Keeping pets cool

[Blackberry]

The weather is hot and I want to keep my guinea pig cool. Would it help to soak a towel in cold water and drape it over his cage? Or if not, any other ideas are welcome. I put a jug of ice in his cage but he never cuddles up to it or anything like he should.

[Little K]

Well how hot are we talking? Guinea pigs are actually really susceptible to cold and can die in weather as low as 55 degrees so they originally are from pretty hot climates. So hot weather that you are sweating it out in might not feel as hot to your guinea pig

[Blackberry]

I don't know the temp in here but the weather outside is supposed to get up to about 86 and I'm on the fourth floor. I'm fairly uncomfortable.

Anyway, I read before that guinea pigs prefer temps a bit lower than humans. Is that incorrect? I know they're from South America, but I assumed it was true what I read. In the winter I let it get pretty cold in here (probably high 50s at night) and I thought that was okay with him.

[Little K]

South America is very hot. Temperatures in the 80's shouldn't be too high for him even though it is uncomfortable for us. If you do want to keep him cool the ice cubs is probably a good idea, it might provide sufficient "air conditioning" for him for the time being, but I wouldn't be too concerned about it. If you are really concerned about it, you could always call a veterinary hospital and they could provide tips for you for free.
I live in Washington and it gets really cold over here for most of the year. It's usually in the 50's-60's. My friend had a guinea pig and her parents were complaining of the stink so she set him in the garage for the night, just until she could clean the cage the next morning. It was only 58 degrees out and maybe a little bit warmer in the garage but her guinea pig died during the night because it was too cold for the little guy to handle.

[Little K]

Remember not to take any advice without consulting a doctor, though. My knowledge is based on a documentary I saw on guinea pigs. Since the ones we have are a little more domesticated and different, 85 degrees could be too hot for him. Another suggestion I have is maybe getting a fan, little or small, placing the ice cubes into his cage and blow the fan where the ice cubes are. This provides a literal sense of air conditioning as the coldness of the ice will waft over your guinea pig and keep him cooler

[Blackberry]

at your friend's guinea pig.
I'm in Washington too, Seattle. My tolerance for heat is crazy low though, it's some kind of medical issue that no one will ever figure out.

Thanks for the advice, I need to get some more blocks of ice going. I do have several fans on.

[Michael63129]

Originally Posted by Little K

South America is very hot...

That's an overly simplistic generalization, like saying that Alaska is hot because it is part of North America and parts of NA can be very hot. According to this site, the natural environment of guinea pigs is the Andes:

The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) is a rodent native to the Andes in South America.

Guinea pigs do best when the temperature is 18–24 °C (65–75 °F) and the humidity 30–70%. People sometimes think that guinea pigs are tropical creatures since they come from South America, but these furry animals are native to high altitudes where the climate is temperate, not tropical.

[JackieLikesVariety]

my advice is to google "guinea pigs" and "forum" or something like that - find some guinea pig experts.

I would bet a lot of money there are whole communities of them; you just need to hook up.

share the pig love!

[Blackberry]

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

my advice is to google "guinea pigs" and "forum" or something like that - find some guinea pig experts.

I would bet a lot of money there are whole communities of them; you just need to hook up.

share the pig love!

True enough, to find out what temperature range is ideal for guinea pigs, but for the physical aspect of what will keep his cage area cool, this is a really good place to ask. I don't want to try to find a physics board.

If it's even a physics issue, which I'm not 100% sure about. So you see where that would be a problem.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by Blackberry

True enough, to find out what temperature range is ideal for guinea pigs, but for the physical aspect of what will keep his cage area cool, this is a really good place to ask. I don't want to try to find a physics board.

If it's even a physics issue, which I'm not 100% sure about. So you see where that would be a problem.

I really think what you need is people who know about the animals: what they require and how you can best provide it. try searching or asking here

http://http://www.guineapigcages.com...es-environment

[Joey P]

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

my advice is to google "guinea pigs" and "forum" or something like that - find some guinea pig experts.

I would bet a lot of money there are whole communities of them; you just need to hook up.

share the pig love!

If Kingsnake.com has a guinea pig forum, that's where I'd start. That's where I hung out for all my various lizards and I always got a lot of good (level headed) help there. I can't vouch for the non-reptile people, but it's at least somewhere to start.

[JackieLikesVariety]

hmm, too late to edit my reply.

I wanted to point out that keeping them cooler might be a physics question but you are only guessing that's what you need to do.

I could tell you with pet birds what matters more is consistency in temperature and no draft. but that's birds!

[hibernicus]

Originally Posted by Blackberry

at your friend's guinea pig.
I'm in Washington too, Seattle. My tolerance for heat is crazy low though, it's some kind of medical issue that no one will ever figure out.

Thanks for the advice, I need to get some more blocks of ice going. I do have several fans on.

I don't think you should direct a fan into the cage. Ice cubes are a good idea - the guinea-pig can choose to go near them if he is too hot, and stay away from them if not. But if there is a fan blowing directly through the cage the guinea pig may have no way to escape if it gets chilled.

[Max Torque]

I agree with those who have said "no fan". Guinea pigs don't like drafts and can get respiratory infections and such in drafty areas.

If you're that concerned about the temperature, go to the pet store and look in the small pet aisles for something that looks like just a plain marble or granite tile. I know of one that markets itself as "Chin-Chiller". Anyway, the stone stays at a slightly lower temperature than the air around it, so your piggie can lay on it to keep cool. You could even super-cool the tile in the fridge before putting it in the cage.

[MichaelEmouse]

My solution: http://i.imgur.com/EYSbS.jpg

[CalMeacham]

I'm not sure it's possible to make guinea pigs "cool"



Try giving them a subscription to Tiger Beat.

[Beware of Doug]

Originally Posted by MichaelEmouse

My solution: http://i.imgur.com/EYSbS.jpg

What an ice kitty.

[Hamsta]

Why not just let the guinea pig decide?
.-.
Just place a few ice cubes in the corner of the cage.
If it's hot then it'll choose to go near the cubes.

[Little K]

I did ask my friend about what she did to keep her guinea pigs cool and she suggested wrapping a frozen bottle of water in a towel and putting it in their cage or putting a bowl of ice water in their cage with bits of food in it or treats which can help with keeping them cooler.

[Beware of Doug]

The speculoos has kind of a cool story, originating in the 18th century Low Countries as a way to teach children Bible stories. Religious tableaux were carved in wood and used to stamp out crispy buttery cinnamon-y cookies. They went mass-production in the early 1930s under the Biscoff name.

If you've had Dutch windmill cookies (eg Voortman's), you've had a kind of speculoos.

[Beware of Doug]

How the blue fuck did this post wind up in a thread about keeping pets cool?

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by Beware of Doug

How the blue fuck did this post wind up in a thread about keeping pets cool?

thanks, now I want a cookies!

[Hamsta]

Originally Posted by Beware of Doug

The speculoos has kind of a cool story, originating in the 18th century Low Countries as a way to teach children Bible stories. Religious tableaux were carved in wood and used to stamp out crispy buttery cinnamon-y cookies. They went mass-production in the early 1930s under the Biscoff name.

If you've had Dutch windmill cookies (eg Voortman's), you've had a kind of speculoos.

Originally Posted by Beware of Doug

How the blue fuck did this post wind up in a thread about keeping pets cool?

Because...
That's why.
xD