we are getting 2 baby guinea pigs for christmas and i am planning to let themout in their run every moment possible as we have not got a hutch cover for the run so an not let them out freely. please help!
If you have a spacious cage for your guinea pigs, they will of course be able to run-around and have the much needed exercise that they need. However, to help keep the very inquisitive guinea pig extra happy, they adore free range time. This can be in a safe room which has no reachable wires, house plants etc. Or you could make an extra large pen for your guinea pigs. This option is ideal if you have younger children.
Your guinea pig will especially need daily free range time if they live in a small cage. They need to be able to run and work their muscles, so if your home can't accommodate a large cage, please give your guinea pigs at least 3 to 4 hours of free range time daily. They thoroughly enjoy running about and going on little adventures. Its wonderful seeing them charging around, you can see how happy they are being free. Let your piggies have as much exercise as you can give them. If your out at work/school for most of the day its best to buy the largest enclosure your home can accommodate, that way at least they have the opportunity to run about. Of course, before you allow your guinea pigs to run-around, you must make sure their exercise area is safe environment. In addition, if your guinea pigs can't get back into their cage by themselves, you will need to provide a water source, provide food for them and toilet areas to protect your flooring.
Outdoor Exercise
During warm summer days you can allow your guinea pigs to go outside. They will love the fresh air and nibbling on fresh green grass. Again, they must always be supervised. During warm summer days my piggies really enjoy having some time outside. I have two areas they can use in our garden. A concrete area at the side of our house where they can run-around, its also sheltered against the sun for most of the day because of the building next to ours. I block an escape route with the tops of my old guinea pig cages. They are of course supervised at all times and are never left alone, not even for a few seconds. They also go into a run that I've made out of left over cube grids, so they can nibble on fresh green grass. Again, I supervise them at all times. Even if you do have a run that you can buy from pet stores with a sheltered area, you still need to supervise them at all times.
Comments
If you have a spacious cage for your guinea pigs, they will of course be able to run-around and have the much needed exercise that they need. However, to help keep the very inquisitive guinea pig extra happy, they adore free range time. This can be in a safe room which has no reachable wires, house plants etc. Or you could make an extra large pen for your guinea pigs. This option is ideal if you have younger children.
Your guinea pig will especially need daily free range time if they live in a small cage. They need to be able to run and work their muscles, so if your home can't accommodate a large cage, please give your guinea pigs at least 3 to 4 hours of free range time daily. They thoroughly enjoy running about and going on little adventures. Its wonderful seeing them charging around, you can see how happy they are being free. Let your piggies have as much exercise as you can give them. If your out at work/school for most of the day its best to buy the largest enclosure your home can accommodate, that way at least they have the opportunity to run about. Of course, before you allow your guinea pigs to run-around, you must make sure their exercise area is safe environment. In addition, if your guinea pigs can't get back into their cage by themselves, you will need to provide a water source, provide food for them and toilet areas to protect your flooring.
Outdoor Exercise
During warm summer days you can allow your guinea pigs to go outside. They will love the fresh air and nibbling on fresh green grass. Again, they must always be supervised. During warm summer days my piggies really enjoy having some time outside. I have two areas they can use in our garden. A concrete area at the side of our house where they can run-around, its also sheltered against the sun for most of the day because of the building next to ours. I block an escape route with the tops of my old guinea pig cages. They are of course supervised at all times and are never left alone, not even for a few seconds. They also go into a run that I've made out of left over cube grids, so they can nibble on fresh green grass. Again, I supervise them at all times. Even if you do have a run that you can buy from pet stores with a sheltered area, you still need to supervise them at all times.
for more, go to this helpful Guinea pig forum:
http://www.pimms-pages.co.uk/forums/default.asp
I let me guinea pigs out every other day for about 3-5 hours.
they need about 1-3 hours a day and give them lots of love!
build them a gym in there hutch