While guinea pigs enjoy playing outside and can benefit from doing so, in general, guinea pigs are not fond of direct sunlight. If you plan to take your guinea pig outside, you should remember that guinea pigs are sensitive to extreme temperatures. Exposing your guinea pig to extreme temperatures, whether too hot or too cold causes severe illness or even be fatal for them.
How to Tell if your Guinea Pig Likes the Sun?
The best way to determine if your guinea pig likes the sun is to monitor their behavior when they are placed outside. If your guinea pig seems to show signs of stress or immediately seeks shelter or shade when they are exposed to the sun, this could be an indicator that they do not care to be in the sun.
Things to be Aware of if you Plan to Let Your Guinea Pig Outside in the Sun
Outside Temperature
If you plan to take your guinea pig outside in the sun, one of the most important things that you should be mindful of is how hot or cold it is outside. Guinea pigs typically come from mountainous regions of South America where the temperature is fairly moderate. While guinea pigs are living in their natural environment in this region, they are typically the most active at dawn and dusk when the sun is not at its peak.
Guinea Pig Temperature Regulation
Since guinea pigs are sensitive to extreme temperatures, guinea pigs regulate their temperature by increasing or decreasing blood flow to their skin. Guinea Pigs typically need to be in an environment which has a consistent temperature between 64-78 degrees Fahrenheit.
Since guinea pigs only have the ability to sweat in their feet, they also manage their blood flow to cool their bodies. When a guinea pig is hot, their bodies increase blood flow to their skin. By increasing blood flow to their skin, the guinea pig is able to cool off by discharging the heat to the environment.
If you expose your guinea pig to temperatures that are too hot, the guinea pig could die from heatstroke.
Duration of Exposure to the Sun
The amount of time that you have your guinea pig exposed to direct sunlight is also a concern. If you plan to take your guinea pig outside to play, you should limit the amount of time that your guinea pig has in direct sunlight.
A good practice to implement when taking your guinea pig outside is to have objects within their play area that they can use to shelter themselves from direct exposure to the sun. Another approach that can be useful when attempting to limit their exposure to direct sunlight is to set up their play space in a shady area.
Predators
Guinea pigs like most rodents are prey animals. If you plan to let your guinea pig play outside you should make sure that there are no potential predators in the area. When allowing your guinea pig to play outside you should also keep a close watch over them to make sure that they are not being hunted by a predator. Some common animals that may be around our houses that could be potential predators to a guinea pig are:
| Cats |
| Birds of Prey (Owls, Hawks etc.) |
| Snakes |
| Rats |
| Foxes |
Fertilizers/Weed Killer
If you plan to let your guinea pig outside to play, you should also keep in mind that some lawn treatments can cause severe illnesses and even be fatal if your guinea pig eats grass that has been treated with these products.
Plants
Some plants (even vegetables) that you may have in your garden can cause your guinea pig discomfort or even be fatal if they eat them. When setting up your guinea pig’s play area outside you should be sure that the area is not in the vicinity of the plants listed. This is not an exhaustive list of all harmful plants, so be sure to conduct additional research before setting up the play area near anything in your garden that you are unsure about.
| Potatoes and the leaves of the plant |
| Rhubarb |
| Tomato stems and leaves |
| Privet |
| Ragwort |
| Sorrel |
| Yew |
| Azaleas |
| Poppies |
| Oleander |
| Rhododendron |
| English Ivy leaves |
Conclusion
While some guinea pigs may enjoy frolicking in the sun, and may even gain some necessary Vitamin D, you should be mindful that they are sensitive to extreme temperatures and are prey for many of the animals that live in or fly above our yards. If you do decide to take your guinea pig outside to play, make sure that their play area is safe from dangers and that you keep a close eye on them as they are playing outside.