Heatwave help?

Guineananny

Guineananny

New Born Pup
Joined
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West Midlands, United Kingdom
Hello,
So there’s a heatwave in the UK at the moment that is expected to last at least this week. The room that our 2 new guineas (11 week old sows) are in is upstairs and the whole upstairs gets too hot for them to stay there during extreme hot weather. So we need to move them into the lounge for the duration. We will dismantle and rebuild their C&C cage. My worry is we have only had them a week and we had to get them out yesterday to clean the cage, it wasn’t easy but we did it, but now we’re going to have to get them out again today I’m worried that we’re stressing them out! I know it’s the lesser of 2 evils but I suffer with anxiety and this is all a lot to be dealing with during the first week. Also watching the whole dominance behaviour play out is making me anxious too. I was just stupidly unprepared for all of the worry. Sorry I know this isn’t a therapy forum, I’m just after reassurance and any advice.
Thank you.
 
They should be fine with moving downstairs. What I would do is to reuse the bedding they had upstairs. Where are they going to be while you dismantle and rebuild the cage? Perhaps, if you have one, you can setup a run and put their bedding in (depending what you use) then put their hides in and cover it all so they feel safe.

They’ll be fine 🙂
 
Both piggies installed in the 4 degrees cooler lounge. We found that if we put a tunnel into the opening of a cuddle sack they just walk through the tunnel into the sack. Popped them in a playpen with all of their bits in my daughters room while we dismantled the cage, took it downstairs and rebuilt it. Then carried them downstairs one at a time in the cuddle sack (held at the top so no escaping!) Took less than 30 minutes.
Will they be okay if I put the TV on do you think?
 
Guineananny said:
Both piggies installed in the 4 degrees cooler lounge. We found that if we put a tunnel into the opening of a cuddle sack they just walk through the tunnel into the sack. Popped them in a playpen with all of their bits in my daughters room while we dismantled the cage, took it downstairs and rebuilt it. Then carried them downstairs one at a time in the cuddle sack (held at the top so no escaping!) Took less than 30 minutes.
Will they be okay if I put the TV on do you think?
Click to expand...
Absolutely, I leave a radio on for mine, they just get freaked out by loud bangs,
 
We had pne piggy that loved being held, and she would get to come down and sit on someone's lap while we watched TV; she wasn't bothered in the slightest.
We've had other piggies that definitely had opinions about music, and they would let you know what they thought; it was usually just one or two songs that they would request be changed.
 
Obviously every pig is different, but we've been pleasantly surprised with our living room piggies - they take the TV, computers, and the dog playing all in their stride. I even had a space upstairs ready for after the baby came, but we haven't needed it! He cries and they just carry on chewing without missing a beat 😅 We did ease them in gently with sounds at first though, and of course we were and continue to keep an eye on them for any signs of distress.
 
Guineananny said:
Hello,
So there’s a heatwave in the UK at the moment that is expected to last at least this week. The room that our 2 new guineas (11 week old sows) are in is upstairs and the whole upstairs gets too hot for them to stay there during extreme hot weather. So we need to move them into the lounge for the duration. We will dismantle and rebuild their C&C cage. My worry is we have only had them a week and we had to get them out yesterday to clean the cage, it wasn’t easy but we did it, but now we’re going to have to get them out again today I’m worried that we’re stressing them out! I know it’s the lesser of 2 evils but I suffer with anxiety and this is all a lot to be dealing with during the first week. Also watching the whole dominance behaviour play out is making me anxious too. I was just stupidly unprepared for all of the worry. Sorry I know this isn’t a therapy forum, I’m just after reassurance and any advice.
Thank you.
Click to expand...

I was so nervous and stressed when I first got my piggies so I can totally relate to how you feel. I even thought I had made a huge mistake and should give them back. It was that bad. But you soon learn what all the noises mean and you slowly get to know them and suddenly you are enjoying them more than stressing about them. Good luck. ❤️
 
Guineananny said:
Hello,
So there’s a heatwave in the UK at the moment that is expected to last at least this week. The room that our 2 new guineas (11 week old sows) are in is upstairs and the whole upstairs gets too hot for them to stay there during extreme hot weather. So we need to move them into the lounge for the duration. We will dismantle and rebuild their C&C cage. My worry is we have only had them a week and we had to get them out yesterday to clean the cage, it wasn’t easy but we did it, but now we’re going to have to get them out again today I’m worried that we’re stressing them out! I know it’s the lesser of 2 evils but I suffer with anxiety and this is all a lot to be dealing with during the first week. Also watching the whole dominance behaviour play out is making me anxious too. I was just stupidly unprepared for all of the worry. Sorry I know this isn’t a therapy forum, I’m just after reassurance and any advice.
Thank you.
Click to expand...

Hi

Please take the time to read our hot weather care guide; there lots of different measures in there, not just for the guinea pig cage but practical little tips on how to keep the house as cool as possible - which greatly benefits the humans, too. :)

It is not about knowing one trick or two, but the combination of lots of little things that can be surprisingly effective without anything in the way of extra cost.

Here are the links:
Hot weather warning for the UK - plan now to keep your piggies safe! (bit of an overview)

Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike (Collection of ALL tips and what to do if your piggies overheat)

Temporary Housing Solutions?
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

Please take the time to read our hot weather care guide; there lots of different measures in there, not just for the guinea pig cage but practical little tips on how to keep the house as cool as possible - which greatly benefits the humans, too. :)

It is not about knowing one trick or two, but the combination of lots of little things that can be surprisingly effective without anything in the way of extra cost.

Here are the links:
Hot weather warning for the UK - plan now to keep your piggies safe! (bit of an overview)

Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike (Collection of ALL tips and what to do if your piggies overheat)

Temporary Housing Solutions?
Click to expand...

It is thanks to the guide that I realised that moving them downstairs was the thing to do. So thank you. I’ve also been changing water regularly and have an ice pod in the freezer just incase. It’s 23.5 degrees in the lounge as opposed to 27 degrees upstairs! The forum members have been amazing to me, thank you.
 
weepweeps said:
I was so nervous and stressed when I first got my piggies so I can totally relate to how you feel. I even thought I had made a huge mistake and should give them back. It was that bad. But you soon learn what all the noises mean and you slowly get to know them and suddenly you are enjoying them more than stressing about them. Good luck. ❤️
Click to expand...

Reading your post actually made me cry. This is exactly how I have felt. Thank you for your words they have really helped.
 
You are doing an amazing job and your piggies will be fine.
You are clearly caring and have their best interests at heart - they are very lucky piggies.
I was convinced all of mine would die the first night I bought them home - they seemed so tiny and fragile, and we had to move their outdoor hutch inside due to unseasonably cold weather (they never moved back out btw).
It's a learning curve, but they are more resilient than you think.
At first we also tiptoed around them, but after a few months they no longer batted an eyelid at all the regular household sounds, and we are not a quiet house!
 
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