Guinea pigs in a flat?

[isletsoffrangipane]

I live in a studio flat, and currently have a grumpy hamster. She is nice company, but keeps a different schedule to me, so we only meet for a few hours each night. I've tamed her well, and she will come over if I call her, but she prefers to run around the flat hoarding food than socialise.

I get a bit lonely on my own and was thinking of rescue guineas. I had six as a child, but they lived in the garden in a run with sleeping boxes that my dad made.

I was wondering whether guinea pigs can be happy inside, with a large hutch. I would give them lots of hay, fresh food, and grow indoor grass (I grow indoor grass for the hamster and she is quite keen on it).

Has anyone got any experience they might be able to share? Feel free to shoot me down if you think they'd be unhappy.

They do need loads of space (mine take over the boxroom in winter) the hay gets everywhere.
You need to store the hay and dispose of (loads) of dirty bedding.

And you'll need a run to let them out , excercise and somewhere while you clean the hutch.

Have you thought about rats?
You can give them a huge cage that has a small footprint- they like height and levels, hammocks, and hidey spaces, whereas pigs like flat.
Rats are cleverer than guineas (most things are though)

You can train them to answer to their names.

Lots of Rat-Chat on this Topic .

I have thought about rats. The only thing that gives me pause is the fact that they're a tougher sell for a landlord! There's so much stigma against rats. I thought I'd be able to stretch to guineas a bit more easily!

I think you might have a tough job convincing your LL with guineas (if they are pet averse)

Guineas don't smell but the hay does.
I clean my piggies bedding every day and in their Winter cages (inside , in our small bedroom,) I roll up and bag their bedding once they've gone out to the Pighouse.
There is no way my piggies would get 2 nights from their bedding (and I'm not in the least bit houseproud )
They pee./pooh like theirs no tomorrow

Depends on the guineas. The boys I had loved running around and I'd feel guilty if I didn't at least put them in them in the kitchen every day, and would run manically around their large run outside.

The girls I have now are the complete opposite. They're in a large, Ferplast cage and they barely move in there. They were inside for nearly two years (the weather was not great last summer) and, despite going in the kitchen like the boys would just wouldn't move. And now I've managed to get them outside from time to time it's the same thing. They might amble around the box once, but that's more than enough. Since they were used for breeding in the past (they're rescues) I reckon they're allowed to be lazy.

So it depends. Maybe go to a rescue and see if they have a couple on the lazier side.

Could tell the ll they are nice? Big mice?

I have gpigs and previously had a rat. I suggest rats.

Ha - Time ours are the reverse.
If DD put any of her boars on the kitchen floor they just sat there (being Floor Boars) like Father Dougal, till she came back (I was watching them all the time though)

Put one of the sows on the floor and whoosh they're aiming to get under the fridge freezer and get stuck.

Tellung your LL you intend to keep rats brought to mind the Fawlty Towers episode when Manual had a 'giant hamster'

Anyway, back to the thread. Mine live indoors in a huge hutch in the utility room in the winter, but get daily indoors play time, one runs around like a demented mop, the other (6) waddles about and then just sits under a stool.
They are now in their summer quarters, an old summer house, again in a huge hutch - built by DH. They will be out in their run every chance they get between now an autumn. Their main activity will be munching grass, with the occasional lolup around the run
Fat and idle best describes my pair.

Tellung your LL you intend to keep rats brought to mind the Fawlty Towers episode when Manual had a 'giant hamster'

All your pets sound great. Perhaps it'd be best to approach a rescue and specifically ask if they've got a pair of lazy pigs who'd like to hang out in my flat?

There is potential for them to live outside from June-September when I live in a house with a garden, instead of uni digs.

Forgot to add for when they cannot get out in the winter DH grows fresh grass in seed trays for the girls. I am supposed to cut thus for them, but I generally just put the tray down and one or both of the piggies sitting in the tray eating the grass.