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

Mine used to live in a converted and insulated kids play house with a sleeping compartment and loads of hay. They were fine but there was always more than one of them. Keeping guinea pigs on their own is cruel, even most so keeping one outside without anything to interact with :(

I guess it depends where it's previously come from, but feel sorry for it having no friend.

Rabbits are very different and more robust for dealing with the cold.

They are very susceptable to damp so the cage should not be on the ground .
They can cope with a degree of cold if that's what they are used to but they should always have appropriate company , by that a guinea-pig friend/friends that are a harmonious group , otherwise the bullied one has a shit life and sits away from the herd not able to eat or snuggle . It's illegal in Switzerland to keep one . We only had one when she was the last of our elderly trio (she stayed inside 24/7 ) or if we had a bereaved pig waiting for a new friend

They need to be dry and draught proof .
And checked every day several times a day .

He is very much at risk of being eaten. Foxes and badgers ( badgers are phenomenally strong ) can dig or break in.
The guinea-pig will be bored and very lonely . If its a childs' pet even if they cuddle him a while he's on his own . And I'll bet in winter his care levels will slip.

Domestic guinea pigs are nothing like their rangey wild cousins .
They are the most vinerable creatures and will quickly go down with a respiratory infection. They cannot put up any type of fight . They don't even bite considering they are rodents .
They pee/pooh in their hay beds and are untidy little animals .
DD and I had ours in a wooden playhouse with access from their hutches to the floor . They pootled about , chatted , cuddled up . Inside the haybox was warm as it was insulated but it needed cleaned every day .
In winter they came indoors at night (cool room) so no temperature fluctuations - very dangerous for them to go hot-cold or cold-hot .

If you do pignap him they'll likely get another after they explain he;s run away to a farm .

You could print off some Care Leaflets and hand them over or suggest they might look on some (Guinea-Lynx or one of many Rescue sites give advice )

I had words with my DD school when their pigs were out in November on concrete . Obviously no planning was made for their care and it was Guy Fawkes .
I didn't rant but I did say "I don;t care if you think I am bolshy and interfereing but I'm not going to sleep happily if I know two small vunerable rodents are outside on wet concrete on this weekend of all weekends"
They were moved inside .

Ask your NDN if they'd like to be stuck in the bathroom with a window that lets in the cold . No TV, no phone , no books . Nothing to do . No one to talk to . I bet they'll say "No"

My guinea pigs are outdoor, but they do have a thermal hutch cover, each other and a heat pad if it goes below 0 degrees, they struggle much more with the heat than the cold tbh

Probably watched that lonely Guinea pig Olga De polga on cbeebies and thought it was a good idea to have one on its own

I foster / rehome guinea pigs for a local rescue everyone who has already commented has said exactly what I would say. We only rehome to indoor set ups in the winter- can be a shed or garage (that isn't used for a car) but they do need that extra care ideally. I know that plenty of people have pigs that have wintered out successfully but that's what we advise. With how much 'predator' wildlife there is now then keeping them secure is a priority as a lot of the shop bought cages just aren't built robustly enough.
They can handle lower 'dry' temperatures but it's rain / wind and the damp from the ground or the wood of their hutches that can cause illness.
As pigs are prey animals then they are remarkably adept at hiding any illness until it's at a critical stage and unless you know their routine then it can be hard to pick up that they're not 100%. People often think their pigs just suddenly die but it's normally there's been an issue building up that's not noticed as they are outside and when it's wet / windy / cold people just don't want to visit them to feed them.

They should absolutely be kept in pairs / groups too...boar pairs can be very tricky to bond if they're not already together. Sows again can be tricky. The best pairing is a neutered boar and sow (or group of sows) as that's how they'd live in the wild. If they contact a local guinea pig rescue then they would be able to help pair up their pig.

The comments on this post are really heartening to read though, we're getting so many requests right now from people wanting to hand in their pigs due to the weather turning / they take up too much time etc etc, so to read so many caring comments is lovely.

If they're new owners then this is an excellent forum, plus has lists of rescues and vets

www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/

I really think the keeping of any creature should be subject to strict licensing. Nobody needs a pet, we have them for entirely selfish reasons and if you're not prepared to put the time, money and effort into providing a very good quality of life you shouldn't have a pet at all. Poor guinea pig, cold and lonely, I would have to say something, my conscience wouldn't let me ignore it.

And depending on the hutch the quality can be an issue

I biught a 2nd hand rabbit hutch , good condition, we scrubbed , cleaned with a specialised treatment and painted with animal safe paint
It spent one summer in the garden inside their rabbit run to give them shelter and shade while they were outside grazing .
Then I moved it into the Pigshed and kept it there .

It wasn't something I'd use as my only hutch , even though it was designed for rabbits si bigger , the sleeping and living areas weren't big and guinea pigs will hide away . (They had this as a sleeping /hay box with a door cut out of the end and the divider removed )

It was a bit flimsy , DH re-inforced the corners .

So a hutch on grass is not going to protect him for long . And wood absorbs damp .

