My poor piggy needs to live outside ALL year!

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purple blobs

purple blobs

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Hello, i posted a thread like this a few months ago but my parents are so annoying they still won't let my poor baby live inside!:0 s'more lived outside all year last year but i feel so sad for him since i know that he should really have a partner!

here are my ideas:

I will buy and pay with my money: http://piggybedspreads.com/

put a bowl of baking soda to prevent too much smell.

My questions:

They won't let me have another guinea pig: what should I tell them (I know they get lonely!)


They won't let me buy a run because i have the top of one of those pet store cages... what do i tell them? Even though s'more has like his own invisible fence where he doesn't go further than where the grass ends because the wood chips hurt him...

How will I get the Coroplast and cc cubes? (In England)
 
I forgot to say that I do have an allergy to pollen... Wich is also ehy my parents won't let me have him live anywhere inside...
 
Most important right now is trying to keep piggy inside, worry about companion later, you really don't want to keep little legs outside when they've forecasted the worst winter in 100 years ;) xx
Have a look at alternative bedding, some smells better than others x
 
Oh and tell them " what has guinea pigs got to do with pollen?"
These two allergies are NOT connected - you should be fine xx
 
Only when it's in the ground, hay is dried out, so no issues, otherwise, how many people with hayfever would actually keep pets? I've never heard of hay having that sort of effect on people after the drying process? Plus, you yourself would know if you could cope with having piggy inside..
Other suggestion is though, have you tried freeze dried chopped grass (graze-on and readi-grass) as a alternative to hay? (no seed heads in that)
 
BonBon2010 said:
Only when it's in the ground, hay is dried out, so no issues, otherwise, how many people with hayfever would actually keep pets? I've never heard of hay having that sort of effect on people after the drying process? Plus, you yourself would know if you could cope with having piggy inside..
Other suggestion is though, have you tried freeze dried chopped grass (graze-on and readi-grass) as a alternative to hay? (no seed heads in that)
Click to expand...
Thanks! :D I'll try to ask them in the morning, bake them breakfeast, make themchappy and I'll have a bigger chance! No, i haven't tried freeze dried chopped grass! It sounds interesting, though! Thanks for replying ;D
 
Haha, i guess if that"0's what will make them happy, the ill use nose filters o.0
 
Firstly speaking from someone who has pollen allergies, your parents are looking out for you and are correct in thinking the pig could cause you further problems. I worked on farms for years and touching hay caused really bad reactions to me, I would wear a face mask and gloves to feed the animals but could never help with haymaking as the really fresh hay would cause me real bad reactions. It is different slightly with the pigs hay as I dont need to wear a face mask and can touch the hay without gloves, I do have mine inside for the winter but the reason I dont have them on shavings or hay is because I would suffer, they are on fleece mostly for my health.

If you dont react badly to the hay outside while you feed and look after them, you may be ok with them inside but you may find that your allergies get worse with them being in a closed space rather than outside so you can see your parents point of view over their concern for you and the piggie as the last thing they would want you to have to do is give up your pet.

I am giving you this advice so you can better understand why your parents are saying no on this decision, what you can do is say to them that you understand their worries and then draw up some plans to present to them what you can do to prevent this from happening, you are looking at using cage liners already which is a great idea, make a presentation and have a mature discussion over the points you want to bring up - for instance the need for them to be kept warm enough in colder weather being a real concern for you and be prepared to come up with compromises, is there a room they can go that isnt your bedroom that wouldnt get in their way? An outhouse maybe that isnt outside but is inside enough to keep them warm enough - this is why some people use sheds and insulate them.

Avoid getting into arguments over their decisions as they are looking out for you, but you do need to discuss your concerns with them. If you can manage to persuade them maturely to at least to listen to you and you listen to them and both come up with a solution that you would both be happy with.
 
I've changed to using hay from Dust Free Hay, as one of my pigs was sneezing a lot. I've found that I don't sneeze around the hay too! The normal hay I was using before had lots of bits from the seed heads left in the bag afterwards, but this doesn't.
 
of course it is possible to be allergic to hay! It.s not called hayfever for nothing! I personally find the timothy hay the worst for triggering my allergy and i think it.s all the ears on it. I'm ok as i'm am adult and perfectly happy to keep myself dosed up with anti histamines. Meadow hay doesn.t affect me at all. Now, with regard to your situation with your parents, i think it highly unlikely they will change their minds. Good parents usually stick to their guns and with good reason. I suspect your parents have little or no interest in guinea pigs and are only thinking of the mess and possible smell (if you don.t keep on top of cleaning) in their house. That is understandable. My advice to you would be to make the best of the situation outside. Presumably, your parents made it very clear to you that if you took on a pig, you would only be allowed one and it would need to stay out? That was the time to present your reasons for keeping 2 pigs indoors. Or choose a different pet. Maybe if you show you can keep your piggy very clean and warm this winter and you are totally independent in this without being reminded, you will have a chance of bringing your piggy in next year. Until then, i would stick by your parents' rules without arguing.
 
They won't let me buy a run because i have the top of one of those pet store cages... what do i tell them? Even though s'more has like his own invisible fence where he doesn't go further than where the grass ends because the wood chips hurt him...

How will I get the Coroplast and cc cubes? (In England)
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How big is the top of your pet store cage?
Could you turn it upside down to use instead of c&c, that would save you some money. Line it with coroplast the same as you would c&c.
My piggies are inside, but I'm planning to try and create something like that to open up their indoor cage a bit. :{
 
I react badly to hay, and readigrass is 10 times worse for my allergies. It's got pollen in it; the pollen doesn't stay neatly in the stamen of the plant.

Despite my allergies, I have my pigs (which I am also allergic to) living in my bedroom, bedded on hay. I just have to take precautions, and stay on top of my medication.
 
Explain to your parent the health issues of keeping a pig outdoors in freezing temperatures. Tell your parents it will only be until around mArch when the weather becomes milder. If your pig is kept clean it shouldnt smell.. My pig is kept indoors and so he is cleaned out every 2-3 days hes kept on woodshavings. You really need to get your pig inside but if you really cannt you can buy a 'snugglesafe' off amazon these are amazing. Pile your pigs sleeping area with loads of torn up newspaper and hay. Cover the cage with a piece of old carpet and waterproof sheet or you can buy special hutch covers from pet stores. One thing you MUST check if your pig is kept out doors in winter is there water bottle as there water WILL freeze- i think you can buy bottle covers that prevent this? ... The best thing for your pig is to be kept indoors in winter - however if this isnt possible there is ways in which you can help your pig keep warm.
 
My pigs are inside and they dont smell....the gerbils do...the gerbs have a little plastic box that they wee in and if I dont change it every other day it gets whiffy! My indoor cage is lined with newspaper, I then have a plastic cat tray up one end with hay in. They are supposed to just eat this but they wee in it as well! They wont use a hay rack! I change the paper every day and the job takes me about 5 minutes... I took away their upper level as they didnt use it and it made it hard to get my hand it to clean. I swap their toys about so they dont have the same thing 2 days running.
 
Inside is best

It makes me happy to know that you are of fighting the fight of letting you keep him inside. It sounds like your parents have some genuine concerns about your allergies. I believe I am developing some to hay mallethead.
However, if you just make sure to keep it clean, in and around the cage, and maintain proper hygiene, all should be fine :)
As for getting a c&c, maybe Ikea? I know piggiepigpigs has some videos on YouTube about where she got hers.
And lastly, about the friend for him, try telling your parents that it's really not much more work for a lot happier guinea pig(s). It's a bit more food, and not much more space, for twice the love. Good luck! Keep us posted?;)
 
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