C&C Alternatives Where to put my cage?!?

Mine are in my dining room but I'd have no problem having them in my kitchen. It's not like they're pooping on the counters where you cook. People who have dogs and cats have them running around in their kitchens.

I'm sure they would appreciate being so close to the fridge.

You can try a thin-medium blanket over their cage. Guinea pigs are very hygienic and clean animals. Your guinea pig can give you ringworm (fungus) and salmonella, which is given to them via an outside source. Anything else is very rare. Their poop and urine is very clean compared to that of a house cat or dog, so I wouldn't worry about having them in the kitchen. Be wary of teaching them that the sound of a fridge opening or the rustling of lettuce bag = "we're getting treats!" as that will make them squeak when they hear the sound and beg. To avoid that, you can set-out the food/treats into a bowl and give it to them at a later time.

So the kitchen is safe? My friend ( super neat freak BTW, no pets at all!) said it would be gross to put them so close. I really think they would be happier there, so much sunlight! ( If I had a dining room I would put them there, but we moved from a 1500 ft house to a 700 ft apartment, YUCK!)

It is safe for them to live in the kitchen, just make sure no one feeds them scraps or they can get into anything. Too much direct sunlight is bad for them, however. So make sure they don't get too much, either by using a shade or a thin blanket over their cage (make sure the inside of the cage does not exceed 75 degrees.) Also, do not use bleach or any other house hold cleaners around them. A vinegar and water solution works just fine for the surrounding area and in the cage itself. I suggest a non-toxic, non-scented hypoallergenic babywipe for your hands before (yes, before; guinea pigs do not like the smell or taste of hand sanitizer) and after touching the guinea pigs, you can keep them next to the cage easily.

Having the pigs in the kitchen? Wouldn't they get in behind appliances? I would be scared of that happening!

My little darlings are in my din. area, kitchen combined, not far from the Ref. and if we put our chairs back too far from the table, we could touch their cage. If you look at some of my pictures, I think you can see the Ref. Our dinroom area is the central living area of the house. My girls can see us in the livingroom too, so they are never left out of the action. Making a trip to the bathroom at our house....you have to walk by the GP cage, then past the Ref turn left and in the bathroom. The girls are right in the Center of all the action. They love it.

My guinea pigs all have direct views of the fridge. I have a half wall that divides my kitchen from the dining room. One of the cages is right next to that wall and only a couple of feet from the refrigerator. When we open the fridge door all the way, it almost touches the cage. I don't think it's gross. If I didn't wash my hands after handling them and then prepared food, that would be gross. My other cage is about 5' away from the fridge.

you could switch to fleece or extend the height of the borders of your cage so the litter doesn't come out?

ellisa said:

I'm sure they would appreciate being so close to the fridge.

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definetly

I would just try and figure out a way to keep the litter in the cage. I put my cage in my daughters room..she's thirteen though and just sleeps through their night antics.