Please help me with temperature regulation in guinea pigs

[NotInMyDay]

Hi

We are about to become the proud owners of two guinea pigs for me DD.

The hutch and run are ordered and I am doing loads of research. Their living arrangement will be hutch with attached run outside in summer and then moved into the kids (large) playhouse in the winter with insulation and snuggle pads etc.

I would like to bring them into the kitchen for playing and company in the afternoons but have read a lot about GPs not being able to cope with extreme changes intemperate so I'm worried that this won't be good for them. Would it be ok if I kept the kitchen cool and then put them out with their snuggle pads?

So grateful for help.

Hi NIMD.
Are you getting baby pigs or adults? Boys or girls (girls will be a bit more snuggly, my boars very rarely sit beside each other. They'll sit on each other in deep hay, but that's just them ).

The playhouse is good (ours have my DC outgrown Swiss Chalet Playhouse. DD goes in the chat and play with them). And because of the height, they have lots of air and light.

Sugglepads are available online much cheaper than in pet shops (IIRC I paid £14 on Amazon). I used hot water bottles last year but this year I'm going to get some microwave ones and sew some fleece pouches.
Deep hay was the best insulator I found. Fleece is lush but a nightmare to get all the bits off.
Plus the hay keeps them busy - boars especially get narky if they don't have enough to keep them occupied.

My hogs don't run round indoors (sometimes GP1 goes up on DDs bed but he's a gentleman. GP2 pees everywhere).
I'm planning to clear a space in the garage (car doesn't live there) and put a tarpaulin and cardboard down inside their rabbit pen to give them some excercise. (They can't live there it's freezing compared to their Pighouse).

As long as they don't go from warm to cold (or cold to warm) too extreme change, they're fine
In the winter mine are in at night (dining room) in the Pighouse by day.
(I put a fan in their Pighouse early morning for 15 minutes while I heat their Snugglepads. They go out to a nice temperature.The hay keeps them insulated. When I pick them up in the evening to come in ,they are snug)

Hi 70 thanks for replying. I'm glad the living arrangements sound fine.

Wrt boys/girls etc we are most likely to be getting baby girls but I was going to get them from P@H but I have been reading a thread from earlier in the summer where Sookeh took on GPs originally from P@H and they were very ill. I'm determined now not to buy from there but now completely at a loss where to buy them from. I'd like to get a pair (or 3) from a reputable breeder but I have no idea how to find one. There doesn't seem to be a rescue anywhere near me (Glasgow) so I don't know what to do.

Any ideas?

Hi - do hope you manage to find some guineas - there is a national guinea rescue you could try who might be able to advise - also try local vets who may have an idea of pregnant guineas in the area if any of their 'clients' have babies to sell on. Pet shops? From my experience, either get 2 or 4 as with 3, there tends to be some argy bargy!! - Others may think differently, but I have had difficulties with odd numbers as one is always left out. P@H is a conunudrum isnt it - we had terrible experiences with guineas and fish from there and I vowed I would never go there again. However they now have an area with pets needing rehoming and they look so sad and lonely I could take them all home - could it be worth ringing to see if they have any who have been brought back? NOt sure how old your kids are, but very tiny guineas need constant care and attention, so maybe some slightly older ones,say 5 or 6 months might be more suitable, they will also be more hardy over the winter. Good luck, hope you are successful and some come your way.

I would try the pets4homes website or gumtree as they always have a load of youngish pets whose owners have found they don't want piggies after all.....

I look on the GumTree website (out of nosyness, I'm not looking for new fur babies, honest boars)

They have loads of young and baby hogs.

Some of them are obviously breeders (by the way they 'word' the adverts and the fact they might have several litters on offer). They might be asking £10-£25 per piglet (or less per pig if you buy 2).Some will actually state that they won't sell a singleton unless you have a piggie already.

Then there are the ones who are moving/new baby/new job/ new cat or dog

Some are just getting fed up -or the DC are - and they want rid of the pigs.

There are new ones posted every day, you might need to travel.

TBH, I wouldn't pay them the money they ask.Some will ask for a 'commitment' (ie ££) from a new owner. But I could get a brand new pig for £20, so unless it was a Rescue, I wouldn't pay an owner who wanted a good home. The commitment of a home would be what I would give them. Might pay for a cage though.

Breeder v Private Owner? You get more reassurance from a responsible breeder.

(And as for the owner -about 6 miles from me- who wanted someone to go and pick up his daughters GPs while she was at school and knew nothing about the GP going.
Advertised as "Would make a lovely present" .

for the GPs being booted out as a lovely present "for a child"
for his DD coming home to find her pet gone
And what happens to the GPs if no-one takes them?

I'll keep an eye out in Gumtree (although hutch etc not ready yet) but like you say there are a lot of 'need to rehome due to new job/baby etc' but people seem to want to make as much money back so they are expensive.
Still researching, researching, researching. Excited!!!!