Outside guinea pigs & winter

[nunheadmum]

Anyone got guinea pigs that you keep outside? What do you do in winter?

It'll be our first winter with guineas - ours live in a hutch inside a playhouse with access to an outside run. Do we need to heat the hutch or bring them in? My husband is getting all worried and designing extravagant schemes.

[tadpole39]

Hi nunhead mum

It is possible to keep them outside with a bit of work. The best thing is to commit to one or the other, they don't do well with drastic changes in temperature. Inside a play house is good, use duvets or rugs to cover, stuff with hay and use snuggle pads to keep up warmth. I kept mine outside for one winter but I brought them in because I didn't like traipsing out to them in the dark and wet and felt that their quality of life was not good, they're much more fun in with us and part of the family.

[Jules-and-Boo]

we had some and some died outside. it was awful. WE ended up building a shed and keeping them in there but letting them in the house too.

I would strongly advise against it unless you are able to insulate them properly, keep them draught free and warm.

[Pollypops]

I?d bring them indoors if you can. Guinea pigs can be delicate little beasts and once they catch a cold can go downhill rapidly.

Also, being quite sociable animals, they will benefit from the increased activity inside that they wouldn?t get outdoors in the winter.

[nunheadmum]

Thanks for the responses. Sorry to hear you lost some Jules-and-Boo.....we learned the lesson of them getting colds in the first few weeks, which was a bit of a quicker lesson in pets than we'd expected!

Sounds like we'll need to bring them in. I think we'll all enjoy them more if we do and they'll get on better too.

Time for a clear out then!!!

[Jules-and-Boo]

Lovely :)