Outdoor Piggies

Welcome to the forum- I hope that you plan to use it to learn the best ways to care for your guinea pigs, though I notice you didn't ask any questions or say much about your pigs. I doubt many people here will be swayed to think that outdoor accomodations are best for guinea pigs, though it looks to me like that's what your motive is. I'm aware that housing guinea pigs outdoors is more common in some other countries, but that certainly doesn't make it right or healthy.

The simple fact is, guinea pigs are not intended to be outdoor pets. Most animals appear quite satisfied in unsatisfactory conditions simply because it is the only way they know. I once took in a stray dog who appeared completely happy... jumping and playing and smiling. Upon inspection, her collar had grown into the flesh of her neck. It had apparently been placed on her when she was a puppy and as she grew, living on the streets, had sunk more than an inch into her growing neck. The flesh and fur had simply grown in around it. It had to be surgically removed and she was extremely lucky to be alive. I told the vet that she had acted so happy and hadn't appeared to be in any pain and he responded "She didn't know any other way of life, so it was completely normal to her". In any case, I wouldn't assume that your guinea pigs are perfectly fine and happy simply because they act like guinea pigs act. I would advise anyone who doesn't have room for a guinea pig in their home not to have a guinea pig.

Why do people make outdoor hutches in the first place then? My guinea pigs have all the space they need, even more! I visit them every day, two to three times. I give them warm beds and cool water, lots of food and fun toys. Just because they live outside, it doesnt mean they arent happy. You have to understand i can not keep them inside. I never have. Just because of that, i do not see why i can not have guinea pigs! And i didnt mean to make it sound like outdoors was the only and perfect way. I would love to have an indoor cage. Im all for it! But that doesnt make outdoor cages unacceptable. :expressio

Outdoor hutches are made, I imagine, for the same reason that tiny pet store guinea pig cages are made... to make money off of unsuspecting customers.

Praising outdoor housing for guinea pigs on this forum (this site is truly dedicated to providing adequate space in indoor cages for guinea pigs) is kind of like praising breeders or pet stores that sell live animals on this forum (this forum is also pro-adoption and anti-breeder). It's not recieved well at all.

I'm sure you love your guinea pigs and believe that you are doing right by them, but outdoor housing is not good for them. It is not good for any prey animal. Even if your hutch is secure from predators, the animal still feels vulnerable. Not to mention the risk of insect and spider bites. And guinea pigs are extremely vulnerable to heat stroke. They can suffer heat stroke in 85 degree weather. Living outdoors is dangerous for guinea pigs. And guinea pigs are very social animals... going outside to see them 2-3 times a day really isn't much interaction with them at all.

As for why a person should have to go without guinea pigs simply because they can't have them indoors.... it's the same as someone wanting a horse when they only have a half acre yard. Sure, that person could get the horse anyway, but that would be very selfish and unfair to the horse. It could possibly survive, but not in a way that is healthy and happy for it.

In any case, I hope your guinea pigs are well and I hope at some point you will be able to house them indoors.

Here's a thread telling you exactly why keeping guinea pigs outside is competely unacceptable. https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...should-you-house-your-guinea-pig-outside.html

Domesticated guinea pigs are far from it's original wild state, and are no longer capabe of surviving in an outdoor environment. With an extremely sensitive & fragile immune system they are at high risk of lethal illnesses, especially when housed outside - where you have little to no clue of their medical state by just checking twice a day. If you cannot take proper care of guinea pigs & like to shove them into a wooden box outside, then don't have them at all is my advice. They could die at any time. Either from the environment or predators whom could break through anything, trust me, spider bites, URIs. The list goes on.

Your goal of wanting more outdoor housed pig threads surely won't happen. It's not something most of us believe to be praise worthy. As RoxieJo said its all they know so of course they aren't going to be sad all the time, you would only notice a difference once their lifestyle was changed for the better.

