I feel so guilty!

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Fudge and Rainbow :)

Fudge and Rainbow :)

Adult Guinea Pig
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I feel so guilty that I can't give my piggies better housing than they have right now. :( They are in a 4ft x 2ft hutch that stays in the shed, I can't have one any bigger in there because my two bunnies live in there too and have the rest of the shed. I wouldn't want to put the hutch outside either as I'd be worried about how cold it is and also animals getting to the pigs.

They also have a separate 4 x 3ft run and in good weather they can go out in my rabbits old run which is 7 x 5ft. When I look at the amazing housing some of you all have, I feel so guilty that my 2 are stuck with the minimum size housing. :( I just wish I could give them more space like a little wendy house and attached run but there's no room. 8...
 
piggyfan said:
Why dont you get rid of some furniture and make a c and c cage?
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I'm not allowed the piggies inside. :( We have a guide dog foster pup who mainly stays in the kitchen and dining room so they couldn't possibly go in there. No way would they be allowed in the lounge, plus there's no room. :( Then they wouldn't be allowed in the bedrooms. I'd love them in mine but as I'm in a loft converted room, most of my roof is low down so they wouldn't fit in here. In fact.... I moved my bed round a few weeks ago to make room for a hamster cage when I was thinking of getting one. That never happened so I wonder if a C+C cage would fit in the place where the hammy cage was going to go. You've got me thinking now. ;) *runs off to meaure space* :) Probably wouldn't be allowed though, plus my cat spends most his time in my room so I'd have to make some sort of lid. :{

Thanks for the suggestion but I think the piggies wouldn't be allowed inside. :(
 
If you feel you cannot give your piggies enough room why get a hamster too?
 
Ah ha I see. I think it is difficult as you have a cat and dog. Tricky situation.
 
I have a cat and 2 dogs and manage to fit them all in with the 2 pigs. It can be done but I guess without your parents permission it would be difficult.
 
i wish i could keep all of my lot inside... but unfortunatly i only have space for 6 inside and its always changing whos inside... depends on whos new and whos sick...
i have 27 guineas outside and 3 bunnies outside aswell...
i do love my shed though... my shed holds most of my animals.... :))
dont feel guilty... theres nothing wrong with how your keeping them...
in a nice cozy shed ina suitable hutch... with some bunny neighbors..., :))
x
 
Piggie housing is not a competition ,we all do the best we can according to our circumstances. As long as your piggies have the reccomended space and lots of attention they will be fine. Just give them lots of cuddles and try to rearrange the internal lay out every so often so they dont get bored.
 
christine said:
Piggie housing is not a competition ,we all do the best we can according to our circumstances. As long as your piggies have the reccomended space and lots of attention they will be fine. Just give them lots of cuddles and try to rearrange the internal lay out every so often so they dont get bored.
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Our piggies have 'luxurious' home built pens and I don't post many pics but we sacrificed a lot of furniture and space in our lounge for them. I agree, it is not a competition but about giving them the best you can with the resources available :)
Everybody has limits and I sooo envy members who have their piggies free ranging ") but my work commitments and the amount of piggies I have (15) would just not be practical :)
 
I agree, I live on my own, therefore I am able to do what I like when it comes to housing my piggies, but when living with others it's not always so straight forward.

But what is more important is the love and care their receive. From recently learning about the widespread neglect and mistreatment of these very misunderstood cutties, what's really important is that they receive a healthy balanced diet, have a buddy, time to play, are checked for illnesses, groomed regularly (nails, teeth, hair etc - as when required) and the cage meets requirements in a safe clean environment where they can be warm in cold months and cool in hotter months.

I'm pretty sure that guinea's themselves would put the interior design of their cage down at the lower end of their priority list :))

If you're providing all this I'm pretty sure that your piggies are very happy and love you very much x) :))
 
kat04kt said:
I agree, I live on my own, therefore I am able to do what I like when it comes to housing my piggies, but when living with others it's not always so straight forward.

But what is more important is the love and care their receive. From recently learning about the widespread neglect and mistreatment of these very misunderstood cutties, what's really important is that they receive a healthy balanced diet, have a buddy, time to play, are checked for illnesses, groomed regularly (nails, teeth, hair etc - as when required) and the cage meets requirements in a safe clean environment where they can be warm in cold months and cool in hotter months.

I'm pretty sure that guinea's themselves would put the interior design of their cage down at the lower end of their priority list :))

If you're providing all this I'm pretty sure that your piggies are very happy and love you very much x) :))
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Couldn't agree more with you - well said hun :))
 
christine said:
Piggie housing is not a competition ,we all do the best we can according to our circumstances. As long as your piggies have the reccomended space and lots of attention they will be fine. Just give them lots of cuddles and try to rearrange the internal lay out every so often so they dont get bored.
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I couldn't agree more.

Never compare yourself to others. There is NOTHING wrong with keeping your guinea pigs in a hutch in a shed as long as they are well cared for and loved then thats fine. Just because a piggy lives indoors and has the run of the house doesn't mean its better cared for then a piggy in an outdoor hutch.

Its also about personal preference, while I adore my guinea pigs I wouldn't want to be getting rid of my furniture in order to build them something that will take over half my house - I want to make it clear I have nothing against anyone who wants to do this before I get ripped to shreds!

x
 
claire8234 said:
I couldn't agree more.

Never compare yourself to others. There is NOTHING wrong with keeping your guinea pigs in a hutch in a shed as long as they are well cared for and loved then thats fine. Just because a piggy lives indoors and has the run of the house doesn't mean its better cared for then a piggy in an outdoor hutch.