Poor wee piggy - it's a hard life being basically a furry potato on little legs at the best of times! (If you believe mine and their wheeks of neglect if they hear a salad wrapper anywhere in the postcode).

So long as the hutch has a fully sheltered section with lots of bedding to nestle into and a cover for insulating it and keeping draughts out during the bad weather, whilst not ideal is less concerning than the fact its being kept on its own. Guinea-pigs are highly social animals that require the company of their own species, they should be kept in pairs as a minimum. Failing to provide this is in breach of the Animal Welfare Act. If you feel you can say something then thats great you lose nothing trying and may even educate them into improving their piggy's life but I strongly suspect it will fall on deaf ears.

I know the RSPCA isn't held in high esteem but the Animal Welfare Act lays it out pretty clearly :

What does this mean for those responsible for animals? In short it means they must take positive steps to ensure they care for their animals properly and in particular must provide for the five welfare needs, which are:

• need for a suitable environment (no it isn't , damp grass under a hutch isn't suitable)
• need for a suitable diet ( could be ok , could be lacking)
• need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns (stuck in a hutch he won't move about or excercise , he'll stay in the sleeoing area unless eating)
• need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals ( so a guinea-pig/s he gets on with. No fighting and bullying . And not a rabbit)
• need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.( failure here too . He'll suffer stress from fear of being eaten and lonlieness , He'll suffer . He will come down with a respiratiry infection sure as eggs are eggs )

It really doesn't take much to go on the Internet or a Library and find out what they need .

You cannot even open a bag of crisps without them chorusing Ohh we have mouths too , empty ones . Is that a bag of parsley that we hear ? and protesting the imminent starvation that they're suffering . While up to their ears in fresh hay and a bowl of pellets , having scoffed a hearty salad plate for breakfast . !

If the hutch is raised with a cosy inside room then they should be fine.
Mine always went out in the day, even just for 20 mins in winter to nibble some grass, then inside at night.
No, the temperature difference never killed any of them in 30 years.

I'd be worried. I have chickens....one if them decided to sleep outside in their large run this evening l, rather than there very warm hutch with the others, the door shuts to keep them watm...just collected her from the run and moved her in with her friends. An animal.on their own isn't going to keep warm especially if on the ground. Our hutch is up legs and got lots of bedding in with them and they cuddle up together...

I know someone whose guinea pig froze to death on their balcony. I was so angry at her couldn't care less attitude I have avoided any contact with her since.

70 and coffee

My GP's live outdoors.. but have a VERY well insulated sleeping area, off the ground which we shut overnight and stuff with hay, the door is open in the day to a massive (at least 12' x6 ') dry run with lots of tunnels, pods and enrichment activities. They hate being indoors. We do know their behaviours very well though and bring them in overnight if they show any signs the cold is bothering them.. but being inside usually upsets them more ! They are nearly 7 now and very very healthy so clearly not doing too badly

HaHa !
We once (only once) gave ours a few pieces of pumpkin flesh one Hallowe'en.
They practically spat it out and told us in no uncertain terms how discusted they were that we gave random kiddies Haribos and Twix but peddled this filth to our rodents

Many times I had to go outside with a plate and grass scissors (my NDN got used to seeing my in my robe cutting grass )

I would wager if the OP can see into the hutch then it isn't well insulated or a good accomodation.

Apparantly in Switzerland it’s illegal to keep Guinea pigs alone. I have no idea how you manage it when one of them dies ?

on the other hand when we got our Guinea pig ( 20 years ago ) from an experienced rescue centre just for GPS ( there were over 150 of them ) we were told that he as an adult boar had to be kept alone as he ate smaller ones 🤷

Guinea pigs should not be kept outside, especially in the winter. They also shouldn't be on their own.

Ah you get into the Spiral where one dies and you get a cagemate (or two)

We had three oldies (bonded sows and a castrated boar ) but they couldn;t get together (one of the girls attacked him) She died and we managed to bond the other sow and the boar . They all went To The Bridge over 6 months so we had the inevitable solo pig for about three months , She lived in our small bedroom and pretty much in DD room. She wouldn't have been an easy pig to re-bond and we decided that our piggie keeeping days were finishing after her .

Sadly a lot of boars are kept alone due to beliefs about fighting etc . Yes they can fight and yes not every guinea pig gets along . (Our boar was in his own house but only had a grid between so he had company but safe company )

My DD loved her soppy boars .
They do take extra work and space .
And this time of year they are hard work !

Can you stay something to them/send them a note? Guinea pigs should be kept in pairs (not solitary) and kept inside at this time of year with lots of straw to keep them/it warm. Can you knock the door and offer help...

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/guineapigs/environment#:~:text=A%20secure%20space%20that's%20large,20%C2%B0C%20are%20ideal.

Mine are outside in a shed, with an oil-filled heater. It's often warmer there than in the house.

Mine are outside - on the side of the house but with a sturdy cover and plenty of hay in a burrow bit. When it got really cold last year we used a pet hot pad. One is 6 and happy as Larry!