Really Confused!?

**Blackberri** · #1 11-23-05, 07:33 am

Hey everyone,
I'm really confused. I am a first time guinea pig owner. Her name is Blackberri.
Don't get me wrong, its not like I don't know how to take care of animals.
I've had/have dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, fish, parakeets and turtles as pets.

The problem is I don't have a whole lot of room in my house to build/set up a guinea pig cage. Right now I have the cage in my kitchen and I've already realized from this site that it is too small for just one guinea pig.

So i found this old rabbit cage in my woods that I could use. Its HUGE!
I measured it and it is 9 feet long and 2 feet wide. Even though the width isn't alot I have a solution to that.

I was planning to use this cage outside only. In Georgia its hot during the summer and it doesn't get that cold during the winter. She's living inside now since its winter and I was going to let her live outside 24/7 in that big cage during spring and summer and she can come live back inside during fall and winter.

But I've been reading what you guys haved said about outside cages and most of you think its a very, very bad idea. I do live in a wooded area and we do have stray dogs, opossums and wild rabbits come on our property occasionally. We have 5 acres of land. So I really want to keep Blackberri outside because I just don't have enough room anywhere inside!

WHAT SHOULD I DO???!!!

**Percy's Mom** · #2 11-23-05, 07:54 am

You really need to reevaluate the space in your house. See if there is anyway you can rearrange the furniture in your room to fit a decent sized cage in there maybe.
I live in Virginia and would never put a guinea pig, or even my dog, outside all day long with the heat we get in the summer, and I feel certain that it gets hotter in Georgia, no matter what kind of shade you have. Unless it's constantly above 65 and lower than 80 (maybe a couple degrees hotter), you could end up with a pig dying from heat stroke. Combine that with bugs, humidity, wind, rain, and the stray dogs, possums, and rabbits, and you have a very dangerous environment for a guinea pig. I didn't even take mine outside to play in the grass until the fall when the temperatures dipped a bit.

**Blackberri** · #3 11-23-05, 10:07 am

Yeah, I think you're right about it being too hot for her outside. Ok, I'll go back over my house and see if there is anywhere I can put a cage. But I still have doubts. I don't really want her to live in my bedroom because I share a room with my sister and I don't think she would appreciate another roomate that is a little nosiy and smelly.

**x0PiggyPerson0x** · #4 11-23-05, 11:54 am

Is there any room in your house you don't really use often? Like, except for special occasions etc.? Right now Baby's cage is in our formal living room that sits right off the kitchen so she is always accessable but not in a room that would get crowded.

**Ly&Pigs** · #5 11-23-05, 12:39 pm

Does that rabbit cage you found have a wire bottom? If so, throw it back in the woods because no pigs should be kept on wire floors. It's too dangerous. You said in another thread that the cage is rusty. I wouldn't bother with it at all and build a C&C cage or an alternative C&C cage.

**Percy's Mom** · #6 11-23-05, 11:23 pm

If you clean the cage regularly and spot clean daily they really aren't smelly at all.

**aqh88** · #7 11-23-05, 11:59 pm

Quote:

I don't really want her to live in my bedroom because I share a room with my sister and I don't think she would appreciate another roomate that is a little nosiy and smelly.

I think my guinea pigs smell better than my sister. I'm glad I shared a room with 4 of them instead of her before I moved out.

Tayethin · #8 11-24-05, 03:01 pm

Maybe think about building a customized cage so you can fit it into a small space, there's a good article on building cages even though it's for snakes:
http://www.tcnnews.com/content/view/356/2/

**Blackberri** · #9 11-24-05, 03:27 pm

Yeah, I've decided that I will through the cage away. It does have wire on the bottom but I thought that added more safety. Despite the size its just not worth it. I will just buy a C&C cage.

I clean Blackberri's cage every two days. And I mean completely clean the cage but she still smells bad. Its her poop. I think somethings a little abnormal about her feces? It isn't her body smell, because she recently had a bath and her fur is shiny and clean.

**Blackberri** · #10 11-24-05, 03:53 pm

Oh yeah and she's not potty trained. I need help with that part.

**annaamber200510** · #11 11-24-05, 07:35 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Percy's Mom

You really need to reevaluate the space in your house. See if there is anyway you can rearrange the furniture in your room to fit a decent sized cage in there maybe.
I live in Virginia and would never put a guinea pig, or even my dog, outside all day long with the heat we get in the summer, and I feel certain that it gets hotter in Georgia, no matter what kind of shade you have. Unless it's constantly above 65 and lower than 80 (maybe a couple degrees hotter), you could end up with a pig dying from heat stroke. Combine that with bugs, humidity, wind, rain, and the stray dogs, possums, and rabbits, and you have a very dangerous environment for a guinea pig. I didn't even take mine outside to play in the grass until the fall when the temperatures dipped a bit.

I live in Az.It is hot all year round and it gets to 105

in the summer. my dogs stay out side all the time.We turn on the sprinkler and give them lots of water and food and they are fine!

**VoodooJoint** · #12 11-25-05, 11:59 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tayethin

Maybe think about building a customized cage so you can fit it into a small space, there's a good article on building cages even though it's for snakes:
http://www.tcnnews.com/content/view/356/2/

Anyone that chooses to look at this link be warned. Non-lined (with coroplast, vinyl or linoleum) wood of any kind is unsuitable for GPs. So is the use of enclosed plexiglass cages.

Some of the ideas covered are okay, so I'm leaving the link up. Just be warned about some of the cage building methods sugested. After all they are cages for snakes and reptiles not mammals.

Also, we still stand behind the minimum recommended sizes on this, the Cavy Cages, website. Custom building to fit into a small space is useless if the cage ends up being smaller then accepted, recommended sizes.

**Percy's Mom** · #13 11-29-05, 07:11 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackberri

Oh yeah and she's not potty trained. I need help with that part.

You may never find that she is potty trained. It's not something you can really force them to do. Check where the dampest spots are when you spot clean or do a full cleaning, and try putting a litter pan there with some bedding and hay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by annaamber200510

I live in Az.It is hot all year round and it gets to 105

in the summer. my dogs stay out side all the time.We turn on the sprinkler and give them lots of water and food and they are fine!

Dogs can handle a LOT more heat than piggies can. I hope you have a dog house or some kind of shady area for them to sit in. As fun as the sprinkler is, I'm sure they don't want to be wet ALL the time.

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