Guinea Pigs Indoor v Outdoor

[TeenPlusCat]

We have an indoor cat. We have fish. DH & I would be happy with no pets.
DD is animal mad and has had MH issues. We want her to be happy.
She would like guinea pigs. We would get the from a rescue.

This is what I know:
Indoor GPs need quite a lot of space; probably more than the 120x60cm min.
They need hay which smells.
Outdoor GPs can't do sun or cold (so what do you do with them in summer & winter?)

So if we did succumb what is the 'least trouble' way?
Spare bedroom?
Outside in spring & autumn, inside otherwise?

Friends kept theirs inside and it wasn't the straw that stank!!! When you'd walk through their front door- you could smell them from the back room, despite the cage being cleaned out daily. They had an area the size of a single bed for them. You will soon become nose blind, but bare in mind that others will smell them straight away if they are inside!

We have them inside (not my first choice) but whenever weather is suitable they go outside in the run.
The hay doesn’t smell but the wee does.
girls need less space than boys.
They are nice pets and you probably get a lot more out of them being indoors as they’ll talk to you when you open the fridge etc and you’ll be able to interact with them more

We have indoor piggies in a C&C cage on fleece liners which are swapped out twice a week. They are fully indoor October to March and go out in a secure run for a few hours a day when the weather is suitable. They only tend to start and smell on clean out day. We really enjoy having them inside and you can really bond with them far more than outdoor piggies, they have fantastic little personalities.

Mine are indoor pigs. I’d never have them outdoors due to Scottish weather and them just not getting enough attention. Mine are in the living room and take up as much room as I can get away with.

They'd be better off in a space regularly travelled.

We got guineas last May and they stayed in for summer but had regular runs outside. In the winter they were inside. We bought a outside hutch to keep them out in the summer but I only put them there when it's too hot in our conservatory where they live. I like to watch/hold them so it's easier that they are indoors.

I love having ours indoors. They do need lots of space and if you think that hay smells, that's nothing compared to wee.

Ours are in a separate room so don't make the whole house smell. I love hearing them squeak, but they do have the odd noisy night.

I think ours get a lot more attention than they would have if they were outside.

I'm not sure how it would work with the cat, you'd need to keep them safe from the cat.

I think guinea pigs are much tamer if kept indoors. They have more frequent interactions with the family and become calmer and less skittish.

The hay smells nice, I think! They do produce epic quantities of poo and wee though, which does smell if you dont clean them out (at least spot-clean) every day.

If you have a garden, they will love having time outside to nibble the grass in a covered run. You can also let them run around the garden if it's fully enclosed and you are directly supervising them. Dont leave them unsupervised outside their run, as they would be an easy snack for a fox or bird of prey, or even a cat.

They may be shy at first, but are easily won over with fresh parsley. Always sit down when handling them, to avoid accidents, and put a cloth on your lap in case they wee (after a while, you'll be able to see when they are about to do so and pop them back in their cage).

They are dear little creatures and I think your DD will love them.

Thank you. We are now working towards indoor GPs, know where they will go, have a purchase list, and DD is doing maths this summer to 'earn' the required items <mean mum>

120cm is too small for their cage and is purely pet shops trying to make a profit by convincing parents they can fit them, it's like keeping them in a tiny jail. If you're going to keep them in a spare room that the cats will never have access to, then an open grid cage is a good option. They're awake most of the time and only nap, and they're quite noisy so a spare room for them is a good idea. You could build a nice cage (have a look at some of the guinea pig channels on youtube), or look into the Ferplast Plaza cages for decent sizes (£70+).

Litter trays help with quicker cleaning, rabbit litter with a pile of hay on top. They poo a lot (several droppings each time, every 15 minutes or so and more when eating) so reusable puppy pads with a fleece on top and a dust pan and brush means you can quickly lift the piles of hay (they like to tunnel through it) and sweep up all the poos. The base of a cage needs to be adequately padded and absorbent to ensure they don't get sores. Sawdust is bad for the respiratory system and straw isn't very absorbent and attracts flies. The puppy pads and fleece are the best option, with hay on top for natural behaviour, and chew-safe tunnels.

