Contented piggies… ?

[Ruth1]

I just feel like I’d like to check with folks who know…!

I think my we pair of ladies seem really content, despite not getting much floor time. They seem to just prefer and feel more comfortable in their own pen, with each other. But sometimes I worry that I could be reading them wrong.

They are busy, enjoy their snoozing, making wee noises to each other - usually wee muttering, potterIng sounds as they root around in their hay. I still get the odd zoomie, but less now they are older. There are popcorns and they let me stroke them provided I come baring peaflakes. They really only come out for cleaning about every week to 10 days.

They just seem happy with that. Relaxed and content. I’d hate to be wrong tho - should I take them out more, or is this other people’s experience? They are almost a year and a half now.

Any experience or thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks xx

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

I have got a daily free roaming routine with my piggies. They have floor time for about an hour in the morning and 1-2 hours in the evening. That's almost everyday, as long as I'm not down with something nasty or come home really late. But even then I open the cage for a short time, to see if anyone wants to come out.
But my cage is on the floor, so I only have to open it and check, if there are any leaves from my ficus trees laying on the floor.

At the moment the cage is smaller than it usually is, because of having to keep them on fleece because of Billie's paw condition.
And they spend a lot of time outside...
But with their usual cage it was Tessy who often took a nap in her favourite place, but on some days no one came outside.

When piggies are young, they do a lot of zoomies. They get more lazy when they get older. A boar would probably perk up your girls more than floor time.

Personally I'm a big fan of floor time routine and couldn't keep my piggies 'locked up' all day everyday. But that's just my feeling.
Piggies like their routine and it's up to everyone to find the routine that suits themselves and their piggies best.

 

[Lorcan]

Comet loved floor time, Blitzen was not as much of a fan but he did it if Comet did. Usually I'd let them free in my hallway and Comet would try eating everything and he had a particular fondness for trying to gnaw on the letterbox Comets entire life involved zoomies, too. Absolute melter of a pig, everything was done with 110% enthusiasm, which is why floor time worked so well for him. Blitzen, on the other hand...the cage was safe, it had walls, it had the beds and the food, why would he want to leave that comfort for a big hall with weird wall walls (rather than cage walls)?

The way this house is, the goblins can't have floor time. The only available space is downstairs, too cold for their little bodies. Maybe if they had fur, but they don't. So instead they get a bigger cage and I clean it out with them still in it (90 minutes it took yesterday!). Floor time isn't a necessity, and some pigs really don't like it. I'd say your girls are quite happy as they are

 

[Ruth1]

Comet loved floor time, Blitzen was not as much of a fan but he did it if Comet did. Usually I'd let them free in my hallway and Comet would try eating everything and he had a particular fondness for trying to gnaw on the letterbox Comets entire life involved zoomies, too. Absolute melter of a pig, everything was done with 110% enthusiasm, which is why floor time worked so well for him. Blitzen, on the other hand...the cage was safe, it had walls, it had the beds and the food, why would he want to leave that comfort for a big hall with weird wall walls (rather than cage walls)?

The way this house is, the goblins can't have floor time. The only available space is downstairs, too cold for their little bodies. Maybe if they had fur, but they don't. So instead they get a bigger cage and I clean it out with them still in it (90 minutes it took yesterday!). Floor time isn't a necessity, and some pigs really don't like it. I'd say your girls are quite happy as they are

Thankyou xx I think both of mine sound more like Blitzen - very chilled.

 

[Ruth1]

I have got a daily free roaming routine with my piggies. They have floor time for about an hour in the morning and 1-2 hours in the evening. That's almost everyday, as long as I'm not down with something nasty or come home really late. But even then I open the cage for a short time, to see if anyone wants to come out.
But my cage is on the floor, so I only have to open it and check, if there are any leaves from my ficus trees laying on the floor.

At the moment the cage is smaller than it usually is, because of having to keep them on fleece because of Billie's paw condition.
And they spend a lot of time outside...
But with their usual cage it was Tessy who often took a nap in her favourite place, but on some days no one came outside.

When piggies are young, they do a lot of zoomies. They get more lazy when they get older. A boar would probably perk up your girls more than floor time.

Personally I'm a big fan of floor time routine and couldn't keep my piggies 'locked up' all day everyday. But that's just my feeling.
Piggies like their routine and it's up to everyone to find the routine that suits themselves and their piggies best.

Thankyou - there is a way I could put their enclosure on the kitchen floor and do that, but I wonder would my walking past them and the dog frighten them….

 

[AidaB]

Our boys used to get floor time every evening, this just means a bigger piggy friendly place blocked off with C&C grids- as it’s unsafe to free roam in our old house.
Due to a lot of things including trying to cut back on washing -we made their home bigger & floor time wasn’t originally planned over winter.
The guilt set in& I think they like a change of scenery. Our compromise is floor time Fri, Sat & Sunday. I would say that H&H are happier in a known place, (& routine)and are not happy if I have to change the shape of the floor time space.
(Our very first floor time was a disaster).
We do find ourselves having to step through the floor time space, which never seems to bother other boys & we hoomans will occasionally pause for a sit & chat with our Guinea pigs.
This is our normal so they have become used to it.
We are very careful about where we put our feet.

Your girls sound like they are content and happy.

 

[Ruth1]

I wonder would this be worth a try…

Put the pen on the kitchen floor and for floor time open a panel and panel off the kitchen area and just see what they do. If I find that them being on the floor frightens them, I can always put them back on the base again. I have a wall to fill on the other side of this through room so the Kallex units can be still used for the piggy parafinalia (can’t spell that! ). I’m scared to do anything that might upset their peace

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

Thankyou - there is a way I could put their enclosure on the kitchen floor and do that, but I wonder would my walking past them and the dog frighten them….

If piggies are used to living 'upstairs' (if you know what I mean), they can get frightend by living on the floor. Mine are used to it, but I don't have a dog. I would be really careful about free roaming or an open cage on the floor when there is a dog around. Even if your dog is super friendly.
I don't have other pets, it's just me and the piggies.

 

[Merab]

Mine don’t seem to be bothered by floortime.
When we moved we went from carpets to a wooden floor which they hated.
So I bought a carpet remnant and a bunny pen to keep them secure but they simply refused to leave their cage.
As it’s big enough for zoomies I decided to let them stay in the cage.

 

[Ruth1]

Mine don’t seem to be bothered by floortime.
When we moved we went from carpets to a wooden floor which they hated.
So I bought a carpet remnant and a bunny pen to keep them secure but they simply refused to leave their cage.
As it’s big enough for zoomies I decided to let them stay in the cage.

Yeah - if I thought they wanted out I would bring them out, but I actually think they prefer their own wee space. I think they would hate on the floor down low too - there’s too much traffic through the room.

Thankyou!

Thanks!

 

[eileen]

i have four cages ,so i time share a indoor guinea pig run 7 feet x 3 feet,each group gets 2 hours aday.this works well for me.some of the older ones sit alot,but tunnels and treat hays get them moving !