Outside Time

[nesie]

I live out in the country with lots of feral cats around. What is safer?

Harness/Leash?
Or wire cage?

For 30 minutes to an hour of exercise/gorging on grass time?

Nes.

[Fay]

Supervised playtime in a cage. Leash can injure or even kill them.

[JarBax]

Forget the harness/leash completely. They are potentially lethal for guinea pigs.

A wire cage top can be used on the grass for supervised outside time - but piggies shouldn't be put on a wire-bottomed cage. Their sensitive feet cannot cope with wire bottoms.

I have adapted my girls' first cage to make into an outside pen (see gallery) with a wire top, I feel happy having them in there whilst I potter about them in the garden. They sometimes go in a pen made from grids cable-tied together - but if I am not in there with them, then I am sitting beside the pen - you can take no chances with your precious piggies outside!

If you are going to put your pigs outside for supervised time, make sure the area is free form any pollution - including anything the cats may have done! It must be comfortably warm for you to sit out in a T shirt, but not too hot either. If you feel the extremes of temperature - then so will they - but more so! If you have a lot of feral cats, I'd feel inclined to sit and watch over them. If they haven't been fed grass regularly - then you must build up their intake gradually - or they will get upset tums. Watch out for insects too. Predatory birds shouldn't be a problem if you are there with them. I think I've covered most of the info you might need! Hope they enjoy their trip outdoors! (Lets see some pigtures!)

[nesie]

Thanks for the tips!

Nes.

[salana]

Do the cats pee and poop in your yard? If so, grow grass in a pot for your pigs.

[Ruftybear]

I never let my piggies go outside, because I am worried about what may be on the ground, or any sicknesses/diseases they may pick up when they are out there.

Maybe I am paranoid, but that is the way I am............

[nesie]

The feral cats stick to the old barns on our property. I'm more worried about then running in and tiping over the cage or something if I go the bathroom or something.

I realised our wire dog kennel is a small enough holes she can just go out in that! it does have a wire bottom but they are widely spaced apart enough I don't think it will hurt her feet

Nes.

[Ruftybear]

Feral cats also carry diseases. I don't know whether they can transfer to your piggies, but I wouldn't be taking the risk.

[nesie]

The cats dont come any where near the house - we've got two dogs.


Nes.

[Ly&Pigs]

it does have a wire bottom but they are widely spaced apart enough I don't think it will hurt her feet

Any wire they walk on can hurt their feet and potentially cause pododermititis (bumblefoot).