In the hot weather...

[rattyrach]

Is it advisable to take the wheels out? My two syrians seems to love them but I'm worried they'll get too hot, as my bedroom does get really warm in this weather even with the window open. I change their water every night so they have cold, fresh drinks.

My two chinese girls don't use their wheels that much so I'm not as worried about them.

Sorry for the silly question, apologises if this is in the wrong place!

[mollldoll]

At night it should be cooler so i would let them have their wheels then, if your really worried about heat you could give them it for a few hours a night, though TBH if they overheat i suspect they will stop and have a rest. To help them keep cool you could put a cold rock or 'chinchiller' (a slab of marble or granite will do just as well) in their cages, to make them extra cool you can put the rock/marble/granite into the fridge for a few hours beforehand. I got some really cheap granite placemats from morrisons and use them for my animals. Today one of my RCDs was looking hot so i put one in and she happily slept on that to cool down.

[rattyrach]

Ah okay thanks
Sometimes I think I over worry and get a bit protective

xxx

[souffle]

I think they normally adjust well to the weather. Ours make what we call summer nests which are open and have little bedding. We also give cooling areas but we use leftover ceramic tiles and cool them in the fridge. Dwarfs seem to feel the heat more than syrians.

[nooboo]

i tend to cool saucers and odd mugs in the fridge and offer them, as something to cool on, or fill little plastic bottles with water and freeze them, then wrap them up in some tissue (so the hamster cant lie directly on a frozen surface) and pop them in the cage! hamster then has fun shredding cooled tissue a bit too! good idea to keep an eye on the bottles though not yet had one actually chew through one but it would be possible!

the odd bit of frozen veg can act as a ham ice lolly, not much though, and i like to halndle say the frozen peas a bit before putting them in, to take off the outer frozenness so they dont stick!

[NaomiR]

My daft winter whites Stan & Ollie have been running on their wheel despite the increasing heat today - they are now both flat out in a shaded run in the garden with a damp tea towel over the cage after I found them both dribbling which is an early sign of heat stroke

I've got most of the cages outside on the grass under a tree and the clever ones are just sleeping the day away.

[NaomiR]

Originally Posted by rattyrach

Sometimes I think I get a bit protective

.....no such thing dear

what I mean is you can NEVER be too careful and I honestly don't find they adjust well to the heat poor sausages they have very small brains.

[Ness]

I've been using mini freezer blocks, but leaving them out for a bit before I give them to the hamsters. I've found trainer socks are good to put them in. new trainer socks I should add and cheap ones from woolworths, and plain cotton only. non of my hamsters have tried to eat the sock.

I have colling tiles as well, but the robos tend to put woodshavings all over them.

It's been really hot in my house 30degree in my room and thats colder than outside , windows wide open and curtains closed.

it's time to buy a fan I think.