Indoor guinea pigs?

[KitKat1985]

Hello all. I have 2 DDs. DD1 (5 years old) in particular loves animals, and has autism and I think would really benefit from having a pet to look after. I've been trying to think what would work best with our family set up. We both work full-time so a dog wouldn't be practical, and DH doesn't like cats (mad), so was looking at some smaller animals instead. Has anyone ever had guinea pigs living inside? My brother had a guinea pig when we were kids which lived outside in a hutch, but I've read that guinea pigs aren't massively keen on the cold / rain, and may be better as indoor pets. I would also find it easier I think to clean them out etc regularly if they were indoor pets, and the DDs would probably get more chance to interact with them too if they lived indoors. Obviously we would still get an outdoor run so they could go out on the grass in reasonable weather. Has anyone ever had indoor guinea pigs?

[Ilovemypantry]

Sorry I’m a bit late to the party posting on this....I’ve only just realised the OP was in October 🤦‍♀️

[Ilovemypantry]

Definitely get two as they do get lonely and bored on their own.
I’ve got two atm and they live in the spare room, not in a cage but have free run of the room. Door is left open with a piece of wood across to stop them getting out.
Cleaning up after them is a bit of a chore, they have a box with hay in but it does get strewn around the room.
I’ve had guinea pigs for about twelve years now. Problem is that if one dies, I always buy another to keep the remaining one company so it is a never ending circle of piggies.

[user1491600120]

Hello. Guinea pigs r a lovely indoor pet but require a great deal of effort time dedication and Space. We have 4 piggies. U have to have at least 2 piggies as they need a friend or friends to help them feel safe and for company. We have 2 separate set ups in the lounge with 2pigs in each one. (bought at different times and so I was worried they wouldn't all get on). U need a large area for them. I have 2 piggies in a 5ft by 2ft wooden run with no roof (they don't climb, the height is about half a foot and mesh so they can see through) the part that's against the wall is wood as they wee a lot and sometimes squirt wee and u don't want that up your wall!
They have a ramp that takes them up to an upper section which gives more space. I still feel they'd be better with more space but they do get handled throughout the day. My 3 kids r home schooled so they continually get the piggies out and have them sit with them. Lots of people make a fun area out the cage too with activites etc but ours just like to be static and cuddled. They went on the grass in the summer but only for half hour at a time. They take up a lot of time and I wished really we'd got a dog. We have to clean the litter tray morning and night (paper, absorbable stuff and hay so they hop in and munch and wee at same time) but they poo everywhere. So we poo check cage am and pm. Change water everyday. Lots of veg everyday. They r prone to urine infections and various other bladder issues. U have to be careful what u feed them ie Never give a pig iceberg lettuce unless u want a dead pig and/or vet bill.
If u r gonna get GP's indoor is best as they r prey animals and u can tame them more by having them indoor. U can handle throughout the day and u won't forget about them. Whatever u do don't buy a 'Guinea pig 'cage. They are not the right size for pigs and its a crime pets at home sell them. Splash out and get a c and c cage. It seems like a lot of cash but u will only regret it if u don't. Or get someone to custom make u one to size from wood. C and c cages r fanstastic. Easy to clean. Easy to add too and ideal height. They are square grids basically. Please please please don't get a pet shop piggy cage 🙏🙏🙏😭also we use fleece liners for our cages. I wash them weekly in a pillow case after getting the fur off outside. .
Try gum tree first. Lots of u wanted piggies there.
To tame piggy have your child sit with them on his lap inside a snuggle pod (make a small pillow case fleece pod to catch pig in and cuddle it in). This helps in the beginning as they take a long time to get used to u.. Don't expect quick results. They r prey animals. They r scared to death half the time. Persianlly I'd get a dog. Even two dogs be easy than Guinea pigs. U can't go away and leave them. They get stressed out if u take them to a pet hotel. They r a real bind.

