# Temperature for Guinea pig comfort? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/temperature-for-guinea-pig-comfort/469364 "2008-10-24T15:25:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/temperature-for-guinea-pig-comfort/469364/1 "2008-10-24T15:25:50Z")
I would like to program my thermostat to keep the house cold in the day when nobody is home–but I forgot that that somebody \*is \*home. I have [two Peruvian Guinea pigs](http://www.seigle.net/photoalbum/2006_guinea_pigs.html). In what temperatures will the girls be most comfortable? I think that they’re topical–are temps in the 60’s too cold for them? How can I provide heat without having to heat the whole house? I was thinking a small lamp next to the cage, or maybe an infrared bulb, but I don’t want to cook them either. All ideas are welcome. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/temperature-for-guinea-pig-comfort/469364/2 "2008-10-24T15:43:36Z")
The high 60s to very low 70s is a good temp for guinea pigs. If you’re planning to keep the house in the low 60s, a small space heater set well away from the cage is probably all you need. A lamp might work too, but some of them do get really warm, like reptile lamps, so be careful what you get. ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/temperature-for-guinea-pig-comfort/469364/3 "2008-10-24T15:50:37Z")
Our guinea pig survived a London winter or two when the internal temperature must have been about 50-60 in your money. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/temperature-for-guinea-pig-comfort/469364/4 "2008-10-24T18:46:48Z")
Ours have never had problems with the house in the upper 60s, and my gut feeling is you could go to the low 60s safely especially if they have shelter (pigloo or whatever). I asked this question on a guinea pig email list and will let you know what I hear from them. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/temperature-for-guinea-pig-comfort/469364/5 "2008-10-24T18:50:31Z")
You may have to do a few trial runs, with some sort of test subject. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/temperature-for-guinea-pig-comfort/469364/6 "2008-10-24T19:23:51Z")
We have a couple of guinea pigs that live in outdoor hutches - and manage fine through British winters (although it hasn’t dropped below -10C here in the last few years at least. I cover the open mesh front of the hutch in very wet or windy conditions and I give them shredded paper in the bedroom section when the weather is particularly cold. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/temperature-for-guinea-pig-comfort/469364/7 "2008-10-24T20:08:24Z")
Got a couple of opinions, both suggesting mid-to-upper 50s, as long as it’d draft-free and the pigs have a warm place to hide out (pigloo or other hidey-hole, possibly with some extra hay to act as insulation). ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/temperature-for-guinea-pig-comfort/469364/8 "2008-10-24T21:45:36Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Got a couple of opinions, both suggesting mid-to-upper 50s, as long as it’d draft-free and the pigs have a warm place to hide out (pigloo or other hidey-hole, possibly with some extra hay to act as insulation). Thank you! They do have a pigloo built for two. Today it was 66 and they weren’t huddling together for warmth or anything, they seemed OK. > [@Huerta88](#): > > You may have to do a few trial runs, with some sort of test subject. Test subject…test subject…let’s see…what could I use… 😉