Housing....

[CathiiPiggie]

I'm really sad. Broccoli is still not living indoors. I've wanted him and Carrot to live indoors all their lives, but we've got so many issues with it. My parents will not allow it.

Here is why he's not living indoors:
1. We don't have the space. And we really don't. I though he could be housed in a 2x3 cage behind the sofa, but if he is we will have nowhere to put the ironing board/washing airer when we need to have them out. There is no space in the kitchen, there's no space upstairs and barely any room in the living room. With 5 people, 1 dog and 1 hamster in a small house we struggle as it is. I had considered asking if we could have a shelf built but there's nowhere.

2. There are too many allergies in this household. That's true as well. My mum is allergic to hay, reacts quite badly and I am slightly allergic. My dad and my sisters are usually okay. I will post my arguments against this point after posting this post which I shall show my mum.

3. We've just bought a new hutch and hamster cage and money is tight. That's true as well unfortunately My hamster cage had not been any good and starting breaking, so we had to fork out £50 on a new cage, and £75 on a new hutch for Broccoli.

1. Photo of where he could have gone if we'd had more space for ironing board etc


Please do not say 'you shouldn't be owning piggies' or 'why don't you rehome him' because that'll make me feel even worse. I get him out for cuddles and floor time for hours every day, but I really wish I could do more He's already 4 years and a few months and I'd hate to rehome him, especially now we've had all this time together.

I won't be getting any more piggies after he passes because I don't want to keep having ones that live in the shed, and I am 14 and when I am 18 I will probably go off to university and in student accomodation there are no pets allowed - there's no way I will be sneaking a big C&C in with me and hiding it successfully!

I just don't know what to do. Any suggestions? Any way I can make his life better as it is?

[PigPandemonium]

Do you have anything you could remove, or rearrange? I live in a VERY small house, and had to get really creative to find a place to put my cage, I even had to remove my bed, I just bought a couch that can be pulled out into a bed to save space. Now even in my small house, my pigs have a 3x7 with 2x2 kitchen connection and a loft. Honestly, in my opinion, I'd say to give up the pig if there is no way you can bring him indoors. I don't mean to make you feel bad, however he would have a much better life in a indoor home. Also, how old is he now? Guinea pigs can live about 5-8 years, so if you're 14 and he's lets say about 3, he will still be alive by the time you go off to university.

[pinky]

How is your bedroom arranged? Do you have a dresser that you can put a cage on? I built a double decker to house two pairs of guinea pigs. When I get enough grids, I plant to build another double decker for my others so they can all be in the same room. Maybe you could build a double decker with your pigs on the bottom and the hamster on the top level.

[lissie]

Is there anyway you could rearrange or organize your stuff? I used to live in a 1 bedroom apartment (700 sq.ft) with my husband and 2 kids. I rearranged the space to make it look like a 3 bedroom, and I could fit 2x7 cage in there.

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ing-space.html



I used to have an L-shape 2x8 cage on the corner where the black bed used to be.

[CathiiPiggie]

Do you have anything you could remove, or rearrange? I live in a VERY small house, and had to get really creative to find a place to put my cage, I even had to remove my bed, I just bought a couch that can be pulled out into a bed to save space. Now even in my small house, my pigs have a 3x7 with 2x2 kitchen connection and a loft.

Well I can have a chat with my mum and perhaps make a plan of the living room and move things around.

Honestly, in my opinion, I'd say to give up the pig if there is no way you can bring him indoors. I don't mean to make you feel bad, however he would have a much better life in a indoor home.

Well if he went to a rescue near me he'd almost certainly end up in an outdoor hutch (not even in a shed) because that just seems to be the done thing here unfortunately Although I do know some people like having there piggies indoors. Also rehoming, especially to a GOOD home would be difficult because he's already 4 and a bit, and you know how the average person would normally want a younger guinea pig... plus I couldn't bear to see him go. It may sound selfish, but I could not rehome him just because he doesn't have a cage inside, because I couldn't see him in another home getting hours of cuddles and floor time everyday in a ''normal'' household.

Also, how old is he now? Guinea pigs can live about 5-8 years, so if you're 14 and he's lets say about 3, he will still be alive by the time you go off to university.

