hating floor time

I think you need to read up on Cavy Behavior. Guinea pigs need to feel safe before they explore. A lone guinea pig isn't neccessarily going to feel safe unless you give him LOTS of hideys during floor time and give him at least an hour. Rather than a giant empty space, fill it with interesting places to hide.

Guinea pigs like to hide. That is what makes them happy. Expecting them to want to hang out in the open just so you can watch isn't fair. Of course he want's his cage..it's safe for him. You can find all kinds of things around the house that have multiple openings that can go down for floor time. It might take a week or so before he really gets it though, so don't stop. I also like to throw a blanket over the whole thing, and they love to dig around while the blanket is on top.



Pigs never fully relax unless they can hide. It puts them on edge and they get grouchy and ill easier. Lonely pigs in tiny cages even more so. Try putting his cage on the floor, and then putting the play area around it with the door open for several hours.

By the way, NEVER let them JUMP from your hands into the cage! It's VERY dangerous to allow that to happen. Instead, place them all the way into the cage, and then hold them in your hands for a few seconds before letting go. Do not let them run or jump out of your hands into the cage. This has caused many injuries and deaths to pigs and it's easy to stop. If they do get out of your hands, then pick them back up again, and hold them again before letting go. Within a couple of tries they will learn to wait until you are ready to let go. This prevents them from jumping out of your hands when your attention is elsewhere...

No worries. It's the jumping out of hands that's a problem. They will jump when you aren't paying attention and end up falling several feet or halfway across the side of the cage or fall cockeyed and break a foot or back.

Happens all the time.

As long as your ramps aren't too high it shouldn't be a problem. Tiny little pigger feet aren't designed for jumping more than a few inches at a time.

I use floortime as a weekly change of scene for my piggies, as I completely clean out their cage (which is huge - so the floor time isn't such an issue). How big is Gideon's cage? I agree that he feels secure in his cage, and is frightened by this expanse of space.

Give it time. As STTW suggests - give him AT LEAST an hour. If you give him his veggies in the morning, set up floortime, than spread the veggies around the space, so he has to explore to find them.

If you have the time to spare, get in there with him, and be there for reassurance! Or make the floortime completely secure (cable tied grids make a super enclosure) - if you have other pets, keep the door closed - and let him come out in his own time. You could let him stay in there for a day. I sometimes leave my 4 girls in their floortime space (whole bathroom or larg enclosure) overnight too. As soon as they're put into their weekly floortime space - they are out and about exploring! If a long time is out of the question, then make it a regular daily activity if you can.

Another piggy pal would be the very best thing to help him enjoy floor-time. I'm sure you're aware that the best toy for a piggy is another piggy!!

My piggie doesn't really like to explore. He would much rather cuddle with me and watch tv.I give him floor time everyday still though.

For mine it just took time. He always sat in the corner of the kitchen until I made a ton of hidey houses to make him feel very safe.