Amount of Space Necessary?

[kimmee]

Hello, hello... I don't currently have piggies, but am trying to make detailed plans for them, so if I do get a pair I have it all planned out!

I'm thinking about floortime right now... how much space is necessary for floor time? The pigs would be in my bedroom most of the time (that is the only place I would be able to reliably get them out pretty much every night) which is 10ftx11ft BUT it has a lot of furnature... I would have to block off my beauro, desk, bed, bookcase, and closet because they have wires or other dangerous things in them... so I'm left with the open floor, and the space underneath the table their cage will go on.

Is this enough? I just ran around with a measuring tape, and I'm not totally sure because of the odd shape but I'm guessing it's about 55 square feet of floorspace... which sounds like a lot to me, as if it would be enough... but it looks like a really small space to me in reality!

Also, for the floor surface... I have hardwood floors in my bedroom, is this OK to put the piggies on? I'm guessing I'll have to put something like fleece or a towel down so that it's more comfy for them to walk on... I'm not worried about getting pee and poo on the floor because I would have a swiffer handy . I'll probably just go to my local fabric store and choose something that feels nice to my skin and is cheap -- would this be OK? I'm guessing that if it feels soft to me, it would be comfy for a pig... but are there any fabrics or surfaces I need to watch out for?


Thank you so much everyone, this forum is an awesome resource!

[Maggie]

Hey, welcome, I'm a new owner too.
55 sq feet sounds perfectly big for me, just be sure to block off their access to the desk and stuff like that - or you'll never find them again! They have knack for getting in the hardest places for you to get at them!
And old towel is perfectly fine, and so is the material that feels soft to you. Their feet are just as soft and tender as our hands. (except ones with calluses(sp)) But cover up that hardwood floor - they might slip on it and hurt themselves. You can wash the towel or fabric and shake the poo into a garbage bag.

[GeorgieLolaLove]

Hi Kimmee,
I think your room is big enough for them, but I am not sure, because I am not completely familiar with english measures (I always measure in meters and centimeters).
It also depends a bit on how big their cage is. When they have a small cage, their floor time is sacred, and you have to make sure they have a lot of floor space. When they have a very big cage already, they must also have their floor time everyday, but a smaller space will work out fine then.