Scared outside

[pawelstolars]

Hello, our 3 female guinea pigs are happy inside their 120m cage - often chasing around the cardboard 'hut' in the middle, popcorning and generally being happy. Weather got great now, so I started putting them out 2 weeks ago in huge 180x100m cage in the garden, expecting they will run all around it. However it is 2 weeks now and all they do is to sit inside the cardboard hut (same one they race around inside the cage). They will just sit inside this small hut - just enough to fit 3 pigs, eat the grass inside the hut and very rarely come out - if so only slightly outside. Once I lift the hut and put in another place, they will immediately move inside it and again just eat the grass inside the hut. Weather is great so they must be extremely scared outside, not sure why. There are plenty of birds chirping but generally it is very quiet. Dogs bark from time to time only, some children noises but not very loud or crowded where I live. Every time when I put plastic tube into the outdoor cage and give them chance to return to their cage they will immediately do so. The opposite way around to go outside onto fresh grass, they will never. We had them only for ca. 2 months now - why they are so much in love with their little 120m cage that they keep popcorning and running around all the time, bumping their heads sometimes on the shelf and sides of the cage but they do not want to take same opportunity with much bigger space they have outdoors ? It has been all sorts of weather - sometimes 15, sometimes 22 degrees but they behave exactly the same so it's not the temperature. To me they seem to be scared of something outdoors.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Guinea Pigs are naturally scared and being outside is frightening for them. Its quite normal to find they sit terrified during lawn time as they do not like open space. Ensure they have a lot of hides all the time - you need at least one hide house per piggy at all times (including in their normal cage). Cover their run with a light sheet (so they dont get hot by heat being trapped in), but with the run covered, they will start to feel more secure and will start to venture out and enjoy run time.. It won't be immediately though, it could still take a lot of time, but they will get there.
Mine spend a lot of time eating the lawn and not actually running about - its quite normal! They get a bit more active during the cooler evenings but mine are well used to being in their run during the summer months.

I assume you mean a 120cm cage (you've put 120m but I assume you dont mean 120 metres!). If you do indeed mean a 120cm by 60cm commercial type cage, then I am afraid a 120cm cage isnt big enough for three piggies, its only the minimum size for two piggies. Three piggies must have a minimum of 150x60cm for welfare purposes but 180x60cm is recommended.

For your own security please do change your location on your profile from your postcode to just your county. Putting your postcode reveals too much information about your location.

Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
Keeping Piggies Safe during outdoor time

Cage Size Guide

 

[Freela]

They're scared because it's new and different and guinea pigs are naturally cautious. If you keep exposing them to the outdoors, they will gradually relax, but there's no real way to rush things. They are slow to warm up to new experiences, it's what keeps them alive in the wild!

We're in a climate where they outdoor months are very limited and, although my pigs have all gotten used to being outdoors, they actually never run around out there. They just eat the grass. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet for them, not a playground! LOL ! I'm not sure if other posters have the same experience... pigs with more time outside probably also do other things. For us it's a couple of hours of supervised time in a smallish enclosure and all they do with that time is eat!

 

[pawelstolars]

Guinea Pigs are naturally scared and being outside is frightening for them. Its quite normal to find they sit terrified during lawn time as they do not like open space. Ensure they have a lot of hides all the time - you need at least one hide house per piggy at all times (including in their normal cage). Cover their run with a light sheet (so they dont get hot by heat being trapped in), but with the run covered, they will start to feel more secure and will start to venture out and enjoy run time.. It won't be immediately though, it could still take a lot of time, but they will get there.
Mine spend a lot of time eating the lawn and not actually running about - its quite normal! They get a bit more active during the cooler evenings but mine are well used to being in their run during the summer months.

I assume you mean a 120cm cage (you've put 120m but I assume you dont mean 120 metres!). If you do indeed mean a 120cm by 60cm commercial type cage, then I am afraid a 120cm cage isnt big enough for three piggies, its only the minimum size for two piggies. Three piggies must have a minimum of 150x60cm for welfare purposes but 180x60cm is recommended.

For your own security please do change your location on your profile from your postcode to just your county. Putting your postcode reveals too much information about your location.

Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
Keeping Piggies Safe during outdoor time

Cage Size Guide

Thank you - there is an additional 180x60 space indoors to put an outdoor playpen/cage and let pigs use it, linked to their cage by the plastic tube. I will see if they are more keen to use it and run around larger space when indoors.

 

[Pip79]

My piggies are in during the night and out during the day as long as it's not torrential rain. They love being outside, we fill the run with boxes they can run through, hides and tunnels. They often get the zoomies which is fun to watch but it did take a couple of weeks for them to get comfortable enough to come out of hiding.