Its also about personal preference, while I adore my guinea pigs I wouldn't want to be getting rid of my furniture in order to build them something that will take over half my house - I want to make it clear I have nothing against anyone who wants to do this before I get ripped to shreds!

x
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ha ha getting ripped to shreds is some thing i always try to avoid too! seriously, we all have our ideas on how to care for our piggies properly, as long as they are fed correctly, kept out of wind and rain, and frost, kept clean, loved and cherished, then i think they will be happy( i have probably left some thing off the list),no one should feel bad if they cant have a massive c&c cage indoors, but still feel they can join in on the forum.
 
We all keep our piggies the way we can best and give them our love - that is what counts! You can still brighten their lives on dull days with things to play with like stuffed toilet rolls, paper bags or old rags. Or you could cannibalise another second hand hutch to add another level. The trick is to work with what you've got and try to optimise that.

I couldn't keep my piggies the way I am if I had children, other pets or a less tolerant husband. For me, my piggies are here to keep me company because I'm working from home and that can be pretty dull and lonely sometimes. I am fully aware that it is not everybody's cup of tea having lots of piggies running around their lounge (and I get plenty of comments on that!), but that is how it works for me in my specific circumstances.

I wish I could have a dedicated piggy room with some big pens and space for boars, too - but we all have dreams, and that it good so. Sometimes, they even come true!

There are lots of different ways to keep piggies, and there is no right or wrong way as long as you address their basic needs. The important thing is that what you have works for you and your piggies!
 
Why not get them a 4ft double hutch and amend the ramp so its suitable for pigs. :) No extra space taken in the shed and no need for them to stay outside the shed.
 
I felt a bit mean to have mine outside when I first had them as a lot of people on here have them inside and can have them out for lap cuddles etc, I cannot as my dog would quite possibly kill them unless I shut her in a room which I think is unfair to her and quite frankly my piggies are happy with our arrangement. They love their hutch and the fresh air and their grass time in their run on dry days and that for them is sufficient.

I have now moved them inside for the colder months as I dont have a suitable shed and as I work long hours 4 days a week I would have to be feeding them and cleaning them out by torchlight am and pm in all sorts of weathers and that wasnt good enough for them. I dont have kids and have a spare room which is more a store room so I knew I could safely keep them inside and away from the dog.

But I still feel guilty that they will spend their winter days in a pen, no grass time (my lawn gets very wet and muddy) and no sunshine, but they have light, warmth and better contact with us because we can see to them anytime and without torches :)) and although I worried so much that the size of their pen wouldnt be big enough, its actually larger by a third than their hutch, which is what I wanted as they wont get grass time and they popcorn round it all the time - that I take as a seal of approval.

So my worries were unfounded, they have the best of both worlds for each season and I love them very much, they want for nothing and that is the most important thing.
 
I originally thought about a hutch for my piggies in the shed but only decided against it as my 4 year old got so upset that she couldnt see them all the time. Unfortunately I cant have a C&C as I have two dogs that would climb in to have a sleep :)) I therefore have a normal cage for them which is what came with them but as it is a bit too small for two (Ferplast 100) I am upgrading to 1.5m cage shortly. We all do our best with our living circumstances and like others have said, its the care and love we give them that counts x
 
Thank you everyone. :) I have just thought of a great idea :)) There's space down the side of the garage,about 3ft wide, 10ft long and I could see if my dad could build an aviary for the piggies! That way i can walk in, they can have their hutch in there plus loads of room to run and space for toys! It will take a lot of persuading and wouldn't be done until next summer if they agreed but me thinks it's a good idea? ;)

For winter, I'd put their hutch in the shed but what do you all think?
 
Dont feel guilty, They've got better housing than my pigs! I wish my mum would let them inside but she won't either. :( she won't even let me give the cuties a bit of fleece in the hutch. :(
 
me too!

HELP! my mum will not let me have my pigs in my room (i have 4 pigs) i am getting a c&c cage for there shed but i have the room in my bedroom and have answered all of her complaints what should i do? i would like them in my room so they get used 2 me (they are very shy) also I'm so unhappy without them near and they are in a new store bought cage its really cramped for them and my step dad refuses to let them in the house so they will soon have to go out into the shed (its so cold)
(they are outside everyday eating grass so they would not smell up my room or make a mess by the way they are 4 sows)8...8...8...:(:(:(
 
piggies38 said:
HELP! my mum will not let me have my pigs in my room (i have 4 pigs) i am getting a c&c cage for there shed but i have the room in my bedroom and have answered all of her complaints what should i do? i would like them in my room so they get used 2 me (they are very shy) also I'm so unhappy without them near and they are in a new store bought cage its really cramped for them and my step dad refuses to let them in the house so they will soon have to go out into the shed (its so cold)
(they are outside everyday eating grass so they would not smell up my room or make a mess by the way they are 4 sows)8...8...8...:(:(:(
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My parents won't let me have them indoors either, I'm not even allowed them indoors for lap time 8...
 
If you let them run alot they will be fine. Mine have a 100 cm cage and i let them out for hours every day. Not everyone can have a C&C cage, My apartment is to small. You provide them with the right temperature, food, and cuddles,Seems like they have a great life. I dont think you should feel guilty.;)
 
Piggiepigpigs said:
My parents won't let me have them indoors either, I'm not even allowed them indoors for lap time 8...
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I'm lucky in that I have an insulated shed with electricity for heating and lighting. I also have a chair in there so I can sit for hours if need be giving lap time. ;)
 
I feel guilty about my rabbit being outside and getting too big for her hutch and my guinea pig having to live in the garage and store bought cage :( it makes me feel ashamed sometimes.
But since it's mamas house what she says goes. I keep trying to point out how big my Rosie looks in her cage now, but she hasn't gotten the hint yet :/ Got to keep trying though.
When I move out (since i'm getting to that age now) I know my house will revolve around McMac and Rosie :) Rosie will be a house bun and McMac will have a big C&C cage :)
 
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