Piggies don't like hutch!

Alfalfa

Afternoon all! Just looking for a bit of advice with regards to my two guinea pigs.

They moved into their new hutch on Sunday and really don't seem to like it. They used to live indoors but with a new baby due any day and a lack if space we bought them a big two tiered hutch and moved them into the garden. We waited until the weather was warmer, filled the hutch with loads of hay and food and toys and put a cover over it to keep the wind out. However, they haven't even attempted to go down the ramp to the bottom tier and just look really peeved off all the time!

I know it'll take them time to settle and my OH is saying i'm being overly sensitive ( I am heavily pregnant and a week overdue!) but can anyone give any suggestions on what we can do to help them settle? Or am I just being daft worrying over them?! Pregnancy hormones!

LittleLauz

They're nervous animals by nature so the whole new home and moving to outside thing has probably got them a little spooked.
Don't worry though they will soon get used to their new home and new surroundings! In the mean time, give them some extra veggies as a little treat :-)

Cany

If you were sent outside from a warm house into the cold to live in a tent you wouldn't like it either. You aren't going to spend any time out there in the cold or rain with them, and once the baby arrives you will be neglecting them big time.

Would you put your cat or dog outside permanently just because you were having a baby?

So take another look at the space inside (try guineapigcages. com for great space saving ideas) and bring them back in, or start thinking about rehoming them with someone who might care for them properly. Try cavy rescue .co.uk or the guineapigforum.co.uk
Just because people have been, and continue to be casually neglectful and cruel to rabbits and guinea pigs by leaving them outdoors, it doesn't mean it is good animal husbandry, or the right thing to do.

LittleLauz

Just because they're outdoors, doesn't neccessarily mean they are going to be neglected!!
Whilst I agree that all pets are better off indoors, I myself have owned guinea pigs and kept them inside, I think it's rather unfair to say that OP is a bad owner for needing the space a big cage takes up inside!
It's pretty obvious by the tone of the post that she cares about the piggies very much so don't be so harsh. They are better off having an owner that obviously cares for their welfare than being rehomed to somebody, who once the novelty factor wears off will completely forgetS about them.

Alfalfa

I'm just going to politely ignore the accusations of neglect as I know they couldn't be further from the truth. The decision to house them outside wasn't made lightly, we did our research and spoke to the vet on the piggies last check up two weeks ago. I know plenty of people who house their pigs/rabbits and even dogs outside and the animals are all well looked after.


LittleLauz- thanks for the reassurance! OH is off work today and has got up ridiculously early (grrr!) to do some gardening and he's just took the piggies breakfasts to them. I think the extra cucumber and the couple of leaves of lettuce have bought him big brownie points with them and they're squeaking away like crazy. It's probably just me they're peeved off with!

amy104

They are more likely to go up first than down so maybe try them in the bottom section first.

As a rule piggies can be very nervous of ramps, I prefer single levels for them as a rule but I know some people have put little fabric tunnels down the ramp with good success. Piggy can't fall off the ramp and also has extra grip.

http://www.cosycavies.co.uk/products/tunnels/

Alfalfa

Thanks for the tip, I'll put them downstairs for a while and see how they go. I know some piggies don't like ramps and some do, ours liked the tunnel in their indoor cage that let them go from one tier to another so I thought they'd like the ramp. We'll wait and see if the start venturing up and down it!

faded_flowers

Maybe something like a cat or fox has come up to the bottom tier for a look - that'd certainly keep them on the top level!