The Habitat

ModPig has downsized. It’s time for the next iteration of the habitat. The 2x8 enclosure was helpful for two boars with a lot of energy to burn, but our two mellow three-year-old girls were genuinely not using all that space. Also, we can finally admit something to ourselves: the 2x8 was so large that it wrecked the ambiance of our living room. The new habitat is in the same location, as the only space we have available is in front of our fireplace which we never use anyway, so we kept our renovations intact as a backdrop for the girls.

More below about what’s in our habitat. We bought everything with our own money or made it ourselves. No sponsored content here.

What makes up our habitat?

  • Critter Colony Tiles

    We love the look of Critter Colony’s tiles, so we bought a starter kit and extra tiles to assemble a 2×8 space. We place them upside down to make the logos less prominent. Have to add that Critter Colony’s customer support is fantastic.

  • Uplift Mayes Coffee Tables

    Uplift coffee table, 72×30, which fits a c&c 2×5 perfectly with exactly enough space for edging.

  • XL Metal Bins

    These extra large bins fit perfectly under the table. We have two in the habitat - one is used for GuineaDad Hay Bar storage (a pack of five fit nicely), one is used for extra bedding and mats.

  • Redwood Trim Boards

    We use these trim boards both because they look nice and because they keep the habitat walls in place. Lowe’s cut the pieces to the right size for us. We bracketed them directly to the tabletop.

  • Waterproof Liner

    We will be making our own soon, but until then we use these Critter Box liners which we cannot wholeheartedly recommend due to shrinkage and absorbency issues.

  • Handmade Waterproof Mats

    These mats are still evolving as we perfect the materials and how we want to sew them. A variety of shapes goes down in various arrangements to keep things interesting. You can learn more about the layers we use here.

  • Hay Tray

    We’ve tried several trays, and this is the best kitchen tray solution we’ve found. We line it with homemade pee pads, insert a GuineaDad hay bar, top the pads with hay, and they work wonderfully. They also hold up very well to daily disinfection.

  • Hay Clips

    We 3D printed these to fit exactly over the side of the hay tray to hold the GuineaDad Hay Bars up. It makes the hay easier to remove than if we tied the strings GuineaDad provides.

  • Awnings

    We quickly learned that the pigs like to pee under a cover and wherever hay is. If both a covering and hay are present, that’s as potty trained as a pig can get. For now this is just a yard of fabric clipped on, but we have plans to create something better.

  • Slatted Acoustic Panels

    We decided to cover our fireplace, and create a backing for the habitat, using these acoustic panels. Added bonus is that it reduces the echo of all the wheeking.

  • Lixit Water Bottle Holders

    Coming soon - we designed and 3D printed custom water bottle holders to work with our habitat panels and the 12 ounce Lixit flat sided bottles. Tangent has to drink out of a bowl while his mouth heals, but as soon as he is back to the bottle (and hopefully not right to the rock), we’ll have a photo here.