outside cage, your veiws?

I think you should not get guinea pigs unless you can keep them indoors in a large cage.

Your friend should not be housing their pigs outside either. There are way too many variables and things that can go wrong. Letting them breed is not something he/she should be doing.

Predators: these come in many varieties to include humans.
Illness: cavies often hide illness and being outside where temperatures can fluctuate greatly can contribute to illness.
Temperature: They need to be in a stable temperature between 65-75F. Temperatures that are too cold can cause illness and can lead to death. Temperatures that are too hot can cause heat illness, heat stroke and death.

Your friends don't sound like they are good piggie parents. They would benefit from coming here and researching why the things they are doing can be harmful. Just because your friends are doing something doesn't mean that you should follow suit and do the same.

Hi there, Kate-- Welcome to the forum! I hope you will find all of the information you need to make a sound decision on how to raise your prospective guinea pig(s).

The majority of regular members here, and ALL of the moderators of this site are firmly against regularly housing any animal outside. No matter how safe and well-structured the habitat may be, there are a potential number of hazards that can (and have, unfortunately) occured in other people's environments. I won't cite to you the several many things or examples that could happen, as there are a few different "stickies" (little virtual Post-It notes in the heading of each topic) that will tell you the negatives of outdoor housing.

Just please reconsider. Try moving around furniture in your house/apartment, get rid of any old clutter that could be taking up unneccesary space, etc. The goal is, of course, to have your cage already designed and put together prior to the guinea pig(s)' homecoming. Design it as best as you can to meet the minimum requirements that they're going to need to peacefully coexist and romp about. It's actually much more economical than buying a pet store cage or creating an outdoor hutch for them. Do you have an attic or a basement that is free of mold, dust, and climate-controlled? That could very well (provided the former mentioned) be a great alternative to housing them outside.

If you're worried that perhaps a relative or roommate is allergic or will become allergic to the guinea pigs, just keep the door shut and use an air purifier in the house to rid the air of any pet hair, dander, or dust from their hay/bedding material. Believe me, it may sound like a stretch... but the small sacrifices you'll make will be the LARGE difference in your guinea pig's quality of life!

I believe, (and I'm certain others here do as well!) that a guinea pig's or any other small mammal is entitled to just as much veterinary, home comforts, and attention as our canine and feline friends. I'm not at all harping here, I just want you to realize how delicate a guinea pig's health can be--and for the benefit of them as well as you, it's best to keep them inside.

Good luck on your decision!

Hi and welcome. I hope this site will help you in looking after your future pigs and health. I found this thread that i hope you will read (all) . As ly and pulsepoint pointed out. Indoors is the only way to go.
https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...7-i-am-building-outdoor-guinea-pig-hutch.html

I believe, as do most people on this forum, that outdoor housing is TERRIBLE for guinea pigs. They need to be kept at a consistent temperature, which is near difficult to guarantee outdoors. They need to be safe from predators, which again, is almost impossible to guarantee outside. They're social creatures, so unless you and your family live outside, it is unlikely that they'll get all the attention they need. Wire floors are no good for their sensitive feet.

Please research some more before you decide whether to bring guinea pigs into your life, look for adoption options in your area, find out about proper nutrition. Regarding housing, indoor is the only way to go... and Cubes and Coroplast are actually less expensive and better for your guinea pigs than those pricey pet store cages.

Ly&Pigs said:

Your friends don't sound like they are good piggie parents. They would benefit from coming here and researching why the things they are doing can be harmful. Just because your friends are doing something doesn't mean that you should follow suit and do the same.

Click to expand...

I believe this to be one of the best pieces of advice I've seen since I've been a member here.

To Kate, please pay attention to what people have said about your potential guinea pig situation and about your friends' set up and behavior toward the pigs.

The only pet that I can see being outside is a dog, and even then, I only agree with tying a dog out when it needs the loo.

I really think that before you decide to get guinea pigs, you really need to talk to your mom about how necessary it is to keep pigs indoors only. If she doesn't agree to them being indoors, then to be honest, you really can't have them.

When my friend made my C&C cage for me, we treated it as part of the furniture in my living room. I moved stuff around to accommodate the size of the cage so it has its own place. That way my boys are constantly a part of our regular living situation.

You are absolutely right in thinking that inside is "safer and nicer". Please keep that mindset going and don't let other people's situations influence you, such as your friend's set up.

And just like Ly said, have your friend come to this forum and read through everything. She's not doing right by the pigs in any means and she definitely has a lot to learn.

I'm glad that you came here before you got pigs because that shows me that you are trying to be responsible and second, you will know the steps you need to take beforehand so you can give them a loving home.

I'm assuming you're talking about two different friends, right? One has the pigs that are breeding and the other has the pig and rabbit being severely mistreated? Either way, you must let them know that what they're doing is so wrong on so many different levels and encourage them to either become better parents or let them know that they need to find different homes for their animals if they are unable to change their ways. Maybe if you say it to them, they'll listen since they are your friends.

Again, I'm glad that you came here and I have hope for you because you are able to point out the faults of your friends.

Here are some threads you should read. Keep in mind that these people all thought they were taking good care of their animals and were providing safe and adequate shelter/housing.

