General tips on warm weather?

[cavylover123]

I got my guinea pigs end of summer so I was wondering if theres anything special I should do to their care. I know to check the water bottles more often, and I had heard about putting a tile in the cage so they can lay on it and be a little cooler but is that really alright? Here are some pictuers of Chester (the white, brown, and black one) and Ace (the black one) laying down after I cleaned the cage out.

 

[missbounce]

I love Ace's little white wig - so cute! They both have beautiful shiny coats.

 

[MissJean]

I got corner lairs (I'm sure you'll see them in the accessory section) for summer time, and I'll remove the warmer hideys. They have lots of ventilation!

Last summer I put some cilantro and bell pepper into a blender and froze them. You need to thaw them out so that they easy break when small amounts of pressure are applied. Ice can chip teeth so you have to be very sure. I got the idea from this blog: DIY Guinea Pig Snack: Frozen Veggie Cubes

Having a fan is nice, but it only circulates air. It doesn't cool it. How hot does it get in their room? Having one of those coolers that fits in your window seems like a might nice investment to make if you live in a hot climate.

About the water bottles, I think it's recommended to clean them daily anyways. My water pitcher is in the fridge.

 

[cavylover123]

@missbounce thanks! @MissJean thanks i'll check it out! that icecube/icy idea is great too!i'm sure my guinea pigs would love it! Thanks for all the tips!

 

[foggycreekcavy]

You can freeze melon rinds as a cool treat. Also, freeze disposable type water bottles and wrap in a towel and put in the cage for the pigs to lie against.

 

[jacqueline]

since i heard that giving them veggies straight from the frig - ice cold - may upset their tummies, i've also let my filtered water sit at room temperature for them. can they have cold water from the frig?

 

[jacqueline]

@MissJean - i've looked, but can't seem to find the corner lairs you mentioned. can you give me any more info - they sound "cool"!

 

[bpatters]

Mine not only get vegetables straight from the refrigerator, they get ice water. In two and a half years, neither one has caused a problem.

 

[MissJean]

Fleece Forest Corner Cave for Guinea Pigs w/ by PennyGigDesigns This is one example of a corner lair/fleece forest. They are called different things sometimes. lol

A few places sell them, but if you have some basic sewing skills I bet this would be an easy and fun project!

 

[SurfingPigs]

I've never fed my pigs veggies that weren't straight from the fridge, not a single problem to report, and adopters haven't come back saying they adopted poisoned pigs...

Something that I have made and my pigs absolutely love: Sew the reusable ice packs into fleece pouches. I throw these in the freezer (in plastic bags, since I don't need the remnants of whatever is on them in my freezer) overnight then leave them in the cage on hot days. They aren't too cold because of the fleece, but they are cooler. I would not recommend this for any pigs that chew fleece, though, as I can only imagine the gel in the ice packs is not piggie-safe.

I also have some floor tiles that stay really cool that I could set in the cage, but they aren't as comfy as fleece ice packs. Spoiled pigs!