Snuggling Winter Piggies

[AbiS]

I know its only August but I am already fretting about the winter months. My boys currently live in a two-level hutch in the garden. In the winter they will be moved into the garage where they will have a hutch cover (already used overnight if its raining or colder) and they will also have a duvet over the hutch.

I am planning to get 2 snugglesafe heatpads for ease of rotating so they have 24 hour warmth - is this right or should they only have one at night-time?

My main concern is that at the moment one baby (5months old but will always be my babies) sleeps upstairs in the sleeping area and the other baby sleeps downstairs in a pigloo. The sleeping area is more than big enough for 2 of them. Do you think they will always sleep separately or should they start snuggling with each other when it gets colder?

Also - they have never burrowed in hay - even when they were tiny. I put loads of hay in the hutch and would go back later to find them sitting on top of a 6 inch layer of hay that they had squashed down!

When I first planned on getting them I did not feel any parental guilt about them being in the garage over winter but now I am struggling with the thought a bit. Unfortunately hubby has totally put his foot down and will not have them in the house permanently.

Is there anything else I can do to make sure that they are as cosy as possible over the winter?

 

[AbiS]

PS - before anyone mentions it I am naively ignoring the fact that they have the potential to need separating but I am going to be getting another hutch before the winter - one that's bigger than the current one. Hopefully more space will keep them happy and it also means I will have a spare hutch....just in case....

 

[Stewybus]

Have you tried getting a cardboard box & cut a door in it & fill it with hay. My piggies love things like this.

 

[AbiS]

I filled their pigloo with hay - even pushing it into the roof of the pigloo - give them 10 mins and one of them will be in there on top of all the hay, munching it quite happily but not quite getting the point! mallethead

 

[Hermes]

This is the thread you need to read - http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?54309-Cold-Weather-Care-For-Guinea-Pigs

 

[AbiS]

Thanks Hermes. I had read that link so I think I am doing everything I can. Sadly I cant make Toby and Barney either burrow or snuggle. Wish they would - I would be a lot less worried!

 

[AbiS]

So I thought I would give it another go and last night filled the pigloo with hay - all squashed down this morning. And I also put a bottomless cardboard box filled with hay in the sleeping area. The box was flipped over and someone had peed inside it so that will be going in the bin today.

Have had a little look on internet as I'm trying to find a square bottomless wooden or plastic hidey for them that they wont be able to flip over and I can fill with hay. Needs to be a bit smaller than a pets at home pigloo. Any ideas?

 

[Hanlou]

I have one of (( These )) - Not sure which size it is so you may need to measure up (they come in various sizes) but it's great. The height means you could stuff hay in the top as as an insulator if you wanted to.

The size I have fits 4 sow piggles easily!

 

[twiams]

Do you have any cuddle sacks or other fleecy items ? They’re great for keeping piggies warm

http://www.pawsup4cosypets.co.uk/

 

[AbiS]

Thanks Hanlou - I will look into those.

Twiams - I actually found instructions on the internet last night to make cuddle cups and sacks so I'm going to get some material over the next weeks or so and get something made.

As soon as the new hutch is put together hubby is going to put a false roof in the sleeping area to make it a bit more cosy for them and to make it a bit easier and more cost effective for me to pack it with hay

 

[Jess]

So glad I found this thread just picked up so many ideas for winter... Genius people!
My boyfriend also refused to allow the Piggies entrance to the house as well, we had them in the garage last year... hated it because it was dark all the time, major guilt trip. Now we have converted a shed into a guinea pig palace and now know what will be good for winter... Genius! Cardboard boxes... Fleece cuddle tents and stuff... Love this site!