I'm at my wit's end with floor time

[Adelyn]

Guinea pigs love floor time, running around a room with hides, tunnels, and veggies. Mine love it too. For the first 15 minutes. Then they run all the way to where I am cleaning their cage, getting underfoot and making me nervous that I may accidentally step on them. I herd them back to where they should be. They come back. It takes me a lot longer to clean their cage than it should. In the end, I am tired and frustrated. What should I do? Should I keep doing floor time at all?! Thank you!

 

[Swissgreys]

Mine were always in some sort of pen or enclosure for floor time.
And honestly it sounds similar to your experiences.
They would go crazy for a bit and then just fall asleep in one of their hides. Then wake up and play again.
Is there some way you could limit them to a particular area so they are not at risk of being trodden on?

 

[Tnoz]

I bought folding playpen from eBay & pets at home so they have the space to run about but can’t be stood on or get into anything they shouldn’t, plus I know they are safe, I join the playpen together to make them bigger good luck

 

[piggieminder]

I've got spare C&C grids cable tied together all but the last join. These then concertina up very small for storage, they are very handy to use as a pen when cleaning cages or for travel. I join the last 2 grids with bulldog clips. I've got a sheet of plastic I put down to protect the floor. Mine love free roam time but they only get that in the evening when we are sat quiet and can keep an eye on them, we block off any electric cables just in case.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I have the same - c&c grids cable tied together - as a spare cage for when mine need to come indoors. It works very well, quick and easy to unfold and turn into a large cage with a sheet of plastic on the floor.

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

My piggies are the same, but it's part of the fun for them to check if everything I do is right.
But if it's bothering you, I would put some kind of grids between them and you, while you are working.

 

[Haru825]

Since I don't put my guinea pig in a cage anymore, my guinea pig lives in my room. So, to prevent your guinea pigs from going to hard-to-reach places, have you thought of blocking out sections of the room where they have floor time?

 

[Happydays]

I have a paddling pool that I pop up for my girls to play in when I clean their cage, or I put them outside for grass time when the weather is good