Keeping My pigs inside?

Louquise

New Born Pup
Joined
Jun 30, 2021
Messages
15
Reaction score
3
Points
60
Location
Australia
Hi I live with my parents and I am wanting to move my piggies inside.
I will pay for the indoor cage and supplies we have a spare room to put them in.
I live in QLD and the nights at the moment are dropping to 6 C and the days averaging at 15 degrees Celsius, and when summer comes it is way too hot outside for them.
We have timber floors so they are worried about the pee and wot not but I would get a C&C cage so no spillage, plus I will clean the cage daily. They believe that guinea pigs are fine outside and are built for the temperatures.
How do I convince them to let them inside?
 
I have outside piggies but would definitely bring them inside if my husband didn’t have hay fever and asthma 🙁. Lots of people have inside piggie and they don’t damage the floor as long as you use the correct protection under the cage. Or you could set it up on top of a table. Good luck with bringing them inside. I think they would be better off especially as it gets so hot where you live. 😃
 
I have outside piggies but would definitely bring them inside if my husband didn’t have hay fever and asthma 🙁. Lots of people have inside piggie and they don’t damage the floor as long as you use the correct protection under the cage. Or you could set it up on top of a table. Good luck with bringing them inside. I think they would be better off especially as it gets so hot where you live. 😃
Thanks for the nice reply!
I have asthma luckily my piggies don't cause it to play up. You could have them in a separate room or even consider building a shed for them.. I don't know just an idea! Thanks again
 
If anyone has points as to why the piggies should be inside please list them as this will help me in my debate, Thanks!
 
Thanks for the nice reply!
I have asthma luckily my piggies don't cause it to play up. You could have them in a separate room or even consider building a shed for them.. I don't know just an idea! Thanks again
I keep them in the garage so it’s nice and cool in the summer and warmer than outside in the winter. Also it’s easier to clean them out in bad weather.
 
I would explain that piggies are actually quite fragile creatures, and the extremes in temperature that you get in Queensland place a huge strain on them.
Plus it is much easier to control the temperature when they are inside, and you will be able to interact with them more and therefore enjoy having them as pets more fully.

Ask if you can do it on a trial basis. Maybe for 6 months, and then when they see you are managing to keep the room clean and the floor issn't damaged hopefully they will agree they can stay inside long term
 
If anyone has points as to why the piggies should be inside please list them as this will help me in my debate, Thanks!

They will get lots more attention being inside.

It’s safer as there are no rats, cats, foxes etc to harm them.

Easy to control their temperature inside.

They are so much fun to watch they will provide you (and your parents) with hours of entertainment.

I’m sure there are lots more positives but my mind has gone blank. 🤣

Hope you convince them. 🤞
 
I love having my boys inside so I can fuss over them all the time. I couldn't imagine having outdoor piggies they're so small and delicate I would be constantly worrying that one would escape or a predator would get to them. I know a lot of people keep piggies outside just fine but it's not something I could ever do.
 
I'm in the US and outdoor piggies is "not a thing" here. Our shelter is very specific that they adopt to indoor homes only.

If they are worried about any smell, it's really just the smell of hay, if everything is kept clean. I sweep up poop twice a day and switch out corner pads every few days, and wash the main fleece and towels about once a week.

Good luck! From my point of view, it's the safest place for them, and you can spend more time with them 💕
 
I would explain that piggies are actually quite fragile creatures, and the extremes in temperature that you get in Queensland place a huge strain on them.
Plus it is much easier to control the temperature when they are inside, and you will be able to interact with them more and therefore enjoy having them as pets more fully.

Ask if you can do it on a trial basis. Maybe for 6 months, and then when they see you are managing to keep the room clean and the floor issn't damaged hopefully they will agree they can stay inside long term
Great idea!
 
I agree with all the above in terms of heat fluctuations, avoiding fly strike, predators etc. In the UK outdoor pigs can attract rats to a property. Some posters from Europe have sadly lost their beloved piggies to heat stroke over a hot few days recently - it can happen so fast. I also hear vets in Oz are very expensive. The best way to avoid vet trips is to be able to keep a close eye on your piggies. The pleasure you get from observing their natural behaviours and interacting with them will also serve as a learning experience meaning that if any-pig should start to feel unwell you will notice differences in behaviour straight away.

