Why do people not use hutches indoors?

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flintstones

flintstones

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As the title states why?

I wish to design a new cage for indoor use but I find myself drifting further away from C & C cages, and thinking of more about a hutch for indoors is it cause it's just not pretty or is there another reason?
 
I had someone build me a hutch for indoors. So it looked as though it was part of the funiture and I also did turn a side board into a hutch too. I do like the indoor hutches cos you can see the piggys easy. drool
 
I guess it maybe how they look or their size? A 4ft cage will take up less space that a 4ft hutch..

That said, you could paint it to match your furniture and in some cases is may look tidier than a cage.

I assume it would also be easier for you to get a three or even four level hutch than it would a cage? ooh.. like the one at the top of this page maybe? http://www.rabbithutchwarehouse.co.uk/breeder_hutches.php
 
I was considering a hutch too Joanne, for indoors, and if it were my house I probably would have but I didn't think the rest of the household would have gone for it in the lounge! But you can paint them. Als, the bigger ones were ready made so couldn't get them up the stairs for the new piggy room xx
 
Little Piggles said:
I guess it maybe how they look or their size? A 4ft cage will take up less space that a 4ft hutch..

That said, you could paint it to match your furniture and in some cases is may look tidier than a cage.

I assume it would also be easier for you to get a three or even four level hutch than it would a cage? ooh.. like the one at the top of this page maybe? http://www.rabbithutchwarehouse.co.uk/breeder_hutches.php
Click to expand...

I think personally it would be tidier and made to fit in the space I have available along with storage underneath.

Do you know that way you know exactly what you want but have no clue were to start? :))
 
KimberleysWheekers said:
I was considering a hutch too Joanne, for indoors, and if it were my house I probably would have but I didn't think the rest of the household would have gone for it in the lounge! But you can paint them. Als, the bigger ones were ready made so couldn't get them up the stairs for the new piggy room xx
Click to expand...

Yes, this is something I am thinking of too. Was thinking maybe could have 2 halves? If you understand what I mean? rolleyes
 
I don't see why you couldn't have a hutch indoors! If we had more space I would bring mine in, I wonder if I can convince the family it would double as some sort of shelf/video rack if we put things on the top...

A really good website for hutches is

http://ukpetsonline.com/ I bought a 4ft two storey hutch from here and it was delivered really fast and came flatpacked, and was VERY easy to put together, nicely drilled pilot holes, everything fitted...it took far less time than my one from P@H to build (and the holes lined up unlike the P@H one, I ended up screwing a screw in only to find it hanging down into the hutch!)

This site is nice too but a bit more expensive

http://www.bitsforpets.com/hutches-runs-c-160_161.html
 
When we first got our piggies 3 years ago I bought a hutch which we kept indoors. I didn't like it as I didn't feel as though I could keep it clean as well as I would like to ( wood would get damp in corners from wee etc ) so I changed to c&c where I can clean all the plastic down properly. Also we could build the c&c cage to fit round the space we had, which is a little difficult to do with hutches! I'm not saying c&c are better than hutches though, they just work better for us.
 
I think hutches look nice. :)

And they'd be more cosy probably, if there were drafts or anything.

And might make the piggies feel a bit safer, I think they like that they have a solid roof.

:)
 
I have always found hutches better, they are easier to make coordinate with the room. I have a triple 4ft hutch (outside at the mo) which i find easier than cages! Ebay has got some excellent hutches if you don't like DIY.

x
 
Bailey said:
I was toying with the idea of having a hutch inside for my two. In the end I decided on an indoor cage instead because I could buy a stand for it and use underneath for storing the food & hay etc...

I love this hutch
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=51488
Click to expand...

The hutch in the picture is 70cm high inside so you could leave all four shelves in and make the hutch two tier. I took three of them out so bunny would have lots of headroom.

I have seen pictures (on this forum somewhere) where people have put hutches indoors and they have looked quite stylish.

Good luck with your project.
 
This is the set up I was telling you about, a combination of the two, just to give you ideas :)

nixiscage.jpg
 
The reason I don't do it is that I don't want more cage than needed, if you understand what I mean? I don't have any other pets, so a roof would just make it harder for me to get to my piggies and to clean their cage.
 
Good question...

I got my outdoor hutch from zooplus and I'm sure at the time I looked at peoples photos they had uploaded and some were inside and some outside - I cant get onto the page now to check (getting an error) but they looked good inside.... I think the piggies may feel more secure too and it would be less draughty than a cage.

I agree about cleaning the wood though but you could make a correlux plastic base for it then it would be cleanable..... my hutch came with a plastic tray....
 
i use a hutch to house mine indoors (:
i think it looks tidier than having piles of cages personally
 
I started out with a hutch indoors. I have "issues" with wooden hutches though following on from the experience - one is the wood splintering when pigs chewed on it (one pig got a splinter in his lip which did get infected), and also disinfecting wood, not as quick and easy as plastic housing.

Not to say I'm against all wooden hutches in the world.....but I just prefer and believe plastic housing has more pros. You could make it work better as suggested earlier by still using the correx, that would solve the problems I found with having them on wood, I still like the flexibility of cages though.
 
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Laura-CCC4 said:
I started out with a hutch indoors. I have "issues" with wooden hutches though following on from the experience - one is the wood splintering when pigs chewed on it (one pig got a splinter in his lip which did get infected), and also disinfecting wood, not as quick and easy as plastic housing.

Not to say I'm against all wooden hutches in the world.....but I just prefer and believe plastic housing has more pros. You could make it work better as suggested earlier by still using the correx, that would solve the problems I found with having them on wood, I still like the flexibility of cages though.
Click to expand...

I was thinking I would line it with lino and that would help with cleaning!

Yeah the flexibility is good, but I want something that looks the part and c & c is quite messy and the doors have been driving me insane recently!
 
Whatever works for you and your pigs, that's what matters, I'm sure hutches would work out well for you when you find the right ones. :)
 
I had my hutch indoors but it attracted mice with the offer of free bedding and food so we put it outside and got them an indoor cage (which my little brother broke so we just had to get a new one which I don't like as much!)

Amy
x
 
I had a C&C cage which I found a pain to clean, the pigs kept eating the correx and it kept leaking so I gave up and bought cages. I am now looking for a hutch for indoors. I really like the look of this one as it has plenty of ramps for exercise and lots of places to hide, only downside is I haven't heard good things about plastic trays which this one has. Wish there were some reviews on this one:-

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/rabbit_hutches/_kerbl/174034#more
 
Hutches are more attractive to cages, but I think they may start to smell indoors? Wood absorbs moisture, but plastic does not, and is more hygienic for indoors. Unless I suppose the hutch had some sort of plastic tray to line it...
 
i think they are to dark an with the cages you can see your piggies alot more:))
 
i have a nero 3 atm, n i think its quiet atractive lol, its nice and bright and with co ordinating fleese and accessories it looks quiet the part. i also put fleees over the top .. but nt the front, which matchs my decorating lol so i think it looks great haha.
 
View attachment 3436forgot to say, you canb buy plastic indoor ones, althoguh they are verrry small looking, might solve your problem? you can get them from argos
youy can get these in bright colours but i have seem them in a brown colour too, you can also buy the co ordinating run to add to the side, cant remeember where i have seen those though
 
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