Neighbours guinea pig outside in 4 degrees celsius

[CinderRosie]

My NDN have recently acquired a guinea pig which is currently residing in a hutch, which has been plonked straight onto their lawn. It’s 4 Celsius right now where we live and surely this is too cold for guinea pigs to be outside straight in the ground like that, especially overnight when it’ll be even colder. We don’t really talk to these particular neighbours just because we rarely see each other and I don’t want to fall out with them especially as we are semi detached with them.

Do I keep my beak out?

YABU - keep your beak out
YANBU - you need to say/do something

I agree the hutch should be off the ground and insulated. One severe winter in East Anglia, (-15C at night) my rabbits stayed outside but their hutch was so warm the water bottle never froze. The sleeping compartment was stuffed with hay and the whole hutch was swathed in old woollen blankets two inches deep and topped with a double thickness of waterproof tarpaulin. In the daytime, a balmy -5C, I turned the blankets back for a few hours. It's the damp that will affect the guinea pig most. If you can have a quiet word it would be good but neighbours can be so touchy.

I would have to say something
Poor GP
They don't do cold well (or hot)

I used to keep mine (there were several) all together in a run and house on the lawn, out all year round (in North Yorkshire). The house was full of hay but they would be outside in the run part pretty much all the time, only going in at night. They hate wet cold but they are pretty hardy in the cold (they come from Peru originally so dry cold doesn't bother them). If the pig is in a hutch then it will likely be fine as long as it can go into a house part if it needs to. My main concern would it being an 'only' as they much prefer to be kept in pairs or groups rather than singley.

When you say ‘Guinea pig’ do you mean singular? Cos that’s more of a problem than being outside tbh. If the hutch had enough insulation and hay and an inside section, it might be ok. Not something I’d do, but not necessarily not ok if measures have been taken to insulate.
I work for an animal rescue and often bring home elderly or unwell piggies over the winter so they’re inside. The ones at the rescue are in an outbuilding and are a herd so they have plenty of opportunity to keep warm together, it’s also well insulated with plenty of hay.

My childhood guinea pigs lived outside through many a Scottish winter. Not sure I would keep guinea pigs outside these days but it never seemed to do mine any harm.

I'd guineapignap it.

far too fucking cold for even a pair/group to be outside, let alone a singleton!!

id definitely knock the door & have a word. Poor wee thing

We’ve kept ours outside in that weather. They have a super thick fleece pouch that they live in. But having said that we are away this weekend and moved them to an outhouse in case the temp fell below freezing. It’s not the cold but the damp that’s a concern the ground I would think.

Sounds like they don't know much about guineapigs Unlike rabbits Guineapigs don't have thick coats, their fur is much less dense so they need protection from the cold, either a well insulated hutch, under a veranda with a blanket over the sides and roof of hutch or in an outhouseI think I'd say something but worded in such a way so as not to cause offence/ shed, I couldn't leave an animal to suffer and piggies aren't very robust. That said if they were in a sunny patch of a sheltered garden, and brought in once the sun goes, I wouldn't be so concerned, but if it's not been sunny, then they will suffer .

GP on its ownsome, cold and damp throughout the long winter nights. It just ain’t right.

Stuff like this really upsets me 😞 Guinea pigs should not be outdoors in this weather unless it’s in a large, well insulated shed and they should NEVER be kept alone. If you ever end up with one alone it should be either rematched with a younger friend or given to a rescue (if you don’t want another) where they can try and find it a buddy. It’s just horrifically lonely for them to be on their own. We have 3 (used to have 4 but one sadly died, old age - 8!) in a very large indoor cage. I would absolutely have to say something.

My pigs are outside year round.

When it's cold they have regularly microwaved SnugglePads that stay warm eight hours, the inside of the sleep space is insulated, they have a ton of hay, fleece, and a wind and weatherproof cover. It's always toasty in their sleep space even when it's below freezing.

Don't assume they aren't doing the same if you haven't seen inside the hutch. I'd probably mention SnugglePads in passing though.

Poor piggy on its own 😭

Guinea pigs can be kept outdoors. We had outdoor piggies (on rotation) for about 40 years. Our last 2 died aged 9 and 10. Their hutch was kept in a sheltered corner against an house wall.

The hutch needs insulating, waterproofing, and they need access to fresh water which is not that difficult (a well insulated hutch will keep their water bottle unfrozen).

Piggies are fine in heat or in cold, but their systems get shocked by change between the 2. People putting indoor piggies out to graze/exercise at this time of year do much more harm than having outdoor piggies full time.

He will soon have a foxy friend to take care of him, poor little thing, turned into a frozen dinner.

Can you go and get him?

No. Guinea Pigs do NOT LIKE THE COLD. Used to have nine GP's and two rabbits - all hutches kept on shelving in an insulated shed. Despite the cold if a fox comes along and tries to get in the GP's can just die of fright even if the fox does not get in.

We used to cover our hutch with some old rugs and it was off the ground and there were 3 of them to huddle together with lots of bedding. We did bring the hutch inside though when it was really cold

You need to pignap him / her. Just make sure to leave some scuff marks and a bit of gnawing round the hutch!

There must be so many small animals leading miserable existences in this country. Guinea pigs need other guineas and lots of space ...and care.

This is so hard! I can see why you don’t want to say anything and to be honest I wouldn’t in these circumstances. Could you take around a bale of hay you had ‘spare’ and try and make a conversation about keeping them warm outside?
I’m surprised they didn’t find out the basics when they got him. I used to think they lived outside in a hutch and you gave them the odd lettuce leaf but quickly found out how wrong that was and what they needed (including a partner!)

Aren’t guinea pigs native to the Andes, and live at something like 4,000m above sea level? Since the temperature varies between plus 40 and minus 40 Celsius there, I’m sure even a domestic one can cope with 4 degrees. Keeping it out all winter would seem a little harsh though, more because it won’t see anyone - they’re pretty social are they?

Guinea pigs do not cope well with the cold at all. They aren’t rabbits, who adapt much better. Please speak to your neighbour.

Ours used to be out in their runs in the snow. They all lived long lives.

I would be concerned OP. If they have recently acquired a guinea pig it may have come from a pet shop and have been an indoor pig. Even if, as posters above have mentioned, there are ways of keeping guinea pigs outside in the winter - they must be acclimatised to it.

Then there is the fact it is a single pig. I think you have to say something to them about this.

@Tryingtokeepgoing I guess this one and its recent ancestors haven't been anywhere near the Andes so won't be acclimatised in the same way. And I bet the Andes ones aren't shoved into a tiny box in the middle of a lawn and left.

Poor Guinea pig. It also makes me sad as it sounds like they have just one so it will be so lonely :(

Id do something maybe call RSPCA so they can check on it.

My Guinea pigs lived outdoors for five years and they were adopted so even older (age unknown) if it’s lone that’s more of an issue as they need to be in pairs? And plenty of hay and a hide is ok plus thermal hutch cover? Does it look like it has a cover over the top?