All of us need to present our guinea pigs with one of the best care attainable, however there’s a variety of conflicting recommendation on the market! You may need a variety of questions on flooring time particularly.
Establishing an area for flooring time requires an area as giant or bigger than their cage. Use C&C grids or different limitations to dam off unsafe areas and darkish areas the place piggies could also be tempted to potty. Line the ground with a water-proof liner and supply a recent pile of hay and loads of hides and tunnels.
On this article, we’ll go in-depth on arrange flooring time for guinea pigs, and offer you some concepts on forestall them from peeing on the ground and going the place they shouldn’t. I’ll additionally speak about present enrichment in your piggies whereas they’re out of the cage.
Have Flooring Time With Guinea Pigs
Flooring time for guinea pigs is fairly easy. The 2 fundamental issues to account for are guinea-proofing the house and protecting issues tidy.
Right here’s a step-by-step information on arrange flooring time in your piggies.
Select a House
Will you employ a playpen, make a barrier out of C&C grids, or let your piggy free roam a room or the home? All are nice choices when carried out proper.
Guinea-Pig Proof the House
Subsequent, you want the house to be protected. That is fairly straightforward for small areas, however will get harder if you wish to let your piggies free-roam on the ground.
Decide up choking hazards, tuck electrical cords out of attain, and ensure there’s nothing on the ground that they may chew. Use limitations to cease your piggies from climbing underneath furnishings or going anyplace unsafe, akin to close to the steps.
Additionally block off something your piggy can harm, akin to furnishings legs and baseboards.
Take away Different Pets From the Space
Guinea pigs shouldn’t be allowed to work together with different pets like canine and cats, as they’re predator animals. Even probably the most docile canine or cat can shock you, and plenty of canine or cats who’ve been nice round guineas earlier than have gone on to kill them. It’s merely not well worth the danger.
Rabbits, although they aren’t prey animals, may also severely injure guinea pigs. They’re additionally asymptomatic carriers for Bordetella, which might kill a guinea pig in the event that they catch it. Canine and cats may also unfold Bordetella to piggies.
Defend Your Flooring
There are a number of methods to guard your flooring from guinea pig pee. Use waterproof liners coated with fleece for small areas. Bigger areas might be coated with giant tarps and fleece, or you may select to belief your piggies to potty in sure spots. This generally works for those who present pee pads across the hay and underneath their hides–many piggies will poop and pee probably the most in a hidey home, reasonably than out within the open.
With that mentioned, you do need to block off something you don’t need your piggy pooping or peeing beneath–as they are going to seemingly gravitate towards these areas and can nearly actually make a large number. I realized this the arduous manner when my piggy Rocky left an enormous pile of poop in a cat tree!
Carry the Hay
Guinea pigs want entry to hay across the clock, so don’t neglect to additionally present it throughout flooring time!
Present Hides
Massive, open areas are scary for many guinea pigs. Present loads of hides, particularly in giant areas, to make them really feel extra comfy.
Make Flooring Time a Group Exercise
After I first had my piggies, I made the error of making an attempt to bond with them alone by giving them their very own flooring time. Nevertheless it’s really simpler to convey bonded teams of piggies out collectively. It additionally offers them a confidence enhance and should make extra timid guinea pigs extra more likely to discover.
Supervise Your Piggies
I like to recommend supervising flooring time in the course of the first few occasions at the least, simply to verify the house is guinea pig-proofed. That is particularly vital for those who’re permitting them to free-roam.
Should you’re fully certain the house is protected and nothing can go mistaken, it’s then okay to look away or go away them alone in a room.
How A lot House Do Guinea Pigs Want for Flooring Time?
In my view, flooring time ought to present guinea pigs with at the least as a lot house as they get of their cage–however ideally extra.
Even areas the identical measurement as their cage might be enriching as a result of your piggies get to discover a model new house with completely different smells and sights.
However too small of an area, they usually gained’t have room to run round and have enjoyable. Flooring time is about offering enrichment and encouraging your piggies to train, in order that they do want to have the ability to dash round!
How Lengthy Ought to Flooring Time Be for Guinea Pigs?
You could have seen individuals declare guinea pigs want an hour or a number of hours a day of flooring time, however this isn’t essentially true. As a substitute, it depends upon the guinea pig.
