Guinea pigs - outside or inside? Or at all?

[BirthdayCakes]

I'd really like to get a pair of guinea pigs but I have an outdoor/inside cat and chickens - would that work with GPs?

The chickens and cat are fine together but would either attack the GPs if they were having a bit of free range running around time outside? Or should I house them inside and take them outside for exercise while I keep a close eye on them?

We have guinea pigs and a cat (no chickens though) and I wouldn't ever allow the guinea pigs to run around when the cat is there as she absolutely would go for them - she's quite predatory/aggressive though and probably wouldn't be averse to having a pop at a chicken either so maybe your cat would be less aggressive if s/he is OK with the birds, but overall I'd be cautious, GPs are quite fragile and nervous and can't hit or scratch back like a chicken can. However the cat doesn't bother them when they are shut away in their cage or anything like that which I was worried about when we first got them...

I also wouldn't let GPs free range around a garden without supervision as you could quite easily lose one if they got frightened and scuttled under a bush or whatever... GPs are very very stupid, more so than rabbits for instance, and won't always be able to find their own way home if they got lost even a short distance from their cage!

I think ideally they'd have either an indoor or outdoor house (make sure you get a big enough one, pets at home and similar sell far too small ones as suitable for GPs) and then a secure outdoor run and/or if you have a suitable indoor area you can let them run around inside on a daily basis. They don't need (or like!) huge amounts of exercise and are quite sedentary, but they do need constant access to lots of forage/hay. They can live outside all year round but you need to make sure they have an insulated house and lots of bedding if they are to live outside in winter (ideally move their house to a garage or shed in winter for extra warmth) or of course they can be indoor pets. They don't cope too well with sudden changes in temperature though so if you keep them indoors in winter don't then suddenly leave them outside for extended periods...

inside

Inside, they benefit so much from your company - they are sociable little creatures. Mine greet me as soon as I open the front door with little squeaks and shout loudly at me if I come out of the kitchen empty handed

Inside at night and cold weather. Outside in the day.

And don't let the cat near them!

We keep ours outside but in a big run. I’d never let them free range. They are really stupid.

Inside at night and cold weather. Outside in the day

Ours are inside and go outside when it's warm enough - which it's not at this time of year. Remember that they don't do well with sudden changes of temperature.

Mine are outside all year round, obviously in an insulated and waterproofed large hutch, and by the back door, under a large overhang, so quite sheltered. They go out in their run every day from about April until October, really when the weeds/dandelions are growing, which they love to eat. Warm enough today in the sun, but only for an hour. And of course mine are used to the outdoors, so their coats are really thick too, and we are in the South East, so slightly warmer than other parts of the UK.

Make sure if you have a pair the male has been castrated or you will end up with loads of baby piggies. They are lovely as born fully furred but you can end up with too many.

Yes to the male being neutered, whilst baby guinea pigs are extremely cute they become fertile at around 6 weeks old and think nothing of mating with their parents and siblings. We've just had two babies, thankfully both were boars so are still together at 7 weeks old.

You need an outdoor run which can be easily moved around plus a hutch which can either be inside or outside (well insulated). Guinea pigs are easily spooked and will run quite fast.

I would also put a cardboard box with door cut out or other shelter in the run as they are v timid and need somewhere to hide.

They go through lots of grass and poo loads so the run needs to be moved around frequently.

As a child ours lived in a hutch in the shed (southern England) and then outdoors in their run pretty much year round.

We drape a towel over half of the run.

Depending where you live get a run with a lid. We get sparrow hawks and buzzards over our garden and came home one day to find a sparrow hawk dismembering a pigeon on our drive.

We keep out piggies inside - I'm inclined to think they wouldn't get as much attention if they were outside and out of sight. We have a study cage and our cats don't bother them - the sides are a mixture of wood and perspex with wire on top, so the cats can't get at them.

The pigs go in an outdoor run, but not every day. We have ducks rather than chickens, which seem interested in them, but they have never seemed bothered. I wouldn't put the piggies out without being securely contained as I don't trust the cats!

I Agree with indoors, they are sociable and need to be where they get attention from you.