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Anna Allison

New Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2018
Messages
1
Location
Jasper, Alabama
I NEED SOME QUICK ADVICE !!!!
My poor babies are HOT. I'm having some issues with the electricity at my house, and it can't be fixed and turned back on till Monday morning. And it's been real HOT here in Jasper, Alabama, hottest days we've had so far. There is no where cool I can take my 4 ratties and guinea pig. I've been putting ice water in their water bottles and feeding them frozen treats (from my neighbors freezer) throughout the day. I need to know what would be the best bedding I could use to keep them cool, if any at all. I have on hand hard wood shavings, recycled paper and Timothy grass. I've been putting their cages on the porch when the sun is setting and no longer on it. Saturday is not supposed to be as hot but my granddaughter has softball tournaments and I don't know what I can do to keep them comfortable while I'm gone. If there is anything anyone can think of to help keep them cool please let me know ASAP!! I'm so worried about them.
My babies and I sure would appreciate it. Thanks.:(
 
I placed a small fan a few feet away from the cage, but it was not angled directly at the cage. It still gave them some air-flow which kept them cool during hot summer days. I also would give them cool baths a couple times a day which they also enjoyed on really hot days. I have large, flat, ice-packs which I got at the dollar store, and I would place those under the cage and change them up periodically - this also kept their environment cool. I suppose you could probably also use multiple ice-cube trays, and just place the cage on top of them. This was all before I finally purchased a portable air-conditioner, and now I can control indoor temperature much better on hot days using the air-conditioner.
 
I've seen people put an ice tray on top of their cage and then put a hammock close up to it so they can lay in the hammock and enjoy the cooler air near it.
 
Is there anywhere you can get cheap tile or does someone you know have extra? You can pop those suckers in the freezer and then slide them under the cage. Tile retains temperature really well and it won't melt, so no mess to clean up. You can rotate two floor tiles between the cage and the freezer/fridge - no waiting for new ice cubes, either.
 
Ik this post is kinda old,but if u ever have this issue again,like someone else said ceramic tiles are really good to use. U can put them in the fridge or freezer and either put them under the cage or in the cage for the rats to lay on. Frozen water bottles wraped in clothes also works,the ratties can lay next to them or ontop of them to keep cool. Frozen pea or corn fishing is also a great fun way to keep them cool!
 
Fill old plastic bottles with cold water and ask your neighbor to freeze them. When they are frozen, slip them inside a tube sock and lay the frozen bottles in the rat and piggy cages so they can lay next to the cold bottles. You can use these over and over again. It really helps.
 
For a makeshift air conditioner ( we use when it gets too hot in our home, which isn't often here in the Pacific Northwest) . Freeze a couple of 4 litre plastic milk jugs of water (one is to change out when the other melts) . set in front of a fan. I will use a tray underneath as well and prop up the jug so it's in front of the fan. You can adjust it to find what output of cool air you are getting. It is best used in a smaller space, to get maximum benefit. I keep my ratlings in a contained area and let the cool air flow but not directly at them.
 
Is there anywhere you can get cheap tile or does someone you know have extra? You can pop those suckers in the freezer and then slide them under the cage. Tile retains temperature really well and it won't melt, so no mess to clean up. You can rotate two floor tiles between the cage and the freezer/fridge - no waiting for new ice cubes, either.
 
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