Personally I believe if you have to house any pet entirely outdoors, there is truly no point in getting an animal. It drives me up a wall when I see people who have 2 or 3 dogs that just live in their back yard, or cats, or rabbits, or any pet. If you don't have the space for an animal, don't get one, otherwise they won't get the same care as they would if they were indoors with you and able to just jump into bed with you or lay on your feet. Obviously guinea pigs cannot do either of those but if their cage is 10 feet in front of you, you are much more likely to grab them a treat and cuddle them several times a day, or let them run around the room, etc.

My dad wanted me to get an outdoor cage since we have 5 people's worth of stuff in a 2 person house but I made space and now (after several remodelings) have a 2x5 cage in my room. My piggies are happy, so I'm happy

All the best to you and your pigs though.

Fizzy said:

Both of my piggies live outside 24/7. I have read many times on this forum that living outside is lethal. dangerous blah blah. No offense, but the weather here gets way more worse then in America, yet my guinea pigs are perfectly happy.

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I can't honestly imagine that you're trying to do anything but offend, with your first post being a blatant slap in the face to a forum whose members, by and large, believe (for good reason) that housing outdoors is detrimental and outright unkind to animals we know and love.

Question - how do you know they're "perfectly happy"? Have you ever housed them indoors to have a kind of gauge of their satisfaction or malcontent?

Fizzy said:

I have a good, spacious two storey hutch, safe from predators.

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One thing people tend to dismiss as predators is other people. If you live in an area where there are other humans, you can't be entirely certain your pigs are safe from predators while you are not there to attend to them.

Fizzy said:

I have to admit, I would love to have an indoor cage, but im not allowed to and dont have the space.

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Then I guess I don't understand why you have to have the pets in the first place. Is there a state mandate that says you must have a guinea pig or pigs? Is there a quota to meet - two per four person family, anything like that? It just amazes me that folks "have" to have an animal they "don't have" room for in the home where they live. Instead, they get a pet and then relegate it to outdoor living and then insist the animals are happier and safer there. The reality is they are more convenient for you there and that is the overriding consideration that puts them outside in a "lovely" hutch.

Fizzy said:

On really, really hot days i pop them in a box and bring them inside to my room.

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Ooooh! Lucky them! On days when you feel it's particularly hot, they don't have to worry about heat stroke. Outstanding!

Fizzy said:

I just want you guys to know that as long as its a good, safe from predators hutch and sits in the shade, your perfectly fine!

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Yeah, YOU are perfectly fine. The animals holed up outside in a glorified box? Not so much.

Fizzy said:

My guinea pigs may not be as tame, but I can still pick them up cudlle them etc.

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Animals living outside are much more likely to get sick and die without their owner even knowing anything is wrong - because they aren't getting the attention and interaction that their indoor counterparts do. The reality is that how "cuddly" they are because of where they live is the least of your worries.

Fizzy said:

Sorry if I offended anyone, just wanted to make a point.

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Oh, you did make a point. I just don't think it's necessarily the one you were going for.

Fizzy said:

Why do people make outdoor hutches in the first place then?

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People make outdoor hutches in the first place because it's convenient and easy to store pets outside rather than making them a part of the household by keeping them inside.

Fizzy said:

My guinea pigs have all the space they need, even more! I visit them every day, two to three times. I give them warm beds and cool water, lots of food and fun toys. Just because they live outside, it doesnt mean they arent happy. You have to understand i can not keep them inside. I never have. Just because of that, i do not see why i can not have guinea pigs! And i didnt mean to make it sound like outdoors was the only and perfect way. I would love to have an indoor cage. Im all for it! But that doesnt make outdoor cages unacceptable.

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What makes outdoor cages unacceptable is the increased likelihood that they will be attacked and killed or mauled by predators or have an illness go missed completely or not caught until it's too late to do anything about it. Plain and simply, animals that live outside do not get the attention that those living inside do - no matter how many times you "visit" them, and no matter how nice you are able to make their outside abode.

