Guinea pigs are common household pets that can be kept either indoors, or outside. While it is most common to keep these small pets outdoors in countries such as England, it's important to understand the proper precautions to keep your guinea pig happy and healthy. Guinea pigs prefer a temperature between 65 °F (18 °C) and 75 °F (24 °C). If your region is prone to harsh winters or hot summers, then it's best to keep your guinea pigs indoors or have them outside partially.
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 4:
Researching Risks and Dangers
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Consider keeping your guinea pig indoors. Guinea pigs thrive better when they are inside. This is because the environment is more easily controlled, and the risk of predators and harsh weather is eliminated. Additionally, guinea pigs that are housed inside receive more social interaction from the household, and bond better with their owners.
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Understand the risk factors with keeping guinea pigs outdoors. Guinea pigs are susceptible to multiple health issues and dangers when housed outside. This is primarily due to the risk of uncontrollable weather conditions, and wild predators. While guinea pigs in the wild thrive in grasslands, domesticated breeds cannot cope with the same conditions.
- Many say that guinea pigs housed outdoors are prone to social isolation, as they may see less family members in the garden as they do in the living room. Not only do guinea pigs like to interact with the household physically, they enjoy listening to our voices, and feeling a part of the family.
- Another important factor to take into account is their vulnerability to predators. Even with a secured hutch, predators such as foxes, wild cats, snakes and hawks may still be able to hurt your guinea pig. Furthermore, guinea pigs are skittish pets that are capable of dying from shock from the sight of a predator.
- The temperature cannot be controlled outdoors. In regions where snow fall occurs in winter, guinea pigs can freeze to death, and vice versa in the case where the climate becomes too hot and your guinea pig suffers from a heat stroke.
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Determine the average weather conditions year-round for your region. Guinea pigs prefer a temperature averaging at 65 °F (18 °C) and 75 °F (24 °C), and become uncomfortable in temperature too high or too low. They are also susceptible to health risks, such as heat stroke, or hypothermia in an extremely cold environment. If you experience harsh winters or summers, you may have to bring your guinea pig indoors during these seasons. However, they may still be housed outside partially.
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Research the type of predators you may exhibit in your area. Predators can attack your guinea pigs even while they are housed in a secure hutch. The sight of a predator can also send your guinea pig in shock. Animals such as foxes or coyotes can dig underneath a hutch to get inside, while snakes may be able to enter through the grids of the cage. Large birds such as hawks and ravens can grab your guinea pig through the grids. Enforce the hutch based on which predators exist in your area.Advertisement
Part 2
Part 2 of 4:
Caring for Your Guinea Pig
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Purchase a hutch or chicken coop. Guinea pigs require a reliable and secure housing system that is resistant against weathering and predators. Something dry, clean and ventilated will suffice. 7.5 square feet is the minimum requirement for 1-2 guinea pigs, however, 10.5 square feet is advised. Remember; guinea pigs need length, not height, thus two-story hutches aren't advised. Ramps may also be flimsy and pose as a hazard.
- An ideal cage must have access to fresh grass, and also have an undercover area to protect your guinea pigs from weather conditions, and allow them a place to hide.
- Wired-flooring isn't recommended, as they can cause sores on their feet and lead to bumble foot.
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Re-enforce the hutch to keep predators out. Install wiring around the cage and secure the door and fencing. Alternatively, keep the hutch off the ground so that foxes cannot dig underneath. To prevent animals from digging a hole into the hutch, attach a mesh frame and bury it underneath.
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Place the cage in a suitable location. Undercover, such as under the veranda, is a sufficient location. Anything that is visible and sheltered from harsh weather will suffice. However, sheds and garages are not ideal year-round, as the ventilation isn't adequate.
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Purchase some cage accessories. Your guinea pigs will need a water bottle/bowl, a vegetable bowl, a pellet bowl, hay rack, hide, and a few toys to keep them stimulated.
- Water bottles are most popular compared to bowls, as guinea pigs are inclined to tip their bowls. Purchase a high-quality bottle that is resistant to leaking.
- Purchase a heavy-weighted metal bowl that is big enough to hold 1-2 full cups of vegetables, depending on how many guinea pigs you have. Something heavy-weighted is recommended to prevent your guinea pigs from tipping the bowl over.