Broccoli is now 4 years and 2 months old. The youngest age you can be to go to uni is 18 years so if I start in September and I'm 18 he'll be 8 years and 4 months, which is good for a guinea pig if he gets that old. Plus my mum loves him so he'd be in safe hands. That's if I even go.

[PigPandemonium]

There are many not "Normal" homes that would take him an give him a good life though. You don't have to give him to a rescue, you could also make a listing on here, and some other sites to try and find him a home like I have done with Nova, a pig that I rescued and am rehoming. Oddly within less than a day, he found a home with someone with a huge cage, and already two other pigs. I also live in an area where many believe that animals are only to be kept outside on farms, their are not many people who are into taking care of their animals the best they can, so when I talk about raw diets for dogs, and how I keep my guinea pigs in a huge cage inside, all I get asked is "Why?" Nova also may be an old pig (He is at least 2 years old) and has many many issues, such as freaking out when he is being held, yet he has still found a home.

You can also have people fill out an application and contract, so that you can pick a home that's perfect for him. Though again I am saying this as a last resort if you can't get him inside in a good sized cage.

[CathiiPiggie]

How is your bedroom arranged? Do you have a dresser that you can put a cage on? I built a double decker to house two pairs of guinea pigs. When I get enough grids, I plant to build another double decker for my others so they can all be in the same room. Maybe you could build a double decker with your pigs on the bottom and the hamster on the top level.

<br>Thing is my bedroom is tiny (7ft4"x6ft) , and I had to build a shelf to fit my hamster cage on. The hamster cage is 4sq ft so would not fit a piggie cage on even if I wasn't allergic to hay

[CathiiPiggie]

Yes, I am definitely not thinking of giving him up unless worst comes to the worst and he cannot come inside.

[lissie]

<br>Thing is my bedroom is tiny (7ft4"x6ft) , and I had to build a shelf to fit my hamster cage on. The hamster cage is 4sq ft so would not fit a piggie cage on even if I wasn't allergic to hay

Can you get a loft bed and put the cage underneath?

[CathiiPiggie]

Can you get a loft bed and put the cage underneath?

The problem is my doctor said I should keep away from hay as much as possible so no hay allowed in my room.

[CathiiPiggie]

Here is a plan of the living room... if anybody is good with re-arranging then perhaps I could borrow some tips?

[xXMaggieXx]

The problem is my doctor said I should keep away from hay as much as possible so no hay allowed in my room.

Have you tried orchard grass? Its a good alternative to timothy and is generally better on allergies. Doesnt have a strong smell

[lissie]

What is the rectangle thing next to the TV? Can you put the cage there?



How often do you guys use the ironing board? Why can't you use in front of the sofa? The cage can go on the back of the sofa.

Edit to add:
If it were my house, I'd get rid of the dining table. We had a folding table that we use for dining and put it away when we don't use it.

[pinky]

We installed one of those ironing boards that fold into the wall and are hidden behind a door. It's one of the best room saving solutions we've found. It was inexpensive and it saved space and time.

[pinky]

I have asthma and severe allergies to most plants and trees, although mold and cats are my biggest triggers. I have no problems with orchard grass but I'm wheezing as soon as I'm around timothy. It might be worth your while to try the orchard grass instead..... Could you switch to a futon instead of a bed so you'd have more space in your room?

[CathiiPiggie]

[QUOTE=pinky;648594]I have asthma and severe allergies to most plants and trees, although mold and cats are my biggest triggers. I have no problems with orchard grass but I'm wheezing as soon as I'm around timothy. It might be worth your while

Thanks for the orchard grasd recommendation @pinky and @xXMaggieXx , but is it expensive?

[PigPandemonium]

No, from what I've seen it's just about the same as timothy.

[Cavylier]

Is it possible for you to mount your TV on the wall? Then you might be able to move the table in the corner under it and open up some more space by pushing the sofa into that corner under the speakers.
Attachment 29049

That way you can have enough space in the center of the room for the ironing board and a cage. It only works if your TV is the kind that can be mounted on the wall, though.

[emeraldamykate]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but could someone tell me how you make the plans of your rooms?

[Cavylier]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but could someone tell me how you make the plans of your rooms?

Create House Floor Plans Online with Free Floor Plan Software

That's how I usually do it.