Outdoor Guinea Pigs?

[PineappleUpsideDownCake]

We would really like to get guinea pigs

Is there a way at all to keep them outside?

I'm open to hutch recommendations? Ive read about little hot water bottles but if I could somehow make a warm enough hutch and run Id be up for it.

(Tiny house, allergies.)

If its not at all possible to do in a way that's safe for the guinea pigs we wont do it. I love the spare room set ups or people with little villages but we just cant have them inside... would happily investigate other options though?

Yes of course you can. They live outside in the wild. Just like rabbits they can live in an outdoor hutch with a nice run to run about in. In fact it seems like it’d be nicer and more natural to live outside.

There is but you will need a large hutch and a large run - most of the hutches on sale are too small for them to run around. Added to that you need to have rock solid fox protection for them and make sure they aren't eating wet grass and that you keep on top of plants that might be poisonous.

They love dandelions but eating too many means they wee everywhere. Well, they wee everywhere anyway (though ones kept inside do know not to wee when they aren't in their cage - accidents are very rare) but more often if they have eaten a lot.

If you've got allergies then I wouldn't recommend guinea pigs as they are very sociable creatures and thrive on human company. We have them indoors despite allergies (not specifically to guinea pigs - allergic rhinitis, would say hay fever but it's not a problem with hay). Ours love to be inside with us and snuggle up on the sofa and chat to us when we come into the room, would that still be an option for you with the allergies?

I was hoping to still bring them indoors for cuddles. I'm asthmatic and allergic to hay and fur :( Im usually okay visiting other people's houses though so was thinking we could mainly play 0outside.

I have 2 girls 11 and 9 that would play with them a lot although I realise Id need to do most of the work.

I have been reading forums and getting confused! And about hutch sizes. And whether its bets to put them on concrete/concrete with a blanket or access to a run on grass. Or just use the run when it wasnt wet?

I know some people say "of course" but google shows guinea pigs really dont like the cold and lots of owners think its cruel not to bring them indoors in winter. I would want them to be happy!

Any examples of "good" gages? Or ways to keept hem warm?

Why not look at skinny pigs? They are more expensive & harder to find but don't have the fur.

Wow! Never heard of them they look ace. Wikipedia (source of all knowledge I know... ) days that because of lack of fur they're best housed indoors though

Would this be big enough on concrete if they also had a run on the grass? Maybe connected by a bendy tunnel? Or extended by attaching to the run somehow.

www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/pets-at-home-small-animal-blossom-rabbit-and-guinea-pig-hutch?istCompanyId=7255ccad-a1fc-4729-af31-478f79e5071c&istFeedId=84fabe95-ef22-40cd-8182-fa00a033ea14&istItemId=ititmxllx&istBid=t#xd_co_f=YmE0M2FlMzUtMzA1NS00NjUxLWI1ZjctZjA1ZWQ0YTMyOGFl~

They really need to be protected during the winter. Ours are in an insulated shed with tube heaters in winter.

The bare minimum for 2 females is 4ft by 2ft on one level. The area needs to be accessible 24/7 so runs don’t count towards the min space.

Also if they are outside in winter you couldn’t bring them in and out as the change in temperature isn’t good for them.

So would that hutch with a tunnel to a run be good? Or a bigger hutch with the run attached be better?
Happy to have a big hutch and run just unsure if they're not supposed to be on wet grass in winter how that works.

So in winter best to play with them outside?

Ah shed with heaters. Sorry hadn't read whole post!

Our guinea pigs live outside most of the time in an Eglu with a 2m run. We've improved the security of the run by using padlocks on any openings and they're shut into the hutch at night. During frosty months, they have a different hutch in an insulated shed. They are very sociable and love attention.

I don't personally agree with keeping guinea pigs outside.
They are prey animals and are naturally very nervous. I imagine they'd spend a lot of time at night being scared by sound/smell of eg foxes.
Unlike rabbits they do not develop a winter 'coat' and so their hutch would need significant insulation for colder weather. I've heard of people wrapping sleeping bags etc over hutches.
Children get bored of small pets quickly and I think it's easier to 'forget' about caged animals when they're not in the house.
They hide illnesses pretty well and if someone is just chucking food in the hutch and going off to work / school for the day it's easy to miss the early signs something is wrong.

I love guinea pigs dearly and think they are wonderful pets - for adults. They are delicate little souls and I personally don't think they are for children. Given that you will be the one responsible for them, seems crazy to be to get them - you're allergic to them and their food!

If you really do want them and you really have to keep them outside (although please don't) I'd recommend joining The Guinea Pig Forum and getting advice on how to meet their needs fully from there.

www.theguineapigforum.co.uk

Sociable sounds lovely 🥰 . I just need to work out a winter way to keep them warm. Other than build a shed. If im building them a shed I might as well build something purpose built!

If they're in a shed presumably you take them out each day to run around and play on the grass?

I'm allergic to all animals, but particulalry if they were kept inside hence me looking for something we could keep outside.

We've all wanted a pet for a long time, especially something sociable that could be part of the family. We cant have a cat or dog so looking at outdoor pets Guinea pigs seemed a good idea.

We won't do it if we cant do it and meet their needs though.

If you want to keep them outside then a wooden playhouse is a really good option, a regular on the guinea pig forums did this - if you look in 'small pets' for posts by 70isalimitnotatarget you'll find a wealth of useful information about housing them outdoors.

I can't open the Pets at Home link but most hutches sold as suitable are too small. Two storey hutches are popular but what guinea pigs need is a really good space to run around and popcorn (jumping!) We have two pigs in a cage that gives them 8 sq feet downstairs 6 square feet upstairs. They like that as they can run around in both sections and have their own space from each other. That's a C&C so it can't go outside but it gives you can idea for space.

Are you getting two females?

@PineappleUpsideDownCake

Sociable sounds lovely 🥰 . I just need to work out a winter way to keep them warm. Other than build a shed. If im building them a shed I might as well build something purpose built!

If they're in a shed presumably you take them out each day to run around and play on the grass?

They will love daily time outside on the grass, we used to have free range (during the day) guinea pigs when the weather permitted but that was with a secure garden with all GP friendly plants. Building them something purpose built would be amazing. Don't have them straight onto the grass in the winter, their home needs a floor to keep them warmer. It's fine in the run but as others have said that's an extra not part of their home space. With the run we have a standalone one and sometimes they go in that and other times they have the run of the garden. The advantage of a standalone run is no more lawn mowing - we move it around the lawn and they keep the grass short for us (we don't have a large lawn, they won't do a tennis court!)

I dont mind where we buy bits from. Just currently researching what would be best for them/whether its possible.

Girls/boys.... we were considering rescue ones but researching practicalities first!

Rescue pigs are the way to go, we've had several and now we foster pigs. We've got two boars which people will say is challenging and they'd be right, it often is. However our two are brothers who have never been apart since we fostered them at ten days old when their mother died. I wouldn't recommend getting any that young but a good rescue wouldn't let you anyway. Brothers who have always been together or two females are a better bet but a good rescue will advise on that.

Mandatory picture of our foster pigs!

Oh twin they are gorgeous. I so hope we can make it work. Im completely sold on the idea now...!

As you are getting rescue pigs you need to think about how they have been kept so far and how long for - have they been inside or outside? Also if you get ones from the 'adoption' section in a pet shop they will be used to being indoors so you'll need to make sure you have a warm home. I'd work on building their home in time to get pigs at maybe Easter or May half term depending on where in the country you are.

That spunds a good plan