Why I Stopped Using Guinea Pig Igloos
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- Опубліковано 23 чер 2019
- Tropical Fiddle Sticks Flexible Hideout amzn.to/2Xtlr27 LA Guinea Pig Rescue Space House: amzn.to/31c4fxK
www.scottysanimals.com/
What are the most common things to see inside a guinea pig cage, besides a guinea pig of course, would be a plastic igloo. The best word to describe them is ubiquitous. If you go into a pet store one of the first items and employee would suggest for you to buy for your guinea pig would be an igloo. Guinea pigs need some form of a hidey house. It gives them a sense of security and safety and it keeps them warm if the temperature drops. It also gives them a place to get away from their cage mate if they feel like it. But plastic igloos have horrible airflow and it is my sneaking suspicion that they are contributing to guinea pig illness. In this video I list all the reasons why I decided to stop using them. But I recommend several great alternatives. The tropical Fiddlesticks rainbow tunnel is my favorite cage accessory. If you look in my cages you will see the rainbow tunnel and a Snack Shack. Snack Shack keeps the hay off the ground but can also be used as a tunnel. The fiddlesticks rainbow tunnel is much healthier and safer in my opinion. What do you think? Let's hear it in the comments. Many of the links above are affiliate links. These help support my rescue efforts. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases. They ad no extra cost to you. - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
I love this Angel in disguise. He thinks outside the pigloo
Bwahahaha
@@ScottysAnimals I show this video to my wife and letting her know she can't keep sleeping in the pigloo and this is true though she got sick got the sniffles laying in bed all say all cover up is bad for the piggie mental health and breathing so now it encourages her to go out for a run and do more daily activities. These pigloos gotta go!
Boom
Lol
Great info. I had a few of those from adopted pigs and found them so boring and lonely. Or they were a source of arguments. I definitely like multi purpose hides like wood tunnels or comfy fleece.
skinnypigs1 lol you have a good amount of subs
I ended up suspending my igloos so they provide cover overtop, but the piggies can go in and out all 360 degrees. And of course better air flow that way too!
Smart
Alexandra great idea
That’s an awesome idea! How did you do it, if you don’t mind sharing?
Chekaya Oliver I wish I could just show you, but so I have a c&c cage, and I'm the back corners I just put a grid on top so there's kind of a shelf, then I put a long piece of wood across the two "shelves" that I hang the igloos on! You could even just use a curtain rod. I just have them tied up with zip ties or shoelaces
This is quite enlightening as soon as i get home off work im getting rid of the igloo and replacing it with a box
I’ve never understood why anyone would use those. The chew marks alone are evidence enough for me! Thx for helping to educate ppl!
I don't know what l would do without Scotty. My piggie, Scout, doesn't realize how much he owes to Scotty for his fabulous, safe, healthy life (I implement!).
I'm with you on the igloo issues. It's concerned me that there's only one entrance/exist but your point on air flow is a very valid on. My 3 girls get along well but when boss pig Maud says move they move. I use the extra large bendy bridges and a couple of homemade hidies that are simply 12" square piece of wood with 6" high legs at each corner, plenty of air flow, easy to attach hammocks that I make and exits galore 😊 Great video Scott!
Agree completely
Saw your video today, So I went to amazon and bought the fiddlestick hideout............ next month i will by another......... Ms. Piggy and Peanut are going to love it....
They love the fiddlestick tunnel here, they share it and its cool in the summer .
Your awesome. You have taught me a lot since I found your channel. And that video that easy for me about playtime with a single piggie. That made sense. So have a great day.
I agree completely, and for me having a herd of 5, the territorial battles were enough to make me not use them, let alone the rest. i use the bendy bridges and several I have made myself. I always try to go wood over plastic too, its more natural. They are also easier to move about to give them a bit of variety.
An hey a day that starts with a scotty video is a good day.
Gotta love a bendy bridge...yesterday I opened one up, leaned it against a hidie to make an additional room/ tunnel and the girls were all "wow a whole new world mum" doing their "busy chicken" noise while exploring it!
