We are not too far away from December, being the first winter month lasting until February in the UK and I wanted to go through how to keep guinea pigs warm in winter. This will apply more to owners who have to keep them in their hutches outside over this colder period.

If they are kept inside, then regulating the temperature will be fine with the heating up to 20 degrees and over and also not having them in a draughty room. There may be many reasons why you simply cannot have your guinea pigs inside your home permanently. But they need to be warm and dry, otherwise they will develop nasty illnesses.

A warm outside hutch

In the case of them being in a hutch outside in the garden, make sure there is a plastic cover over the hutch, as it may rain more. Placing sheets of tarpaulin or towels will keep warmth in. Fleece bedding will do a good job to and plenty of hay. Other beddings like straw is very good at insulating and towels could be good to place in several areas inside, so they can snuggle up. Heat pads that are placed in the microwave for a little time are good to use, so they can sit on a nice warm place. Put a few hiding places around and warm ones like fleece houses. Use bottle covers to stop water from freezing.

In terms of a hutch, always purchase the best one that will survive the great british weather, especially in the winter time. Place a thermometer so you can see what the exact temperature is outside. Obviously you will be bringing the guinea pigs in for their playtime in the daytime, if not in the house, a small shed.

Sheds made for guinea pigs are great because they can hold in the heat with it being bigger to place more items inside. If you able to move the hutch, place it inside a shed or a garage that doesn’t get used for a car, because the fumes are poisonous to guinea pigs. Also, use a portable heater in these situations.

I want to mention an outside cage called an Eglu sold by the company Omlet based right here in the UK. These are designed to keep the inside well insulated by trapping air between the walls. It is a decent size and there is a run that can be attached on.

Important reminder

Remember if there is severe wintry weather like long periods of snow, do not risk leaving them outside however good you have insulated the hutch/home outside. Very warm and cold temperatures really can affect guinea pigs, if they are not properly cared for, then they will suffer and go down hill fast.

They cannot cope with trying to deal with body temperatures that well. Bring them inside and put them inside a cage like this from Pets at Home, this allows for plenty of space and is a good temporary home.

If your guinea pigs are suffering with cold like symptoms, then take them as soon as you can to a vet. Keep feeding the same healthy diet of vegetables, including vitamin c tablets.

Thank you for reading my article, please feel free to leave a comment below and I will reply back as soon as possible 🙂

Source: https://www.woodgreen.org.uk/pet_advice/572_guinea_pigs_in_winter

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