited number of our popular models before we leave. And we have contracted with someone to fulfill orders for us while we’re gone – so we don’t leave our potential piggy customers high and dry.

But, when the supply is gone – it’s gone. Also – we won’t be able to handle special options – like chew-resist upgrades. We simply won’t be there. So…

If you are particular about your cages…
(and you wouldn’t be buying from BlueStoneCommerce if you weren’t)…
You have until Oct 6, 2010 to order.

After that, it’s kind of “pot luck” in terms of cage selection.

We’ll be back in full force on Oct 25, 2010.

For those of you who worry – who’s going to take care of your five pigs – and Cosmo the Wonder Pig (our dog)?
Well, it’s okay. Our two adult children still live at home with us and will care for all the pets. They are both attending nearby colleges and they’ve taken care of the pets many times before. So – bottom line – all is okay. Don’t worry. Our pets will be cared for and will have lots of company and attention from the people they live with every day.
Here’s a Recap:
  • We’re fully open and fully stocked until Oct 6, 2010
  • Oct 7, 2010 – Oct 24, 2010 – we will offer a limited quantity and selection of cages. During that time, many models will not be available and the cages that are available will be in limited quantities. And once we sell out… well… sorry… call us selfish, but… (no matter how much we love pigs) we’re not coming back early from Hawaii to fill your order. We sympathise. But we’re not coming back.
  • We will be checking emails during that time. Like usual, we will answer every one – but it will probably take a lot longer than usual. There is a six-hour time difference, we will not always have internet access –  and – we’re on vacation after all.
  • We will reopen Oct. 25, 2010

So… Fair Warning… DON’T MISS OUT! Make up your mind quickly… ORDER TODAY

If you’re interested in a specific cage model, or a particular upgrade, or you don’t want to wait until Oct. 25, 2010… DON’T MISS OUT… Order TODAY…

 

Because… come Heck or High H2O… we’ll be on that plane.

Aloha!

Bob and Nancy
Mr. and Mrs. BlueStoneCommerce

BTW: It’s okay to comment and congratulate us on our 25th.

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-09-11

posted by bob
Sep 11

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-09-11

posted by bob
Sep 11

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Names of the BlueStoneCommerce Pigs

posted by bob
Sep 10

If you’ve been following us on our BlueStone Commerce site or on one of our YouTube channels, you know that we have five pigs in our family. We get emails, YouTube comments, and blog comments on a regular basis asking us the names of our pigs. So here they are:

Charlie - He’s the father and he’s dark brown in color. Pippi the mother died in childbirth. Unfortunately, she had to have a Cesarean – and guinea pigs typically don’t have a high survivability rate with this procedure. We miss her.

Cupcake – The shyest. She’s a female and looks the most like her father.

Pumpkin Spice – She’s the friendliest of the five. She has an orange/brown cinnamon-colored coat – hence the pumpkin name.

Apple  – She’s the dominant female. She has her mother’s coloration. She has a cinnamon and white “two-tone” coat.

Pippin- Named in honor of his mother Pippi who gave her life birthing the four pups. Pippin looks most like Pippi. His coat is the same color as hers and has a very similar pattern as well.

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Guinea Pig Habitats – One Reason Large Manufactured Cages Can Be Expensive

posted by bob
Sep 5

The cages that pet stores try to pass off as healthy and suitable guinea pig habitats are generally neither healthy nor suitable. Those small pet store cages are usually designed to meet the old two to four square-foot guinea pig cage design standards. These standards are not there to satisfy your guinea pigs’ needs. They are there to satisfy the financial needs of the cage manufacturer and the pet store.

It’s a simple fact. Smaller guinea pig habitats are cheaper to ship and warehouse than larger cages. Do the analysis yourself.

Let’s assume for a moment that you’re a manufacturer of paper. If you wish to ship 10 reams of paper, you will simply pack them into a box and ship them. If you now decide to ship 100 reams of paper, you will need a box ten-times as large — that is, it will require ten-times as much volume as the smaller box. Shipping costs will rise accordingly. But, you will have shipped ten-times as much product and will expect to make a lot more profit on the transaction.

