Keeping Outdoor Guinea Pigs Safe In Hutches/ Runs

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Chief Guinea Pig

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It is very sad that in this weather there are increases on the number of guinea pigs disappearing, whether it is an interference, escape, or a predator. I think this guide would be useful for people to review over, to check if they have this security.

Hutches:
If your hutch is outdoor (you don't really need to worry if it's in a safe shelter) then please check the following:
-Can any people get access to this hutch, are there any low fences, any easy entry points etc?
-If your area is likely to cats, foxes, dogs, have you got padlocks? Cats are by far, not daft at all. You can find they will easily unbolt a hutch door if it's loose, or easy to open. If people can access the hutch then consider padlocks.
-If you've had a guinea pig escape from a hutch before, then maybe think about some kind of CCTV.
-Ensure all doors, panels and hutch roofs are fixed safely, securely and well.
-Hutches in garages or sheds, please check there are no large gaps for other animals to enter.
-Animals out and about, such as cats, you can deter cats from a specific area in your garden around your hutch for instance, by spreading orange peel. You can't really trust a predator animal around guinea pigs, so you do have to be careful.

Runs:
Please choose carefully about runs. We have had members on the forum loose guinea pigs because predators have got passed the runs.
-Don't leave them for a long time unattended, an animal could break in.
-Very importantly, make sure your run has a cover, whether it be fabric, or sturdy wooden and gridded, make sure it is stable and secure.
-Check the size gaps of the grids are suitable, especially compared to baby guinea pigs, heads can easily get stuck and wriggle through.
-If your run has doors on the sides, be sure to check they are closed!
-Be aware of birds of prey, they will take guinea pigs if they see them, so be particularly cautious if you have your piggy out on your lap.

Note- It isn't recommended your piggy wears a harness for various reasons, but if they do they could get lost in the garden, exit to a bush, etc so please think about your piggy' safety before you put a harness on them.

A suitable run:
image.webp
 
I had a heart stopping moment yesterday. When I went to get the boys in from the run I'd not bolted the door when I put them out - so easily done, I double checked today and have kept checking all the time they were out. So easy to do, one little distraction and you don't follow the usual routine.
 
It is so easy to do indeed, I have done it once before as well. When you've done it once though it makes you more cautious in the future.
 
Sound advice :) A great post.

I think it's fair to note that no matter what precautions we take something still may happen, as pigs can still go missing from seemingly very secure set-ups.
On the other hand there are no promises with regards to safety indoors either. Indoor pigs can and do sometimes escape, and can then go and chew wires etc or find another hazard. I've read my own fair share of escaped indoor pigs!
I also think it's worth remembering that there are benefits to both indoors and outdoors and not to be put-off by outdoors. Outdoors can be very enriching, for example space, different smells and sounds, the feel of the grass.... and although it is definitely sensible to take precautions, such as those mentioned in the above post, outdoor time is still very valuable. The chances of something awful happening are slim, even though we have seen a few cases recently (no comfort to those who have suffered I know) and it would be a shame for outdoor time to be a thing of the past. xx
 
the piggies are inside but the rabbits are outside, they have a double meshed hutch with 4 locks and a cover plus a sort of fence of puppy panels pushed up against to deter foxes. Luckily most neighbours have dogs and a couple of families have some interesting smoking habits so are often out till all hours. Although I see foxes in the street I rarely see them in the garden - although I am 100% sure they come in I just have to hope they don't get too clever.

Come the winter and my bunnies will be padlocked in shed.
 
Critter said:
Sound advice :) A great post.

I think it's fair to note that no matter what precautions we take something still may happen, as pigs can still go missing from seemingly very secure set-ups.
On the other hand there are no promises with regards to safety indoors either. Indoor pigs can and do sometimes escape, and can then go and chew wires etc or find another hazard. I've read my own fair share of escaped indoor pigs!
I also think it's worth remembering that there are benefits to both indoors and outdoors and not to be put-off by outdoors. Outdoors can be very enriching, for example space, different smells and sounds, the feel of the grass.... and although it is definitely sensible to take precautions, such as those mentioned in the above post, outdoor time is still very valuable. The chances of something awful happening are slim, even though we have seen a few cases recently (no comfort to those who have suffered I know) and it would be a shame for outdoor time to be a thing of the past. xx
Click to expand...
That's so true x
 
Some good advice here :) but just to point out there isn't any real way of deterring cats - a cat will go where it pleases and orange peel definitely won't put them off, I'm pretty sure Wispa would start playing with orange peel if she saw it on the floor XD :))
 
We had some cats which seemed to be deterred by the orange peel. Maybe you have some more determined cats round your area!
 
Yeah I second what katie said. Cats don't care for orange peel.

Majority of the time the average domestic cat won't bother going to a guinea pig, especially not fully grown adults. I don't think people should worry about cats as long as like Rachel said, you have padlocks on your hutch and you can put a brick on top of the run (if top opening) then cats arnt really a problem. My cats sit by my pigs and watch them, but because they're intrigued not becuase they see them as food and most domestic cats won't.
 
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