Making the right decision!

Tommywing5b7

Tommywing5b7

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Hello again.

Thanks for all your help in my other thread. I had a thought. I have done all the research and have a definitive list of what I need to keep my guinea pigs outside.

However am I sure I don't want to keep them inside after all? Only place they could go would be the lounge. We have two cats and two children (3.5 and 7 MTHS) as far as I can tell these are the pros and cons.

Pros
Children and adults would interact with them more inside.
Easier to keep an eye on them.
No need to worry about weather and foxes.

Cons
Potentially quite noisy (we barely get enough sleep as it is (
Potentially quite smelly
Cats could frighten/attack (although one is scared of everything and the other is INCREDIBLY docile)
Would have to keep an eye on younger children/other people's children.
Could be disruptive if we're trying to watch a film or whatever!
Chance of catching fleas from the cats is increased.

I'm 80% convinced outside is a better option for us for the sake of household harmony (my wife's was never mad keen on the idea anyway). But I just wanted to run it past you all!

NB if you haven't read my other thread I have extensively researched keeping guinea pigs outside and am well aware of the extra precautions etc.

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any advice.

Tom
 
I find mine are only noisy if you rustle a plastic bag or crisp packet etc. :nod: let the wheeking commence! lol XD
They generally don't make that much loud noise. Mostly just munching on hay which is a noise I love listening to. They will only really smell if you don't spot clean regularly
 
I have two cats but my pigs are in a secure cage and luckily for me, the cats don’t bother with the piggies even when they’re out (although I would never leave the cats unsupervised with the pigs whilst their out as you never know).

My pigs have their own room upstairs but the only thing we really hear is them munching on hay, drinking from the water bottle and moving around. Of course they wheek at dinner at breakfast time but my two are generally not too noisy. They also only smell the day before clean out day but I remove the wet bedding daily and replace with fresh :)
 
Claire W said:
I have two cats but my pigs are in a secure cage and luckily for me, the cats don’t bother with the piggies even when they’re out (although I would never leave the cats unsupervised with the pigs whilst their out as you never know).

My pigs have their own room upstairs but the only thing we really hear is them munching on hay, drinking from the water bottle and moving around. Of course they wheek at dinner at breakfast time but my two are generally not too noisy. They also only smell the day before clean out day but I remove the wet bedding daily and replace with fresh :)
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Which cage do you have our if interest? Thanks!
 
I also have my piggies inside, in the living room, and have 2 kids (plus a constant stream of visiting kids) and to be honest it was the best decision we ever made.

Our cages are up on table to make sure little people can't accidentally fall/climb in with the piggies (less of an issue now the children are older), and keep them safe.
The noise from the piggies is minimal, and the piggies have got used to the noise form the kids (not minimal).
I think we have all bonded much more closely with the guinea pigs by having them inside.
In Winter we simply wouldn't put on a coat and boots multiple times a day to sit outside and watch them, whereas inside they are constantly a part of our lives.
But I do live in Switzerland and the Winter's are pretty cold!

Ours were initially destined to go outside, but they arrived in early spring during a cold snap, and after keeping them inside for a few weeks we realized we would miss them too much if we moved them outside - maybe starting like that could be an option for you to see how the whole family manages?
 
Swissgreys said:
I also have my piggies inside, in the living room, and have 2 kids (plus a constant stream of visiting kids) and to be honest it was the best decision we ever made.

Our cages are up on table to make sure little people can't accidentally fall/climb in with the piggies (less of an issue now the children are older), and keep them safe.
The noise from the piggies is minimal, and the piggies have got used to the noise form the kids (not minimal).
I think we have all bonded much more closely with the guinea pigs by having them inside.
In Winter we simply wouldn't put on a coat and boots multiple times a day to sit outside and watch them, whereas inside they are constantly a part of our lives.
But I do live in Switzerland and the Winter's are pretty cold!

Ours were initially destined to go outside, but they arrived in early spring during a cold snap, and after keeping them inside for a few weeks we realized we would miss them too much if we moved them outside - maybe starting like that could be an option for you to see how the whole family manages?
Click to expand...

You see this is exactly what I was thinking. The kids are much more likely to tire of them when they're In The garden and they don't see them. I think I might have them inside after all then!
 
Claire W said:
I’ve got a double tier ferplast 120 but lucky I’ve my piggies have never had a problem using the ramp. You can get ferplast single tier cages
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Thanks! Were planning on getting two or three so I'd appreciate any recommendations. Do they chew on the bars like hamsters? That used to drive me insane 😬
 
Indoor piggies are lovely to have around, they rarely smell and although they are a bit noisy in that they run around and talk to each other constantly they aren't any more noisy than a couple of kids playing nicely (unless you rustle a bag or open the fridge, when they wheek a fair bit). None of mine chew the bars except for a couple of minutes when they can see their dinner being prepared and it isnt happening fast enough!
Ours are in a big C&C cage, ours is 2 grids high to keep bouncy piggies in and to keep out a 4 year old who visits a lot and cant be trusted! You can get lids for C&C cages too to keep out cats, not sure how effective they are but I think some forum members with cats use them. If you want a really secure cage build then a ferplast type might be better, these are a traditional cage with fixed bars- you can buy them up to 160cm long.
You're being very thorough with your research! :)
 
Mine are in the lounge. I’ve got two kids, they were 8 and 10 when we got them. No other pets, so we have an open top C&C. With small children +/- pets you need something with a lid to keep them safe.

