Floortime troubles

[Squeeking Piggy]

My parents don't allow floortime in the house. Could anyone offer any suggestions to persuade them to change their mind? I want to give my two guinea pigs floortime, but my parents don't allow it in the house. Please help.

[gooberific]

Let them read threads on this forum about how important floor time is.

Either they let you give them floor time, or allow you to build a cage as big as a room.

Seriously, ask if you can start in the smallest room of your house, and show them how responsible you are by protecting the floor and cleaning up afterward.

[Squeeking Piggy]

I tried teaching them about floortime importance, but they just said no. I also tried to expand my cage, but again, they said no. I think I need a different approach. But what?

[Jitterbug]

What reason are your parents giving about not allowing floor time? If they're worried about protecting their floors, it's easy, cheap, and space saving to get a box of grids from Target, hook them with zip ties, and place them in a big ring on top of a liquid proof covering like a tarp or shower curtain. The grids and tarp are reasonably inexpensive and easily fold so they don't take up much space. It might also work to try litter-training your piggies so they'd be less likely to relieve themselves during exercise time. I've never tried it so I don't know if it would work or not, but it's an idea.

Otherwise, without knowing your parents' exact reasons for not allowing floor time it's hard to help.

[PixieStix]

Originally Posted by Jitterbug

It might also work to try litter-training your piggies so they'd be less likely to relieve themselves during exercise time. I've never tried it so I don't know if it would work or not, but it's an idea.

Though some pigs can be litter trained, it's difficult to train them. Some will use litter boxes to pee, but most will poop wherever they feel like. You may want to give it a shot, however be prepared that your pig make not take to it.

[lilcavy]

Try building a pen outside for them to run around in.

[gooberific]

I find that if I have a comforter out for them and their litterbox that still needs to be cleaned, they have a couple accidents, but mostly go in their box. I bribe them to do so by leaving a huge pile of hay there.

When I've used newspaper on the kitchen floor or somesuch, it was everywhere. Kind of like they know... "hey, this gets thrown out, so who cares?"



Do your parents let you take your pigs out of the cage at all, even just to hold them?

Yeah, as Jitterbug said, without knowing the reasoning behind your parents saying no, it's hard to give more suggestions...

It's hard for me to get my head around it, because when I was 4 and had my first piggie, my mom would block off the 'bad places' in the kitchen and just let Punkin roam in there for hours.

[cavycreation]

Maybe if you have a basement, you could convince your mom if you could do it there. I had a similar problem with my mom, she didn't want the guinea pigs living where "people" live, so I had to make them live down there. Just make sure your basement is safe, like no drafts and right temperature. You will probably have to block off a lot of parts if it is not a finished basement. Make sure you don't confuse basement with a garage!
Go here to make sure your basement is "pig proof": http://www.guineapigcages.com/location.htm

[tootsielovigal]

I use a trundell from a doll bed my dad made for my american girls, I put an old rag in it so they don't mess it up with poop, and give them some carrots & hay. They enjoy it!

[Apolloo]

I have a smll foldable cage that is a decent size for a pig to run around in. I throw some pee mats under t just in case.