Difference between floor-time,lap time, free range

[5guinea5pig5]

What is the difference between floor-time, lap-time and free-range?

[Jenni_Feathers]

Floor-time=playtime, running around house, usually last a few hours.
Lap-time=holding time, cuddleing, usually takes place on ones lap
Free-range=its basically floortime 24/7. My boys used to be free-range during the day, but they started getting too brave and into trouble (ie. they stopped fearing walking on the hardwood floors...then when gated off them they chewed and tried to push over gate all day)

[Ly&Pigs]

Floor time is out of the cage time to let them explore an area larger than their cage for play and exploration. This is something that needs to be done several days a week if not everyday for at least an hour or so.

Lap time is more for us humans. Most pigs could care less about lap time. It's when you get a pig out of their cage and hold them, pet them, groom them, snuggle, etc. It can also be used for bonding.

Free range is allowing your pigs a living area without a cage. This means your pigs would be free to roam whatever part of the house you designate as theirs. Be it a living room, a bedroom, the whole house, etc. When you free range your pigs though, you must make sure they cannot get to any wires, harmful substances, or get into places where they could get stuck. You also have to designate areas for eating/drinking, sleeping and provide litter boxes for bathroom needs.

[5guinea5pig5]

My pigs get all of those. They really don't need free-time since they have their own room but I let them into my room sometimes. I used lap time to bond with my pigs. Some of them like it some don't. I just didn't know the name for the things THANKS!!!

[Geegi63]

Originally Posted by Jenni_Feathers

they stopped fearing walking on the hardwood floors...then when gated off them they chewed and tried to push over gate all day)

Must be some keen piggies!

[anitasues]

I see alot of people do let their piggies have free range of a room/house which is great, but what about the peeing and pooping? Mine seems to bascially go in one spot, where when I get home, there is a huge pile in their cage, but they also pee and poop in other spots too, what happens with that? Also, if you let them have the house, how can you catch them for lap time? thanks

[BubuCandyBlue]

Originally Posted by anitasues

I see alot of people do let their piggies have free range of a room/house which is great, but what about the peeing and pooping? Mine seems to bascially go in one spot, where when I get home, there is a huge pile in their cage, but they also pee and poop in other spots too, what happens with that? Also, if you let them have the house, how can you catch them for lap time? thanks

Well I think looking at the pictures will give you good answers: http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/showgallery.php/cat/515

We make a so called set-up for the piggies. Meaning everything is protected (from chewing) with grids or other kind of fencing. If you have tiles, or carpet, you put again something down to protect it from pee/poo, and soak it (for example fleece+towels underneath, or a shower curtain). You clean everything, just how you would do with a cage (2x/day). So everytcing being protected, it is not like they hide in the back of the furniture, catching them is not a problem.

[Hermes]

We are enjoying the company of our two lovely 3 year old rescue piggies. They are living inside, spending night time in a wooden hutch (36' x 24") and day time in an enclosure made with 5 squares by three squares (with roof). The reason they are in a hutch at night is because I don't trust one of the cats even with a roof on their regular cage.
I am curious: as a child in England, our piggies lived outside year round, in their hutch under a covered porch in summer, in their hutch in an unheated shed in winter. They had sawdust on the floor and a big box of hay to sleep in in their sleepping box. They grazed outside in an ark with a sleeping box from April until October.
Are they a different breed of piggy? I have never heard of anyone keeping a guinea pig indoors in England (maybe a garage but never in the house. And if you waited for it to be 65 degrees they would only go outside about two weeks a year!
Ours (brothers)lived happily until 8 years old and were never sick.
We are keeping our wonderful piggies inside because that is what we were advised (although we did take them out on the grass on a warm day this week and they loved it, especially clover)
I am just curious why they are treated so differently. We live near San Jose so it is pretty warm 9 months of the year, although cold at nights.

[akstrohm]

It is (almost certainly) the same kind of guinea pig. Ideas of what constitutes optimal care differ between regions and over time. The reasons for housing guinea pigs indoors are outlined in this thread and the links at the bottom of it: http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...g-outside.html

There are always some guinea pigs that manage to live (seemingly) healthy, long lives while kept outside, but that does not mean that this is best for them or that most guinea pigs kept outside fare well. On average, guinea pigs kept outside live shorter lives, and they also generally receive less attention. In addition to providing a more constant temperature and a less drafty, less stressful environment, indoor living also removes risks such as predators (including people). I hope that explains things a bit. Your 3x5 cage with some supervised time outdoors sounds excellent!