How to bring a guinea pig indoors for winter?

[Bundles]

I have a guinea pig who has just lost her mate after 18mths together. They have been outside for a little over 12 months and spent a very cold winter last year in our garage.We are not intending to get her a mate but want to spend as much time with her to ensure she has the companionship she needs. As such we would like to bring her into our conservatory for the winter to be with the family.....Is this dangerous in view of the change sin temperature..although the conservatory is not heated and does stay cold in winter. Also how should we cover an indoor cage at night. Our outside cage has a NASA cover.... Can anyone advise on a sensible time with the british winter/spring to bring her in/put her back out etc.

I want to be sure this is best for her welfare?

Thanks for any advice and help anyone can give.

James

[Doeylicious]

PLEASE keep an eye on her - it is not uncommon for them to just give up and die when they lose a very close friend, particularly if they have been together since birth, and winter is a big time for guinea pigs to be lost. Is there any reason you don't want to get her a friend? As to be very honest that is probably what is best for her. In order to be a suitable substitute piggy you will need to handle and spend at least an hour ideally more with her every day, in my opinion, as she has gone from constant companionship to nothing.

If the conservatory is no warmer than being outside or in the garage, you really need to move the hutch in, my hutches come into our conservatory over winter as indoor cages really don't offer any protection at all.

This is just me, but mine go out and in again kind of in line with the clocks going backwards and forwards as you need to bear in mine a conservatory, by its very nature, will get quite warm in the day with the sun on it and this could be a bit much for an outdoor piggie - make sure a window like a fanlight is left open in case. It is a bit tricky to strike the right balance of hot in the day and cold at night, we just kind of gauge it on how huddled together they are at night and what the thermometer in the conservatory says during the day and night - we keep an eye on it starting around now.

[Doeylicious]

PLEASE keep an eye on her - it is not uncommon for them to just give up and die when they lose a very close friend, particularly if they have been together since birth, and winter is a big time for guinea pigs to be lost. Is there any reason you don't want to get her a friend? As to be very honest that is probably what is best for her. In order to be a suitable substitute piggy you will need to handle and spend at least an hour ideally more with her every day, in my opinion, as she has gone from constant companionship to nothing.

If the conservatory is no warmer than being outside or in the garage, you really need to move the hutch in, my hutches come into our conservatory over winter as indoor cages really don't offer any protection at all.

This is just me, but mine go out and in again kind of in line with the clocks going backwards and forwards as you need to bear in mine a conservatory, by its very nature, will get quite warm in the day with the sun on it and this could be a bit much for an outdoor piggie - make sure a window like a fanlight is left open in case. It is a bit tricky to strike the right balance of hot in the day and cold at night, we just kind of gauge it on how huddled together they are at night and what the thermometer in the conservatory says during the day and night - we keep an eye on it starting around now.

[Bundles]

Thanks for your guidance.

[Beebee]

Sounds like good advice to me

[nthornes37]

I would also tend to think a new mate would be the best as they always do better in at least pairs. I also move mine in and out around change of the clocks and indoors they live at the far end of the kitchen, I choose this room as we tend not to have the heating on in there but also at the same time it is not a realy cold room. If they had there own way they would live indoors all the time. I do not cover mine at night as with the room I use the light is mainly turned off hope this helps.