For example: one of mine got a sharp grass seed stuck under her eyelid last week - I only picked her up to have a good look because I noticed that she was hiding away more in the day than she otherwise would have, and that her friend sniffed at her eye when she came out. They are in my kitchen so they are always in the background. The seed was quickly removed and antibiotics/eye lubricant/painkiller have sorted the problem. If I hadn't spotted it the same day it could have been a lot worse - potentially losing the sight in that eye or even needing to have the eye removed which would have been much more expensive.

This is not to say that outdoor pigs are always 'out of sight, out of mind' but they hide illness very well and it can be hard to spot how they behave when they think you're not looking. Sometimes the first indication that a pig is poorly is when the under-pig starts to challenge for dominance. They can tell!

Put a bit of lino down on the floor and then do your C&C on top as double protection. Consider the fleece-on-pee-pad option for bedding (or fleece-zorb-fleece which has worked very well for us) and you can knock up smaller versions for high-pee areas which can be switched out every day. I find the only problem smell is urine which is breaking down and smelling strong - the poops don't smell and are easy to pick up - some people just hoover them up when they have dried out! My old boar has a lovely smell - a bit like a horse I suppose - warm fur and hay.

One last thing - and just from my personal experience - because of my unique set up (and the kids being teenagers now) some of my pigs can safely go in and out of the backdoor at will. You'd think they would be outside all the time because "they're animals" but no. George stays inside all day unless I physically put him out - then he has a sniff round and comes back in. Flora goes out a few times - spends 5 or 10 minutes out there and then returns. My previous pigs have been the same... they LIKE it indoors and it's where they prefer to hang out. Things like fleeces and snuggle tunnels have been a recent addition to our house and it surprised me to see how much they love to lounge on soft-furnishings (again I was thinking "they're animals - animals don't have furniture!") I've always seen pics of pigs on soft pads or hammocks and thought they'd just been posed there but it turns out they like to be comfy. I mean - why was I so surprised!

Bring them in - you'll love it!
 
I agree with all the above in terms of heat fluctuations, avoiding fly strike, predators etc. In the UK outdoor pigs can attract rats to a property. Some posters from Europe have sadly lost their beloved piggies to heat stroke over a hot few days recently - it can happen so fast. I also hear vets in Oz are very expensive. The best way to avoid vet trips is to be able to keep a close eye on your piggies. The pleasure you get from observing their natural behaviours and interacting with them will also serve as a learning experience meaning that if any-pig should start to feel unwell you will notice differences in behaviour straight away.

For example: one of mine got a sharp grass seed stuck under her eyelid last week - I only picked her up to have a good look because I noticed that she was hiding away more in the day than she otherwise would have, and that her friend sniffed at her eye when she came out. They are in my kitchen so they are always in the background. The seed was quickly removed and antibiotics/eye lubricant/painkiller have sorted the problem. If I hadn't spotted it the same day it could have been a lot worse - potentially losing the sight in that eye or even needing to have the eye removed which would have been much more expensive.

This is not to say that outdoor pigs are always 'out of sight, out of mind' but they hide illness very well and it can be hard to spot how they behave when they think you're not looking. Sometimes the first indication that a pig is poorly is when the under-pig starts to challenge for dominance. They can tell!

Put a bit of lino down on the floor and then do your C&C on top as double protection. Consider the fleece-on-pee-pad option for bedding (or fleece-zorb-fleece which has worked very well for us) and you can knock up smaller versions for high-pee areas which can be switched out every day. I find the only problem smell is urine which is breaking down and smelling strong - the poops don't smell and are easy to pick up - some people just hoover them up when they have dried out! My old boar has a lovely smell - a bit like a horse I suppose - warm fur and hay.

One last thing - and just from my personal experience - because of my unique set up (and the kids being teenagers now) some of my pigs can safely go in and out of the backdoor at will. You'd think they would be outside all the time because "they're animals" but no. George stays inside all day unless I physically put him out - then he has a sniff round and comes back in. Flora goes out a few times - spends 5 or 10 minutes out there and then returns. My previous pigs have been the same... they LIKE it indoors and it's where they prefer to hang out. Things like fleeces and snuggle tunnels have been a recent addition to our house and it surprised me to see how much they love to lounge on soft-furnishings (again I was thinking "they're animals - animals don't have furniture!") I've always seen pics of pigs on soft pads or hammocks and thought they'd just been posed there but it turns out they like to be comfy. I mean - why was I so surprised!

Bring them in - you'll love it!
Warm fur and hay 😍😍😍. I love that.
 
I thought of another thing. How can they learn the sounds of the refrigerator or someone walking into the kitchen if they're outside? Pigs learn those sounds and train the humans fast! 🙂🥕🥬🍅🥒
 
Back
Top