Dangers of Outdoor Housing
Summer is Coming. Should You House Your GP Outside?
Outdoor vs Indoor
UK GP housed outside dies of heatstroke
GPs stolen from outdoor cage
2 GPs in outdoor cage killed by dog (on Animal Precinct)
HAWK, drops guinea pig in someone's yard
Violent thugs batter family pets to death
Thread about people breaking into outdoor hutches and sheds
2 guinea pigs stolen from outdoor shed
Guinea pig attacked by rats in shed
Magpies attacking GPs in their outdoor hutches
4 GPs dead. Cause is a suspected mouse infestation in shed and garden
Ant infested yard and hutches
Warning for those keeping animals outside
Guinea pigs stolen from "Cavy Sanctuary"
(broken link removed)
More Guinea pigs die of heatstroke
Guinea Pig Killed by Cat
Guinea Pigs Being Attacked by Cat
Rabbit Hutch Repeatedly attacked by Bears
5 year old GP stolen from outdoor hutch

hmm well after looking into it, the out door thing doesn't seem to great. And they'd get more attention inside so I'll try and find somewhere inside I could fit a cage. *sigh* I miss my old house, i can think of heaps of places there I could put guinea pigs. Ok well I'll just see if I could fit them inside. and if not, then I guess I'll just need to either think of a different pet that can stay out doors or not get any more pets at all.

I have done some research, and in door's far better for them. Thanks for the wake up call guys

Hey, you know what? Thanks for listening to the advice you got. It's nice to see someone really think hard about it instead of just arguing with anything that goes against their original thought.

I can't think of any pets which would be as well off outdoors but I'm sure there are many indoor pets which wouldn't take up as much space as a cavy does indoors. Good luck to you.

Just fyi - possums are predators. Just the sight of a predator can give them a heart attack. Possums and raccoons are pretty smart and can open hutches or cages easily.

I hope you will be able to fit them indoors. We had our piggies out on the balcony (enclosed but away from the main part of the apartment) for a week or so but brought them in every night. But really I prefer having them inside because I get to see them more and it feels like they are more a part of the family.

I just havea table which I put a big piece of wood down on so that the cage would sit there sturdily and so they are off the ground and I can store things under the table. So I didn't really lose any space, nor did I have to search for an enormous table (the hutch is over twice the size of the table I had).

I really want to commend you for asking questions first, rather than just doing it, like some folks have. I also find it very refreshing that you'd be willing to sacrifice having a pet you want if you can't provide for it the things it needs. It's not all that common, unfortunately.

Perhaps if you do decide to make guinea pigs a part of your life, you could persuade your friend to let you "adopt" from her, while possibly talking to her about the benefits of making these animals a part of the indoor family life, as well as many other things she'd learn by coming here or perhaps through your research? If she's unwilling to check out this forum, maybe she could at least learn from the example you'd set by giving them a proper indoor home with lots of love and proper diet, exercise, attention, etc.

Again, thanks for thinking before just doing.

I think building outside cage is pretty nice but it really depends on where you live. If you live in tropic country like me, I think it's not a big problem since the weather don't change a lot if you are really sure that there's no predator. But still, you need to kept them indoors inside the big cage.

Even me who live in tropic country, I prefer to placed them inside, because they will know me better than when they placed outside.

Trust me, your decision for place them inside is just a wise decision

Well if my mum would let me move her little vege seedlings somewhere else, the table they're on would make a great place for a guinea pig. I'll just let them outside for supervised floor time during the day. This is of course if my mum will even let me get them, which so far she's not.

I'm dead against keeping guinea pigs indoors unless you have a flat. I've been keeping guinea pigs for over 20 years in the UK, and they are always housed in large strong hutches outside and they thrive. My oldest at the moment is 10 years.

They have fabulous thick coats in winter and are fine when it's well below freezing. They also go into large secure runs on frosty ground in winter and they love it.

I feel they are healthier and more robust than guinea pigs kept in centrally heated homes, after all their home in the wild is high in the Andes which can be ridiculously cold. The only problem I've ever had with my guinea pigs is mites which came from a poor bale of meadow hay.

I say get your guinea pigs outside and breathing fresh air, inside is not the place for them unless you have hoardes of marauding wild animals ouside.

I guess I won't be popular amongst the inside cage business people here but that's my view on it anyway and I have 15 very happy and healthy pigs.

I disagree with only keeping them indoors, mind you i am a bit of a novice. Mine have to be kept outside however they are completely safe from predators. Our dog has learnt to recognize what animals are pets ( has been known to hand us little chicks unharmed ) and has chased away any other animals for 3 year now. I can honestly say i have never seen any animal other than small birds in our garden.

The temperature here stays the same here all year round so temperature isn't a problem. They're positioned so as to be out of direct sunlight, until about 3:30, which is when i come home from school and let them have some floor time in the shade. They're also in a secure place and out of the wind always ( due to the hill structure ) so there's no chance of they're pen falling over

We are so far out in the sticks it's safe to say there are no "Thugs" around. The outdoor cage has a roof. Hawky things have great trouble seeing through these, thus making the guinea pigs safe from attack. We have no bears or any large animals here that could pose threat to them other than the dog, who has been known to chase our goat away from them.

Finally, Guinea pigs didn't always live inside warm and cosy homes, they once lived in the wild. They survived enough years for people to step in and to tame them, so i think a few years in the garden with your help to make it animal proof they should be fine.
This is all from personal experience, though i may just be incredibly lucky with my settings, but either way it shows that they can live happily outside.