Will he be OK outside during the winter?

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babyboysmommy

babyboysmommy

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Harry (who came from the RSPCA) lives in the garden in a Daisy Hutch, so over 2 floors. He only uses downstairs as despite lots of encouraging etc he wont use the ramp.

I'm not sure what to do over winter. His hutch is in a sheltered position. We can close off the top part & move Harry up there. He's got a hutch hugger, rain cover & heat pad. I can't put him in a shed or garage.

Will he be OK outside during the winter?
 
If I were you I wouldnt risk it, but then again many guinea pigs are left outside in winter anyway. I make sure that my piggies are never left outside in winter for their benefit.
 
if he has sufficient bedding(lots of hay) and good hutch covers in a good sheltered area then i think it will be fine as long as there is no access to the bottom when its to cold.
Does he have a friend?as that would also help with warmth and is good for company too,ultimately inside is the better option xx
 
He is on his own. The RSPCA advised against trying to bond him as he had a history of fighting. We would fully shut off the downstairs by boarding it over, it would give Harry more floor space as well.

I always thought piggies were outdoor animals, I know as children we had one that lived in the garden but then my mum told me she put him in the garage over winter, something I really cant remember but then it was a long time ago now!
 
I have kept piggies outside in the past, but I've always moved them into a stable or garrage during the winter, and they've always had another pig for company.

Lots of hay for bedding and to eat will help keep him warm, but I'd suggest seriously considering trying to sort out some sort of shelter for the coldest part of the winter, and trying to find a piggy rescue who may be able to help you find a compatible friend for him.
 
At what time of year have you moved them? Or rather how cold is too cold?

Many thanks
 
If I were you, I would move them indoors when the first frosts arrive. Make sure they are warm now, but if you ARE going to move them inside, dont go crazy with the bedding to avoid making them nesh :) Thats what I would do anyway. Move them indoors when it feels right.
 
many many people now house indoors,yes it may look crazy but it really is the best option if you can do it.
I wouldnt listen to the rspca they never seem to know much about piggies,if he has come from anything like a backyard breeding situation then he most probably fought alot but there is always the right guinea out there for each pig,
If all else fails you could get him neutered and get a girlfriend for him,
Leaving piggies alone is a last resort as they thrive in others company x
if you do use the garage make sure no cars or fumes get in there as it will harm your pig
this is my indoor setup

DSCF7002-4.jpg

DSCF7001-4.jpg


with inside you have the benefit of knowing the are safe from predators,warm,comfortable
 
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Hi!
you say your pig won't use his ladder to go upstairs my piggies were the same and i cut a lenth of towel the same size as the ladder and attached it with velcro(used the iron on one it's good) now my piggies use the ladder all the time and it only cost me an odd towel and 79p for velcro,just a little tip he may use it if he can grip it a little.Let me know if you do it .
 
Love your set up! We just don't have the space for something like that. I did think about getting Harry neutered but since my husband was made redundant a few things have been put on hold, that being one of them.

The biggest indoor hutch we could have is this one...

http://www.petsathome.com/find/cate...nea_pig/category-is-6C+Cages/product-is-14490


Would that be OK for the winter? He would be let out to play as well. I can just fit it next to my desk so he would have me for company quite a lot :)

So when we get the first frost is when he would need to come insider or just for the worse of the winter months?

Many thanks
 
Have you looked into C&C cages ? King Boris showed some a few posts up :)) They're the ones with the white grids. They are very very cheap for their size and easy to make.

http://www.guineapigcages.com/

This is a great size, you should look into it as winter is a harsh time for pigs. And since your pig is on his own it will be harder.
 
All of my guineas (32 of them) are outside, apart from Gucci, who is a Skinny (hairless) and lives inside permanently. They are in a shed and I pin the door open most of the time, but when it gets frosty I'll leave it closed. I use tons of hay (I buy it in a bale from a farm) as this really is the best thing to keep them warm. I believe the problems occur when you suddenly move them to inside or out, or outside to in. Has Harry always lived outside? If his hutch is in a sheltered position (away from the wind etc) and he has been outside for some time, I am sure he will be OK. Hutch huggers are brilliant, and a heat pad will give him extra warmth if he needs it.
If you are going to move him inside, ensure the room he is going to be living in isn't too warm straight away. Sudden temperature changes for an acclimatised guinea pig aren't good. My vet once told me this can cause respiratory problems too, although I'm not sure how true this is.
I hope you can find something that works out :)
 
I'm not sure about Harry's very early days but since he's been with us he has lived outside, we did get him in the spring from the RSPCA so putting him outside was not an issue then. Ideally I'd like him to live in the garden but will bring him in if we need to & it's starting to sound like that's what he is going to need.