Thanks Scotty,I use igloos with my girls but they also play on the floor alot with the boxes I get from BJs or the market. They love those. I can switch up the floor design an the double entrance makes catching them easier.
pigs sit in hidey for a long time too.. i love the igloos and the igloo covers.. they are great to keep cool in with a frozen bottle and warm in winter
Thank you for this information. I have an igloo that my piggie loves. However, I cut an exit in the back so there’s air flow and it feels like a tunnel. Another hidey option that is my piggies favorite is the stacking storage bins at Dollar Tree. Flip them over and the slanted ends are a perfect tunnel. The bonus is the piggies can pull them around on their shoulders and rearrange them for zoomies.
Since my mom won’t get a new hidey I used a binder shaped cardboard thing, IT WORKS GREAT! And it’s bigger even tho her cage is small it’s so wide that it doesn’t even take up any space! She can even chew it and it doesn’t get hot, although we also have fans by her cage, we’re in the middle of a heat wave where I live, and she’s so much happier! I don’t have any frozen water bottles rn but they are in the freezer so instead I have her ice cubes wrapped in paper towel, she’s cuddling up with it, thx for your help! You just made my guinea pigs life like 10 times better!
I got mine from goodwill but I didn’t wanna toss it so i flipped it upsidedown and put a snuggle in there
I always kind of thought the same thing. I’m neurotic about cleaning out the poops and changing out fleece pads under the pigloos, but if fiddlesticks cost $7 a pop, I can afford that! So there’s no reason NOT to make the change.
I’m going to share this video to Potatoes With Legs, we can reach a lot of people. Thank you for making videos like this, Scott!
Perfect! Spread the word
WHOOOOAHH!!! I NEVER considered this aspect of piggie cautionary care! We tried "potty training" buuuut- no dice and I'd rather play it safe!!! We keep my two highly spoiled and beloved piggies in two "Southwest Cages"- which I try and clean daily- feed probably better than we eat and one still got a little respiratory infection before I had to treat with drops from our awesome vet till clear (seeing my vet is DANGEROUS! She's ALWAYS trying to get me fostering new pigs and its ever so hard to not help take one side i'm currently unable- i can only spread the word!!!!) Sooo maaaybe the igloos? I OFTEN rotate it out with homemade/ other toys anyway, so it's really NOT NECESSARY🙅♀️ THANKS SCOTTY!!!!😍🙏👍😻
Thanks for providing links with your suggestions!!! I've been trying to find affordable alternatives for my boys. I know my last piggies had respiratory infections constantly and I want my two boys now to have the best care and the most love that I can give. I don't have loads of money to spoil them, but the things you suggested are very affordable! Thank you again! I hope one day my bond with my piggies will be as beautiful as the one you have with yours!
I was surprised to find the rainbow tunnel for $7 and change!
Great info ! Thanks for spreading this information.
To be clear they are okay in some situations for a little while. But there are much better options
Thank you for the information Scotty, my piggies seem to like me to put a medium size fleece down so they can also borrow under. Thin piece of fleece seems to be their favorite place to hide, they also have a few fiddle sticks too.I had extra pieces of fleece from making their fleece liner, plus keeps them from burrowing under the fleece bedding.
I lost one of my piggys to these. It happened about 2-3 years ago i had these same igloos in there enclosure, they would occasionally nibble at the edges of the entrance but i thought nothing of it because everyone told me they had no issue with their guineas eating plastic and told me not to worry. The next day I found my one of my little guys on the floor unwell he wouldn't move and was limp 😭💔 I rushed him to the vet and they they told me that he had an impaction and internal bleeding from a lodged piece of plastic that he had eaten. He passed away and it broke my heart, i now only ever use natural/wood hides and enrichment and even then i monitor them so they don't swallow anything sharp. Its scarred me what happened, i suggest anyone using these igloos or any plastic toys/objects to please take them out and replace them or to monitor them extremely carefully as i don't want this happening to anyone else.
