Keeping indoor G-pigs warm

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EmJ

EmJ

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I might sound silly -
My girls live indoors in the front room, in a C&C cage. (2x4 with 2X1 hayloft, using fleece).
They have plenty of hay in the loft and in a hay rack down stairs to keep some fresh, the also have many different pigloos and wooden houses. not all used at once :))

Is there anything else that's needed to keep them warm during the colder months?
I only ask as i went home for lunch today and the house was a little bit chilly :( (Don't think the rain and wind help.) I have made a roof on the loft out of spare grids, cardboard and fleece. I thought this will make another hideout for them and keep them a bit warmer
Think i'm just worrying for nothing but i don't want them to get a chill during winter.mallethead
 
This is a very good thread as we all talk about keeping outdoor piggies warm but keeping indoor piggies warm is just as important.

I think a few members on here use a fleece to cover their cages up overnight just to keep away the chill :)
 
I put a big fleece over the top of the cage on cold nights as the cage is located in a bay window and even with double glazing there are cold drafts; that gives the piggies a snuggly upper story for sleeping.
 
I have a similar set up to you, I use fleece on top of vet bed on the bottom of our c&c and we have a 2x2 hayloft which is lined with fleece and has loads of hay in for them to bury themselves in. I don't tend to add anything extra over the winter as I feel our house is warm enough in any case. They aren't near a window and as we have cavity wall insulation the house doesn't really get that cold if the heatings been on a couple of hours. They have cozeys etc in the cage as well plus ours all sleep beside each other so I'm sure that must keep them warm!
 
They hay loft is coverd with fleece and has loads of hay in it.
Our house is ok too if heating has been on for a bit. I think it was cold today as we have not had the heating on yet and its really windy and wet here today.

Think i might have to smuggle them into bed with me in the colder months.
:(|)
But there again the oh might have somthing to say about that :p He already thinks they rule the house 8;)
 
I'm looking into similar solutions as my flat can get very chilly and the open c & c just doesn't seem very snuggly. I have made some curtains that go across the back section (fleece sewn onto cotton tape and hung from the hayloft hangover). I fold them up during the day and put them down when I go to bed. The girls have their beds behind it and they seem to like the closed in feeling. I think I'm going to make some slightly thicker ones and extend them so the underside of the ramp is also closed off. :)
 
I can see how this would be a problem in the UK... I lived and worked for a winter in Newcastle and the only home I went to that had what I call a "normal" indoor temperature was my canadian boss' :)). My flat was horribly cold and I've never worked as long hours, at least the office was warm!

My suggestion would be cozies, maybe one which fits both (if they share). That way they can keep eachother warm if they need it!
 
skrikopanik, I have a couple of cozies for them but they don't seem to use them.
I even handmade one myself for them and they just seem to walk on top of it and make it a /matteress mallethead
 
mine do that too, so I've started making beds and cushions :))

Then at least your piggies have the option. They could get in if they wanted to! It probably means they are not cold :)
 
This is a great thread as I was thinking just the same thing. One of my piggies is a skinny pig so its extra important she is not cold. I like the idea of covering the cage at night thanks - gonna start going that tonight :)
I also use snugglesafes.
 
I've got one of those low voltage tubular heaters on the wall (really cheap to run), which I use on very cold nights.
 
Great thread, I was wondering too as my flat gets really cold. Will put a fleece over the cage and over the table which they sleep under if they aren't in the cage.
 
flips said:
I have made some curtains that go across the back section (fleece sewn onto cotton tape and hung from the hayloft hangover). I fold them up during the day and put them down when I go to bed. The girls have their beds behind it and they seem to like the closed in feeling. I think I'm going to make some slightly thicker ones and extend them so the underside of the ramp is also closed off. :)
Click to expand...

Flips, do you have a photo of these? I know some people drape fleece, (pegged to the cage tops/side), in order to section off parts and create different 'zones', but your piggy curtains sound much posher!

My house doesn't retain heat well, so I also worry about it being too cold at night, when I keep the heating very low to keep bills down. I know guinea pigs don't like extremes in temperature, so cold nights should definitely be a consideration for indoor pigs, as well as those outdoors.
 
missy said:
Flips, do you have a photo of these? I know some people drape fleece, (pegged to the cage tops/side), in order to section off parts and create different 'zones', but your piggy curtains sound much posher!
Click to expand...



:)) I'm not sure my curtains are very posh but they do the job well. It's just some fleece squares sewn to some cotton tape along the top edge and secured with ties. I fold them up during the day. Flumpet and Minx are going to demonstrate with one up/ one down...

012-2.jpg
 
They definitely do the job, Flips! (And so beautifully demonstrated by your gorgeous girls!) Thanks :)
 
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