With temperatures dropping, we’re bundling up and turning our thermostats up. But small pets are especially prone to hypothermia. Follow top tips from our friends at PDSA to keep them warm this winter.

Warm bunnies and pigs in blankets

Whether they’re indoors or outdoors, give guinea pigs or rabbits plenty of extra bedding to snuggle in. If you can provide them with extra warmth in their homes using, for example, animal-safe heat pads or covered hot water bottles then that’s ideal.

Make sure they still have somewhere to exercise. To protect from chills, draughts or strong winds, cover their run with blankets or tarpaulin.

Check outdoor pets daily to make sure they’re active and that their water hasn’t frozen. If they live outside and there’s severe weather forecast, you might want to move them to a porch, conservatory or a more sheltered part of your garden.

Small rodents and indoor pets

For rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters and other pets that usually live indoors, your central heating will hopefully keep them toasty. It’s still important to take some steps like providing extra bedding and keeping their housing away from draughts, which can easily cause a chill for tiny bodies.

At PDSA we believe that every pet deserves a happy and healthy life. As the UK’s leading veterinary charity, we strive to improve pets’ lives – through preventive care, education, and treatment.

PDSA has been saving pets and changing lives since 1917. In that time, we have helped more than 20 million pets, providing 100 million treatments.