Mum doesn't want to get a bigger hutch?

[Wheek!Wheek!]

So we bought a hutch the other day and it's something like 3sq ft it's tiny. I don't know what to do. I have to clean it thoroughly twice a day it's so small. I don't know what to do bc we just got it and my mum said she doesn't want to hear ANY complaints about it. My dad agrees with me, so that's good- David already lives outside and our garden is smaller than you can imagine, I don't know what to do!

 

[Wheek!Wheek!]

So we bought a hutch the other day and it's something like 3sq ft it's tiny. I don't know what to do. I have to clean it thoroughly twice a day it's so small. I don't know what to do bc we just got it and my mum said she doesn't want to hear ANY complaints about it. My dad agrees with me, so that's good- David already lives outside and our garden is smaller than you can imagine, I don't know what to do!

Also would our garage be ok?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Oh that’s a shame your mum cannot see this is not appropriate. Even a single piggy needs 8 square feet (120x60cm) as a minimum on a single level.
Upper levels don’t count towards the cage size. If you do get a two storey hutch, the bottom level must have a wooden floor and wooden sides - as aside from the size issue here - as the bottom level of this hutch is open to the elements and the cold ground, then it cannot be used during the night or during the colder/winter months.

Garages may be ok as long as a car doesn’t go in there and it doesn’t get too hot in summer/cold in winter (my garage gets absolutely freezing in winter whereas the insulated shed my boys live in doesn’t)
@Betsy keeps her piggies in the garage so may be able to help with the specifics of garage keeping

 

[Claire W]

Sadly the hutch is far too small even for a single piggy a single piggy still requires a hutch / cage that’s 120cm x 60cm. It’s good that you have your dad on side. Could he talk to your mum for you and could you show her this thread?

So long as your garage has light, doesn’t get too hot in summer and too cold in winter and isn’t used for a car, a hutch will be fine in there but please do consider moving David indoors or even better, consider getting him a friend. He will be very lonely by himself outdoors

 

[RosieLily]

Hi, do invite your mum to check out the forum. You'll find many helpful threads about keeping piggies, enclosure advice, and general tips for a happy guinea. That cage truly is too small and a piggy should always have a friend

 

[Wheek!Wheek!]

Oh that’s a shame your mum cannot see this is not appropriate. Even a single piggy needs 8 square feet (120x60cm) as a minimum on a single level.
Upper levels don’t count towards the cage size. If you do get a two storey hutch, the bottom level must have a wooden floor and wooden sides - as aside from the size issue here - as the bottom level of this hutch is open to the elements and the cold ground, then it cannot be used during the night or during the colder/winter months.

Garages may be ok as long as a car doesn’t go in there and it doesn’t get too hot in summer/cold in winter (my garage gets absolutely freezing in winter whereas the insulated shed my boys live in doesn’t)
@Betsy keeps her piggies in the garage so may be able to help with the specifics of garage keeping

Thank you! I will try to move David into the garage!

 

[Wheek!Wheek!]

Sadly the hutch is far too small even for a single piggy a single piggy still requires a hutch / cage that’s 120cm x 60cm. It’s good that you have your dad on side. Could he talk to your mum for you and could you show her this thread?

So long as your garage has light, doesn’t get too hot in summer and too cold in winter and isn’t used for a car, a hutch will be fine in there but please do consider moving David indoors or even better, consider getting him a friend. He will be very lonely by himself outdoors

David hates other guinea pigs btw. Our house hasn't got any room at all. But it seems the garage will be good as the car doesn't go in it

 

[Wheek!Wheek!]

Hi, do invite your mum to check out the forum. You'll find many helpful threads about keeping piggies, enclosure advice, and general tips for a happy guinea. That cage truly is too small and a piggy should always have a friend

Thank you! David hates other guinea pigs though so that would not be an option so he will probably go in the garage!

 

[Claire W]

David hates other guinea pigs btw. Our house hasn't got any room at all. But it seems the garage will be good as the car doesn't go in it

I’m sorry David doesn’t get along with other guinea pigs, I take it you have tried? It all comes down to character comparability on whether they will get on and it can take several tries with various piggies until the right friend is found

 

[Betsy]

@Betsy keeps her piggies in the garage so may be able to help with the specifics of garage keeping

Yes I do keep my piggies in the garage. I can't keep them outside as there are foxes here. I have them in a double decker 6' x 2' hutch and every other day they go out in the run. I have 3 piggies. Meg is now on her own since losing The Ever Beautiful Betsy a few weeks ago and she lives in the Penthouse (top of the hutch) and I have Lexi and Thea who live in the Granny Annexe (bottom of the hutch).

Winter is the hardest time to keep them warm. My garage is joined onto my house and the other wall is insulated. I still stuff the hutch with lots of hay, I have an insulating cover and a thermal cover on the hutch. They also have snugglesafes and fleecy snuggle sacks to go in too.