If, on the other hand, you are a cage manufacturer and you wish to ship a cage; you will once again package it in a box and ship it. Now, if you wish to ship a cage ten-times as large, you will once again need to pack it into a box with ten-times as much volume. Again, shipping costs will go up because the package is much bigger. But this time you, the cage manufacturer, are not shipping ten-times the amount of product. Mostly you are shipping ten-times the amount of air. The amount of actual material that you will be able to charge your customer for has not increased nearly as much as the volume of the product. In effect, you a paying a lot more money to ship air (empty space) — air that the final customer will not be willing to pay for.

This scenario is repeated again in your warehouse. A cage that is ten-times as large requires significantly more space to warehouse. And, once again, that means more costs — more money spent to warehouse additional air.

And the story is repeated a final time at the pet store or department store where the final sale is made. Larger guinea pig habitats will require more back room storage space in addition to increased front-of-store retail shelf-space.

Thus, it costs disproportionately more money to transport, store and display a larger manufactured cage because of the large amount of air or empty space that must be shipped.

On the other hand, if a cage can be shipped as a kit, shipping costs can be reduced. An example of this is the C&C cage. Since these cages can be shipped flat in a disassembled state, the problem of “shipping air” can be minimized. This is just one reason why C&C cages allow you to get a lot of cage for the money.

Why not CLICK on the BUTTON directly below to see our money-saving internet special offer…

Read more about large guinea pig cages HERE–> Guinea Pig Cages – Room to Roam

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-09-04

posted by bob
Sep 4

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Guinea Pig Habitats – Adding Fun Toys
by Kristen Matthews

posted by bob
Sep 3

You’ve already got your cage, pellets, hay, water bottles, and all the other necessary guinea pig supplies you need to make your pig feel right at home.  It’s one of the best little guinea pig habitats you could have set up. It truly looks like the perfect place for eating, drinking, sleeping, and of course pooping. Although it may be true that your cage may be fit for even the most high maintenance pigs, life in the same cage day after day can get quite dull for any pig. So what can you do to help enhance your pet’s comfortable quarters as well as keep him entertained?

One thing to consider the next time you find yourself shopping for guinea pig supplies online or at your local pet store is the importance of guinea pig toys in terms of providing stimulating guinea pig habitats. Toys are a great way to help your pig exercise physically as well as mentally. And considering how much those lazy pigs like to sleep and eat, a bit of exercise and cognitive stimulation now and then can certainly be crucial.

Another great thing about toys is that they actually serve two purposes. Not only do they entertain your pig, but they also act as chewing devices for guinea pigs to wear down their long teeth.  As an owner of five guinea pigs, I cannot stress the importance of this enough. If you don’t provide your guinea pig with things to chew on, you will run the risk that their teeth may overgrow and they might not be able to close their mouth. This can be very uncomfortable for your pig, but most importantly, it can cause serious health problems. So when selecting a toy for your pig, look for one that is suitable for gnawing and chewing. Wooden ones tend to be favorites for guinea pigs. By doing this, you will not only help your pig avoid health problems, but will also help yourself avoid unwanted vet bills.

But when you find yourself in the guinea pig supplies aisle surrounded by hundreds of toys, how do you know exactly which one your guinea pig will enjoy the most?  Well, recently my five pigs had their very first experience with a toy called a Nut Nibbler.  Basically, the toy consists of brightly colored wooden sticks put together in a dome-like shape with a walnut in the middle as a noise maker. When my family first purchased the toy, I was very doubtful that my pigs would pay any attention to it — seeing as guinea pigs are not known to be playful like cats and dogs are. However, when I placed the Nut Nibbler in their cage, I was surprised to discover that they were not only curious, but actually seemed to enjoy nibbling on it and pushing it around. In fact, after leaving the pigs alone with the Nut Nibbler for a few hours, I returned to find all five of them sleeping around it as if it were a security blanket. And to this day, every time I place the Nut Nibbler in their cage, they instantly flock to it.

