Guinea pigs are sensitive to temperature changes; however, since they come from the Andes mountains of South America, they tolerate cold better than heat. They prefer temperatures of around 65–68 degrees Fahrenheit (or 18.3–20 degrees Celsius). You can’t rely on a guinea pig to regulate their body temperature in extreme weather conditions, but there are some things you can do to help them stay warm. So, we’ve highlighted 11 tips you can follow to help keep your guinea pig warm the next time winter rolls around!
The 11 Tips on How to Keep Guinea Pigs Warm in Winter
1. Add Extra Bedding
A simple way to keep your guinea pig a bit warmer when things start to cool down is to add a little extra bedding to their enclosure. Your guinea pig can use this extra bedding as insulation, which helps them stay warm during the coldest parts of the night.
2. Use Pet-Safe Heating Pads
While you can’t just use any heating pad out there to keep your pet warm, there are plenty of pet-safe options for you to pick from. Pet-safe heating pads provide an external source of warmth your guinea pig can use, and when you combine this option with a few of the other tips on our list, you can keep your guinea pig warm during some of the more severe temperature dips during the winter.
3. Give Them an Insulated Hideaway
Your guinea pig needs somewhere to escape from the elements to stay warm, and if you insulate their hutch, it can trap the heat they give off and keep them warm even as the temperatures outside get really cold.
But keep in mind that this still limits their activity to inside the hutch, so it needs to be big enough to let them move around even when it’s cold outside.
4. Give Them a Friend
One mammal gives off some heat, two mammals give off even more! Guinea pigs are naturally social creatures that prefer to be around more of their kind, and when you give them a partner, they can snuggle up together to stay warm when it’s cold outside. This doesn’t help with extreme cold spells, but it will help them with moderate temperature drops.
5. Lift the Hutch
While it might not make much sense at first to lift the entire hutch a few inches off the ground to keep them warm, it’s actually one of the most effective methods out there. Lifting the hutch helps prevent dampness and it allows for airflow. Another perk is that it helps keep the hutch from rotting.
6. Keep Them Dry
Nothing makes you colder than being wet, so if you can keep your guinea pig dry it will go a long way in keeping them warm. While they might be able to handle a little cold if they’re dry, the same temperature conditions can be deadly for your guinea pig if they’re wet.
7. Use Fleece Bedding
During the summer months, you can use hay or shavings as bedding for your guinea pig, but when things start to get cold, you should consider swapping this bedding out for fleece. While fleece is going to cost a bit more, it’s also a much better insulator, so it can help keep them much warmer.
But when things start to warm up again, you’ll need to swap out the fleece; otherwise, it can lead to your guinea pig overheating.
8. Bring Them Inside
If you’ve tried everything you can to keep your guinea pig warm outside and it’s just not working, you might need to bring them inside to help them warm up. Find a warm, temperature-controlled spot inside your home for your guinea pig until things start to warm back up outside.
9. Make Sure They’re Eating Well
A well-fed guinea pig is better able to maintain body heat and regulate their temperature. In colder weather, their bodies use more energy to stay warm, so it’s important to ensure they’re eating enough hay, pellets, and fresh veggies. While food alone won’t keep them warm, good nutrition supports their overall health and helps them cope with lower temperatures.
10. Encourage Movement with Toys
Physical activity helps guinea pigs generate body heat and stay warm. During colder days, make sure they have enough space, as well as toys, tunnels, and safe hideouts that encourage them to move around and explore. While this isn’t a substitute for keeping their environment warm, it can help them stay more comfortable during brief periods of chill.
11. Find a Warmer Place
Just because you don’t want to move them inside doesn’t mean there isn’t a warmer space outside for them. If you find them a place that’s out of the elements but gets some sunlight, it will keep them warmer than if you put them in a windy location or keep them in the shade.
Finding the perfect outdoor location can make a difference, so consider a different location outside if your guinea pig is getting too cold.
Conclusion
While you can’t rely on your guinea pig to keep themselves warm during the winter, if you follow the tips on our list, there’s no reason you can’t help them maintain the perfect body temperature all year round, even when the cold snaps hit.
It will take a little work and preparation, but once you have everything your guinea pig needs to stay warm, they can take care of the rest!
Featured Image Credit: Pogodina Natalia, Shutterstock
Contents
- The 11 Tips on How to Keep Guinea Pigs Warm in Winter
- 1. Add Extra Bedding
- 2. Use Pet-Safe Heating Pads
- 3. Give Them an Insulated Hideaway
- 4. Give Them a Friend
- 5. Lift the Hutch
- 6. Keep Them Dry
- 7. Use Fleece Bedding
- 8. Bring Them Inside
- 9. Make Sure They’re Eating Well
- 10. Encourage Movement with Toys
- 11. Find a Warmer Place
- Conclusion
