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How to Keep Your Guinea Pigs Cool

Updated: Sep 2, 2020

Summer can be challenging even for humans, but how can you keep your pets healthy and cool? Here are some of our best tips to beat the summer heat.



Keep them indoors.

If you have air conditioning, keep your pigs in a cool room. Avoid putting them in a drafty area, but make sure the air is circulating. Always keep them out of direct sunlight.


Provide cooling items in their cage.

You can use anything from frozen water bottles to heat-absorbing tiles. We prefer marble and metal sheets designed for chinchillas (we recommend this Kaytee marble stone). They can be placed in the fridge to cool them down even more. If you decide to use frozen bottle or ice packs, make sure they are covered or wrapped in a towel or cloth. You don't want the piggies nibbling on them, and direct exposure to ice can be harmful for their body temperature.


Keep them hydrated.

Guinea pigs should always have a constant supply of fresh water, but this is even more important in higher temperatures. Consider adding extra sources of water during the summer, and routinely feed them veggies that are high in water content. Keep the veggies chilled in the fridge until feeding time, and rinse them off well to provide even more water. We recommend cucumbers, romaine lettuce, and celery.


Remove plastic hideys.

Plastic hideaways (like the common Pigloos) can easily trap heat. Instead, try using cardboard boxes with several entrances or windows cut, and hideys made of natural materials such as this Oxbow Timothy Hay Bungalow. Also remove any unnecessary fleece bedding, which can also lead to overheating.


Trim long hair.

If you have a Silkie, Peruvian, or any other type of long-haired guinea pig, consider trimming their hair to help keep them cooler. We have a Silkie, Rigel, and we like to use clippers for his hair. This prevents his hair from matting and picking up bedding/hay, but he also tends to overheat very easily. He hates his hair being trimmed, but is always very happy to be free of his fur coat. We are definitely not hair stylists, but the trims we give Rigel always get the job done. His quality of life seems to improve and he is much happier when his hair is short (see picture above).



Do you have any tried and true methods of keeping cool during the summer? Drop a comment below!



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