Inside ALL the time?????

[piggielover92]

Hi! I was wondering what you all think about having guinea pigs outside. We built an outside cage for my 5 pigs and they love to be out there eating grass. We don't leave them out there 24/7, only an hour or 2 at a time a couple times a week in the warmer months (but not too hot). We have heard many opinions about this, though. We have even read pigs are NEVER supposed be outside! We also tried to adopt a pig from a rescue but when they heard they were sometimes outside they turned us down! What is your opinion???? Thanks!

[ChadWPB]

Supervised playtime outdoors for an hour or two is fine. "Supervised" is the key word here. Never leave them alone outside, as they could become easy prey for predatory birds or they could escape.

Also, when running pigs outside, provide plenty of shade for the pigs to rest in. Guinea pigs do not have sweat glands and are prone to heat stroke.

DO NOT cage them outside full time! There are many disadvantages, a major one being that when pets are outside, they're not part of the family, who stays inside. Plus illnesses are more easily overlooked.

Read this link as well:

http://cavycages.com/location.htm

Rescues will surely turn you down if you house your pigs outside. There's a big difference between housing them outdoors and just letting them have their floor time outside.

[NoVeil]

I bring my girls outside for lawn time. We sit in the shade of a bradford pear tree. They munch the grass, I read a book. It works well. They are never, ever, ever left alone because I have a climber that would be gone in a flash (not to mention dogs and other hazards)

[KmKrazy9]

I have a sort of outside cage! It has a screen that keeps her safe from predators. So I put her in there to munch on grass , while I clean the cage and when I am done I take it off and sit with them for a while. It works great!

[piggielover92]

The cage is half shade and half screening and is completly safe from predators!!!!! And, yes, they are only out there for a little while at a time, never all day. (also used while I am cleaning the cage)

[Piggles]

They should be fine if they are Supervised and your only doing it a few times a week.

[ChadWPB]

Originally Posted by piggielover92

The cage is half shade and half screening and is completly safe from predators!!!!! And, yes, they are only out there for a little while at a time, never all day. (also used while I am cleaning the cage)

Judging from your first post, it seemed you wanted to build an outdoor hutch and leave them outside. That is probably why the rescue turned you down.

Please be clearer in the future.

[piggielover92]

Originally Posted by ChadWPB

Judging from your first post, it seemed you wanted to build an outdoor hutch and leave them outside. That is probably why the rescue turned you down.

Please be clearer in the future.

Sorry, but I did say only an hour or 2 at a time, a few times a week.

[99p Flake]

You know what.. I was always told by people that had raised Guinea Pigs much longer than I, that keeping Guinea Pigs outside in hutches was much better for them than inside, as they lived much longer, happier lives. It made me feel like a bad pet owner for keeping them inside, although, through common sense, and the belief that keeping them inside was better to interact with them and protect them from the weather, I've always kept them inside, with a little bit of supervised outdoor play if the day was good for it.

I'm glad I found this site really, as it kinda proves that I'm not a bad owner after all

[ChadWPB]

Originally Posted by 99p Flake

You know what.. I was always told by people that had raised Guinea Pigs much longer than I, that keeping Guinea Pigs outside in hutches was much better for them than inside, as they lived much longer, happier lives.

Those people are full of crap. If that were true, we'd be living outdoors instead of in our comfortable, dry, weather-protected houses.

Don't listen to them. Sounds like you got it straight already.

[kennethlhm]

If you keep your GP outside, then you may miss out all those happy moments such as watch them eat, play, running around...