Are GPs happier indoors or outdoors?

[Flossieteacake]

I can’t decide where to put our piggies when we get them. Indoors I could manage a 2x5ft cage, they would probably get much more attention but just feel cruel putting them in such a small space or would they be ok? Then having a run with a hide that they could go out in in dry warm days.

Or outside in a similar sized hutch but with a big run that I’d let them access to in the day. I think they would get less interaction in the garden though as they would have to be at the end of the garden to keep them fully shaded.
What would make happier piggies? Thanks

 

[Lady Kelly]

Space wise I wouldn't count the run. They won't have access 24/7 and they won't be able to have access in colder weather either so realistically you are looking at the same space for them.

A lot of it depends what you want from your piggies and what you can provide them. It can be difficult to keep them outside all year round as you have to account for highs and lows of temperatures which can have terrible effects on their health. You need to be able to keep them cool in summer and warm enough in winter. You also need to be prepared to be out there in all weathers to keep them clean and ensure they are looked after.

If you are getting young pigs that you would like to become family companions then I would recommend having them indoors where they can get used to being around the family and hearing all your daily sounds. If you have odd shaped spaces you can consider a C&C cage which you can build to fit your space and this may offer more ground coverage for the piggies. You can also consider an indoor run, I used to let my piggies free roam in the kitchen (tiles are easier to clean) while they were being cleaned out etc but you can use play pens with a shower curtain underneath towels/fleece or even the firm sided kids paddling pools if you wanted to offer them occasional space to get out the cage.

Speaking from experience it is much easier to build a bond with piggies that are indoors. In later stages when mine were outdoors I would take home the harder to handle, more terrified piggies. I still worked to build trust but it was about giving them a loving home and company of their own kind. They were never going to be lap piggies and the best I was ever hopeful for was them being tolerant of being handled for their weekly health check and any vets visits. I believe these pigs benefitted from being outdoors and just being left to being pigs in a group as they weren't fond of humans and weren't brought as "family" pets

 

[Lorcan]

I've never kept guinea pigs outdoors, just indoors. I've never kept rabbits indoors, just outdoors. I know the two aren't directly comparable, but I do know the guinea pigs get much more interaction because, unlike at the end of a garden, they're hard to miss in the house. I'm not excusing it, but we were only allowed them indoors on certain occasions, and if we were in any sort of trouble at all and were grounded, we were confined to bedrooms. We got yelled at a lot for "ignoring the rabbits" but every time we tried it was shot down for unrelated reasons.

My mother could also be a jerk, so I don't want to sound like I'm saying every parent does this. They don't, obviously. But had the rabbits been indoors it couldn't have happened, and since I've hit adulthood that's been it, all my guinea pigs have been indoor pigs.

If they were going in a shed or similar it's not so bad, but when it's just a hutch you're so dependent on the weather behaving itself to get cleaning out done, to get that interaction time done. You don't want to be sitting on grass or flagstones to say hello if it's raining, hailing, snowing, stormy...you get me. Indoor pigs won't work for everyone but I couldn't put them outside myself.

 

[Piggies&buns]

My animals - both rabbits and piggies - are outdoors in sheds.
I don’t feel any less of a bond with them because of that - I make sure to spend plenty of time with them because it is what I enjoy doing.

A run definitely would not count as space though - they can only be in it when you are there to supervise

 

[piggl]

Having had pigs both inside and outside, I have found it easier to bond with my pigs when they are inside.
My boys lived in a hutch in a garage for most of their life, just 5 months ago coming inside due to weather changes and then one getting ill, and in those 5 months I have found a new love for looking after my piggies.
I noticed their personalities much more, but I do have to say I struggle with mental illness so for quite a while I was doing the bare minimum due to such.

Assuming you are looking at getting two piggies, 2x5 is the recommended size, bigger is better but in this case they would have adequate space and they could always have a run around outside of their cage for enrichment (in a secure space). - Cage Size Guide

It can also depend on which hutch you are getting, some are more susceptible to wear and tear. When they are outside you have to think about keeping them safe from potential predators and weather/extreme weather. Guinea pigs can be kept outside safely and live happy lives, but unless they are under shelter (in a shed or such), you also have to think about cleaning their hutch etc. in rain for example.
I think it is definitely best to weigh up all options on your end and come to a decision in which is best for you and your situation, as the pigs will adapt and live happy lives in either situation, assuming you take the steps to ensure this.

