The one thing I don't like about owning piggies

[Helen C]

They're adorable creatures and bring joy to my life but I'm sooooo stressed for them when summer comes back.

In under a week, we went from needing to keep the central heating on to temperatures nearing 25°C in the room where we keep them.

I still remember vividly the three weeks we had to keep them in the basement last year (and at the end of the day, it was 27° in the basement), going down every couple of hours to renew the frozen water bottles, spraying water on the sheets we had hung over the doors and windows.

I like summer but I'm already checking the temperature in the room several times a day. And I'm considering buying a portable AC unit, just in case (Like a good guinea pig slave, I'd never consider bying one for me, but nothing is too good for the piggies )

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

I also get really obsessed with the room temperature during summer. The first really sunny days in Vienna and the sun shields on my windows are in place.

 

[VickiA]

I think we are all feeling the same. I think we worry more about their comfort than we do our own!

 

[ThatPurpleB]

I've put big ice bottles wrapped in a fleece in with the piggies the last 2 days. I went out yesterday and was constantly checking our thermostat (we have one of them portable smart one so leave it in the piggie room and we can check it from the app on our phones.). It stayed at 23.5 all day but when I got home the ice bottles didn't feel cold anymore.

So I am definitely worried about summer time! I'm regularly out the house for 12 hours with work 6am -6pm.

 

[Hope4gem]

They're adorable creatures and bring joy to my life but I'm sooooo stressed for them when summer comes back.

In under a week, we went from needing to keep the central heating on to temperatures nearing 25°C in the room where we keep them.

I still remember vividly the three weeks we had to keep them in the basement last year (and at the end of the day, it was 27° in the basement), going down every couple of hours to renew the frozen water bottles, spraying water on the sheets we had hung over the doors and windows.

I like summer but I'm already checking the temperature in the room several times a day. And I'm considering buying a portable AC unit, just in case (Like a good guinea pig slave, I'd never consider bying one for me, but nothing is too good for the piggies )

I can relate! I didn't have an AC in my bedroom for years, but certainly the piggies got one, lol. I also just bought a thermostat to set right next to their cage so that I can monitor their temperature better.

 

[Merab]

This all sounds about right.
Checked that the freezer blocks were in the freezer ready for tomorrow- so the temperature dropped and it’s raining!

 

[Mother Hubbard]

You are not alone, believe me I fret terribly. I am now thinking if the UK is going to have Summers like we did last year then I'm going to have to go down the AC route.

 

[Deleted member boohoo]

I feel the same. Both my rats and pigs hate the heat. Luckily I have a small woodland covering the the living room window out the back. Keeps the bricks cool but it still gets stuffy. I was thinking about getting an ac unit but they are £100 for anything with decent reviews. Screwfix is where I looked. Out of stock will be soon I bet

 

[Helen C]

You are not alone, believe me I fret terribly. I am now thinking if the UK is going to have Summers like we did last year then I'm going to have to go down the AC route.

I think they're predicting a cooler summer with more rain than the previous few years, but who can really tell, several weeks before?
If we get another heatwave, I'll definitely buy an AC--especially as we're supposed to be able to come back to the office in July at the latest, so I won't be home every day.

 

[ThatPurpleB]

We got piggies in March this year so didn't have to deal with last year's summer heat. I had a google and last year's summer reached over 35oC. I'm not sure how to keep them cool if it gets that hot, is AC my only option?

 

[Piggies&buns]

We got piggies in March this year so didn't have to deal with last year's summer heat. I had a google and last year's summer reached over 35oC. I'm not sure how to keep them cool if it gets that hot, is AC my only option?

this guide is helpful in giving ideas.
My piggies live in my shed but move into the house in summer. Given last years temperatures, even the house was too hot. My favourite tip from this guide is covering windows with wet sheets - it worked brilliantly and kept the room the piggies were in very cool

Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

 

[ThatPurpleB]

this guide is helpful in giving ideas.
My piggies live in my shed but move into the house in summer. Given last years temperatures, even the house was too hot. My favourite tip from this guide is covering windows with wet sheets - it worked brilliantly and kept the room the piggies were in very cool

Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

Thanks. I already have big ice bottles in our freezer. I'm going to Asda today so will pick up some smaller ice packs to distribute around the cage to lower the general temperature. I have plenty of white towels I can wet and hang up. The piggies are upstairs but I can trap a sopping wet one in the half a window that opens and hang a damp one inside. I'm out the house at 6am and the earliest I get home is 5pm. It's the amount if time I'm out for in the heat that worries me too. I work over an hour away so it's not like I can pop in over my lunch either.

 

[Deleted member boohoo]

When or if it cools down in the evening, open every window and let as much cooler air in as you can. I put a fan in front of the open window and drag the cool air in.

Small panda pop sized bottles frozen and put into an old sock or any sock if desperate. Don't fill the water bottle right up to the top when you freeze because the bottle will burst open.

 

[flowerfairy]

Mine are in a north facing room (uk) so stay pretty cool, thankfully. I do have 2 rabbits in an outdoor shed and I definately worry about the temp in there.

 

[ThatPurpleB]

Another thing I hate about having Guinea pigs and this is it, the rest is fine. I hate how they urinate in their sleeping areas. I have rats and guine a pigs and rats will not pee where they sleep and mine are litter trained. Can't blame pigs with pooing because they are grazers bless them

I used to have mice so piggies peeing dont bug me so much. Like the piggies generally dont pee on me. Nova will do the odd accidental one on the sofa, Luna always let's me know when it's time for pee! The mice use to constantly pee, handling them was unpleasant as you'd get covered in pee even after just a few minutes and their pee was sticky.

 

[Helen C]

When or if it cools down in the evening, open every window and let as much cooler air in as you can. I put a fan in front of the open window and drag the cool air in.

Small panda pop sized bottles frozen and put into an old sock or any sock if desperate. Don't fill the water bottle right up to the top when you freeze because the bottle will burst open.

Mine actually seem to enjoy the frozen bottles. Put some in their cage yesterday and they wasted no time going for a nap right next to the cold. (My previous piggies tended to stay as far away as possible from the foreign object in their cage )