Cage Cage placement in apartment

Too bad your room will have no windows! But that compromise sounds reasonable. I'd take the pigs out of the cage while you move it, so even though the location is different it's still a stable environment for them.

Okay thanks, yes it is very unfortunate that I don't have any windows! Do you think I should provide them with a gentle (not harsh) light?

Pigs aren't that loud! Unless of course they're wheeking for food constantly, then I understand your sisters point

I'd personally keep them only out in the living room to make sure they have a lot of human contact and to avoid the risk of stressing them out every day by wheeling them into your room. But if that's the only option you have, then that's fine. I don't think they're affected by light that much but don't quote me on it!

Yeah, my 6 yr old makes more noise than my three piggies could ever think of making, even when all three are wheeking for food when they hear the bags rattle. lol

We have our cage here in the den, right in the middle so we can enjoy watching them zoom and popcorn around. I would hate to stick them in another room all by their lonesome. Personally, I wouldn't want them in my bedroom because Patches is the NOISIEST water drinker of them all... lol It doesn't bother me watching TV but her loud slurping making the ball in the water bottle rattle would drive me nuts at night... lol

I too live in an apartment, and my guinea pigs are in the living room. I explained to my roommate about them and although she doesn't take care of the guinea pigs she has come to appreciate them. and again they are not that loud, certainly not louder than a tv! One of my guys is a talker and is constantly chattering but it is pretty quiet. Also after a couple days you get used to the little noises and do not even register them! Also the cage can be a nice part of them room, it does not have to be an eyesore. Again if its your only option then I dont know what else you could do, but maybe they will come around

LoriBush said:

Yeah, my 6 yr old makes more noise than my three piggies could ever think of making, even when all three are wheeking for food when they hear the bags rattle. lol

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Yeah, guinea pigs are not that loud! But my sister thinks it'll be bothersome when she's doing other things in the living room besides watching tv, I guess she finds it annoying, even when they're just running around or playing in their cage. They also have a ramp that they run up and down.

LoriBush said:

We have our cage here in the den, right in the middle so we can enjoy watching them zoom and popcorn around. I would hate to stick them in another room all by their lonesome.

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I agree, I love watching them run around and play! I told my mom and sister that they need natural light and human interaction, where there's some 'traffic', but they were pretty obstinate. I mean, they're going to be pretty lonely from four to the time we go to sleep, even if I spend some time in my room.

LoriBush said:

Personally, I wouldn't want them in my bedroom because Patches is the NOISIEST water drinker of them all... lol It doesn't bother me watching TV but her loud slurping making the ball in the water bottle rattle would drive me nuts at night...

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If I chose I could choose to wheel them back into the living room before I went to sleep, but that'd be way too stressful for the poor little piggies! I've never had to sleep with them in my room before, but we'll see I guess, I'm a pretty heavy sleeper.

We live in an apartment too and keep them in the living room. We actually have them behind the sofa, near the external window so you can't see them when you first enter the apartment. But there is plenty of room to visit them on the floor and we often hang out on the couch looking over the back at them.
Maybe try this and your sister won't notice them as much.

There's also not much space in the living room. We'd put in the tv, couch, piano, and table, and the only space available for a cage would be between the piano and the table. The piano would scare the piggies if they were there permanently, but my sister and I could easily practice after four o'clock. Also, I think my mom's concern that it looks really crowded in our small living room. She also doesn't love animals that much, so she said the pigs running around would get on her nerves while she was trying to relax after coming home from work. I wish I didn't have to move :sad: I live in a house right now which is pretty big, but I have to move because the high school that I'll attend is pretty far from where I'm living now... :grumpy:

I just talked to my sister and my mom and they both claimed that the guinea pigs just 'get on their nerves,' and that 'the living room just isn't a good place for them', and my mom told me she wouldn't compromise, except that she could maybe change the time to five. >(

Personally, I don't think it would be problem that there is less traffic in your bedroom if you have multiple piggies - they usually amuse themselves. In fact, sometimes, a quieter and calmer environment is less stressful for them. Moving them back and forth will be stressful for them initially but they will get used to it and adapt after a while. However, it would also be an extra thing to do for you.
If you keep their cage in your room and give them lots of floortime in the living room during the day so that they get adequate sunlight and fresh air, I don't think there will be too much of a problem. Guinea pigs are crepuscular - i.e. active around dawn and dusk. If you can give them a lot of floortime either early morning or in the evenings, they will benefit the maximum from it.

Around what time do you mean by dawn and dusk? Like... 7 and 7?

I don't think having them in the bedroom would be too big of a problem. You will need to leave a light on for them during the day of course and I usually leave a radio on really low when I'm gone for the animals. If your family doesn't mind them coming out of the room for floor time or cuddles I don't think it will be a problem for the guinea pigs.

Oh, the cage will be in the living room from morning to four o'clock. Then, the cage will be wheeled into my room from four p.m. to morning, probably. I like your idea of putting a radio on for them! I don't even have a radio though.... :sad:

You could probably buy a cheap radio for under 10 bucks. Just a battery one. I use my lap top. =D

If you make a foldable playpen in the living room, you won't have to wheel the cage in and out of the room.

I don't know if I should let them stay in a playpen for about... Nine hours though

Many people make playpens from the same grids used in C&C cages, and line the playpen with shower curtain, towels, and fleece.

I'd just do at our sister/mum say about wheeling them to your room for the first weeks and then slowly 'forget' to do it a few times (don't mention it or say oops sorry I forgot) and you mind find they get used to them being there and don't even notice. Sisters are there to annoy each other, but I bet she'll get used to them being in the living room if you play the game right

But part of the reason why my mom and sister don't want them there is the cage itself, as well as the guinea pigs.