How to make a hammock for a guinea pig with your own hands at home (photo and video)

Guinea pigs are calm and lazy creatures that prefer to relax most of their time rather than run and frolic. Therefore, for a small pet, a soft and cozy hammock will be a real gift. Such an accessory can be bought at a pet store, or you can make a hammock for a guinea pig with your own hands. The manufacture of this item does not require special skills from the owner, and the process of sewing a hammock is quite exciting and interesting.

Types of hammocks for guinea pigs

Before sewing a hanging lounger, the owner should decide on its location, as well as on the model of this accessory.

Гамаки бывают трех типов:

• straight;
• corner;
• in the form of a house.

A straight hammock is hung in a cage, attaching it between the side walls, so it takes up a lot of space. Such a lounger is made if the animal’s dwelling is large and spacious.

For a small cage, a corner hammock would be appropriate, as it is more compact and takes up a small area.

An accessory in the form of a house will also not take up much space and is suitable for a small cage.

Necessary materials for sewing a hammock

To make a comfortable hammock for a guinea pig at home, you must first prepare all the necessary materials and tools.

For tailoring you will need:

• piece of thick fabric. For this purpose, old unnecessary jeans or a shabby plaid will fit perfectly;
• flannelette, fleece or synthetic winterizer fabric for the layer;
• measuring tape (you can use a ruler);
• scissors;
• a skein of threads;
• pencil (marker);
• needle;
• cardboard (if you plan to make a hammock-house);
• buttons, ribbons for decor (at the request of the owner).

Important: to attach the product to the bars of the cage, use strong ropes or special carabiner clips.

Making a rectangular hammock

Легче всего пошить для питомца прямой лежак прямоугольной формы:

1. To do this, two rectangular identical pieces are cut from the fabric selected for the product, 40-50 centimeters long and 30-35 centimeters wide. From a piece of flannelette or fleece fabric, cut out a piece smaller than the main pattern (approximately 35 by 30).
2. The edges of the fabric are sewn together wrong side out, leaving one edge unsewn.
3. Turn the product right side out. A cut-out piece of baize or fleece is inserted inside.
4. Sew up the remaining edge of the hammock. You can finish all four parts with an edge so that the sunbed has a more attractive look.
5. Holes are made in the corners and ropes or carabiners are threaded through them. The product is securely attached to the bars of the cage.

Making a corner hammock

Sewing a corner hammock also does not require much time and effort:

1. First you need to measure the distance between the corner of the cell. Then two identical isosceles triangles are cut out of the fabric. The long side of the segment should be at least 50-55 centimeters, short sides – 40-45 centimeters.
2. Between the prepared halves, lay out a cut-out piece of triangular fleece or padding polyester and sew the edges together.
3. A carabiner or a piece of dense rope is threaded into each end of the triangle and the product is placed in the corner of the cage.

How to make a hammock house

A hanging hammock in the form of a house will especially appeal to a guinea pig. After all, in it a little pet will be able not only to relax comfortably, but also to hide in order to eat their favorite treat.

It will take more time to make it than for the previous two accessories. But the reward for the owner for the effort spent will be the joy and delight of a cute rodent from such a wonderful gift.

Instructions:

1. Patterns of different sizes are made from the selected dense fabric.
2. The longest and widest part serves as the basis for the future hammock, so it must be at least 130 centimeters wide and 50 centimeters long.
3. Then two rectangular parts are cut out, with a length of 40 centimeters, a width of 50 centimeters. This will be the “roof” of the hanging lounger.
4. Rectangular parts are sewn with the wrong side out, turned inside out and put a piece of thick cardboard inside. Sew the rest of the side.
5. Cardboard or synthetic winterizer is wrapped in the largest piece of fabric (base) and the edges are sewn together.
6. The base is sewn on both sides to the “roof”.
7. The final stage is the pattern of the back wall. This is optional, but will make the design safer for the animal. After measuring the length of the sewn base, cut out two semicircular pieces of fabric, leaving one straight edge. Three sides of the wall are sewn together, a piece of cardboard is placed inside and the remaining edge is sewn up.
8. The back part is sewn with a straight side to the roof and a convex part to the base of the product.
9. A cozy hanging house-hammock for a guinea pig is almost ready. It remains only to thread the ropes into the corners of the roof of the product, hang it to the top of the cage and call the pet for a housewarming party.

Video: how to make a do-it-yourself hammock for a guinea pig

A few tips and tricks

The following points should be considered when using a hammock:

• морские свинки не умеют высоко прыгать. Поэтому гамак следует подвешивать на такой высоте, чтобы питомец мог без труда в него забраться. Это правило важно соблюдать еще и потому, что грызун может травмироваться, если случайно выпадет из лежака, расположенного на большой высоте;
• the accessory must be spacious so that the animal is comfortable and comfortable in it;
• for sewing a hanging lounger, a dense and durable fabric is chosen: denim, velor, cotton or fleece. Silk, satin and linen are not suitable for this purpose;
• threads should not stick out of the product. After all, the pet will begin to gnaw on them, which can lead to tissue tears and damage to the hammock;
• if the owner decides to decorate a homemade lounger with buttons or other items, then he should remember that they need to be sewn very securely to the product. After all, if the animal gnaws and swallows a small detail of the decor, this can lead to the death of the animal;
• Another important nuance is that guinea pigs have a weak spine. Therefore, the couch should not sag much so that the rodent’s spine does not bend when it is in it.
• sometimes the animals do not show any interest in hanging beds and stubbornly ignore them. To teach a guinea pig to a hammock, you can put her favorite treat there. Or attach an accessory in the place of the cage where the pet likes to sleep, so that the product is saturated with the smell familiar to the animal.

Sewing a hammock for a guinea pig is not difficult at all. A hand-made accessory will not only decorate the cage, but will also become a favorite resting place for a little pet.

Also try to make a house or a drinking bowl with your own hands.