Do piggies like weekends away?

[OhIDoLikeToBeBeside]

I would really love to get a couple of piggies. They would be indoor pigs in a C&C cage in the living room. I have had a hamster and lots of ratties in the past (as well as a dog and fish), but want something that my DS (3 yrs) can interact with.

I have found all the info on here really helpful, but have a question I hope you experienced piggie keepers can answer. We have a static caravan and try to go every other weekend in spring/summer/autumn. It is roughly a 2 1/2 hour trip by car. Could we realistically take them with us? They would need smallish sleeping quarters, but could have full run of the 'living area' when we are there, and even a run out on the grass (we don't have grass at home, so I'm sure they would love this). So, is this a totally mad idea? All the other animals we have had have travelled easily, and I don't want to get them if we would have to leave them so often.

Also, are the gender differences similar to rats - boys lazy, cuddly, leave a trail of wee everywhere; girls lively, not so cuddly, no wee trail?

TIA

[Evenstar]

I think they would soon get used to it, I have 3 guinea pigs who go to the pre-school where I work with me every day. They got used to it very quickly and don't mind being put in their basket (they do get lots of cuddles and veggies from the children though!) Some years ago I also had 3 guinea pigs and moved house almost 200 miles, they travelled in a large cat basket with some hay and a water bottle clipped on and were fine, so I think your two and a half hour journey sounds doable.

On the subject of boars and sows, I currently have 3 sows and previously had 3 boars and I think they were equally cuddly, the only thing I noticed was that the boars needed cleaning out more often and had a stronger smell.

I think you could offer some piggies a lovely home and I am sure you would never have anything else in the small furry line again, they are definitely addictive!

[fortifiedwithtea]

Personally I've never travelled with piggies but I'm amazed at the distances they do travel for shows.

I think it is quite possible to holiday with piggies in a static van. For years we went to small site on the Essex coast. Most vans are privately owned we rented though. One owner had guinea pigs another had a small rabbit. They had runs set up permanantly all summer holiday. I don't remember any hutches so I assume the pets were brought in at night.

As for sows or boars. IMO sows are just as smelly and spray wee. Boars have more personality. I have 2 sows now but really miss my original lovely boars .

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Love the idea of travelling guinea-pigs.
As long as they have secure, well ventilated travel cages with lots of hay, they'll be secure and probably sleep.
I bought one of those plastic crates with the locking lids. DH drilled loads of holes in the lid and sides. I put newspaper and hay in it and my boys travelled to the vets and their holiday boarding quite happily.
I put them on the back seat with DD and threaded the seatbelt through the lid to secure them.

Boars seem to be more niffy (my GP1 does a nice puddle of wee when he goes into the Pighouse or indoor cage)
But they are so affectionate - that might just be them though. They are also quite ready to give a quick chew of our clothes and gnaw our skin (not a bite, just let us feel their teeth)

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

When I was 9yo I took my boar on holiday (caravan) he slept in my sleeping bag. Then I had a nightmare about sewer rats and sort of pushed him as he ran up to see me (I did not punch my guinea-pig in the face ) . He was ok but a bit wary.

[OhIDoLikeToBeBeside]

Thank you all for your replies. 70

[BonkeyBeadyMollocks]

I think they would be fine once used to it - I would say thought that watch out if you get boars.

New environment, different settings etc they may need to have a 'whos the boss' ritual . But again - the more they do it I imagine the quicker they would settle.

May be the same with girls too but probably much less to keep a watch out for.


Ahem....and I am in the get boys corner too kind of

[FernieB]

Should be fine. Our previous bun used to travel 12 hours with us 2 or 3 times a year. We lived in mainland Europe and used to drive back to the UK to visit family regularly. She always came with us and was fine in her basket (or on my knee sometimes). I gave her water regularly and she always travelled with a lot of hay and some veg.

Our pigs have only travelled for 30 minutes at the most, but they seem to curl up and settle down quite happily after 2 minutes in their basket and go to sleep.

[guineapiglet]

Hi All- when I was younger I used to have a rescue singleton ginger male - he was quite a character, and he would always be part of our family when we went away caravanning, I have pictures of him camping near Snowdon, in the Lakes, etc etc. We used to take his hutch and then build him his own run on whatever patch of grass we ended up camping on, and at night he would snuggle in with us. I think it is the travelling in the car they find a bit stressful. We took three of our girls to the Lakes a few years ago and they squeaked dreadfully and non stop ALL THE WAY up the M6. My husband was very tempted to leave them at the motorway service station :( but they were fine once we landed!

[RedToothBrush]

We took our two piggies on holiday to Scotland once. Put their cage in the back of the car so they didn't actually have to leave their familiar surroundings. They were a bit scared by the noise at first but they were indoor piggies and used to noise and were reassured by our voices. It was a four hour journey.

When we turned up at the cottage we baffled the owner. We'd made for pets. She laughed at us and said that if she had known it was guinea pigs she wouldn't have charged us.

They loved their holiday. We'd taken some chicken wire so we were able to set up a mini temporary run whilst we were outside in the garden.

As for gender differences: Boys seem to be more outgoing and confidence in my experience. They also seem to be more tidy and wee in their 'toilet' corner rather than elsewhere. However they do scent... and sometimes leave trails of that instead.

Only thing I would say, is before you take piggies on holiday, make sure they are used to you and settled and confident. I wouldn't take a skittish piggie on holiday.