I miss my little guy so much. 💔😞😢
Oh no! I'm sorry I'm going to the pet store tomorrow and getting wood houses
I’ve taken all of your advice thanks Scotty, I’ve used all kinds of bedding and find the wood shavings to be by far the best. I’ve cured my guinea pig from ringworm and mange from your advice. I do have an igloo but will go back to using boxes. It makes sense. Thanks for all of your help. You do an amazing job. From Australia
You make such a good point. Ugh Scotty I love you!😂❤️
Alwaya great advice Scotty. Thanks
Thank you! Have a few of my own but they are just really special to me and I just can’t get rid of them. Thanks again for his video!!
Omg! This explains so many issues that we were kinda dealing with and didn’t even know it!! Thank you❤️
I think igloos are popular, but I have never thought they looked all that great.
After seeing how our pigs chew and pee on everything, we stopped buying stuff and just use Amazon boxes for hideous and tunnels. Toss them when they get dirty. Although we have one pig that’s hard to keep warm if it gets really cold at night, won’t use a fleece cozy, so we do use the plastic igloo for that purpose only. It’s noticeable warmer.
Love the tips, especially on how to do a UA-cam search. The links are invaluable!
When i used them along time ago,i did notice the moisture build up in them,and the film that gets on them inside and out.now i use fleece beds,tunnels,and fiddle sticks.No plastic anything.i'm glad you are putting it out there about them.And i do think they can be responsible for respiratory problems also.
On the fleece seems it would be more difficult to clean . 9 each have their own hidee even though two are plastic ones like Scott showed the other one is a cube that I purchased with a fleece bed liner. But each one has picked out their own there's no fighting and I clean my cage has multiple times per day so I guess that's why I have not smell the urine smell. I'm wondering how the cardboard boxes will hold up. Any answers would be appreciated thanks good luck to everyone and thanks Scotty
I agree! The edible Timothy hay hideyhouse is the best!
Thank you for the input on pig igloos Scott.
Excellent advice Scotty. I’ve been using those coloured wooden ones that you have. I fasten one side of them onto the side of the cage with ties, so they have plenty of headroom. Like to listen to your advice. Thanks 👍🏻😊
I clicked on this so fast. Thanks, Scotty! I just got three of them by using the link you provided!!!!
Good info!!! They love to be able to run through everything. What I did the plastic ones just like the ones you showed, was cut (heat cut) another entrance bigger then the one it came with so they can run through it and air runs through it. They should make them double exit sides.
I usually prop the fleece pocket of my guinea dad liner with a bendy bridge and my pigs love it! Then they also have a little fleece bed if they so prefer that at any point. My two boys snuggle a lot but the pocket makes it easy for them to separate when they piss each other off haha
i love fleece hideouts. They’re a verity of designs to pick from & gp LOVE them! although there’re quite expensive. I also LOVE the hideout Saskia sales. very well made & a pretty good variety of designs to pick ! ❤️
I'm definitely getting rid of mine asap! Never thought of these issues. Thanks Scotty!
Great idea! Thanks!
I don't know about this Scotty. There are ways around problems. I cut all the square turrets off the top of my pigloos to provide more air circulation, also the medium safari beds fit perfectly in a regular sized pigloo so I change those out often. My girls switch between the pockets on the Guinea Dad liners, pigloos and the fiddlestix tunnel
Awesome to know this.I will change too
My wife and I now have 4 piggies. They are not our pets. They are our sons. Your videos have made us better parents. The first pair have been together since they were babies. The second pair were adopted separately (2 weeks apart) within the past 2 weeks. Our older boys had mixed feelings about the 3rd boy we got 2 weeks ago. Knowing he would be depressed alone we got him a brother days ago. So thankful they hit it off like lifelong mates. We have all of them in a 5' 5" wide by 5' long cage with separation for the pairs. We thought about making it impossible for the pairs to see each other but they all love congregating at the divider. I call it "together yet separate for personal space".
Yeah I stop using mine in their cage awhile back because they were fighting, it didn't stop the fighting but now they couldn't trap each other in the igloos. (They stopped fighting when I got rid of their hay racks, I think they were resource guarding. It's hay piles now) I still bring them out when I take them out for cage cleaning. Makes it easier to scoop them up when I'm done too, lol.
