Inside or Outside for Guinea Pigs.
By fawcey
@fawcey (926)
Australia
May 1, 2007 8:54pm CST
We keep our guinea pigs inside so we are around them all the time. Here in Australia were they don't seem to be as big on the pet list, I have come across a lot if strange looks when we say we have them inside. So many here seem to have them outside all the time. I would miss them if they were shoved outside, we give them grass and dandelion greens everyday from outside, and when the weather warms up they will have an outside run they can play in, but I couldn't think of having them outside all the time. What are others views on this subject, inside or outside?
3 responses
@Dumpertaker (1187)
•
2 May 07
I know when my mom used to breed them she kept them outside, and they were happy with that, but when I had one for a pet there was a time I had him indoors for the Winter and outdoors for the Summer, which he was delighted with!
I think both are fine as long as they are happy and healthy.
@Dumpertaker (1187)
•
9 May 07
I'm kinda lucky in the UK that heat is not usually myuch of a problem, but yes I am aware of the heat stroke risk and I keep and eye on tenperatures regularly when they are outside...but thanks anyways, nice to see someone willing to share knowledge just in case.
As for saying hello everytime you go past, I do not think that is a crazy thing at all, when I'm over at my friends, I do the same to thiers!
@fawcey (926)
• Australia
3 May 07
I think as long as they are loved and well cared for which I can imange yours were, then I can see nothing wrong with the outside option. I suppose it comes down to preferance, I mean some people have only outside dogs and some inside so I guess it is just what suits the individual. I guess it is just not good if they get forgotton and left in the extreme weathers and not taken inside when that happens. But I still personally prefer inside with my guinea pigs, I like to talk to them through the day, and even at night as I have to go past them to go to the toilet, I always have a nose in the cage and say hello. (Crazy I know!)
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
2 May 07
Inside for sure. Guinea pigs are very susceptible to heat stroke outside, can easily be attacked by predators, and plus, if they're outside and you're not outside all the time, you probably won't notice signs of illness as quickly.
I've noticed a lot of people in Australia say they have outdoor piggies. I remember a member by the name of IceSprite on the www.guinealynx.info forums, and they were saying other people thought they were crazy having the piggies inside. But ultimately, it seems to work best, and is most fun, like you said, to have them around all the time.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
2 May 07
By the way, very cool cage!
If the sides are at least 14 inches high, the piggies shouldn't be able to get out. Very nice though! You should upload the pic to www.guineapigcages.com to give people some ideas there.
Not sure if the pic was taken before hay was put in the cage for the day, but hay is essential to their diet. :)
@fawcey (926)
• Australia
3 May 07
Thanks for your opinion Pigglies, and I have to agree totally that it is more fun having them inside. I have not met one person yet here that has had guinea pigs inside, but maybe I will start it being a more common thing over here. Strange really cos we get tempretures above 40 degrees C. So heat stroke would be quite common, it is common enough in people who are outside in it. Oh yeah the picture was taken after we had only just put them in the new cage, it has other things added now, it has two tunnles and they get fresh hay everyday. I am going to try to come up with a home made device to hang the hay over the edge for them, at the moment they get it in a big pile, and its also part of their floor covering. That is refreashed everyday as well. I just take the layers of paper and hay and top it up with fresh paper and new hay. They are quite good at using one or two spots to do their buisness. When we have them in the kitchen they are pretty good at going to the paper we have in certian corners as well. Our bigger one that we renamed Fatso has just started taliking more, the other one Shorty has always been very vocal.
@australianpiggy (24)
• Philippines
25 May 07
As for me, i kept my piggy when he was still little inside the house. however, after sometime he became "smelly" and my mom didn't like it so i have to put him outside (sigh..). and i've never tried feeding him grass..
@fawcey (926)
• Australia
26 May 07
It is hard if the choice is taken from you, what did you have in their cage? I clean my piggies cage every other day, I give them fresh newspaper and bedding, the don't seem to smell at all. I give them fresh grass and or dandelion greens everyday, just make sure it is not from somewhere that has been sprayed or freshly mowed as it could poison them.
http://cavymadness.com/care-toc.php
Is a great info site and also if you go to this site http://guinealynx.info/ and go to care guide it has some good tips as well. Don't believe everything from each site though as some will contridict the other, I found if it was something I wasn't sure about or it had been contridicted to look at another source of info to see what that said as well. The best site though is the cavymadness I thought. And if you go to pigglies link that is very helpful and informative. She seems to know a lot about them and that is where I got a lot of info as well.
@australianpiggy (24)
• Philippines
26 May 07
yeah, some sites are really contradicting. i get confused a lot of times being unexperienced.
