Caring for your guinea pigs in the Winter months

Your piggies would LOVE to be your house guests for the winter! Bringing them indoors can provide them with a safe, warm and comfortable environment. This move is particularly beneficial for your older piggies who have the most difficulty coping with the colder temperatures.

It's important that the temperature isn’t fluctuating too much, so please make the decision to do one thing and stick to it. Outdoors during the day and indoors at night could cause their temperature to yo-yo too much so please be a bit careful.

For your indoor guinea pig set-up:

Guinea pigs are not able to tolerate the damp and soggy weather that is common here in the UK, and those that are exposed to wet and draughty living spaces are much more likely to suffer from health issues, including upper respiratory infections, pneumonia, and fungal skin conditions, amongst others.

Here are a few tips for keeping your guinea pigs safe and warm in the colder months:

- Insulate your guinea pigs’ hutch with tarpaulin, fleece blankets or a thermal hutch hugger.

- Provide your piggies with plenty of extra hay during the winter months for them to burrow into to keep nice and warm.

- Retreat, retreat! Keep your guinea pigs warm and give them a sense of security with plenty of dry and warm hiding spaces in their run. These can include wooden boxes, tunnels, or cosy fleece tunnels that are elevated off the cold ground.

- Consider adding a heat lamp to your guinea pig’s space and microwave heat pads.

- Make sure your guinea pigs have plenty of fresh hay and bedding. Complete daily spot checks to ensure their sleeping spaces are dry and clean.

And remember, indoors or out, pair your guinea pig with a companion. Guinea pigs love a friend and a snuggle to keep them warm… <3