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Bronwyn

Bronwyn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
2,957
Location
Guelph, ON
It's pretty hot here in Toronto, at least in my room, and the girls like to use a fair chunk of their free time just lounging on my dresser where they get a nice breeze from the ceiling fan.

Is there something I can do to help them be more comfortable? I feel like I'm melting and I'm not wearing a fur coat or sleeping with a buddy. :lol: I thought about forcing them in the bath in lukewarm water but they're not fans of water and stress is not something I want to give. ;D
 
(not my words, just cut & paste from my notes)

The main sign of heat stroke is acting lethargic or depressed. If you are concerned that your rat may have heat stroke check the tail. If it is warm it is most likely heat stroke, if it is cool your rat may be dehydrated. If you rat's tail is warm dip the rat in luke warm water up to their neck. Then try to get the rat to drink something.

-put a frozen water bottle wrapped in a towel or sock in the cage.
-Keep a shallow dish of cold water in the cage.
-Put a damp towel over part of the cage and put a fan aimed at the towel.
-Put chilled ceramic tiles or bricks in the cage.
-Put frozen peas & corn in a bowl of water so they have to fish them out.
-Give frozen fruits & veggies like melon, grapes, banana, peas, corn, blueberries, etc. Make ice cubes of fruit juice, or containing frozen fruit & veggies.
-Put their hidey-houses & hammocks in the fridge or freezer for awhile.
 
We haven't really had any sun or heat in the UK this year, as you may have seen on the news! Last year when it was hot I was putting wet towels in the freezer, then taking them out when they were frozen, peeling the layers apart and laying over the top of the cage. It seemed to work really well. I was also using an evaporative cooler unit, but Megan's put that out of commission this year by chewing on the cable :roll:
 
Yes I've heard about the flooding! Though our family friends are in Bath and aren't affected. : x

Those are fantastic ideas! I'll try them right away, though their tails feel pretty normal to me. About the ice cubes...isn't there a risk of their tongue getting stuck? Hehe!
 
My rats don't get a water bottles, I like to give them bowls. A couple of days ago, I was watching two young boys Rylee and Jorge just going nuts playing in the bowl, splashing water all over themselves and their cage.
It was so funny. Of course, when you give water bowls instead of bottles, you have to be on top of it at all times, I'm constantly giving them fresh water.
 
:lol:

Apparently my girls are little prisses. I tried the frozen peas in a bowl of water and they're like cats! Only getting what they can reach without touching the water, haha. I so wish I had a video.
 
Here is my demonstration of rattie love: my sister failed to close up the house and turn on the air conditioner while my parents and I were away, so the house is like a sauna. My girls are really, really hot. Lazing on their backs looking much like we do when we're trying to sleep but it's to hot to!

So I'm trying the wet towel thing and I'm giving them my fan tonight. They better appreciate it. ;) They don't really get wet with the frozen peas in a bowl method unfortunately.

P.S. Torontonians, I believe we have a heat alert? Didn't quite here the radio properly but I'm fairly sure that's what they said.
 
Most teenager Americans laugh it off when I say it's hot here, lol. "But it has to be colder than here!"

Oi I say. :lol:

It's quite funny watching the girls enjoy the breeze. They lie flat out with their paws hanging through the bars and have their heads held high as if to say, "ahhhh, bliss!" I hope they enjoyed it because I missed that fan last night. :lol:
 
Bronwyn said:
Most teenager Americans laugh it off when I say it's hot here, lol. "But it has to be colder than here!"

Oi I say. :lol:

It's quite funny watching the girls enjoy the breeze. They lie flat out with their paws hanging through the bars and have their heads held high as if to say, "ahhhh, bliss!" I hope they enjoyed it because I missed that fan last night. :lol:
Click to expand...
Awww, you're such a good ratty mommy
 
The sacrifices we must make for our children, lol.

My boyfriend often jokes that I'll be a terror if I have human kids, haha. He thinks I go overboard with them. I feel like I should show him this forum with the photos to show him, actually, I'm near the bottom of the pile when it comes to being a good rattie mummy! :shock:
 
Bronwyn said:
The sacrifices we must make for our children, lol.

My boyfriend often jokes that I'll be a terror if I have human kids, haha. He thinks I go overboard with them. I feel like I should show him this forum with the photos to show him, actually, I'm near the bottom of the pile when it comes to being a good rattie mummy! :shock:
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I think my bf worries I will never want to have kids because I wuv my animals so much!

but don't say that, you are a great mommy!
 
*holds up the rat cage for all to see* :lol: Though I suppose if I had known it was too small I would have bought a new one shortly after adopting them, lol. But thank you. :heart:

I'll admit that I have full intent to use leashes on any human kids, haha. I had one! :shock:
 
Bronwyn said:
I'll admit that I have full intent to use leashes on any human kids, haha. I had one! :shock:
Click to expand...
:laugh: I know which ones you are talking about. The have velcro wrist enclosures with spiral phone cord type of plastic on them. You always see the out of control kids wearing them.. but I'm not saying you were out of control, but heck, not like I know anyways... :lol2:
 
LOL yes those ones! And mine had an ugly Big Bird head on the wrist thing. Grr. I hated it, lol.

*wonders if she was out of control* It wouldn't shock me. :bliss:

My rats aren't sidling up to the frozed water bottle covered in a towel. Come on girls, work with me!
 

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