Some piggies are homebodies who get pleasure from spending most of their time of their cages. They may cover throughout flooring time and be too scared to have enjoyable or discover it enriching. On this case, flooring time isn’t crucial.
Others are extra outgoing, love adventuring, and must be allowed to take action for so long as attainable (or so long as they’re nonetheless having fun with themselves).
Lastly, please don’t make the error of considering that flooring time makes up for a small cage. In case your cage doesn’t meet the minimum of 7.5 square feet for two piggies (or larger for bigger teams), flooring time will likely be helpful however gained’t make up for his or her improper housing the remainder of the day.
Guinea pigs don’t sleep for lengthy durations, both, so letting them free-roam in the course of the day whereas locking them up at evening nonetheless neglects their wants.
What to Use for Guinea Pig Flooring Time
There are all kinds of choices on the subject of flooring time. Some individuals merely let their guinea pigs free-roam on the ground with unsafe areas blocked off. Others fence off smaller areas utilizing a playpen, C&C grids, and even cardboard.
Borders for flooring time don’t need to be as sturdy as they’re for a guinea pig cage, as long as flooring time is supervised. Should you aren’t supervising your pigs, you do need to be certain their enclosure is safe.
To guard your flooring from pee, you should utilize a water-proof tarp, fleece liner, or an affordable bathe curtain. As long as the article you select is waterproof, you’ll be good to go!
Flooring Time Enrichment Concepts
- Scatter feeding: Scatter their every day pellets, treats, or forage across the house in order that your piggies can seek for their meals. This imitates what they’d need to do within the wild–simply be certain their hay is all the time simply accessible, as it is a meals they need to by no means need to work for.
- Use puzzle toys: Puzzle toys made for cats, canine, or pocket pets all work. If utilizing cat or canine toys, you’ll want to select straightforward ones with easy sliders or small deal with balls they’ll simply roll round. The extra superior puzzles will seemingly be too troublesome!
- Arrange a maze: Establishing a simple maze in your piggies reveals you the way clever they are surely! Put some tasty treats, forage, or veggies on the finish or scatter them all through the maze to pave the best way.
- Carry them out collectively: The most effective enrichment for guinea pigs are different guinea pigs. Carry bonded pairs or herds out collectively for flooring time they usually can hold one another occupied.
- Use a wide range of hides and tunnels: This makes your piggies really feel protected and encourages exploration. They’re a lot much less more likely to go from one facet of the room to a different if it’s a vibrant, open house. However add in a bunch of tunnels for them to run by way of, they usually simply would possibly!
- Change up the house: You don’t need the ground to have all the identical objects as their cage, in all the identical areas. What enjoyable is that? As a substitute, swap issues up throughout flooring time in order that your guineas have a motive to discover.
Why Does My Guinea Pig Not Like Flooring Time?
Some guinea pigs don’t like flooring time. Of those piggies, some are skittish of their new houses and can heat as much as the idea over time. Others might not ever get pleasure from it.
Should you’ve simply introduced your piggy residence, attempt backing up just a few steps. Allow them to get used to their cage first, then attempt bonding with them inside the cage. As soon as they really feel comfy round you, attempt flooring time once more.
Single piggies may additionally be scared throughout flooring time, however with mates they get pleasure from themselves. Having a companion makes guinea pigs really feel extra assured and blissful.
It’s additionally attainable that your flooring house isn’t arrange nicely, and your piggy feels scared within the open house. Strive offering a number of hides throughout the room in order that they’ll get from place to put with out as a lot worry.
Offering a peaceful, quiet ambiance usually helps as nicely. Attempt to sit and even lay on the ground, reasonably than strolling round–this could make some guinea pigs nervous.
All of that mentioned, I had a guinea pig named Child who by no means grew to like flooring time. He wasn’t skittish and was okay being held, particularly if the TV was enjoying his favourite reveals! However, he additionally liked his cage and would generally wander down the hallway towards it to let me know he was able to go residence.
On the time, I believed it was unhealthy to by no means take guinea pigs out of their cage. However realizing what I do now, I’d concentrate on giving a piggy like Child the largest cage attainable and offering loads of enrichment inside his cage, reasonably than forcing him to be outdoors of it for longer than he favored.
I hope this information has helped you to find out about flooring time for guinea pigs, arrange an superior flooring house, and what to do in case your piggies dislike flooring time.
