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can guinea pigs tolerate cold weather

Can Guinea Pigs Tolerate Cold Weather?

When it gets cold outside, it is always preferable to bring your guinea pigs inside the home to keep warm.

They much prefer being in stable temperatures of between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit so that they feel comfortable and don’t end up being too cold or even freezing outside.

So what happens when there is not an option to bring your guinea pigs inside?

Sometimes there just isn’t the room to have your guinea pigs inside the home, however much you want to create a good home for them.

Can guinea pigs tolerate the cold weather?

With this being the case, can guinea pigs tolerate the cold weather at all?

It is not an ideal situation for a guinea pig to find themselves in.

They are hardy creatures and very good at surviving cold temperatures.

They find ways of surviving and keeping themselves alive.

However, this shouldn’t be put to the test and guinea pigs have been known to freeze to death when left in extreme temperatures.

So if you do have to leave them outside during cold weather, then make sure you take extra care of them during these seasons.

Taking precautions in cold weather seasons

First of all, make sure they are provided with extra hay to keep themselves warm.

Give them plenty of food and water so they can keep themselves hydrated and sustained. Put a waterproof cover over their hutch so that it keeps out rain and snow.

Think about keeping a blanket on top of the hutch and underneath the waterproof cover to try and insulate the hutch.

Ensure that they are not alone during this time. Guinea pigs find warmth from snuggling up from each other.

This is one of the reasons why it is important to have more than one guinea pig as they draw from each other’s body heat.

This can be a lifesaver for a guinea pig and the difference between whether they stay alive during the cold winter months.

Guinea pigs and extreme temperatures

Keeping guinea pigs outside though in countries where the temperature regularly falls below freezing is not advised.

Guinea pigs will easily suffer from hypothermia and will die as a result.

If you live in countries such as this then keeping them inside is the only option.

Even keeping them in an outhouse is not good for them unless you have the outhouse properly insulated and heated for them to comfortably.

Born survivors

So think carefully whether having guinea pigs is a beneficial thing for them before you purchase them or take on ownership.

There are pets that handle the extreme cold better than guinea pigs that you can get.

Guinea pigs are born survivors but they will only survive so far before their bodies are not able to protect them any further.

It is not worth taking the risk.