Outdoor hutch

[tinky75]

Would I cause stress to my piggies by moving them into different housing? Basically during the summer looking to purchase outdoor hutch, so when they are in their garden run I can just pop them into an outdoor hutch when I have to go out, instead of bringing them indoors.

Basically, the set up would be indoor cage at night time, into their garden run, into an outdoor hutch when I have to leave the house, then back inside in the evening either into their indoor cage or into a 'wire' play pen that I will have set up in the living room.. did that make any sense? @)@)

I love my piggies indoors with me in the evenings and know they are safe during the night rolleyes

Also, looking at only a single storey hutch, seen a good one but its low to the ground and worried about cats :{

 

[CiaraPatricia]

If it's got strong wire and good bolts or locks then cats shouldn't be a problem. Some door locks can be opened easily, so just make sure that a cat can't push it down or put on a bolt.

I think the guinea pigs would be fine, when the weather is nice anyway. I bet they'll love being outdoors.

Or you could just get a good secure run, and a little house inside it, instead of a hutch. Something like these

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/pens_fencing/pens_with_timber_frame/95234

I have this little house and it's good The guinea pigs can go underneath it aswell if it's inside the run.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/rabbit_hutches/natura/33223

Or this has a little house built in and is a big run. it'd be safe from cats (I have five and there are also a lot of neighbours cats around and my pigs are fine).

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/pens_fencing/pens_with_timber_frame/157924

They should be safe for the piggies.

 

[tinky75]

I have the same house as you for my run, it's the wooden collapsible run I have, but as I have a cat myself, my gp's are used to him being by their cage when it's set up in the house and they go up and say hello to him! They are not frightened at all, and because of this I will not leave them in their run in the garden in case any neighbours cats decide to stick their paws through the bars, gp's will usually hide away, but mine go up to say hello! mallethead

Even my own cat gets 'moved on' when I catch him by the cage |)

Yeah know what you mean about the bolts on hutches, saw one that just had the heart catch like the little house we have, didn't think that was good.

 

[Furries]

They only other thing I can think of is stress from a sudden change in temperature: indoors to outside and then outside to indoors. I guess it depends on whether there's a big difference between the two. I don't know much about this, but I have heard that guinea-pigs don't cope well with fluctuations in temperature. Sorry I can't be more help.

 

[tinky75]

yes that was the other thing i meant to ask about change in temperature, they will be out the back only when it's a really nice day, I've done this before and brought them back inside by 6pm. I am hoping to be doing the same, bringing the piggies inside by 7 / 8pm at the latest and on warm days still should be nice till then.

Does anyone else give their indoor gp's a play in the garden?

 

[Romily]

We pop ours out on nice days making sure they have a shaded area and plenty of water. The summer is fine for having them outdoors what we were advised was not to put them out during extremes of temperature as this could upset their health.