Winter round the corner, ideas for single piggy

mummyemily

mummyemily

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello, the evenings are drawing in and the weather is on the turn,
For the 1st time I only have one Piggy, he is extremely happy on his Own, but I am concerned about keeping him this way through the colder months.
I live in a tiny house so having him indoors would been having to keep in in a small cage which I don’t want to do, so ideally I’d like him to winter again out he did last year but had a hutch mate.
Hit me ideas on how to keep him snug and warm on his own, his hutch has a weatherproof cover which is great for the rain and wind but is so tight fitting I can’t put anything round the outside, before this one hutch I bubble wrapped and had horse turn out rugs on it which kept them warm and dry
 
Our cold weather care guide has lots of useful tips
Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs

However even if you are able to insulate the hutch and keep your guinea pig warm throughout the winter with lots of bedding and heat pads, please consider getting him a friend.
Winter days are short and the evenings are long and dark and often cold and wet.
He will have far less stimulation and company tucked away in a covered hutch.
Human interaction will also be reduced, becasue if we are honest when it is freezing and pouring with rain no one wants to linger in the garden.

The absolute best thing you can do for him right now is offer him a friend that will be there 24/7, and will interact with him on his terms.
Please give some serious thought as to how fair it is to subject him to a long, dark Winter all alone in a hutch outside.
 
I agree too, but is you're last guinea pig left pretty old and you don't want to keep going through the cycle of getting a friend? If so there is the option of fostering a friend until you have none of you're own left. Thought I'd mention it incase.

Most of that sounded like an advert
 
I keep my piggies outdoors all year but I have never and would never keep a lone pig out. When daisy was left on her own and we were struggling to find a cage mate for her I brought her indoors so I could keep a better eye on her. She was ok on her own too but I wouldn't ever say any pig is extremely happy on their own as it's not how they are wired to live. Daisy was much more involved and chatty with us but that's because she was so lonely, she's still confident and loves her humans but definitely much happier with friends of her own species to boss around
 
Hi and welcome

Having a single piggy that is living outside is problematic; you wouldn't ask if you didn't know that yourself. it is good that you want to make sure that your boy continues to be cared for well and that his needs are being met.

If you do not want to continue after your bereaved survivor has gone, then it may be worth to contact a rescue to ask whether you could foster a character compatible rescue companion for the remaining life time of your piggy. How old is he?
Like my previous posters have said, companionship is the biggest enrichment for any guinea pig irrespective of whether they cope well on their own or not.

You may find the information and the ideas in these links here helpful.
The singles guide deals with single guinea pigs in different situations, discusses the challenges of each of them and offers a range of solutions with their various pros and cons. It also looks at cavy social and species needs as well as how guinea pig expectations impact on a cavy-human relationship and cause unique dynamics and challenges.
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
 
I would get him a friend,aside from the snuggle factor they really do like the company of their own kind...you may think your piggie is quite happy on his/her own but they still need the company of their own kind for social and behavioural reasons.😊
 
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