Single guinea pig unhappy

[Dandelion18]

Hi there. I’m hoping I can get some advice please. We have a single female guinea pig who is 2 1/2 years old, we lost her friend last year. She is just starting to pull her hair out, so I’m hoping that getting her a new companion would help. The issues I have are that we no longer have the space to bring them inside during winter and only have a hutch outside. What does everyone else do to cover their hutches when it gets cold? I put thick blankets over which was fine until they got wet.
A lady has offered to take her off my hands as she has 4 female guinea pigs, but when I suggest this to my son he gets so upset that I really think it would break his heart (he’s 7 and very attached). I’m so mad at myself right now.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry for your loss

My two boys live outside but their hutch is actually in a shed so that helps in that they aren’t exposed to wind and rain at all so it’s just a case of keeping them warm.
if you have a hutch outside, if possible, it should be moved somewhere sheltered - a shed/carport etc is ideal but id you don’t have that then move it close to the house or a wall or fence so it can help block out win and rain.
You will need either proper fitted hutch covers or a heavy duty tarpaulin over the top of blankets, old carpet etc - something to keep the warmth in and draughts out.
Outdoor piggies need a source of warmth so snugglesafe heat pads are essential for outdoor piggies

To keep my piggies warm, I stuff the hutch completely with hay. I have several hides which all get filled with hay. I also use four snuggle safe heat pads between my two boys. These give them somewhere warm to sit but as I use four of them, they also help heat the air around them.
I then cover the hutch with a thermal hutch cover, I then pull over two blankets. I also have a waterproof hutch cover over the thermal and blankets (obviously I don’t use it for the fact it’s waterproof as they are in a shed but the cover provides another layer of protection. I then Throw an old duvet over all of it (obviously they wouldn’t work if it was outside as it would just get wet).

 

[Siikibam]

I’m sorry you lost your other girl.

My two pairs live outside in a home made hutch. I lined the inside and outside with thermal bubble wrap stuff. In winter, I stuff their hutch with hay. They also have two heat pads each. I then cover the front with blankets and cover it with tarp. It’s served me surprisingly well and I’ve managed to keep them warm enough. I think the hutch being heavy duty helps.

Is there anywhere you could put a 120x60cm cage? That’s the minimum space they would need. And you could perhaps give them floor time? I know your son would be really devastated but at the same time it wouldn’t be fair to keep your girl alone outside (or inside). In winter you wouldn’t be able to bring her inside for cuddles and then put her back out in the hutch.

Before you rule out getting her a friend, I would see if you have space for a 120x60cm cage somewhere. Perhaps in a hallway, sitting room or on a table. If the hutch is also big enough then you can get her a friend and house them outside. The only spanner in those works would be whether a rescue would let you adopt a piggy that’s going to live outside. They can be a little particular about that. The other issue is if you adopted an inside piggy, they would have to live outside now so they have time to adjust to the cooler temperatures later on.

I hope you can find a solution that works for everyone.

 

[Scooter Pie]

One of my piggies self barbered. She lost a friend at her original home and chewed off all the fur she could reach.

She came to live with our single female who had also lost her friend.

Within days of them bonding, the barbering stopped and she grew all her beautiful fur back!

So while I don't have any advice about the outdoor issue as we don't really do outdoor piggies in the US, I know your girl will be fine once she finds a friend!

Best wishes

 

[Bill & Ted]

One of my piggies self barbered. She lost a friend at her original home and chewed off all the fur she could reach.

She came to live with our single female who had also lost her friend.

Within days of them bonding, the barbering stopped and she grew all her beautiful fur back!

So while I don't have any advice about the outdoor issue as we don't really do outdoor piggies in the US, I know your girl will be fine once she finds a friend!

Best wishes

Aw what a heartwarming tale, how lovely that they cheered each other up x

 

[VickiA]

Just to add into the mix that self barbering is not always a behavioural issue but can also be indicative of a health issue (sometimes pain) so it would be worth getting her seen by a vet to ensure that she is healthy and not harbouring some underlying issue before trying to bond her with another guinea pig.