- Avoid wire hay racks, as guinea pigs can get stuck inside. Hammock hay racks are preferred, otherwise you can skip this option all-together and place a pile of hay on the floor.
- Plastic igloos or wooden bridges are a few out of many options for your guinea pigs to hide in. Hides offer a safe space for your guinea pig to escape in the case where they are scared by a predator, or feel threatened by other guinea pigs in the herd.
- Pet stores offer many varieties of toys to keep your guinea pig happy, however, not all are safe for guinea pigs. Wire treat balls are dangerous, as are exercise wheels and balls.
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Provide unlimited fresh hay every night and day. Your guinea pig's diet consists 80% of hay, with 15% being vegetables and 5% pellets. It's important to have fresh, orchard, meadow or timothy hay available consistently. Hay can also be used as bedding.
- Do not mistake hay for straw. Straw is a tougher consistency and has a yellow tinge to it. It's tough consistency makes it a poking hazard to guinea pigs.
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Feed your guinea pig's one cup of vegetables each morning. Guinea pigs need a variety of different vegetables every day. The only vegetables that can be fed daily are bell peppers, and fresh grass. Kale, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, courgette, celery, spinach, cos lettuce, corn, and other vegetables can be fed 2-4 times a week depending on it's nutrient and vitamin content.
- Fruit can be fed 1-2 times a week as a treat. Keep citrus fruits such as oranges limited, as their acidity can result in mouth sores.
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Give your guinea pigs 1/4 cup of oxbow pellets each morning. When picking your brand of pellets, choose a plain pellet brand. Avoid guinea pig feed that contains colourful contents or dried fruit, as these aren't healthy. Pellets are important to provide your guinea pig with vitamin C, as they cannot produce it on their own.
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Cover uneaten food with a plastic lid. Uncovered food may attract insects and unwanted vermin during the night. Cover uneaten food and re-feed by morning, or bring their food bowls inside.
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Re-fill your guinea pigs water bottle each day. Fresh, unlimited water is important to prevent dehydration. Replenish their water bottle 1-2 times a day, and more often during summer, and thoroughly clean every 4-5 days. Water bowls or bottles in direct sunlight will attract algae growth, thus it's important to keep them clean.
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Bring your guinea pig's indoors for floor time. Allow your guinea pigs 1-2 hours of floor time each day. This will allow you and your guinea pig to bond with each other, and provide them with some exercise and mental stimulation.
- Set up a puppy play pen inside a quiet room in your household, and place some hides and toys around the floor. Additionally scatter some vegetables and hay on the floor, and encourage your guinea pig to explore.
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Clean your guinea pigs cage at least once a week. The advantages of keeping your guinea pigs outdoors, is that they have access to the lawn. This means you have to clean them less, as less bedding is used. However, their bedding inside the hutch will still require weekly cleaning, and daily spot cleaning to prevent the bedding from soiling. #*Empty the contents of the cage and sweep up once a week. Scrub down the floors and walls of the hutch with a cleaning detergent, and wash up their bowls and water bottles in a clean sink. Additionally, move the hutch around the garden to give your guinea pigs access to fresh grass.
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Avoid treating or mowing your grass. Guinea pig's love to eat fresh grass and hay as a primary part of their diet. If you have over-grown grass on your lawn, do not cut it! Your guinea pig's hutch can be moved on the surface. Treated grass is poisonous, so ensure no pesticides have been used.Advertisement
Part 3
Part 3 of 4:
Looking After Your Guinea Pig in Winter
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House your guinea pigs in a garden shed over the winter season. Winter is the perfect time to utilise your shed to offer a warm and dry place for your cavies to stay when it's not possible to bring them indoors. Ensure that your shed is free of drafts, and well insulated to keep your guinea pigs warm.
- Block drafts from the door using a rolled up towel or draft blocker.
- A garage can be used instead, providing that there is a window and it isn't used to store your car, as exhaust fumes are extremely dangerous.
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Provide a deep layer of various bedding materials. Hay, paper bedding, and wood shavings used together are great at keeping the floor of the hutch insulated. Layer 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) on the floor for your guinea pigs to burrow and retain heat.
- Do not use cedar wood shavings or saw dust as they can lead to respiratory issues. Kiln-dried pine or aspen shavings are safe.
- Straw is dangerous due to it's touch consistency. It can quite easily poke and irritate your guinea pig's eye.