 

[PigglePuggle]

A lot depends on your house, garden, family circumstances, and location.
We live in the city as a 2-adult only household so indoors is very peaceful and predictable compared to outdoors- we don't have much outdoor space, and there are cats, rats, seagulls, traffic noise- our piggies live indoors, in my home office, they have their own room in our house essentially that I share with them on my 2 working from home days, and sit in an hour or two on other days, this works really well for us.
If you have a busy house with noisy children and less space for the piggies to have some peaceful time regularly, but have a safe quiet rural garden, the situation may be quite reversed.
Piggies tend to adapt quite well to various set-ups as long as their environment is stable and they are not stressed all the time by noise and potential perceived predators (whether this is outdoor animals, or indoor overly invasive scary children). An outdoor environment has additional challenges regarding climate control, safety, and interacting with the piggies, but outdoors works best for some people- indoors works best for others like myself.
Every family is different!

 

[Freela]

I've only every had indoor pigs, I'm in Canada and most of the year the weather would just not be conducive to having pets outdoors, even in a shed, if it wasn't actually heated in the winter and cooled in the summer. I like having them inside, they are in our family room so we see them all the time, they are very adapted to normal household noise and people, and I appreciate the amount of time I get to see them. We do put them outdoors during our spring/summer when the weather is appropriate and they love it out there, but realistically we don't have an option to have them there all the time, they would either die of heat stroke or freeze, depending on the season!

 

[Merab]

Mine live indoors as we have foxes and birds of prey around.
We’re a 2 adult household so it’s a calm environment for them and we can chat through the day.
The downside is that they respond loudly to any poss of food - someone coming downstairs, the front door opening, the fridge opening, kitchen knives chopping, anyone moving in the hall………..

 

[Pigglemama]

My two boars are in a big enclosure in an outhouse. They love the peace and quiet and the et are snuggly and warm in the winter with heat pads etc. They come in everyday for floor time ( they can free roam) and have lots of cuddles. We have no less of a bond with them being outdoors and it helps With my husbands allergies. X

 

[Cheekypigs]

We keep ours indoors, it means that we can just passively include them in our daily lives rather than having to make a specific effort to visit them. It does cause issues with allergies, however - we're planning to move them into an alcove with an extractor to try and tackle that. Even with dust-extracted hay, it still causes issues. But they bring us so much joy that we put up with it!

Are the pigs themselves happier one way or the other? Hard to say. They don't actually need us for company, they have each other, and outdoors there are various things to listen to and look at to keep them entertained. I doubt it makes much difference to them, as long as they're kept dry and warm enough/cool enough. I like having them indoors for our sake more than theirs.

 

[Free Ranger]

In mediaeval times we peasants used to bring our Cows in the house so Guinea Pigs are relatively civilised in comparison
But it's still nice to be able to go out a bit in the good weather

 

[Bluebell]

I have always, for decades, kept my guineas outside as naturally as possible - then they all had to come indoors, have now been indoors for a year and I absolutely hate having to do it to them. It feels so unnatural, they have no sunlight, all fresh food has to be picked for them, and they have nothing to do except eat!

Behaviour wise this is what I have noticed the most, that they sleep more, eat more and play less. It didn't help that to fit them in they are now all in two's and three's.

I would feel better if they could at least spend the day outside, but sadly they are indoors 24/7, and unless I manage to move, I won't be keeping guinea pigs any more after all the current ones go, and I never thought I'd say that!

 

[Merab]

In mediaeval times we peasants used to bring our Cows in the house so Guinea Pigs are relatively civilised in comparison
But it's still nice to be able to go out a bit in the good weather

That’s why in really old churches the fonts have lids.
If there was danger every plus livestock took refuge in the church and the lid on the font stopped the cows drinking the holy water

 

[Guinea Fan]

Mine are outdoor. The hutch is 6ft x 3ft with an insulated bedroom area that has a thermostatically controlled heater for the winter. I have a large run about the same size that they are in almost all day in the warmer weather, but always safely back in their hutch at night. They have fly screens on the front of the hutch and it is completely fox proof

I think mine live in a total palace, but sadly many rescues wont consider outdoor living

 

[Bill & Ted]

I would go with indoor 2 x 5 cage and a nice big run for the summer days. I think you will feel happier knowing they are safe inside and they will become part of your family much quicker. Make sure your run has a hide for them and some over the top cover to avoid heatstroke on hot days.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with keeping full time outdoor piggies though, I have kept some outdoors myself and they were extremely hardy. iI just demands a lot more work for you with regards to the weather, especially keeping them cool in the summer months if you get heat waves or winter months involves keeping them warm in icy cold weather and storms etc