Neighbourhood cat stalking my baby guinea pigs

[RubberDuck]

Have just gone outside to shoo a new cat away from my guinea pigs' hutch. It's not the only one - we're surrounded by cats here, but this is the first that's taken any interest.

Hopefully, them being inside a hutch or run is enough to keep them safe from the cat's clutches, but it must terrify the hell out of them. Is there a guinea pig safe way I can discourage the cat from entering the garden? I have an ultrasonic repellent from pre-piggie days but I'm guessing that will upset the GPs too. Presumably the spray cat repellent may also upset the GPs noses?

Should I just resign myself to running out and waving my arms at them every time like a scary mad woman?

[mercibucket]

you might be surprised, mine have all been quite interested in cats and like to put their faces up to the bars so they can sniff at each other. sillies. so long as the wire is not wide enough for claws and there's a good strong roof on the run,they will be fine but make sure the roof is always on the run - my kids sometimes forget and leave it open
having said that, mine are free range pigs and once the initial curiosity passed, the cats mostly ignore them. I've seen them walk right past each other and blank each other and this morning they were all sat next to each other in the garden.

[VivaLeBeaver]

The cat will get bored soon. When I ot guineas my cats stalked them through the run wire, lasted a week.

[RubberDuck]

Oh good - so verdict is that I'm worrying unnecessarily? Thank you for the reassurance :)

[onclefestere]

my guinea pig bit my cat when he was a baby and the cat poked his nose in Teddy's hutch I don't think you need to worry too much.

[Lancelottie]

Yes, my aged guinea pig bit our cat's tail when she rashly sat on the hutch roof. Maybe guinea pigs are failed carnivores really?

We found the cats were interested when the pigs were at the tiny, manic, rush-around-squeaking stage, but quickly bored by larger, stolid, grass-munching beasties.

[RubberDuck]

Possibly not overreacting after all. Just gone to bed and there was an almighty crash and scream. Run outside to see security lights triggered and cat running away from scene of crime.

Mesh of hutch was sturdy and held but need daylight to inspect for injuries properly.

Bloody cat

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

My cat likes to watch all my small furries, so does my dog. I bought a sheet of perspex and cut strips about half a foot wide, and the length of the run, insert these inside the run and fixed to the mesh, the piggies can run about and the cats/dog can watch, but i know the dog cant snap at the mesh and take a piggie nose off, and the cat cant catch one with a claw. I do this with my rabbit run and my quail run too for the same reason. Also means any uninvited visitor cat/dog/fox cant scare them as they are used to seeing such animals with a safe distance.....this might be far fetched but its helps me to think they are safe from stress as well as harm :)

[RubberDuck]

Not a nutter, that's a good idea.