Can I leave one of our Guinea Pigs outside in the hutch while having brought the other in?

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

The weather is crap and it is wet and stormy. I have brought one of our boys in but I cannot get the other one. The hutch has a tunnel at the back linking the top level of the hutch with the lower level. The little boy is hiding in the tunnel and won't come out, even with bribes of apple!

Can I leave the one inside alone for a few hours and the one outside alone for a few hours? DH is out at the minute and he is usually the one that brings them in and he is lots better at it than me. The other option is to put both outside. Or one in and one out.

Is this really an issue? I feel so sorry for the one outside!!! Would it be ok if they were apart from each other for 4 or 5 hours?

I have two and whilst I don't like them being apart, I don't suppose it will hurt them.

Mine are permanently indoors over winter. I bought an offcut of Lino and a puppy/dog fabric cage/run.

I bought the XL size which is very big but they do smaller sizes

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ME-MY-PET-DOG-PUPPY-CAT-RABBIT-FOLDING-FABRIC-INDOOR-GARDEN-PLAY-PEN-RUN-CAGE-/350786615406?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Kitchen_Steamers_Cookers_PP&var=&hash=item51ac82f86e

When we clean them out we pop them in the bath!

It's a really easy set up.

Once a week we put warm water in the bath and our piggies have a swim around, they love it and before they come out we use a bit of pet shampoo and give them a clean, so it's a fun time for them but also gets them clean.

Guineas are quite delicate. I purpose as he's in the tunnel he is not getting wet But when its cold even the least chummy of cage mates huddle together for warmth and your outside boy will be getting very cold .

If it was me I would be getting my gardening shoes on and special guinea pig coat the one that smells so deeply of guinea pig no amount of washing will remove the pong and get out there and show that naughty boy I mean business and he is coming in now

Both boars will be happier together indoors Good luck

I have tried again, but no luck. :(

Will have to play hardball...

I would put them both out until your DH comes back .
Providing their house is dry with lots of hay (and food) they'll be better together.

My boars get very fretful if they're seperate (if DD takes GP1 up to her room , and I have GP3, they are fine for 30 minutes then the little boy starts looking for his 'dad' ).

I always send my daughter in to catch the boys

Going to have to put the big boy back, then. No luck with the smaller, quicker, cheekier boy.

Big Boy will go back and belch parsley breath to the Cheeky Boy.
"See what ya missed there"

Parts of the hutch are dry and there is food and water. Bloody hell it is horrible out there tonight!

HAHA!! I tried to lure the runaway with parsley :)

Can you block off the bit that you don't want them to go into?
And maybe a plastic cover over the hutch to keep the wind out/ keep them snug and dry?

then when your DH catches them you can tell them off and give their naughty cavy bums a virtual smack (not a real one)

I just think when it's dark they'd much rather have each other

I tried to block the bottom bit but it is a long tunnel at the back of the hutch and I cannot reach into it far enough. Both boys are together in there now, and DH is home, though he has moaned at me for leaving the cover off so the hutch is wet now. ARGH!!! Hopefully DH can get them both inside. I will feel much happier with that.

Considering they are short legged, they are quick little buggers! Ours are difficult to pick up but once held are happy to be held close.

Grapes usually prove an irresistible lure!

DH has got the cheeky one!!

And the other one is inside, too! :) YAY!!

Ours are uncatchable in the rabbit run - doubly uncatchable when they've had to set up Emergency Camp in the garage ( Rabbit Run, cardboard, straw and hay) .
I have to send DD in through the top door to scuttle about.

When she was away I had to 'coax' them with a yard broom (Not walloping them with it, more coralling them. Like you do with horses to get them somewhere they don't want to go)

DH and I had to catch them in the rabbit run when we had the storms in October. 7am and I was crawling about in my robe while the piggies were "Ha Ha you can't catch us. We want to stay here "

Not an option, NDN tree branch was hanging perilously near.

Aww. They can have a cosy night in and you can have a Sternly Worded Chat with them.

They are such characters aren't they?

I've never had guinea pigs before and for a few weeks they were very timid and scared of everything.

Now they are quite boisterous and into everything! If they hear the fridge door being open or shut they start, 'wheeking' like crazy!

Just been to check on mine when DD went to bed.
I'd heaped their dirty fleece in the corner because the laundry basket is full and I had nowhere to put it.

The grey fleece (the dirty one) was moving - not because of any Poltergeist activity. Two little boys were hiding under it and ignoring their clean hay and bedding.

Daft piggies