Floor time

Status
Not open for further replies.
Guinea Fan

Guinea Fan

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
275
Reaction score
48
Points
275
Now it is getting colder and damper my girls are not going to be able to go in their run. I see on here most of you let yours run around indoors, so I tried it. They stood up the corner together for the whole 2 hours they were in. I left them in the kitchen on their own to see if that helped and watched through the door, but they stayed up the corner.

Do they actually enjoy being in such an alien environment when they aren't used to it? I actually felt I just stressed them out, they were so pleased to be back in their hutch.
 
hi

hi i dont have that much experiance, iam sure someone will help, but did you put them some thing in to play with mine love newspaper, paper bags an boxes, ani put there towel to lay on an they love it but have to have some where to hide, an trying popping some treats in dotty an milly love there veg spread out on a plate,silly but what i can i say i love spoiling them x)
 
Guinea Fan said:
Now it is getting colder and damper my girls are not going to be able to go in their run. I see on here most of you let yours run around indoors, so I tried it. They stood up the corner together for the whole 2 hours they were in. I left them in the kitchen on their own to see if that helped and watched through the door, but they stayed up the corner.

Do they actually enjoy being in such an alien environment when they aren't used to it? I actually felt I just stressed them out, they were so pleased to be back in their hutch.
Click to expand...

I expect it will take some time, If you think they'v always been in a small secure area and then to be let out must be strange, I'm sure after a few times they'll love it.
Could you bring there run inside?
Before I had my c&c cage I used to use the run inside alot :)
 
My girls often sit in the corner of my bathroom. It took a while but now they walk around and jumps. I think they just need to get used to the sounds and place you have them in. I use treats as a way of getting them active, now they expect a treat when they are in the bathroom:))
 
They will be like this until they are used to the area. Keep on letting them out and they will soon enjoy it. Ensure you have plenty to explore,cardboard rolls stuffed with hay,paper bags,tunnels and they will have fun. They will feel safer if there is something they can hide in too like a cardboard box.
 
When we first started doing floor time, they basically sat there terrified and did nothing as well. We kept putting them out, and gave them some treats to motivate them to move around and get the food. Now they are very accustomed to it and will wheek to go out. I put up baby gates to block off the laundry room and they get so excited when they see me get the gate! Our cage is at floor level, so they can go in and out on their own, and I just gate the area and leave the cage open for a couple hours every night... the will eat their treats, go in and out multiple times, run around or just sit/lay in the corners and chill. They enjoy it, but not the first few times!
 
I let my girls run around our dining room which is where there cage is anyway. I leave the cage open so if they get scared they can run into the space they feel most comfortable. They really enjoy running round but I always leave out some hideys just in case they get spooked by something :)
 
Thank you, I will try again then. My other worry is bringing them in to a warm house and then putting them back outside again. I was told guineas don't like big changes in temperature, is this true or will they be ok?
 
You really shouldn't take them into a warm house and then put them back out again. If you have no heating on and the temperature in the house isn't too different to the temperature outside then you could take them in for a short time but as the weather gets colder it really wouldn't be good to move them into a warm house and then back out into the hutch. I still put mine out in the run most days.
 
That is what I thought to be honest. I suppose I could bring the big run down onto the patio and they could be out there, but without the grass it seems a bit pointless.

Do you put yours on grass Debbie? I worry about their tummies getting damp and cold.
 
Yes mine go on the grass, obviously not if it's been raining but they love being out. When I put them on the grass I throw loads of hay into the run tool It makes the lawn look a complete mess, but who cares! I have put them on the patio if the grass has been really wet and I throw loads of hay and readigrass in and they really enjoy that too.
 
I shall do that then, I have lots of redigrass and can put some hay in a cardboard box etc.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top