[May84]

I've had many piggys over the years, starting off aged 8 and our last pair 4 years ago (I'm in my 30's!)
I've always found females more friendly and less likely to fight. Get two from the same litter. They get lonely if by themselves.
I've had both inside and outside, they are more social when inside, but you need to make a huge effort to make sure their hutch is big enough.
They do need a shelter, and not to roam around the house with nowhere to hide, or else they will get scared. They will chew wires and poo everywhere so be aware!
They are such rewarding pets with little quirks!
But I've found having a cat is much less upkeep

[cmt1305]

@KitKat1985
I have two female guinea pigs living in a large structure in my kitchen. They really need to be in pairs otherwise they get lonely. They produce copious quantities of pooh as others have said. I don't use sawdust or bedding hay as it is extremely messy for indoors and I've been told sawdust can be bad for their eyes & sensitive feet, instead I use fleece blankets on top of old linens or towels, then torn cloths/sheets at the various favourite toilet points. The enclosure is spot cleaned everyday & has a thorough clean once a week when all the fleeces and under-cloths are changed. It can smell a little if for any reason the cloths haven't been changed. I believe males can smell quite fishy. They have very sensitive hearing & shouldn't be near loud TVs or similar. They are really sweet but don't actually "do" very much other than eat and chase each other. Once safely captured they like being scratched on the head or under the chin. They are prey animals so tend to hide when out of their enclosure, at least that's what I have found. They should be out of their cage & interact with their owners around 20 minutes each day. I would just advise that a lot of pets of all kinds, when purchased for children, tend to end up being a burden to the parents. My last guineas lived 6 years, some can live longer, so it's a commitment.

[SpringFan]

We had a pair of boys who were brothers, and didn't have any bother with dominance , but my brother's family had 2 boys who were not brothers who did have dominance issues. Maybe brothers sort it out very early.
Interestingly, the breeder recommended boars as he felt they were calmer.

[CaptainCaveMum]

I was advised 2 girls because they are less likely to fight.
Although when they first reach maturity they will fight to be top pig as piggy nature is hierarchical (yes really) but once it’s agreed they will settle down nicely. I gather boy piggies often continue fighting for dominance - and can be more smelly. But not had any so just anecdotal.

[KitKat1985]

Do people think a pair of boy or girl piggies would be better? Someone told me boys tend to be more sociable, but can be more noisy?

[halvincarris]

Indoor piggies are lovely.

We used to have 3 but never had them in a cage as such.

They had a little wooden house with a ramp up to it and the door was always open for them to come in and out as they pleased. Lined with newspaper and a layer of hay

The 'house' was in the kitchen and the piggies were 'free range' in there. They had a litter tray in the corner of the kitchen that they would use to toilet.

Away from the litter tray they had a place for food and water.
To contain them in the kitchen we had a little divider across the doorway. Small enough for us to step over but too high for them to escape!

They were so happy and friendly living this way (not confined to a cage). The mess wasn't bad as they used the litter tray. Really lovely pets and super intelligent too.

Living with them in this way made them a real part of the family

[KitKat1985]

Thank you for all of the advice. We luckily have flooring and not carpet so it should be reasonably easy to sweep any mess up. Good point about needing a decent sized cage as well. If we get some I want them to be happy and well looked after!

[CaptainCaveMum]

Piggies are brilliant pets for kids. They are really easy to handle and care for. Two girls is less smelly. Do get babies and handle them every day - then they will be like little kittens. Mine happily cuddle in my knee while I watch tv.

[SpringFan]

We kept ours in the conservatory, which kept the straw spreading in one place. We bought bales from a local farm.
We handled them quite a lot and they were very friendly eating machines, certainly the last one we had would wander around the house- she had her route. funnily enough the only place she ever weed was outside the downstairs loo!
( she hated other pigs with a passion and had to be separated- unusual for a guinea but loved humans. Lived until she was about 5)

[Beamur]

Mine have to live outside or else I get really bad asthma. But we did have them inside over a couple of winters and they were much tamer for the extra contact.

[BarbourellaTheCoatzilla]

I love our piggies. We have 2 older boys and they are inside. A C & C cage worked out best for us. We have a 2 x 5 with a 1 x 2 upper level. They need a constant supply to fresh hay, daily pellets (not the colourful stuff) and daily veggies too. They can be smelly, our boys seem to be getting more smelly with age, and they do get hay everywhere. We use fleece for their cage, which we wash in the washing machine in a horse bag to keep hair etc from getting everywhere. They can get sick and hide it very easily. So daily handling is a must and regular weighing, teeth checks and nail clippings. Boys bits need regular checking too, which is grim to be honest.

They are lovely little creatures though, they definitely have their own little personalities and are really entertaining. They popcorn (jump around) when they're excited and wheek when they want attention or hear bag rattlings.

[Pancakeflipper]

We have 3 guinea pigs living indoors. They live in our dining/kitchen.
I think it's preferred to have them indoors, they must become more social when seeing people more. We cannot open the fridge now without a mass wheeking chorus.