Does your garage have any natural light in it?

 

[Swissgreys]

Well done for trying to advocate for your piggy - he really does need a much larger hutch, but moving him into the garage sounds like a good plan.
Also in the original picture there seems to be a larger hutch next to the smaller one. Is there any chance he could have that hutch?

As for not liking other piggies, what makes you think that?
Some piggies are just very picky about their companions, and depending on how old he is and who he has lived with previously there, is a good chance he could still find a friend via 'boar dating' at a rescue.
We have people on the Forum whose piggies have rejected multiple others before finding their perfect match, so there may still be hope for David too.

 

[Wheek!Wheek!]

I’m sorry David doesn’t get along with other guinea pigs, I take it you have tried? It all comes down to character comparability on whether they will get on and it can take several tries with various piggies until the right friend is found

Yes, we have tried with to bond him with other guinea pigs 3 times but he's not the slightest bit lonely and more human- oriented and my parents won't let me get another anyway

 

[Wheek!Wheek!]

We're putting him back in the old hutch for now!

Yes I do keep my piggies in the garage. I can't keep them outside as there are foxes here. I have them in a double decker 6' x 2' hutch and every other day they go out in the run. I have 3 piggies. Meg is now on her own since losing The Ever Beautiful Betsy a few weeks ago and she lives in the Penthouse (top of the hutch) and I have Lexi and Thea who live in the Granny Annexe (bottom of the hutch).

Winter is the hardest time to keep them warm. My garage is joined onto my house and the other wall is insulated. I still stuff the hutch with lots of hay, I have an insulating cover and a thermal cover on the hutch. They also have snugglesafes and fleecy snuggle sacks to go in too.

Does your garage have any natural light in it?

Not really, I don't know if the one quite small window lets in enough but that might be bc of the window film

 

[Claire W]

Yes, we have tried with to bond him with other guinea pigs 3 times but he's not the slightest bit lonely and more human- oriented and my parents won't let me get another anyway

At least you have tried. I won’t go on about it if your parents won’t let you get him a friend but like I say, it could take several attempts to find the right friend

 

[Piggies&buns]

We're putting him back in the old hutch for now!
Not really, I don't know if the one quite small window lets in enough but that might be bc of the window film

Thats good. The old hutch looks to be a bluebell?
Out of interest, if the bluebell is his old hutch, then what made you get a new hutch?

It won’t be good for him to be kept in a dark garage

 

[Wheek!Wheek!]

Thats good. The old hutch looks to be a bluebell?
Out of interest, if the bluebell is his old hutch, then what made you get a new hutch?

It won’t be good for him to be kept in a dark garage

Yes it is the bluebell Hutch but my mum says it was too big and wanted one with a run on the bottom. It is also falling apart after only 3-5 months of use

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes it is the bluebell Hutch but my mum says it was too big and wanted one with a run on the bottom. It is also falling apart after only 3-5 months of use

Thats a shame that your mum thinks that. The bluebell hutch is good size for a pair of piggies, definitely perfect for a single piggy.

There are, in my opinion, downsides to hutches with runs underneath, particularly, if like the one you have bought, the run is the same size as the upper hutch area as it doesn’t actually provide them with any additional run space

The bluebell is only made from plywood so needs a lot of protection to be kept outside without deterioration.

 

[Wheek!Wheek!]

Thats a shame that your mum thinks that. The bluebell hutch is good size for a pair of piggies, definitely perfect for a single piggy.

There are, in my opinion, downsides to hutches with runs underneath, particularly, if like the one you have bought, the run is the same size as the upper hutch area as it doesn’t actually provide them with any additional run space

The bluebell is only made from plywood so needs a lot of protection to be kept outside with deterioration.

The reason we want one with a run on the bottom is so he can graze all day and we don't have to have a run as our garden is unbelievably small
But my mum now says we will keep it on the concrete and pick grass. I don't really see the point in this. But I will put him in the old hutch tomorrow

 

[Piggies&buns]

The reason we want one with a run on the bottom is so he can graze all day and we don't have to have a run as our garden is unbelievably small
But my mum now says we will keep it on the concrete and pick grass. I don't really see the point in this. But I will put him in the old hutch tomorrow

It’s fine to have one with a run on the bottom but its just that it’s better if it’s one which the run is bigger than the hutch space to actually offer additional space. Of course if space is an issue then that is something only you can deal with.

He is definitely better off in the old hutch though where space is concerned.

 

[Wheek!Wheek!]

It’s fine to have one with a run on the bottom but its just that it’s better if it’s one which the run is bigger than the hutch space to actually offer additional space. Of course if space is an issue then that is something only you can deal with.

He is definitely better off in the old hutch though where space is concerned.

Thank you