Do guinea pigs care if you keep the lights on or not?

[h.h.lovecraft]

I know I've seen this being discussed before, but I couldn't find it when I searched for it, so I figured I'd ask again. My piggies are kept in my living room which gets very little natural light, so if I don't turn a light on it's pretty dark. I of course turn the lights off at night and when I have to leave for longer periods of time, but I'll leave a light on for them sometimes if I go out for a walk or something like that. I was just wondering if they actually care at all or if they will be behave exactly the same with or without the lights on. I know they mostly use their other senses, like smell, to guide them, so I know it's not "critical" and not that important if it's light in the room, I was just wondering if it makes any difference at all.

 

[Swissgreys]

Personally I don't think it makes much difference.
Once they know the layout of their cage mine seem as active when it is dark as they are in the light.

 

[Freela]

Our pigs are in our family room which is in our finished basement. I work from home and my office is down there, so there is usually a light. Back when I used to actually go places, though, pre-pandemic, I would turn out the lights when I left and it never seemed to bother them at all. That said, now we're all at home for the past 15 months, so the lights are pretty much on during the day and off at night.

 

[Claire W]

My piggies live in the spare room upstairs. I don't leave a light on when it gets dark not even in the winter and they are still as active when it's dark