Pros
Children and adults would interact with them more inside. Yup!
Easier to keep an eye on them. Absolutely!
No need to worry about weather and foxes. Indeed!

Cons
Potentially quite noisy (we barely get enough sleep as it is ( - they won’t disturb sleep if they aren’t in your bedroom.
Potentially quite smelly not as smelly as cats/litter trays/cat food. (Or kids!) But keep on top of keeping them clean and it’s ok.
Cats could frighten/attack (although one is scared of everything and the other is INCREDIBLY docile) Definitely keep them in a secure pen.
Would have to keep an eye on younger children/other people's children. Secure pen would be necessary here too.
Could be disruptive if we're trying to watch a film or whatever! Unless they have an episode of zoomies they won’t be disruptive to much.
Chance of catching fleas from the cats is increased. Will cat fleas live on piggies? I don’t know.

Unfortunately mine have started chewing the bars but it soon stops if I ignore them. My husband rewards it with nuggets which makes them do it more!
 
Thanks Claire! Some great advice there! I'll make a decision and stick to it soon 🤔
 
Tigermoth said:
Mine are in the lounge. I’ve got two kids, they were 8 and 10 when we got them. No other pets, so we have an open top C&C. With small children +/- pets you need something with a lid to keep them safe.

Pros
Children and adults would interact with them more inside. Yup!
Easier to keep an eye on them. Absolutely!
No need to worry about weather and foxes. Indeed!

Cons
Potentially quite noisy (we barely get enough sleep as it is ( - they won’t disturb sleep if they aren’t in your bedroom.
Potentially quite smelly not as smelly as cats/litter trays/cat food. (Or kids!) But keep on top of keeping them clean and it’s ok.
Cats could frighten/attack (although one is scared of everything and the other is INCREDIBLY docile) Definitely keep them in a secure pen.
Would have to keep an eye on younger children/other people's children. Secure pen would be necessary here too.
Could be disruptive if we're trying to watch a film or whatever! Unless they have an episode of zoomies they won’t be disruptive to much.
Chance of catching fleas from the cats is increased. Will cat fleas live on piggies? I don’t know.

Unfortunately mine have started chewing the bars but it soon stops if I ignore them. My husband rewards it with nuggets which makes them do it more!
Click to expand...

This is brilliant. Thanks so much 👍👍
 
A lot of guinea pigs just wont use ramps, so only the 120cm ground level can be reliably counted as floor space. Some can be bribed and trained to go up a ramp, if it is adapted with side walls and carpet for grip- but some never will!
We have a small loft area in our cage (with side walls and a good grip floor on the ramp) and only 3 out of 6 piggies can get up there.
Piggies aren't natural climbers like degus or chinchillas or hamsters so more floor space on the ground is better that extra cage levels.
 
Just to add that if 120cm is the longest length cage you could fit in, when you get your guinea pigs you would need to get two girls (or possibly a girl and a neutered boy); I don't think it would be big enough for two boys.
 
Ok! Again this is exactly the kind of insight I need. Thank you. That one is not an option for me then. Back to the drawing board!

🤔
 
That’s like my two tier cage but I personally wouldn’t go for the three tier. I modified the ramp so it’s less steep and it has a fleece ramp tunnel so make it safe and comfortable for them to use. If you can only fit a 120, I can recommend the single version or the double tier (providing they use the ramp) but as already mentioned, you will only be able to have two girls or a girl and neutered boar. I have a girl and neutered boar in mine :)
 
I have 3 indoor sows and apart from echoing what others have said about noise and smell I would also say that one of the greatest pleasures in life is to be greeted by the piggies as soon as I come downstairs in the morning. They’re there waiting at the bars as soon as I walk in the house. It’s so lovely to be welcomed home by the girls - true it’s usually because they are hopeful of food
 
Merab's Slave said:
I have 3 indoor sows and apart from echoing what others have said about noise and smell I would also say that one of the greatest pleasures in life is to be greeted by the piggies as soon as I come downstairs in the morning. They’re there waiting at the bars as soon as I walk in the house. It’s so lovely to be welcomed home by the girls - true it’s usually because they are hopeful of food
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That's exactly what I thought. My daughter would love it. Now I just need to decide between the c&c one and that 160 one from zooplus. 🤔
 
Haha the Plaza's are really good cages and sturdy (I have the 120 as an emergency cage) but C&C can be much more flexible to the space. With a C&C you just need to make sure you make it secure especially if you have other animals that could get in
 
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