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Add towels, blankets and fleece to the hutch. Guinea pigs like to nest when it gets cold. Something to snuggle up to will help your guinea pigs stay warm, especially during the colder nights. Blankets will need to be cleaned daily, as your guinea pigs will urinate on them frequently.
- Fleece snuggle beds can be purchase from most pet stores, or online.
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Attach a heating lamp to the roof of the hutch. Heating lamps can be purchased from farm supply stores, and are commonly used by poultry farmers to keep chickens and ducks warm during winter. They can also be used to keep your guinea pig warm. Ensure to research the risks of heating lamps, as they can easily over-heat your guinea pig, or cause discomfort. They can even burn if your guinea pig comes into contact with the bulb. A good, reliable brand is recommended, and only install if the hutch is big enough.
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Place a pet-safe heating pad inside their home. These heating pads can be heated up in a microwave and stay warm up to one or two hours. Ensure the heating pad isn't too hot when it's placed inside the cage. Additionally, a hot water bottle can be filled with boiling water and placed inside the hutch.
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Update your guinea pig's diet. Animals eat more during winter to preserve energy and keep warm. Provide both your guinea pigs with more foods and high vitamins and calories. Provide 1/4 cup of pellets instead of 1/8, and half a cup more of vegetables. Your guinea pigs should have plenty of timothy or meadow hay during the day.
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Cover the hutch with tarpaulin. A water proof cover will shelter your guinea pigs from the snow, rain and wind. Cover the hutch during bad weather, and take it off to allow ventilation when the weather has calmed down.
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Add a thermometer to the inside of the hutch to control the temperature. Guinea pigs prefer a temperature between 65 °F (18 °C) and 75 °F (24 °C). Anything below or above this will cause your guinea pigs discomfort.Advertisement
Part 4
Part 4 of 4:
Looking After Your Guinea Pig in Summer
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Move the hutch out of direct sunlight. An undercover area such as a veranda is a suitable place to keep your guinea pigs hutch. Direct sun exposure can heat their cage to high temperatures. It's important to avoid the sun during the heat of summer.
- Never place your guinea pig in a shed or garage during summer. These undercover areas heat up quickly, as they aren't ventilated sufficiently. Exhaust fumes from cars are extremely dangerous.
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Place frozen water bottles and ice packs around their cage. When hot, guinea pigs like to lie in the grass or around the hutch to stay cool. Place a frozen water bottle or ice pack in their cage to encourage them to lie next to them.
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Install a fan inside their hutch. If you have a large enough hutch or coop, you can install a fan to the roof. Ensure electrical cords are safe to be used, and out of reach of your guinea pigs. Have the fan on a low setting and do not point it directly at your guinea pigs.
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Add a thermometer to the inside of the hutch to control the temperature. Guinea pigs prefer a temperature between 65 °F (18 °C) and 75 °F (24 °C). Anything below or above this will cause your guinea pigs discomfort.
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Feed your guinea pigs cold vegetables and fruit. Cucumber, watermelon, and different varieties of lettuce make ideal treats during summer, as they contain high amounts of liquid to keep your guinea pig hydrated. Remember; these fruits and vegetables should be limited, as too much water can cause diarrhoea. Alternatively, keep vegetables chilled by storing them in your fridge.
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Refill their water source every 2-3 hours. Keep your guinea pigs water bowls and bottles cold and fresh. Their water may become warm in the summer heat.
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Trim your guinea pig's coat. Long-haired breeds such as Peruvian and Sheltie guinea pigs require frequent grooming to keep their coat maintained. Long-haired breeds are more prone to over-heating, due to their longer and thicker coats. Keep their fur trimmed to keep them comfortable during summer.
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Monitor for signs of heat stroke. Symptoms of heat stroke include; lethargy, panting, restlessness, salivating and convulsions. Heat stroke is very serious and fatal. If your guinea pig isn't adequately cooled or hydrated, they will suffer as a result. If symptoms occur, bring your guinea pig's indoors as soon as possible, keep them cool, and call a vet.Advertisement
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Tips
- Adopt two guinea pigs, as they are prone to loneliness.Thanks
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Warnings
- Avoid placing your guinea pig in a garage if cars are stored in the same spot. Exhaust fumes are extremely dangerous.Thanks
- Never place your guinea pig in a shed or garage during summer. These undercover areas heat up quickly, as they aren't ventilated.Thanks
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