Yessss thank you scotty!! I had a double size one of those and my 2 long haired piggys would get in there and spend ALL day. They would even pull food in there. Their attitudes even changed cuz they were just laying around all day breathing in gross air. Took it away and they are much happier. Appreciate you Scotty! :)
I got a pigloo when I first got my piggies. I found it too cumbersome in the cage. Rather than throw it away, I took it outside and have it handy when my piggies are out grazing on the lawn. When they get scared, they can run for it. Since it is plastic, the weather won't damage it outside. It solved a problem for me with my blind boar, Domino. He panics when outside of his cage, and in the open outside, he will just run off in some random direction, with no idea where he is going. With the pigloo, he feels safe enough to calm down and graze, and he stays there and doesn't run. Every few minutes, I move it over a few inches, so that he doesn't run out of good grass.
Great video
Yesss! 💖 Guinea Dad Crunchy Condos are great too!
I agree. I haven't used a plastic pigloo in a long time. Some of my adoptees came with one and I threw it away. The fiddlestick ones get destroyed so I don't really use those either.
I cut an extra entrance in the back and drill more holes on the top so they have more ventilation :)
My girls are always in their igloos. I’ve tried other hideys but they keep going back to the igloos.
I use a Cat bed , one of those that is made of soft fuzzy material and felt, it's almost made like a little house ( I know I did a terrible job explaining) .
But my piggies love it , I kinda pushed the front top down & it's like a little cave, and best of all very easy to clean . Once or twice a week (depending on how dirty it is) I simply shack it out toss it in the wash, dry and ready to go.
Good advice on pigloos and goog search, etc. 👍🏼
Thanks
Totally agree
I'm new to your channels. Just subscribed because I truly adore guinea pigs.
I love your page! Getting rid of my igloos right now!
I was just about to do DIY shelter for my Guinea pigs. Good point. Thnx👍✌
My piggies and I love the empty cardboard oatmeal tubes I removed the bottoms of.
I know what you mean! I use mostly wooden and fleece things mostly, I would use those for floortime. I used them alot at one time, but I mainly use fleece, so I switch out potty pads everyday, without fail, plus I spot clean 2 or 3 times a day. My piggies are in the big room I also sleep in, so the cage has to be really, really clean. Which means about an hour and a half every night, plus morning and afternoons! I really plan things around my piggies, they're my responsibility, and to give them a good, clean life is my job! I do play and interact with them as I clean, so chores aren't boring, they're o.k.!
My guinea pig chores take very long time because my pigs are a cute distraction
Susan Aponte It's funny how the smaller the animal, the more work they are isn't it?
I have two cats and five guinea pigs and the piggies are so much more work than the kitties lol but they're so with it!!😻🐹🐹🐹🐹🐹🐱🐱❤️❤️❤️💖💖💖
@@stellaanon9841 They really are worth it! When I look at those little faces when I go downstairs to my room, I just get so happy! Piggies are definitely more work than a cat or even dog, because once they're trained, that's it! Piggies poop alot because of the way they're made, and eat and graze all day, but their poops aren't like a cat or dog thankfully, just little coffee beans with little or no smell, so I'm not grossed out by it, I pick it up someti,as with my hands if it's hard, then just use soap and water. Herbivores are clean animals as far as their waste is concerned, it's just digested plant matter. Thanks for the comment!
It's not only that some will sit in it all day, they also chew the edges and can make them really sharp and it's really hard to be happy that the rough edges are clean. Once I went onto fleece I made fleece tunnels that get changed every day. My poor late Stan loved them.
I always make sure a hideout has an entrance and exit or that I can easily add one. The pigloos in your video I don't use at all either. ONly plastic I have are the barns with the steps on top but I but both sides out so it actually has 3 ways in/out. As well I use tents that are designed for cats that have 3 ways in and out as well I add a fleece bottom to them.
