November 5, 2026
Winter in Middle Tennessee is hard to plan for. One week it is sweater weather, and the next an ice storm leaves you without power for a day or two. Small pets handle those swings less well than we do, and not every species has the same problem.
Some of them struggle with cold. Others are more likely to get into trouble from the heaters we use to stay warm.
Rabbits have thick coats and generally handle cool weather better than heat. What hurts them is wet, wind, and sudden changes. A rabbit that gets damp in a cold draft can chill quickly.
Guinea pigs are sensitive to both heat and cold. They do best in a steady indoor room without drafts.
Chinchillas have extremely dense fur and are far more likely to overheat than to get cold. Space heaters, fireplaces, and sunny windows are the risk for them, even in January.
Hedgehogs and sugar gliders need steady warmth. A hedgehog that gets too cold can slip into a sluggish, hibernation-like state called torpor, which is dangerous for pets. Keep a thermometer in the enclosure, check it every day, and use a safe, steady heat source as part of good hedgehog housing.
Ferrets tolerate cool rooms well and do poorly in heat. A cozy hammock or sleep sack is usually all they need.
Rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils do well at normal indoor temperatures, as long as the enclosure isn't next to a drafty door or window.
Some families in Middle Tennessee still keep rabbits in outdoor hutches. If yours lives outside, winter is a good time to rethink that. Indoor rabbits are easier to watch for early signs of illness, and that alone is worth a lot in a species that hides being sick.
Guinea pigs should live indoors year round.
If moving inside isn't possible right now, the hutch needs:
This is where well-meant warmth causes injuries.
Space heaters and heat lamps can overheat a small animal that can't move away, and cords are a chewing hazard for rabbits and rodents. Heating pads can burn, especially in a pet that is sick or too weak to shift position.
If you add heat, use a product made for pets, keep cords out of reach, and always give your pet a way to move to a cooler spot. Check the temperature at your pet's level, not at your own. Remember that chinchillas, ferrets, and rabbits are more at risk from too much heat than from a cool room.
Water bottles and bowls can freeze in outdoor hutches, garages, and drafty rooms. Check them morning and evening. A pet that can't drink will eat less too, and for rabbits and guinea pigs, eating less can quickly turn into a gut that stops moving.
Plenty of hay matters even more in winter. Chewing and digesting hay produces body heat, and it keeps the gut working.
Shorter days often mean less exercise. Keep floor time and play on the schedule, and keep an eye on weight. Extra pounds over the winter make sore hocks and arthritis harder to manage in the spring.
Make a plan before the next ice storm:
Call right away if your pet:
Book a visit soon if you notice:
If you have questions about keeping your pet comfortable this winter, or something doesn't look right, give us a call. Dr. Logan Kopp is Nashville's exotic companion mammal specialist and cares for rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, ferrets, and many other small mammals for families in Antioch, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, and the surrounding area. You can read more about the small mammals Dr. Kopp sees. To schedule, call Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital at (615) 361-4646.
This article is general information, not medical advice for your pet. Reading it doesn't create a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR). Please talk with your own veterinarian before making changes to your pet's care.