 

[eileen]

you have recieved good advise above.ive a few piggies and all are different.the older piggies like to amble about,going through tunnels,cardboard boxes.some younger piggies that zoom around,and some that just like to eat the grass !your piggies are young and not used to large open spaces.i would suggest you use tunnels and hides so that they have cover to run around,a fleece blanket or towel placed over the top of the run, can make them feel more secure.keep placing the piggies in the run,it just takes a while for them to feel secure enough.you are doing all the right things,just needs alittle patience.

 

[pawelstolars]

I just did a little experiment and moved the playpen from grass outside garden door to the room inside, with door fully open. It is just amazing how those little creatures recognize indoors from outdoors - probably only by air as it is very quiet outdoors... What they are doing is they are now happily using connecting tube and running back and forward between their indoor cage and the playpen, jumping and playing in both enclosures, however inside the playpen they only use the half of the space which is further away from the door and not the one which is closer to outside world even though there is no clear division. Every time when I left connecting tube directly to outdoors, they never used it. To indoor space - they do...

 

[Freela]

I just did a little experiment and moved the playpen from grass outside garden door to the room inside, with door fully open. It is just amazing how those little creatures recognize indoors from outdoors - probably only by air as it is very quiet outdoors... What they are doing is they are now happily using connecting tube and running back and forward between their indoor cage and the playpen, jumping and playing in both enclosures, however inside the playpen they only use the half of the space which is further away from the door and not the one which is closer to outside world even though there is no clear division. Every time when I left connecting tube directly to outdoors, they never used it. To indoor space - they do...

The definitely know the difference... I always think it's funny how sensitive mine are to indoor noises versus outdoor noises. I have three kids, one of whom plays the electric guitar... the pigs are VERY used to indoor noises, kid noises, music, tv sounds, etc. The absolutely freeze to bird song outside just because it's new. Novelty definitely is noticed, habitual sounds are quickly ignored.

 

[pawelstolars]

All above makes sense but then how it is possible that in general (providing good weather), there is no strong recommendation to keep guinea pigs indoors and only let them out for a 'buffet' ? Many websites advise that, providing temperatures above 15 degrees, there is no difference if they are kept outdoors or indoors. Surely for motoric development and well-being it is better to live in an indoor environment where you feel safe, happy and jump around frequently than in outdoor hut where you are uncertain and your movements are reduced by fear, is that not correct ? Does keeping them outdoors not result in poorer physical and mental health overall ?

 

[piggieminder]

All above makes sense but then how it is possible that in general (providing good weather), there is no strong recommendation to keep guinea pigs indoors and only let them out for a 'buffet' ? Many websites advise that, providing temperatures above 15 degrees, there is no difference if they are kept outdoors or indoors. Surely for motoric development and well-being it is better to live in an indoor environment where you feel safe, happy and jump around frequently than in outdoor hut where you are uncertain and your movements are reduced by fear, is that not correct ? Does keeping them outdoors not result in poorer physical and mental health overall ?

Because all guinea pigs are different. My indoor boars love outdoors, as soon as their carriers are put into the cages for them to go out they jump in to their 'bus'. They run around and get very excited outside, eat sleep and chat to their neighbours. Outside for mine is a very exciting place. I dread the winter when the boys have to stay in, keeping their lives enriched is much harder. Some of my boys took a while to like going outside, other's have taken to it straight away. Guinea pigs are like people, they all have their likes and dislikes.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s about what they are used to.
My two live in my shed year round with 12-14 hours of grass time during summer days.. Their all round health is excellent. As soon as I put their carrier down in the shed they hop into it knowing they are going out onto the lawn - they love it.

They come into the house for periods in summer when it is too hot outside. But, they aren’t used to being inside so when they do have to come and spend a couple of days (two weeks last year with the summer heat we had) indoors, they spent the first 24 hours or so scared. One of them is much braver than the other is a lot less bothered by it now but they are so very wary of being in the house and away from their shed and lawn run.

 

[KathT]

Mine don’t do a lot when outside but I figure it’s better outside in the fresh air than stuck inside. I have found that mine come out of their hides when the run is covered over (I use some old tablecloths that I attach with old pegs), so that helps as well. Most of mine are ‘middle aged’ apart from a couple, so they don’t run around if they can help it.

 

[PigglePuggle]

It really all depends on the piggies and your own personal circumstances and preferences and set-up too.
My piggies are indoor only- we live in the city with only a small patio garden and with the constant worry of the neighbours cats! Though I do grow them grass and dandelions in windowboxes to bring the tastiest bits of outdoors, indoors.
If you are lucky enough to have a safe clean garden lawn then its great to try some lawn time- just add a blanket over part of the run and plenty tunnels or hidey houses so they feel secure. It takes time for piggies to overcome their natural prey instincts and relax in any new environment.
If they really dont like outdoors at all, there is no harm in letting them exercise in a larger indoor space instead and picking them some grass to eat instead!
We all want what's best for our piggies but remember there is no gold standard best that suits everypig and everyone- be guided by your piggies and by your own instincts about what they enjoy