Younger guinea pig usually sleeps outside house?

Chunky_Pig

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Apologies if this is a stupid post, but my 7ish month old piggy seems to be very comfortable sleeping outside most of them time. I know it usually means they feel safe enough in their cage, but after having had 4 piggies, it still surprises me. She will lay flat and will make a little pit in her bedding to sleep in. She usually uses the same 3 spots. She's still too crazy to be cuddled with as she'd rather climb around and explore my bed or me than sit and relax, but maybe one day she'll calm down more.
 
I’ve always thought when they slept or relaxed in the open it was a good sign they felt safe and comfortable enough to do so too. They all have their individual little quirks, which is possibly why you haven’t experienced this before. I think it’s lovely to observe them relaxing without feeling the need to ‘hide’.
 
Polo sleeps outside mostly, but will lie down in the middle of a big hay pile. Sometimes I envy him 😴
 
Hi and welcome

With new piggies, one can sometimes sleep outside the opening when they have the need to be close but the leading companion doesn't have that same need and is not willing to share their prime territory, which is due them as leader.

Some pet piggies are much more relaxed about being out in the open and like to snooze where they are comfy. Piggies are nothing if not quirky. Every rule comes with exceptions... :D

Piggies are not wired to sleep snuggled up - in that case, there is mostly an emotional/dependency at the bottom of it. They sleep close to each other in a safe denning area in individual little nooks and crannies in thick undergrowth but they do not tunnel or build dens or nests.

When the parent generation of my little Cornish family (mum with a daughter and son, both sows pregnant by the boy) was rescued by a forum member from living rough in dog walking wasteland, they were using a thick clump of pampas grass as their denning area, but they had each their own little 'bedroom' in there.

It is one of those misconceptions that is the result of human driven interest on social media? Snuggled up piggies look cute to us humans but who wants to see piggies splodged all over the cage, each in their own hut?

We generally recommend to have at least the same number of huts or tunnels as piggies, and ideally an extra accommodation. Some piggies love to build their own nest in a pile of hay - this comes closest to their dee-rooted species instinct. But you won't ever find two piggies snuggling together in the same hay nest.
 
There are no stupid questions here.
It’s a special part of the forum that we can ask anything.
I’ve had piggies who always sleep in a tunnel, a bed, a pile of hay, and others who were quite happy to sleep outside.
Enjoy the fact that she seems comfortable and is quite a character
 
When the parent generation of my little Cornish family (mum with a daughter and son, both sows pregnant by the boy) was rescued by a forum member from living rough in dog walking wasteland, they were using a thick clump of pampas grass as their denning area, but they had each their own little 'bedroom' in there.
The info on their denning area is interesting!
Thank goodness a forum member found them and rescued them though.
 
The info on their denning area is interesting!
Thank goodness a forum member found them and rescued them though.

It was on the local Whatsapp group, so she went to have a look as to whether she could find them. They were not that difficult to find with all their little paths in the ivy and undergrowth, which all centred on a massive clump of pampas grass. However it took her two days to rescue them. You can see some pictures of the area and first glimpses of them in the tale of their rescue below.

Here is their story: Three guinea pigs have been dumped near me (which also contains some pictures of their environment and how they have tried to 'pigsonalise' it)
Modron 'Mother Goddess' is the large white and blonde one; Millyn 'Sweet Violet', her ginger and white smooth daughter with the ruby eyes and Barcud 'Red Kite' is the red and white aby son.

The little family with Millyn's two babies upon arrival here
1777907925165.webp

And two months later with Modron's two newborn sons
1777908049492.webp
Modron, Millyn and Barcud will have turned 4 years now and the four 'babies' are going to do so in September and October, 6 weeks apart. But they are currently all still alive after their narrow escape.
My thanks are going to @Bill & Ted who rescued them and then brought them here all the way from Cornwall. :)
 
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