Cage Guinea Pigs not allowed in the house.

Jess14 · Jul 9, 2012

Hi, I've been lurking this forum for a long time and seen all the great C&C cages you all have. I wish I could do the same for my guinea pigs but unfortunately I have a bit of a problem with my dad.

For as long as I can remember, my family's guinea pigs have been treated as outdoor animals. They lived in a hutch outside and not surprisingly, many succumbed to the weather. Now they live in an area under the house, sort of like a garage but with minimal protection from the crazy Australian weather.

I've tried to convince my dad many times that it would be best for the guinea pigs to live inside, but he won't budge and stands by his opinion that they are outdoor pets. One of my guinea pigs died just over a week ago from a respiratory infection (probably pneumonia). My dad's solution was to cover the cage with a blanket but that's just not enough.

I couldn't bear to give any of them up. I know that's selfish of me, but I just don't want any of my guinea pigs to be given to another home. To the best of my knowledge, most guinea pig owners in my area are breeders, so I don't want my guinea pigs anywhere near them. If worse comes to worst, I guess I would have to give them up to someone who can look after them better.

We have ample space in our home (a spare room!) for a C&C cage, and money shouldn't be an issue either. I know where to get the items for a cage and I can pay for it on my own. My dad races pigeons and he does whatever he can to keep them healthy, so I hope that he could let me do the same for my guinea pigs.

What are your suggestions to convince my dad that my guinea pigs should live inside? I've read a few similar stories on here so hopefully someone has some tips for me. Tonight I will try to show him this forum, let him browse and research all he wants. Direct messages written here to my dad would be appreciated, too xD

lil_sabo · Jul 9, 2012

keeping them outside is a bad idea they need to be inside in a room that people are in a lot and they need lots of attention and care they shouldnt be in a dusty room and keep them away from vents because that could cause them to get an upper respritory infection

jacqueline · Jul 9, 2012

i hate to sound cynical, but if you've already had "many succumb[ed] to the weather" i'm not sure there is anything else that will convince him. if you're guinea pigs have DIED because of being outside that ought to be a strong enough case for you to bring them inside. what else could be a stronger case than that??!!

if a dead guinea pig body won't convince him, i'm not sure any words from strangers on a forum will either

HannibalLecter · Jul 9, 2012

As defenseless guinea pigs have already payed with their lives, I agree that there is little that can be said that would convince him of proper care & avoid it in the future. Unfortunately this means that more of your pigs likely will meet the same fate unless you find them a home with proper care.

Domesticated guinea pigs are far from their original wild state, and are no longer capable of surviving in an outdoor environment.
Placing a guinea pig outside is quite like placing a small child in Pj's outside, they are NOT able to cope with the extreme weather, especially not in countries like the UK or Australia. They are not able to tell you when the weather gets too tough & deadly.

Guinea pigs are extremely fragile, and sensitive to temperature changes, as well as too hot, cold & drafty weather. Keeping them outside is a clear target for predators, parasites, & human idiots. You will not be able to check on subtle changes in behavior that indicate an illness the same way, meaning they can deteriorate quickly beyond help, and pigs have already died due to this mistake under your family's care. They are much more likely to get ill. You will not be able to enjoy watching them like indoors, and you will ultimately spend less time with them which could lead to you missing out on the special bond that can be formed with you & your family.

I strongly urge you to give them up to someone who can keep them in a suitable environment. Them passing of illnesses not detected & caused by a harmful environment is ultimately abuse, without help, they suffer. It's not your decision to bring them inside unfortunately, but it is your responsibility to save the remaining pigs from meeting the same fate. I'm really sorry you are in this situation, I'm sure you love your animals.

Nix16 · Jul 9, 2012

I know where your coming from. It's an uphill battle trying to convince people in australia that guinea pigs are better off inside. I cringe when I think about how we used to keep our guinea pigs when I was a child. granted they were under cover outside, as yours are, but they were in a smallish metal cage that my dad made and they lived in newspaper and straw. I have only just got guinea pigs again this year (now as an adult) and people seem to think I'm mad for keeping them inside. I guess all you can do is give your dad some proper information and hope that he will let you at least try it out. Bunnings also have grids half price at the moment, I've just made another 2 x 5 for around $35, so the cost is pretty cheap at the moment. As for rehoming them, You may struggle to find a family that would keep them inside and be as well informed as you are anyway. I'm not trying to justify them being kept outside, just pointing out that this is generally the norm in australia. I don't know about other areas, but even the rspca where I am Keep their guinea pigs and rabbits outside. Just another thought, if you contact the australian cavy sanctuary in brisbane, they may send you some good information for your dad. Hope you can sort something out soon.

Nix16 · Jul 14, 2012

just wondering if you had any luck getting your piggies sorted out?

LifeAsItMayBe · Jul 14, 2012

When my mother was a child her family kept their guinea pigs outside, and as they had a few of them live several years she considers the outdoors a good place for them. I was concerned she might say I had to keep mine outside (in the 100+F weather), but I told her I wanted to build an indoor cage as I would be more likely to take care of the pigs by myself that way. I didn't mention the weather (or the pigs' health at all), just that it would be more convenient for me (and her) if I (or she) didn't have to go outside to feed them or clean up after them.

Of course, if you enjoy being outside all hours of the day, or daily care of the pigs isn't your responsibility, this kind of argument might not do you any good.

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Cage Guinea Pigs not allowed in the house.

Jess14

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jacqueline

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HannibalLecter

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Nix16

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