Guinea pigs living indoors with rats :(

[Tinychels]

Hello! Just recently I have gotten 3 piggies, Akira, Ruby, and Athena living with me. I’ve got them the C&C cage (without the cover) with the stand (made out of grids) and its been great as the piggies have more space to run & i have room to store their food under their stand. In my house however (i live in a 3 family home), there’s rats here & there. It’s not infested, but like every other home, there’s bound to have other living beings in the home. The colder weather has been coming up so we’re just expecting them to come. However, a few hours ago, I heard the rats squeal (a very distinct squeal compared to the piggies cute squeals) and now I’m worried for the girls. It didn’t really occur to me that the piggies would attract the rats, or if the rats would pose a problem for the piggies until this point. Is there any evidence on what I should do for my Guinea pigs so they wouldn’t attract the rats or get frightened by them ? Anything I should know between the two in terms of the piggies being in danger?

 

[Mother Hubbard]

Hi,
Definitely put a lid on your c&c ensuring it’s all cable tied together and a strong enough bulldog clip for the lid of the cage.
Store all food and hay in storage boxes that are air right, cleaned poop every day and don’t leave any poop scoop dust pan and brushes out in he air also. Frankly anything that smells of your piggies and personally I would put rat poison down.
I assume you don’t live in the uk?

 

[Reenie]

I don't know that a lid would really help. A rat could easily get through a grid. Could you put chicken wire around the outside, so that it would stop the rats but not cause a danger to the piggies? I agree with @Mother Hubbard that supplies would need to be in boxes. Metal would be the best option as they would eventually chew through plastic if they were determined, although it would be fine to begin with. Could you contact environmental health to try to have the rats eradicated? I hope you get it sorted.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello! Just recently I have gotten 3 piggies, Akira, Ruby, and Athena living with me. I’ve got them the C&C cage (without the cover) with the stand (made out of grids) and its been great as the piggies have more space to run & i have room to store their food under their stand. In my house however (i live in a 3 family home), there’s rats here & there. It’s not infested, but like every other home, there’s bound to have other living beings in the home. The colder weather has been coming up so we’re just expecting them to come. However, a few hours ago, I heard the rats squeal (a very distinct squeal compared to the piggies cute squeals) and now I’m worried for the girls. It didn’t really occur to me that the piggies would attract the rats, or if the rats would pose a problem for the piggies until this point. Is there any evidence on what I should do for my Guinea pigs so they wouldn’t attract the rats or get frightened by them ? Anything I should know between the two in terms of the piggies being in danger?

Rats will kill guinea pigs anytime. If you have both species, you'd ideally not have them in the same room and your guinea pig cage needs to be rat proof and fully enclosed.

 

[DMS260820]

Hello! Just recently I have gotten 3 piggies, Akira, Ruby, and Athena living with me. I’ve got them the C&C cage (without the cover) with the stand (made out of grids) and its been great as the piggies have more space to run & i have room to store their food under their stand. In my house however (i live in a 3 family home), there’s rats here & there. It’s not infested, but like every other home, there’s bound to have other living beings in the home. The colder weather has been coming up so we’re just expecting them to come. However, a few hours ago, I heard the rats squeal (a very distinct squeal compared to the piggies cute squeals) and now I’m worried for the girls. It didn’t really occur to me that the piggies would attract the rats, or if the rats would pose a problem for the piggies until this point. Is there any evidence on what I should do for my Guinea pigs so they wouldn’t attract the rats or get frightened by them ? Anything I should know between the two in terms of the piggies being in danger?

Wild rats? Get pest control in

 

[Tinychels]

Hi,
Definitely put a lid on your c&c ensuring it’s all cable tied together and a strong enough bulldog clip for the lid of the cage.
Store all food and hay in storage boxes that are air right, cleaned poop every day and don’t leave any poop scoop dust pan and brushes out in he air also. Frankly anything that smells of your piggies and personally I would put rat poison down.
I assume you don’t live in the uk?

Okay, will do. & Yeah I live in the US. Unfortunately, my land owner doesn’t seem to care much about our house so he won’t do much

 

[Tinychels]

I don't know that a lid would really help. A rat could easily get through a grid. Could you put chicken wire around the outside, so that it would stop the rats but not cause a danger to the piggies? I agree with @Mother Hubbard that supplies would need to be in boxes. Metal would be the best option as they would eventually chew through plastic if they were determined, although it would be fine to begin with. Could you contact environmental health to try to have the rats eradicated? I hope you get it sorted.

I think my best financial option at the moment, to protect the piggies, would be to wrap the cage around with chicken wire. Should i put that on the top of the cage as a temporary top as well as the perimeter of the cage?

 

[DMS260820]

Rats have hinged rib cages at the spine they can get through very tiny spaces.

 

[Reenie]

I think my best financial option at the moment, to protect the piggies, would be to wrap the cage around with chicken wire. Should i put that on the top of the cage as a temporary top as well as the perimeter of the cage?

I would think so. Just be careful not to leave sharp edges, or have it so the piggies can't catch their claws in it. Good luck x

 

[DMS260820]

Cant

 

[Reenie]

Cant

edited. lol

 

[Tinychels]

Rats have hinged rib cages at the spine they can get through very tiny spaces.

At your reply earlier, about the pest control. I plan to call them once I’m financially stable (currently paying lots of college tuition at the moment). & mhm, since they can through very tiny spaces, would there be anything else - that you know of - to make the cage rat proof ?

 

[DMS260820]

At your reply earlier, about the pest control. I plan to call them once I’m financially stable (currently paying lots of college tuition at the moment). & mhm, since they can through very tiny spaces, would there be anything else - that you know of - to make the cage rat proof ?

Its not your worry its your landlords to get the rats sorted