They're lovely animals but definitely a lot of work, then there's the twice daily hay top ups, the wet feed and the pellets and bottle change. Definitely not a starter pet or for busy people who like to go away. As a prey animal they're also very skittish and hate being picked up. Pet shops don't explain any of this so some kids lose interest after being bit and unable to handle them, and months later they arrive in rescues completely unsocialised, it could take months if ever for them to love being held.

@Nyfluff Thank you for your input.

We are looking at a 2x5 C&C cage indoor, with access to outside in appropriate weather. Being able to be picked up happily is of prime importance so we will really watch for that at rescues. My DD is studying animal care at college so should be able to do the care required.

Very sadly we no longer have our cat who had to be pts in June.

@TeenPlusCat im sorry to hear about your cat 🥲

I've had outdoor GP's (overseas in a better climate) and indoor ones in the U.K. they're smelly little buggers no matter how often you clean them. In one house we had them in the utility room (family entrance to the house, next to the boot room & just off the kitchen) so they had lots of company & got talked at a lot!! Lots of cuddles. Lots of snacks!! they had two large outdoor secure runs which they went in if it wasn't wet (they shouldn't get wet tummies) both had hutch areas. they'd come out early for a run around in the hall way (formal entrance - big octagonal space) they'd play & perform!! The girls were pre school at that age & would bring things for them to explore (with me watching) dolls house/barbie car structures built with duplo. They loved popcorning in the big space!!

I absolutely adored the little buggers, but honestly the small drive over me insane. I tried ALL the suggestions, but couldn't find a solution that made them not smell. I started bringing people in through the 'formal' entrance & straight into the sitting room but it was a pain feeling like we couldn't hang out in the kitchen/family room as we used to.

so just be warned as no matter how often your DD cleans them out or what she uses, they will still smell.

we WILL need photos!

Mine live outside but came in on the kitchen floor on those really hot days. In winter they will have an old horse rug over their hutch but I will also bring them in if it gets too cold. They have a two floor hutch and also get put out in their run every day when possible. They are girls so naturally a bit more skittish and can be hard to catch but they are tame enough for cuddles. I think we probably don't handle them as much as we would if they were inside, but we like watching them and they are very chatty! They live right by the back door and they wheek at me every time I go outside!
It's hard at the moment because they don't have enough grass, but there just isn't any as it hasn't rained.

Which is 'better' - males or females?

Mine lives outside most of the year and inside in the winter.

2x5 c&c should be ok, but go for 2x6 if you can with an added loft space.

I will warn you, they are huge and take up a lot of space. I always breathe a sigh of relief when I can put mine back out again after the winter!

Agree re the 120x60 cages - shouldn't be allowed. Way too small.

I got two males, it didn't work out well and one started to attack the other and then they had to live separately.

I'd definitely go for females.

Hi, I have two boys who live indoors. They live indoors in a huge hutch in the spare room and get to play out in there lots.

I too found the smell to be a problem and tried everything - fleeces and towels, sawdust, newspaper and hay but then switched to puppy pads and these work wonders! There is no smell! They need spot cleaning for their poop a few times a day and the pads changing daily, so can be expensive but so worth it! Just a word of warning though, if your piggies are nibblers, best to stay away from the puppy pads.

Mine were always kept outside in a large hutch with a very large run. We are South East though, so pretty temperate, and the position of the hutch was by the back door, under wide heavy eaves, so very protected. In very cold or snowy periods, I wrapped up the hutch in tarps for warmth and wet protection. They went out on the grass most days, unless snowy or frosty. In the summer they went under the trees, so shaded. The lived well into old age, 8 and 9, and were very happy and cuddly.

Which is 'better' - males or females?

Let the rescue guide you.

Our boys seem to be more outgoing than the girls we've had. At the moment we have 3 boys and 3 girls. Of them, all of the boys and 1 of the girls comes over to be fed by hand.