Our downstairs loo has turned into a petshop of supplies but we have some other animals.
Cleaning is twice a week. They need lots of hay or apparently can get territorial.

They are very entertaining. Even DP who was against them joining the family has a cuddle with them.

My youngest is autistic and he finds stroking them relaxing. We have been through the death of 2 guinea pigs and survived! I did worry my youngest might not cope at all.

[BoneAppleTeaa]

We have indoor pigs and they are lots more fun than we expected, they are always shouting for food and are pretty interactive. The cage is big, and they are pretty messy but we’re managing okay. We have pigs for the same reason as you OP, can’t do cats or dogs. We also have a hamster.

[Chugchugtraintrain]

Guinea pigs are lovely, and great indoor pets. They are herd animals, so get at least 2. Give them as much space as you possibly can, the more the better. Get from a rescue if possible, and get them to pick friendly ones for you (rather than choosing on looks). The guinea pig forum website has lots of good info, and a list of reputable rescues.

[FloraFoxton]

Can't your DH be persuaded to a cat? Far far easier than guinea pigs in terms of actual looking after.

[willowmelangell]

I definitely don't want to put you off, I have two gorgeous little boars.
I love them and thrill to hear them "mweeek" when they hear the fridge door open.
But the mess they make is unbelievable. Every single thing you put in their cage has to be disposed of somewhere. Hay, sawdust, newspaper, bedding, veg, muesli mix. They are poo machines.
Luckily I have two compost bins and manage that well.
You also need to store all these products. You might start buying the small compact sawdust blocks. That doesn't last long and gets expensive. Exactly the same with hay. So you buy the large bags.
They also need really large cages. Do research that really well.
Hay drifts everywhere. Bedroom, bathroom you name it. Sawdust gets trodden everywhere. Everywhere. It is quite incredible.

[SisterSistine]

I love our guinea pigs. I wasn’t expecting them to be that much fun, but actually they are pretty great. They are very noisy, constantly shouting for food, especially if they hear a rustle that might be a veg bag being opened. You need to handle them a lot if you want them to be friendly, but the benefit of them being indoors is that you can do that easily. They will wee and poo on you, but their poo is easy to clean up. I do let ours roam around the floor because we have floorboards, I wouldn’t if it was carpet!

[Beamur]

They can make nice pets though. But if you get babies they can be a bit skittish and quick. If you're first time owners maybe get a rescue one - checked for temperament and well handled if possible. They aren't generally bitey animals but can give a nip if they're scared (or think you are food).
They're very chatty animals and like company.

[SisterSistine]

I have two indoor guinea pigs. They do need a lot of space, more than you’d think if you went and looked at the cages in Pets at Home. Minimum size for 2 piggies is 120cm x 60cm x 45cm. And that is single level, if you have a 2 storey cage you still only count one level as the space as some guinea pigs do not do ramps. We have ours in a 2x4 C&C cage which is 149cm by 77cm, and I wouldn’t really want it smaller.

They are messy. We use fleece for ours, but they strew their hay around anyway, and poo everywhere. They need to be cleaned up after daily. Some people don’t like the smell of the hay or common beddings so that is something to keep in mind.

[Maryann1975]

We are pet sitting for two Guinea pigs over half term, they are lovely, but I don’t think I’d want them inside. Their cage is in the garage and the amount of hay/saw dust etc around the cage, it’s a right mess! (Maybe it’s just these two, I have nothing to compare it to as I’ve never had guineas). They also poo a lot, so I wouldn’t want them running round the carpet. I know you can house train a rabbit, but I’ve never heard of anyone house training a guinea pig? We’ve been bringing them in for an hour or so, twice a day as they love being handled and we have had to wash the blanket each day as it’s been weed on (we use the blanket in the dc knees so they don’t get clawed- they aren’t scratchy, but the kids prefer knowing there is a layer between them). They have a small paddling pool with newspaper in so they have somewhere to go in the house and the paper has been wet each time, so I definitely wouldn’t want them on the carpet.
They do seem very low maintenance though and far easier to get someone to look after them when you go on holiday than trying to get a cat/dog sitter.

[Marinetta]

I had guinea pigs as a child and they were always kept indoors apart from being let out in the garden for a bit on a sunny day. They take up quite a lot of space though, they need quite a big cage to give them enough space to run around in. They also kick sawdust and poo through the bars of the cage on to the floor so I would reccommend putting something under the cage to stop it getting all over the floor.