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
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