Keeping Warm How to Keep an Older Male Guinea Pig Warm

[LemonySnickers]

Hello! I have a five-year old male guinea pig -by the name of Snickers- right now, and I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to keep guinea pigs warm in the winter. It was hot last week but then all of a sudden it got really cold and I'm concerned for my pig. In the past I've just given him lots of scraps of blankets and fleece, but I'm curious to know what other people have done and how to guarantee that he stays cozy. Snickers doesn't have a cage buddy and since he's getting older I wanted some advice.

 

[bpatters]

Is he haired or a skinny? And how cold are you talking about?

One thing to realize while you're planning for this is that guinea pigs do better in cooler temperatures than in warmer ones. A haired pig should be fine with temps in the mid-60s, or maybe even the low-60s. We've had a couple who have survived several days outside in sub-freezing temps.

For either kind, you can provide small hideys that will trap their body heat, such as an upside-down cardboard box with a small door in it. You can throw a couple of pieces of fleece over the top for extra insulation. That may be enough for a haired pig. You'll have to move the hidey frequently, or change pads underneath it, to keep the pig from sitting in its own wastes.

With a skinny, you might have to provide an actual heat source, but make sure the cage is large enough so that the pig can get away from it if it needs to. Some people have used lamps. Depending on how your cage is situated, you might be able to use a reptile heat mat under (not IN) the cage. You'd have to test how hot it gets, and you'd have to have some insulation between it and the pig. You'd also need something to trap some of the heat, like a piece of fleece thrown over that end of the cage, or a larger box.

 

[Snugglybutt]

I have a skinny who seems to always be chilled. I try to keep my room's temperature at 22C (not too hot so my hairy pig doesn't get warm) and I provide lots of snug fleece tunnels for him to lay in. I don't do this myself, but the Youtuber Skinnypigs1 puts little heating pads under the fleece in her cage and also made a little fleece and velcro jacket for one of her senior skinny pigs. I think she's using these https://www.amazon.com/Snugglesafe-Microwave-Wireless-Heatpad-Fleece/dp/B0014LJKUA

 

[Spotakiss]

What i do is hideys and in the winter i throw old holey socks in there and he can lay on those if he gets cold it seems to work well


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[Mousewife]

I put small fleece blankets in the hidey huts. My pigs seem to love them. Bilbo likes to nest, and Ginger likes to burrow. At any given time, I’ll find one hidey or the other full of fleece. It’s kind of cute watching them tug the blankets into just the right spots.
I cut them to 18”x18”. Easy enough to wash, but I don’t wash them often. The pigs seem to like them better covered with their own shed fur.