I dare say that whether or not you can have guinea pigs should depend on your ability to house them appropriately, as well as your willingness and ability to care for them properly. Appropriate housing for an animal as delicate as these are is NOT an outdoor hutch with little to no protection from the elements or other animals.

In reality guinea pigs are about as helpless and defenseless as an infant. They can eat food if it is before them, but cannot get it themselves. They can shiver to stay warm but cannot go someplace warmer or put a blanket on. They cannot tell you when they are sick or what their symptoms are so the more time you spend with them the quicker you are to realize that there is something wrong. Like an infant your guinea pigs are completely helpless against a dog, fox or other predator. Like an infant your guinea pigs are succeptable to cruel treatment from vandals and thieves. Would you put a helpless human infant in that barn? Then why should guinea pigs have any different treatment?

When I was a kid my mother had rabbits and she kept them outdoors in an insalated barn that had heating and airconditioning and their was a room that she turned into a play room for us. I remember people saying that rabbits can be housed outside but the way that my mom housed her rabbits was not really outside in my oppinion or anyone elses and I wanted a guinea pig well my mom said she would have to think about that. She researhed guinea pigs and said that they are not like rabbits and that they have to be housed inside the house not the barn like the rabbits as they are more prone to illnesses then rabbits.

Honestly the outdoor hutches are intended to house rabbits not guinea pigs and just because they are made for outside doesn't make it right to house them outdoors either. She let me get a guinea pig when I was 12 years old, it was a single guinea pig but I was happy and so was the guinea pig. She got a lot of attention and they only time she was in her cage was when I was asleep other wise I was holding her or playing with her on the floor where she would run around for hours and her cage was in my room. She died of old age when I was 22 years old and I had her since she was a baby. Now a friend of mine had a guinea pig too, her guinea pig only lived about 2 years but her parrents wouldn't let her guinea pig live indoors so I think the difference in housing is most likely the reason why her guinea pig died.

Keeping guinea pigs outside shortens their lifespan because it hightens their fear, they always have to be on alert and this increases stress levels that put strain on their heart and other respitory organs that will eventually lead to there death.

Fizzy. All I can say is... Welcome to the Forums!! hehe

I would never want my pig outside. Sorry. I love having them inside. I got them to be indoor pets and I'm pretty sure they are waay happier inside being around me 24/7 and being in a controlled environment 24/7 and always noticed 24/7.
There are no predators inside, no bugs, no harmful heat stroke. All 71 degrees F, ventilated and cozzy.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion however I don't believe this is in the best interest of the animal. While the space is nice, the benifit of having an indoor pig greatly out weighs space

Gee thanks.

I suppose this forum wasn't really for me then. The Australian Cavy Sanctuary Forum actually helps me improve their environment and gives me good, helpful tips on what to do to prevent heatstroke. And, just to let you know, I take my guinea pigs to the vet every month! Any illness or signs of spider bites would be seen by my trustworthy vet. I can't believe by asking for a few tips, I've become the main victim!
And one last thing, I had two guinea pigs before this (R.I.P Floe and Jamie) and they lived for nine, healthy years outside. I better leave here before you guys make another point about my asking a total, stupid lie.

I'm sorry.

Fizzy said:

Gee thanks.

I suppose this forum wasn't really for me then. The Australian Cavy Sanctuary Forum actually helps me improve their environment and gives me good, helpful tips on what to do to prevent heatstroke. And, just to let you know, I take my guinea pigs to the vet every month! Any illness or signs of spider bites would be seen by my trustworthy vet. I can't believe by asking for a few tips, I've become the main victim!
And one last thing, I had two guinea pigs before this (R.I.P Floe and Jamie) and they lived for nine, healthy years outside. I better leave here before you guys make another point about my asking a total, stupid lie.

I'm sorry.

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Wow. I didn't think such a level of selfishness existed, where one could subject unfortunate lives to terrible care due to the fact that the owner closes his/her eyes to the truth and statistics. Truly mind boggling how you can justify the risks of living outside.
Really, you should rehome your guinea pigs to someone who can give them a proper environment.
The lives of the animals are much more important than the owner's wounded ego.

