C&C cages are DIY guinea pig enclosures built from two simple materials: wire storage cubes and corrugated plastic. That's where the name comes from—cube and Coroplast®, Coroplast being a common brand name for corrugated plastic. It's the most common cage style among experienced owners, prized for being inexpensive, easy to build, and fully customizable to fit almost any space.

Why Choose a C&C Cage?

Many pet store cages fall short of guinea pig cage size standards, offering as little as 4–6 square feet of floor space. C&C cages can help you meet (and exceed) cage size standards for a fraction of the price. The style is also fully customizable: you can add an L-shape to fit an awkward corner, build a loft, or expand the cage later by adding more grids, with no need to buy a whole new setup. That flexibility makes it easy to grow the cage alongside your herd; if you bring home a third guinea pig, you can simply add another row of grids and extend the base rather than starting over. On top of all that, a C&C cage is easy to keep clean. The corrugated plastic base wipes down quickly, and the open wire sides provide excellent ventilation.

What You'll Need

• Cubes: Wire storage cubes aren't actually designed for use with animals, so it's important to use the right grid size: 14x14 inches, with 9 openings across, each about 1½ inches wide. Anything with larger openings is unsafe, since a curious guinea pig can get its head stuck. If you've already bought grids with bigger openings, you can overlap them to shrink the gaps.
• Corrugated plastic: Commonly sold under the brand name Coroplast®, this forms the waterproof floor of the cage and is available at Home Depot, Lowe's, and local sign shops. If you can't find or afford Coroplast®, a tarp or shower curtain can work as a temporary liner.
• Cable ties: You'll need these to zip-tie the grids together so the cage is stable, secure, and escape-proof. The plastic connectors that come packaged with storage cubes help with shape and stability, but they aren't sturdy enough to rely on alone. Always reinforce every joint with a cable tie.
• Measuring tape and a marker for planning your base and marking fold lines.
• A utility knife or box cutter and a metal ruler or straightedge for scoring and cutting the corrugated plastic.
• Wire cutters or scissors to trim excess cable tie ends once the cage is assembled (trimmed ends prevent scratches and stop curious pigs from chewing on sharp tips).

Step-by-Step: Building Your Cage

1. Plan your layout. Decide on your cage dimensions (for example, 2x4 grids for a pair of sows). Sketch it out so you know exactly how many grids and connectors you'll need.
2. Cut your corrugated plastic base. Lay your grids out in the shape of your planned cage to get exact dimensions, then cut your Coroplast® sheet to size, adding roughly 6 inches of extra material on each side. This extra material folds up to form a lip around the base, which keeps bedding, hay, and spills contained.
3. Score and fold the sides. Using your utility knife, lightly score (don't cut all the way through) each fold line on the underside of the corrugated plastic, about 6 inches in from each edge. Fold the sides up along these lines to create a shallow tray. Corrugated plastic bends cleanly along the direction of its internal ribs, so pay attention to which way the corrugation runs when you plan your cuts.
4. Reinforce the corners. Once folded, secure each corner of the Coroplast® tray with waterproof marine tape (inside and out) so it holds its shape and won't leak.
5. Assemble the grid frame. Connect your cubes into the perimeter shape you planned, using the plastic connectors for the basic frame. Work on a flat surface so the frame stays square as you go.
6. Zip-tie every joint. Go around the entire frame and add a cable tie at each connection point, even where a plastic connector is already in place. This is what actually keeps guinea pigs from working a gap open and escaping, so don't skip corners. Trim the excess tail off each tie once it's tightened.
7. Put it together. Place the folded Coroplast® tray inside the assembled grid frame so the plastic walls sit just inside the wire grid. 
8. Do a safety check. Run your hand along every seam and connection point to check for gaps, sharp cable tie ends, or wobbly joints before your guinea pigs move in. Give the whole structure a gentle shake test—nothing should flex or separate.
9. Add levels or a lids (optional). If you're adding a loft, use a shallow ramp (guinea pigs don't do well with steep inclines) and keep in mind that lofts don't add to your cage's floor space—guinea pigs are ground-dwellers and rely on floor area, not height. A cover isn't usually necessary for guinea pigs since they don't jump, but one can help keep other pets or young children out.

Safety Notes

Grid size is non-negotiable. Always double check that you're using true 14x14 inch grids with 9 openings across, each about 1½ inches wide, before you buy—some off-brand storage cubes are labeled similarly but have larger gaps that aren't safe.

Watch for chewers. Some guinea pigs like to gnaw on the plastic base. If your guinea pig is a persistent chewer, corner guards or "grid guards" made for C&C cages can protect both the cage and your pig's teeth.

Don't skip the cable ties. Plastic connectors alone can pop apart under pressure. A guinea pig pushing against a weak seam is often all it takes to escape.

Check the height. Cage sides should be at least 14 inches tall on all sides to keep pigs from climbing out.

Ready-Made Kits

If cutting your own corrugated plastic isn't for you, several retailers sell complete C&C cage kits with pre-scored bases, safe grids, and all the connectors and cable ties included: Guinea Pig Cages Store, Kavee, and Tater Pets. Kits are a great option if you want the customization of a C&C cage without measuring and cutting corrugated plastic yourself, and most offer a range of pre-set sizes to fit your herd.