Pigs and neighbours cats

[laurenamium]

I have 2 pigs, I got them this winter so they have been living inside and are very settled I'm thinking ahead and have ordered a large run with a wooden little house on stilts and a ramp for them to go out in the day time, they will come back in on a night.

I am a childminder so I spend a lot of time in the garden in the summer but for when I'm not there, will a run be enough to keep next doors cat out do we think? He's quite big and last summer drove my spaniel wild coming into my house. It was like Tom and Jerry but with a dog and a cat!

I don't want my pigs to be next doors cats dinner!

Also, generally, when is it warm/ dry enough for pigs to get some grass? I know it's weather dependent so that might be an impossible question!

Hi - our pigs were permanently menaced by CATS - in our neighbourhood there wre about 8 cats who would take it in turns to prowl round. Im very allergic to cats, but dislike them anyway as a species (!) A big safe secure run should be fine, but make sure locks are really tight. You can always double secure them by tying string through the door and cage as extra precautions. We had a triangular shaped run, massive, but because of its shape it meant cats couldnt sit on it and stare down! - In the summer we used to cover part of the run, for shade, and also protection, so cats couldnt see if they were there or not. That might be the answer, to put something along the edge of the run to obscure the view in. It is warm enough now for guineas to have short bursts outside, depends on whether ground is saturated or not and how damp the grass is. Mine had a raised area which I used to cover with newspaper and hay in the winter so they had somewhere dry to sit, but temperature wise it is very mild ( 12 degrees or so) - really is weather dependent as it is the damp which causes problems for them, but on a dry day, a couple of hours outside should be fine. Have fun!

get some water pistols too, to deter the cats from coming in your garden. Next doors cats now leg it as soon as they see me. They used to sit on the fence watching the rabbits free range at times, but were soon scared off. The piggies should be fine in a run.

Hi, we've had no cats lurking (probably they know better because I'm out with a bucket of water )

We bought a rabbit run for our hogs. Metal, heavy, it can fold flat. It doesn't have a base though (so I don't know how bunny-safe it is) but GPs don't dog, so no worries there.
We peg it down with several metal tent pegs.
2 of the doors are wired up. It has a top door and and end door. (Sliding locks) I put strong clothes pegs on as well.

My little black guinea-pig attracts magpies who try to peck him through the bars (but he hasn't got the sense to move)

And we have foxes - not a problem during the day, but they prowl about after dark- and I think they're a bigger risk than the cats.

Ours have a wooden house and a bathmat to sit on .

When they Popcorn round the run, it is a sight to behold .
My slightly chubby large smooth boar is like a bucking broncho, he throws some shapes round the run .

GPs don't dog

no they don't AFAIK, they don't dig is what I meant.

I know last year (2012) the GPs didn't stay out overnight (on the Pighouse) until Easter.
I can't remember when they were out in their run either (we had snow here for Feb half term week).
At the moment our lawn is a mess. Waterlogged-which is ok, they recover- and completely swamped in NDN willow leaves.

So they won't be going out for a while, but they've got their rabbit run set up in the garage.

We'll all be posting when the Guineas have a grass day

Not a GP owner but...

We had a neighbour when I was a child who had GP's and rabbits. Our cat (young cat) could often be found in their garden playing with the GP and rabbits. I remember my mum being worried and speaking to the neighbour about it, neighbour said that they too had been worried at first until they realised they were playing - chasing each other (ie cat would chase them, they would chase him) and one afternoon he had found them all lay out on the grass chillaxin

Sorry, I know that is probably very unusual, but seeing the thread reminded me of this inter-species friendship

Thank you everyone next doors cat has a bell on and it's often seen stalking the wildlife, it was interested in my chihuahua when he was a puppy too

I didn't even consider magpies! There were 2 that lived in my garden the last few summers so I imagine they will be back this year too if the cat doesn't get them

Ill keep a close eye on them I think!