Indoors all the time?

[Calathea]

Dumb question - can guinea pigs stay indoors all year round with no outdoors time? Outside of their cage time of course, just inside outside time :{

If this is possible would they benefit from large trays with grass grown in it for enrichment and/or as a supplement to their diet?

Thanks!

 

[dylansmummy]

when i first got my piggies we lived in a flat with no outside space so mine lived inside i did pick them grass and fed them fresh grass every night i also had them free range they were such happy piggies as they had loads of space.

 

[Sue G]

I see no reason why they can't happily live indoors all the time. If you're not able to put them outside for whatever reason, your idea of trays of grass is great, and if you let them have free roaming exercise time (indoors) that should be fine too.

 

[twiams]

I think there is certain vitamins that pigs can’t get from the sun through windows, but i’ve never heard of it causing severe problems with piggies i’m sure it’s fine

 

[gingersusie]

our piggies live in our living room i can't bear to think of them outside with the freak weather we have , obviously it's personal choice and i choose mine to live indoors, they have a large collapsible run in the house, so they are out every day on fleece and i also let them free range when we are here...i do put their run out on the grass for them to have a munch depending on the weather, i also bring them fresh grass and dandelions leaves a few times a week.x

 

[Wiebke]

Piggies can be perfectly well kept indoors with regular indoors run/roaming time. You may want to invest in a UVB lamp to compensate for the lack of direct sunlight.

Grass can be grown in trays (but be prepared that a apir of greedy piggies can devastate a whole tray in about 5 minutes flat!), dandelions in pots and fresh herbs on the wndow sill. As long as you can get grass that has not been peed on by dogs or foxes (which is poisonous to piggies), you can also forage for them.

 

[gingersusie]

i have no foxes around by me or we don't have a dog .. i buy them fresh living herbs from asda and lidl's .. so how do i go about installing a uv lamp? in the cage or out of the cage ? just above it?xx

 

[Dusty_bugs]

None of my pigs have ever lived outdoors. I made sure that their play time was in a room with a huge window so they got sunlight that way. I also took them to the garden door step for stroke times every once in a while. If possible, try to get the cage somewhere where the sun can reach as well. This is the best you can do for indoor living.

Perhaps you could discuss with an exotics vet the benefits of 'day glo' lamps meant for lizards. Of course you would have to install it outside the cage and provide the chance to shade from it but this might boost UV for vitamin D production and circadian rhythm.

 

[Wiebke]

I have got the tip about the uvb lamps during a presentation from an exotics vets, who has researched a link between indoors living and dental problems in older piggies.

Piggies don't need them on all the time, but they would ideally need some exposure to produce enough vitamin D if direct exposure to sunlight is not an option. If you wish, discuss it with a good small pets vet.

 

[tuftypig]

yes I would agree with Wiebke that the grass in a tray idea is great but it wouldn't last long.
I have 8 piggies in 2 groups of 4 and they have a 4ft x 5ft run each and I have to move them every day as they have taken the grass down to the soil I'm running out of lawn never need to use the lawn mower just strim the edges lol x

 

[gingersusie]

i haven't been putting them out because it's been way too hot but today seems cooler so i will put them out later when the grass dries a bit & i put a fleece blanket halfway across the run to shade them if they want it, thanks for your advice everyone my living room never gets any sun on it so it's cooler for them in the summer.x

 

[Rodentopia]

i have no foxes around by me or we don't have a dog .. i buy them fresh living herbs from asda and lidl's .. so how do i go about installing a uv lamp? in the cage or out of the cage ? just above it?xx

UV bulbs can be clipped onto the top of the cage, you can buy bulb holders for the job, needs to be about 30cm from the cage floor in order for them to get the benefits, uv bulbs don't provide any heat so you wouldn't be increasing the temperature in the cage with one

 

[AbiS]

My boys are outside pigs and they spend much of their time munching the lawn. If its too wet for the grass they go on the block paving or into an indoor run if its actually raining. From early on they would clearly sulk if anywhere other than the grass and just sit in a hidey refusing to move. I decided to grow a seed tray of grass to see if that helped. They go mental for it! I now have 3 seed trays on the go so there is always one ready for them. I do have to keep reseeding them because the boys are very good at pulling the seed out at the roots!

Would definitely recommend you doing this because it makes very happy piggies.

This grass was about 3" long when they started:

 

[Hanlou]

My two live indoors all year round. I was going to put them out in a run but I felt that the weather was never ideal (too hot or too cold on our lawn) plus with two dogs I was worried about what effect their weeing and pooing on the lawn would have on the pigs. They seem perfectly happy as indoor piggles. xx

 

[Hermes]

Vitamin D3 is supplemented in guinea pig pellets so personally I wouldn't be overly concerned about providing UVB light, it would be interesting to read the research on the subject though.

They do love trays of grass but destroy them very quickly, I tend to just pick them handfuls of grass and supply them with fresh veggies, herbs and wild plants as I don't have the means to keep up a constant rotation of trays!

 

[Pigjes]

Daylight bulbs should only be used 20 minutes a day, according to the university professor vet from Utrecht. Too much UV has an influence on crystal formation in the bladder, as vitamin D has an effect on that. This will lead into stone formation in pigs who are prone to it.