He needs to be in a fully enclosed cage as we have other pets & a 3 year old... The size of one I gave the link for earlier is the absolute biggest we can accommodate in the house.
 
Hi,
I've just been looking at cages and this is a good sized one. It's cheaper than the one you were going to get. http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/rabbit_cage/83034. Some one suggested it on a thread I read a while back but I couldn't find it. mallethead

I hope this helps.

Fran

Just seen that the other was the biggest you could accomodate. sorry i obviously need to learn to read :red
 
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i think C&C cages are the way to go,you can build them any shape so you could even build and L-shape to curve around furniture or something simliar,if need be that cage you picked out could be used for the cooler months but he would need to be out of the cage as much as possible x
 
I too house my piggies outside but within a shed. However, years ago my piggies lived outside in the garden, they had plenty of hay to snuggle in/eat, had carpet at the front of their hutch for warmth & tarpaulin for when it rained/snowed & they were fine. They lived to 7+ & 8+ respectively.

If you want to bring Harry in then he must stay indoors until the weather starts to warm up next spring. A 100cm cage is fine for a single piggy as long as he's allowed to exercise out of it.

Whilst C & C cages are wonderful, people need to realise that not everyone has the room to accommodate one, no matter how versatile they are :)

An outdoor piggy is not a neglected piggy - indoor piggies can be neglected too. It's not WHERE they live but WHO gives the care :)
 
Thank you Niki, that's made me feel a lot better about things. We are going to bring Harry indoors but with the cage from Pets at Home or something of the same size from elsewhere, it's the biggest we can accommodate & it needs to be fully enclosed & off the floor because of other pets & our 3 year old. I think we will use old towels to line it & change them every morning. I'm looking forward to having the company while I work as he'll be right next to my desk. He'll come inside in the next week or so & stay until the spring.
 
babyboysmommy said:
Thank you Niki, that's made me feel a lot better about things. We are going to bring Harry indoors but with the cage from Pets at Home or something of the same size from elsewhere, it's the biggest we can accommodate & it needs to be fully enclosed & off the floor because of other pets & our 3 year old. I think we will use old towels to line it & change them every morning. I'm looking forward to having the company while I work as he'll be right next to my desk. He'll come inside in the next week or so & stay until the spring.
Click to expand...

Wonderful news :)

You can use fleece over towel, which is a lovely bedding for piggies & much cleaner than "outdoor beddings" as i call them :)
 
Just wanted to thank everyone for your advice. Harry is now living inside in a rather large cage I bought from zooplus :) He came in yesterday so is still adjusting to his new surroundings but I'm sure he'll be back to his usual self soon :)
 
YAY that's good news! He'll be back out of his shell in no time!
 
thats great that you got it sorted out. Darn these uk winters - makes pet ownership so complicated
 
Thank you. I just hope he settles in quickly, he's still finding it all a bit strange & is hiding himself away.
 
My piggys all live outdoors and those in hutches I cover with hutch huggers, make sure they have places to cuddle in and use hot water bottles wrapped in fleece and under vet bed on nights that are very cold. I've been doing this for a few years and always been fine but as your boy is on his own I think you did the right thing bringing him in. I think its different when they have a companion to cuddle up to for warmth.

I should say my back garden is also very sheltered as its a short garden wrapping round my house rather than running away from the house and it has high fences and walls all round giving a court yard effect to the patio where the hutches are in winter. I wouldn't like to see a piggy left in a hutch at the far end of the garden over winter.
 
I think it's good you brought him in, especially as he's on his own he might have got a bit cold. My guinea-pigs live outside in pairs (apart from one, who like your guinea-pig has fought with every guinea-pig apart from one who has died now) and he has a snuggle sac and a big pile of hay. They have hutch covers and they are fine. I quite like the idea of getting a heat pad in the future. I'm also making guinea-pig beds for them, and if the first one goes well I'll make enough for all my guinea-pigs hopefully. I wish I could bring mine in during the winter, I'd love to have them next to me when I'm at the computer or something like that, and I think it would make mine tamer but I can't bring them in. :(
 
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