Good information my friend
Omg yes I have always wanted one of the wooden things cuz you can just shape them into different sizes. But I mostly just use cardboard boxes that I’ve cut out since they’re also safe if the guinea pigs try to chew on them
Im from argentina and im getting a lot of information thanks i bought a wooden hidey
My pigs would try to eat the plastic of any plastic hide so I have to make homes out of my chewy boxes I also have those rainbow bridges
Thank you ,Scotty. Am taking your advice and myoholy,( mystically) found a cloth type Hidie for my precious piggie. He seems to like it. have been nursing him since right after I adopted him from Petco for URI. Poor sweetiheart, hopefully this new unplastic Hidie will help.Sure makes sense. Even 3 rounds of antibiotics and he’s still sneezing a little.Much less than before, but not sneeze free yet. I keep him so clean and dust free and Vit. C and Veggies and Hay, and Pellets- my goodness, what else can I do besides sincere contact with my Higher Power-Prayer? I love him so much, he is as sweet and innocent as can be.Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do and share for the Precious Piggies.Will keep you posted. Wonder if they could make Guinea Pig stuff out of hemp? 🐹☮️❤️.
Never used them its to plastical😂🤣natural things only😘😘😘
My sweet Guinea pig Bella, when she was given to me, I was told she had had a sister and they lost the sister do to one of those Igloos. 😢💔 for that reason, I will never ever get one and I hope that someone if they read us will also be encouraged. Know it's not a good idea. Piggies like to chew on everything and it's good to make everything in their cage made from nature as much as possible.
Think u
I have these but my girls kept flipping them upside down. Now I just leave them upside down and put bedding in the bottom of them and their happy.
My blind and deaf piggy , Emily doesn't get what hidey's are used for and gets confused if one is in her cage. She prefers to sleep in a fresh bed of hay every day.
I agree with you totally on igloos.
I clean my habitat daily with a sweep out but I noticed coughing happening in a hidey I'd made in the cvc habitat. It has no air flow and I didnt realize how much the went to the bathroom at first in the Den as I call it. I made the change (got eid of it and gave them more open air) though pip hates not having his cave anymore it was better and a safter choice for me. I love using wood hideys with multiple holes its so entertaining watching them run around them.
I totally agree with you, plastic houses are dangerous. In Germany we have wooden houses for guinea pigs and rabbits with at least two entrances. Sometimes i also use unprinted non-glued cardboard boxes where i cut some entrances myself.
Is that your piggie?? Such a cute pic 🤩💖💖💖💖💖
@@lilacKurage yes that is one of my 3 piggies, she is called Fienchen
I used these for my babies when they were tiny little bunnies but when I realized they were staying in there too much, I took them away. Now we go through a steady supply of cardboard boxes in different shapes and sizes. We can cut holes in them for ventilation and put several together for exercise. Plus they love to chew them up.
Totally agree. I still have 6 pigloos, but i switch them in and out. Today the pig room has some pesky flies, so i'm using them until i can kill the buggers to prevent flystrike. ( left the door open too long, d'oh!) I have lots of other hidys i use as well.
I had a big one before when I first got them and put in the cage what ended up happening is they would fight who got to sleep in the igloo. So I removed it and got 2 fiddle stick houses and they love having there own room.
I bought a tiny tent that they have for rabbits on amazon. I’m going to try liners inside. Waiting to see the results for my new little guy
I have never seen these for sale in Europe and so I only ever use the fiddle stick style hidies or wicker grass based ones that have an entrance and an exit.
Simple cardboard boxes also work well too so long as you replace them before they get too nasty.
i also stopped using igloos because my piggies were always chewing on them and I read that the plastic can be very bad for them.
They promote fungal infections too...all that humidity.
My guinea pigs always choose a 3- way tunnel made from pvc pipe over the igloo, so eventually I dumped the igloo.
I agree i never used them becuz they looked weird but i use only their bed and their homemade house and it works for them piggies
Zeus seems to love his igloo. He moves it around to be closer to the food crocks and hay racks. He positions it so he can eat while under cover! He is the smartest, but craziest guinea pig! He and Apollo had been abandoned, and we got them from a friend who in turn got them from a shelter or rescue.
My pigs do the same! They look like turtles!
I use Amazon or other delivery boxes and cut out entrances\exits on each side...i can see them and the get a lot of ventilation. The fiddle stix are good too but I find them too big and bulky for my piggies.
