Piggies Haven't Been Outside Before

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Peckle77

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hi all, we rescued two guinea pigs around 6 months ago from a family who couldn't look after them anymore. They have always been kept indoors in a standard Pets at home indoor guinea pig cage, they seem happy enough and have definitely become part of our family, they know our routine, they know our children, happy to be picked up, they even don't seem to mind the noise in our house (which surprises me!). However, I can't help but feel this is no life for a guinea, and they should be outside on the grass and in a bigger hutch. my husband has built them a run with a little wooden house for them to escape to and the plan during the summer months or when wet is to put them in a separate hutch at night and in cooler weather. But here's my problem... They don't come out of the wooden house... Ever! I've only been putting them in the run for a couple of hours every other day when the sun has been shining. Are they likely to ever get used to the run? Is it just that it's not warm enough for them, they're used to being in our kitchen which is warm. Or is it the new noises outside and the general change? Should I wait for the summer to arrive before trying again?
We reaLly do love our piggies but I just feel that life would be much nicer for them outside and we don't have room for a bigger cage inside! What do you think?
 
I should add that we leave the indoor cage open 24/7 and they never ever come out of it, even though the whole of the side is open!
 
:wel: to the forum. It sounds like you love your Guinea pigs a lot and are giving them lots of love and attention. Are you in the UK? Personally, I think it is still too cold in the UK to have Guinea Pigs out on grass.

It takes a while for guinea pigs to adjust to new routines and new environments so, please be patient.
 
Yes I am in the UK, I did wonder if it was just too chilly for them and I should wait. it seemed quite mild today, but perhaps not, I guess it's a big adjustment for them isn't it!
 
Peckle77 said:
Yes I am in the UK, I did wonder if it was just too chilly for them and I should wait. it seemed quite mild today, but perhaps not, I guess it's a big adjustment for them isn't it!
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:agr:

I am sure they will love the run and the wooden house when the weather gets warmer .

Are you able to give them any floor time indoors?
 
Yes we often do let them run around the utility room and they have gotten more confident with this, but they tend to jump back in the cage after 5 minutes which amuses me!
Appreciate your quick reply to my post, thank you
 
I think you sound like a really caring owner - your pigs are very lucky.
Our three also live indoors, but we do have a large outdoor run ready and waiting - it's still pretty cold in Switzerland, so I think it will be a while longer before they are out on the grass.
But they do have floor time most days, where we take them out of their regular cage and put them in an enclosure on the floor. We make sure they have lots of tunnels and hidey holes (a big pile of fleece pieces if the current favorite), but also scatter lots of small pieces of fresh veg and fresh cut grass throughout the run. This entices them out, and they quickly worked out that being brave, meant getting lots of lovely fresh veg.
 
That's a good tip with the veg thank you. I'd also like them to have a bit more floor time to help their nails which i feel like I'm forever trimming!
 
They may just be spooked and playing it safe (being outside is a whole new experience.) I'm in Canada so mine can only be outside in the spring and summer, but it does take them a few times outside to get used to it every year (I think they forget during the 8 or 9 months when they are always inside!) They basically just eat the grass when they get out there and love it, but it is an adjustment for them.
 
Peckle77 said:
Yes we often do let them run around the utility room and they have gotten more confident with this, but they tend to jump back in the cage after 5 minutes which amuses me!
Appreciate your quick reply to my post, thank you
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My pigs go back to the cage pretty quickly, and I once forgot to shut it overnight and neither of them left. I tend to also leave it open, but unless there are treats out for them, they tend to just go back to the cage. I think they just feel safe there, so though it's good that they have the options to get out and explore and they do have a good run around every evening when I put down treats for them, I think that when they are lazing away the day they just prefer to be 'home.'
 
This may sound a bit silly but I rescued a rabbit which was a year old, she was kept inside and had never seen grass! Anyway she didn't know how to graze I had to put my girls out in there run for her to learn from them she didn't go in a run she loved running free and I taught her how to come back in when I wanted her to, but she used to love sitting next to the Guinea run and wanted to be with them I could never let her near them as she showed signs of dominance and I thought she would kill them but the moral of my story is she didn't know how to graze! My clever girls showed her what it was all about.
 
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