Hot Piggies

Question
I live in San Diego and it has been getting pretty hot here. We got into the 90's yeaterday and I don't have central air in my apartment! My oldest was acting really lazy yesterday and I am sure it is due to the heat. I know this has been discussed but I was hoping for some help to keep them cool.

They sit on a table in the kitchen and we have a celing fan above them, but not directly, that we keep on the low setting in the morning to just keep the heat moving around, when it gets really hot we turn it to the medium, (and I read another post so I make sure their houses are turned so they can escape the air, even though they seem to enjoy it.) and unless its super hot..we always turn it off at night.

We both work during the day, so I make sure to give them each a slice of cold cucumber before I leave and some freash, cold kale. I also make sure their water is really cold and we put ice chips in it. We gave them partially frozen fruit yesterday and my fiance froze some water in little cardboard cups and we set one in the corner. They were laying against it and munching on it when I left.

I just feel so bad! I know that, at least the older one, is really uncomfortable. He did much better after he ate something cold last night. My fiance gave him tons of cucumber becuase he didn't even want to move to get water. But, I know the cucumber has a lot in it. (He is still eating pellets, veggies, treats and hay...and he is still moving a lot, I know he isn't sick he is just hot.)

Any ideas??

Answer
Jen,

I know how you feel, I live in an older house with no central air and it gets really hot here in Colorado. Here is a few ways to help in keeping the cool through out the hot weather months.

Freeze a couple of plastic bottles and place them around the cage. Like on bottle near the food and water, another near the houses and one out in the middle of the cage. That will give the cage some cool air and they can sit next to them to keep cool. Also since they have the house to get out of the draft of the fan you can turn it up to high, as long as it isn't like my kitchen fan where it has low, medium, high and ultra high. If it has that then leave it on medium as high will be far to high, but if it is only a little faster then medium don't be afraid to turn it up as they have the houses to get out of the draft when needed. Only turn it up to high though when it is going to be super hot.

If you have a cooler room in the apartment then the kitchen move them in their and place a little fan or movable fan in there near the cage to keep the air moving. If not don't worry about as the frozen bottles and the fan in the kitchen will keep them cool.

Also keep up with the cold food in the mornings and in the evenings that also helps in keeping them cool, along with the cold water in the water bottles.

All of that should help in keeping them cool in the hot weather.

I hope this helps,
    Take care now,
         Jules