Fizzy said:

The Australian Cavy Sanctuary Forum actually helps me improve their environment and gives me good, helpful tips on what to do to prevent heatstroke.

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You could, ya know, avoid this altogether and keep them inside. Just a thought.

Fizzy said:

And, just to let you know, I take my guinea pigs to the vet every month! Any illness or signs of spider bites would be seen by my trustworthy vet. I can't believe by asking for a few tips, I've become the main victim!

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You are completely missing the point! You could avoid ALL of these things - spider bites, heat stroke, all of it! - by simply moving your guinea pigs indoors. Is that so hard? I'm not from Australia, so I don't know if this is part of what you're used to/a tradition, but why do you object to housing your guinea pigs inside? If you truly loved them, why wouldn't you be eager to bring them inside where they are closer to comfort, happiness, and warmth? Why do you want to risk the lives of your precious babies, with all the possible threats and predators out there? Vulnerable and helpless...do you really want to subject them to the harsh conditions of the outside world?

Pardon my ignorance, but I do not understand your thinking whatsoever. Please explain your reasoning.

Fizzy said:

The Australian Cavy Sanctuary Forum actually helps me improve their environment and gives me good, helpful tips on what to do to prevent heatstroke.

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I'm not sure if you are still here, Fizzy, but I just pulled up the Australian Cavy Sanctuary Forum. Curiosity overcame me and I just had to know if there were cavy sanctuaries out there that advocate keeping cavys outdoors. The two links I have attached from The Australian Cavy Sanctuary Forum offer advise on the housing of guinea pigs as well as the threat of heatstroke.

(broken link removed)

(broken link removed)

Plainly Stated there:
"Their have been many cases reported to ACS whereby guinea pigs have been housed outdoors and left in their cage in part or full sun for as little as 1 hour and this has been enough to cause severe heatstroke and death in these cases."

"The easiest tip for guinea pigs owners is to treat your guinea pigs just as you would yourself. If you are cold your guinea pigs will also be cold and if you are hot and wouldn't stay outside in the sun on a summers day then your pets shouldn't be either."

"It only takes once for a guinea pig to lose it's life by being left permanently in an outdoor enclosure whether this be by suffering conditions such as heatstroke (A guinea pig can die from heatstroke in as little as an hour if sun is on their cage), respiratory infections/colds or worse, being attacked by a predator (e.g. cat/dog/snake/bird)"

The advise they give for preventing heatstroke is keeping your cavy indoors. I hope you will find it in your heart to do what is right and fair to your guinea pigs.... either house them indoors or find a home for them to be housed indoors. Good luck to you and your piggies.

Fizzy said:

Gee thanks.

I suppose this forum wasn't really for me then. The Australian Cavy Sanctuary Forum actually helps me improve their environment and gives me good, helpful tips on what to do to prevent heatstroke. And, just to let you know, I take my guinea pigs to the vet every month! Any illness or signs of spider bites would be seen by my trustworthy vet. I can't believe by asking for a few tips, I've become the main victim!
And one last thing, I had two guinea pigs before this (R.I.P Floe and Jamie) and they lived for nine, healthy years outside. I better leave here before you guys make another point about my asking a total, stupid lie.

I'm sorry.

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Not for one second do I think you are "Sorry" for starting this. You came here w/ an intended purpose of riling people up in my opinion. Clearly by what you said in your first post you were well aware that this site doesnt advocate housing piggies outside. Coming here and starting a thread on something that is opposite of what the people here think/believe is just starting trouble. Simple as that.

In saying that, I hope you read and learn from this site the best ways to keep your guinea pigs happy and healthy...tho you seem to have it set in your mind that what you are doing is right.

I feel sorry for your guinea pigs. :sad:

There are members here and Guinea Lynx who live in Australia and keep their pigs indoors in large C&C cage. If they can do it, so can you.