The point I would like to emphasize is that although my pigs seem to worship that Nut Nibbler as if it were a guinea pig God, to another pig it may just be another thing to poop on. In other words, every pig is different and you may need to try out more than one toy before you find one that strikes your pig’s interest. Regardless, I highly recommend that you try giving your guinea pig fun toys to nudge and nibble on in order to keep him happy and healthy. The bottom line is: fun toys are a great way to improve the livability of most guinea pig habitats.

 

For and article on creating great guinea pig habitats with C&C cages CLICK HERE–> Guinea Pigs Cages – Not What They Used to Be

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Guinea Pig Cages for Sale – The Most Overlooked Factor

posted by bob
Sep 2

What are the things you consider when looking at guinea pig cages for sale? Color? Price? An aesthetically-pleasing design? Different People choose cages based upon different criteria. However, one extremely important factor is often overlooked.

A commonly overlooked factor when considering one of the multitude of guinea pig cages for sale appears to be cage size. Judging by the number of small, “standard” pet store cages still being purchased every year, it is clear that people do not really look at cage size.

Let’s do a little thought experiment. The average guinea pig is about 9 to 15 inches in length. The average height for a human is roughly 5’4″ to 5’10″. An average pet store cage is 24-inches by 16-inches.

Put yourself in your pig’s place. An equivalent size room for you would be approximately 8-ft by 12-feet – the size of a large bathroom or a small bedroom. So, living your entire life in a large bathroom or small bedroom may not seem horrible – but it would certainly be a challenge to get a significant amount of exercise in a space that small.

And when we add a nest box to our pig’s cage, we are adding an item that is perhaps 10 to 12-inches on each side. That might be equivalent to building a seven-foot by seven-foot storage shed and placing it our hypothetical equivalent room with us. Then add a food dish to your pig’s cage (about half the size of your pig) and it’s like throwing a kiddie pool – three-feet in diameter in the middle of the floor in our room.

Of course we’re going to need a water bottle. This would be roughly equivalent to something the size of a hot water heater standing in the corner of our equivalent room. And a hay rack is has a footprint of approximately four by seven inches. So adding a hay rack to the wall might be roughly equivalent to pushing a couple of nightstands up against one of the walls in our hypothetical equivalent room and placing them side-by side.

Does this sound like a lot of room? Does it sound like someplace you would like to spend the rest of your life?

When you next survey the many guinea pig cages for sale, consider the situation from your pig’s point of view. Look – really look- at the space situation facing your guinea pig and select a cage big enough to provide an adequate and comfortable living space. Over the past several years, C&C (Cubes and Coroplast) cages are gaining in popularity for this very reason – they provide a spacious, healthy environment for a reasonable price.

 

Check out this related post–> Guinea Pigs Cages – Not What They Used to Be

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Big Guinea Pig Cages Available at BlueStoneCages

posted by bob
Sep 2

Why use C&C (Cubes and Coroplast) materials for building a guinea pig cage? There are many reasons. It allows your cage to be customizable. In other words you can design your cage to suit your living space, number of guinea pigs or even the color of your décor. You can add or even invent new never-seen-before features. And you can build it as tall as you want (within reason).

But the overwhelming reason is that you can build big guinea pig cages. You get a lot of cage for the money. And – more importantly – your guinea pigs get a lot of cage for the money.

So, big guinea pig cages are the reason to look into C&C cages. And the best place for big guinea pig cages? Right here of course, at BlueStoneCages.

We have many large designs to choose from. And we design our cages – not only with the guinea pig in mind – we also design for the convenience and ease-of-use for the pig owner. We can’t help it. We’re pig owners ourselves. And many of the features we have designed in are there to solve a problem that we have encountered over our many years of living with guinea pigs.

So there you are. C&C cages a lot of cage for the money. You can get really great ones here (read our feedback). And, if you click on the button directly below, you can save money while you’re at it…

 

To read a related post, CLICK HERE–> Guinea Pigs Cages – Not What They Used to Be

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