Outdoor winter time

[Guinea_Lover]

Dear all,

I am stuck on what to do with my guinea pigs for the winter. Last year was the first winter with them so i used to put them in the shed with a heater, water bottle, snuggy beds and their hutch full of straw. But due to one of my piggies having URI she has not been put off straw so what can i use instead of straw this time? i was thinking of maybe shredded paper or hay?

One other question was for this winter they now have a new hutch, a single story hutch with a run at the bottom of it- has any of you people got any ideas how to make toys or fun places for guinea pigs to hide for the winter(cheapest option!). Last year my 2 piggies were cooped up for 3 months in a single story hutch and i felt really sorry for them as they were really bored(this is why they have their new hutch!)
Thanks!
xx

 

[claire8234]

Hi

Keeping guinea pigs in straw isn't recommended because it has sharp ends and can cause eye injuries so hay is definitely a better option, and your piggies can burrow in it to keep warm.

In my guinea pigs hutch I use a thick layer or newspaper then a couple of inches of eco pet bed (little squares of dust extracted cardboard) and lots of hay for bedding. The cheaper meadow hay is fine for bedding, we used to buy a big bale of it and use smaller bags of timothy hay in their hay rack.

Are they going to be kept in a shed again this year? If so please be aware that certain types of heaters can produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, especially in inventilated areas so you need to make sure that whatever you use wont be potentially harmful to you pigs.

Lots of cardboard tubes or upturned cardboard boxes are fun for them to hide in and explore. Hide tasty treats around their hutch or in the bottom of a cereal packet and consider buying a treat ball designed for guinea pigs. Do you still bring them out of their hutch to sit with you etc, its just you mentioned they were cooped up for three months and got bored. Remember their best entertainment is you so don't forget lots of cuddles

xx