Housing dilemas, having a nightmare please help!

Status
Not open for further replies.
MrsB

MrsB

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
78
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Kent
Hi, I recently got 2 baby piglets (now about 5 1/2 weeks old) they are out in their hutch and warm with a snuggle pad in the day and warm in our garage overnight with their snuggle pad. They can't remain in our garage as there is no window and keeping the door open is obviously not an option.

I have just bought a large hutch to go in our conserveratory AND a 120 cm Ferplast indoor cage oops rolleyes. The piglets are due to be coming into the conserveratory on thursday when I pick up the hutch BUT I would like to try having them inside in the cage. The thing is I don't have hubby's consent for this mallethead I kind of just want to do it and show him it can be done 8)

We have no where secure (away from the dog) other than a bedroom - namely my young sons. He has a hamster in there that is over two and showing his age but who knows how long he will be with us, there's the room though. I have 2 worries with this noise, how noisy are they? And how smelly are 2 boys? They will be on fleece and my daughters' old prefold nappies etc and I hope to potty train them with a secure hidey area like they currently have in their hutch. What should I use in their potty area for easy cleaning and least smell?

IF my dh wont tollerate them being inside what then? Back to plan a) and put them in the conserveratory? Is this acceptable after a day, 2 or a week inside? My sons' bedroom is cooler as we don't have the radiator on in there but they will have been inside a centrally heated house never the less :{

I plan on doing the whole they are babies they need...blahh blahh....even if it's for this winter.... blahh blahh lol! Me and the kids would benefit from them being inside as we would be closer to them and have a better bond rather than petting them outside etc etc. The thing is he wasn't keen on any more animals (we have several now and 3 children!) and they came as a bit of a shock to all of us lol! Plus we have had a pair of boys in the past one living into their 7th year outside all of the time we had them, again they came to us as babies from rescue.

HELP what do I do?!
 
Hi

My two boars were outside in a hutch and are now in my daughters room in a C&C cage. We had no shed or garage to put the hutch in and thought if they came indoors then it would be easier for the children to play with them and to clean them out etc.

OH refused point blank to let them be in the lounge so we compromised and they are in my daughters bedroom. They are in a 2x4 C&C cage with a cage liner in the bottom and newspaper and cardboard bedding in the top where their food is.

They have a hay loft that is lined with newspaper and cardboard bedding. I clean this out every day and they do a fair bit of poop in here so it keeps it clean. It depends on the bedding you use. If you spot clean the areas they toilet in the most you should be fine but it is very difficult to toilet train piggies.

They make no noise at night and have never disturbed my daughter but the fleece is really quiet and they get veggies at about 6pm to keep them quiet, the light goes out and they go to bed too!

The children can cuddle them whenever they like regardless of the weather and cleaning out is so much easier. My guinea pigs are a lot friendlier now they are inside too.

I think you would be fine having them in your sons room, you just need to find a bedding that works for you and clean them out more often as boys can be pongy - mine definitely are! I used ecopet bed in their hutch which is absorbant but may be a bit noisy in an indoor cage.

P1010672.jpg
 
Thanks so much for your reply Claire very helpful. Since posting I am worrying! I mean what if he's really anti once I do it and we have to put them in the conserveratory afterall it wont be ideal to back step for the little mites.

On the potty training front they poop everywhere it seems and my god they poop for England don't they I forgot lol! Good job their poops aren't smelly! They wee and poop in the 'sleeping' part of their hutch ++ but it's in a cardboard house with newspaper and also near to their hay area in a corner of the giant litter tray that is a plant potting-up tray in their hutch. Again this is just papered for ease of cleaning out. The rest of the hutch ans extra level is fleece lined and I have had no need to change this since thursday as they are consistently peeing in thoise 2 places. Apart from the odd stray poop which are easily swept up :) I read on here they like to go potty in a secluded area. x
 
Thank you :)

They do tend to pee in the same places so once you know where they are you can put in extra paper etc. I have a cage liner in at the moment but plan to put extra squares of fleece in the areas they pee the most.

Boy they could poop for britain! But I have become much more obsessed with poo cleaning since they came indoors so it isn't really much of a problem.

My OH made a right fuss about them coming indoors and while he still has the odd moan about the "bloo@y Hamsters" malletheadmalletheadmallethead he has realised it is the best option for us.

I just told him that if they get too cold or the damp gets in the hutch it could end up in a sick guinea pig and a huge vet bill or worse two dead guinea pigs and distraught children. Plus it means the kids can help out more and spend more time with the pets they love.

He has come round to the idea now and while I know he will never love them like I do he has seen that having animals is great for children.

HTH

x
 
Hey Claire, just to let you know I copped out today for many reasons-I just can't face the moaning (I know it will be bad lol!) and the potential problem of the children letting the dog in by not shutting a door properly or such would be just devastating.

I believe hand on heart they will be just fine in the new hutch in the conserveratory come thursday. They will have their lushous and plush new warm house with added fleece blankets to snuggle plus their current snuggle pad and fully fleeced hutch. Just 2 more sleeps in their current abode, a large hutch by day and a small night time retreat in our garage, less than ideal but doing the job.

I feel more confident in my decision today as I have thought everything through even more and bought the final pieces for their final set up. All I have to do now is get the hutch thursday and make it all cosy for them and I can't wait :)
 
Don't worry they will be absolutely fine in the conservatory, they are out of the wind and the damp which is really important.

Ours are in our daughters room because we don't have anywhere else to put them. I would prefer it if they were in a utility room, conservatory etc but have to work with what you have.

It sounds as though they will be super cosy and happy in there so it sounds like you have made the right decision.

if your OH is anything like mine he will find something else to moan about - the latest one "can't you do anything about the smell of hay in here"! Erm...Nope!

Enjoy your piggies being inside

xx
 
p.s

Please post some pictures when they are in their new home. Cosy cavies make some lovely beds that have special pockets in for heat pads, I am not sure if she is taking orders but have a look on the website. My boys love their beds

x
 
Last edited:
lol at hubby - yep! Although he is actually animal friendly just not into small and fury I think lol!
 
I contacted cosy cavies on e-bay some time ago twice and the other day following a thread on here and recieved no response. With time running out and having to get them sorted I bought something else but tbh it's bigger, warmer etc....you'll see it in the photo's once hutch is all done - it's a big present - litterally lol!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top