I’m going to switch to a bridge and maybe a straw house. It makes sense cause my one guinea pig who stays in the one by the litter box has been sniffling and her throat seems irritated. I had no idea it could be fumes I change the litter every two days
I haven't used a plastic hidey because I don't think plastic stays hygienic over time. Plastic can be porous and have areas that are hard to clean. The other concern I had was mine were chewing the plastic igloo I had. That became a quick stop. I did what Scotty recommended in another video which was to use cardboard boxes. Gizmo loves it for hiding and for chewing. :-)
Hey guys, he posted a link to find the hide on amazon, but I found it for cheaper overall (including the cost of the shipping) on Chewy if you guys want to save a few bucks on it.
My thing about the wooden hidies is they are so hard to clean and I imagine because it traps bacteria more because it's so porous. Also wouldn't it mold since it's getting wet by their pee?
I have personally used various stick bridges with my piggies and hamhams. Hamhams would eventually need to be replaced because of the urine after few months. The urine stains, gets funky colored and stinky. I've never had issues with piggies because they don't pee around the bridges. I only tossed them when there was ringworm and got paranoid about spores. Really they just chill there and poop
I love my fiddle sticks!!! So versatile.
I did not know that I’m definitely gonna get those tunnel things
I have the same blue one and I came across all of what you said. I used a plier and cut a hole on the side that's a bigger hole than the actual entrance so it became breathable and easier for my very dominant girls when they're in heat and aggressively chasing each other
Makes absolute sense.
Thank you so much for this video! I knew the lack of ventilation was bad but I've never knew it was so bad!!! Thanks guinea pig jesus I changed their hideouts 🙁
What I use is a platform in a corner. It's a piece of compressed cardboard (I don't trust wood since I'm not certain if they aplied any product on it) and it stays up thanks to a piece of that matterial in a similar shape as a school ruler (and wired to the cage, I made sure they are no sharp point to harm them). I put a fleece fabric with cutted ends so it works as a curtain, the only time I lend the curtain down is during night. Because it gets cold here. But the rest of the time I just lift them up and they love to cuddle up there!
English is my second language so this was hard to explain haha
SOMETHING I WANT TO ADD. BEWARE OF BENDI BRIDGES. THEY ARE ADICTIVE. I HAVE 2 WOODEN BRIDGES AND 4 HANDMADE OUT OF NON PRINTED-GLUED CARDBOARD AND THEY ARE SOOOO GOOD I WILL PROBABLY MAKE MORE!! You just can go crazy and make plenty of combinations and I asure you the piggies will love it!!!!
I also want to add that I use a pillow made out of fleece so they stay even warmer inside! Wow I made a pretty long comment ops :P
I never used them just because they only had one entrance. I've watched my boys with a wood box that I got for them that only had one entrance and when they both tried to stuff themselves in there, they were fussing over the box. I tried a grass hut but my boys tore it to pieces. I clean my boys cage twice a week just because they poop and pee so much and my water bottle leaks. I clean it more on Summer time. I think I'll get the log tunnel you suggested.
I use differ hides depending if I have enough for an theme.
I use boxes and some cloth and fleece hides I only have of each of tho so limited
I use cardboard boxes I get them free every week off of a local fruit and veg stall I have one very dominant female in my trio this is also helping with fighting as i cut a hole in each side if she goes in one, the other piggies have several exits to run out (stole your idea from you using your the amazon boxes) as where I was using the hideys with one entrance she used to go in one and the other piggies were trapped so she started on them xx
I was just thinking about this the other day I going to make the switch I feel the tunnels are way better
I got my guinea pig about 2 weeks ago and tried potty training her and she would just stay in her igloo so I took it out and made my own out of tissue boxes or any long box I could find
I’m using piggies choice corner houses , one entrance....,they like to hang out on the roof too. I have had issues with fiddle sticks the paint they chew off and ingest. My vet didn’t like those or the plastic igloos. They do like the tunnels and snuggle sacks. Also I wipe off the pigloos daily. But I will order some preview huts.
You can buy wooden log tunnels (that's what I call them), that are not painted from Amazon (I think). I got mine from a local pet shop.
What I do is I run them under the shower for a few minutes. But remember big piles of hay will help