r/RATS • u/TransitionPutrid7595 • 14h ago
Questions/HELP Please help :((
My room is so hot, the whole house is! I can't cope and neither can my sweet babies :((
3 of my rats seem to be doing okay-ish. They're still running around and playing, but i can tell they're hot.
My forth rat however is showing signs of overheating. He's just laying in their litter box against the pee rock :((
His breathing is fine, but he definitely needs cooling down.
They have a box with frozen ceramic tiles wrapped in thin fabric, as well as 4 water sources, a tub of water, cold/frozen bits of fabric in some spots of the cage, water bottles with cold water in to lay against and a cold tower over their cage. But Derpy (my fourth rat) seems stressed about the heat anyways and he seems like he wants help/comfort :((
I put a cold blanket on him that I switch out for a new cold blanket every 20 minutes, and he seems more relaxed and awake when I put it on him.
However im human, I need sleep. I would do anything for my rats but it's physically impossible for me to stay awake for days in a row to switch out blankets.
So, I need a solution that will last overnight. Help!
(The last picture is how I found him an hour ago when checking up on them)
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u/Ratsneedlovetoo 13h ago
How about some frozen grapes to nibble on during the night?
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u/HamsterGamera 11h ago
Won't grapes kill them?
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u/dazzleunexpired Cricket & Co 10h ago
That's dogs.
They should have fruit in moderation because sugar is bad for rats. But it's fully safe to eat.
We typically recommend frozen peas because they are a vegetable but grapes stay frozen longer and are sweet and are much more tempting to eat. Frozen grapes also have a soft texture so they might be a great option tbh
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u/stinky_rats2024 13h ago
If you have any tins with lids fill them with water and freeze them and throw a thin layer on it so they can lie in it, or these are pretty handy for my boys. Hopefully you manage to find things to help. Hes super cute
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u/goonieboi 12h ago
You're doing a great job managing it! You've already done pretty much everything I would recommend. However, there are a few other things to try.
- Like another user said, make sure there is a fan in your room. Don't put it directly at them, just make sure there is airflow around the cage. To that end, remove anything from the top or sides of the cage that would hinder ventilation.
- Give them some frozen veggies with dinner, onc not a permanent solve but might help him perk up a bit.
- Remove fleece hammocks if you have any in there. They trap heat. Consider replacing with plastic hides. Also ensure there are plenty of sleeping spots for every rat! They need to be able to spread out to sleep.
- I think you are already doing this, but putting an ice pack on top of the cage with a plate over it can help create a cool zone underneath it. This will only last a few hours but it's very helpful!
Wishing you and your ratties the best :)
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u/Alive_Library5999 14h ago
Im just commenting since no one else has yet but the only thing I can think of is maybe it would get cool enough at night to have a fan push in cool air into the room or maybe the stones last a few hours and you just change them out once in the middle of the night and put him on top so he knows that it is cold
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u/Beaglescout15 Reepicheep, Calcifer, and Anonymouse 13h ago
If you have any cooler ice packs, freeze those and wrap them in some fleece. That will last longer than the ceramic tiles. Also if you do put on a fan, don't point it straight at them. Your goal is room circulation. Put it a few feet away from them not facing them, or in a window and move the cage away. Poor little bubs, it's so unbearable right now. Also pea fishing with frozen peas and carrots might tempt Derpy to get a little wet in order to eat a cool snack.
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u/Fire_Bucket Ronald & Dirtgrub 7h ago
I have 3x 2 litre Coke bottles that I have filled with water and freeze, that I then put in old socks and will put one in the cage and rotate them every 8 or so hours, alongside those freezer blocks too.
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u/Anomalous_Kass 12h ago
Just joining the conversation to say that if you use a fan for your rats, DO NOT place it facing them. Rats do not cool off the same way that humans do, and get respiratory issues very easily. You can do more harm than good by doing that. Definitely use a fan to circulate the air through your home, but dont have it facing them. It seems like your doing everything in your power to help them, Im assuming that AC is not an option here. Also studies show that rats are more comfortable in the 80 to 95 degree temperature range than humans are. As long as the temperature isn't above 100, they shouldn't be in danger. And if the temperature IS above that, what youre doing is perfect. Make sure that the ice and cold blankets are fresh right before you go to sleep, and they shouldn't be any worse off than you. I hope this helps your anxiety about this! I know its hard worrying about your babies! Hang in there!
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u/WunnieBeexx 13h ago
Get some unopened can corn (anything canned really) take the label off, freeze it, lasts x5 longer then ice. Can wrap it in a wet had towel/wash cloth.
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u/TheSandInTheGlass 11h ago
A wet sheet draped over the cage, but still leaving ventilation. Evaporation cools air.
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u/Jaded-Restaurant6621 11h ago
!heat
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u/AutoModerator 11h ago
Keeping rats cool during the heat
During the heat, rats can get overheated and develop heatstroke so it is very important to provide your rats with plenty of ways to cool themselves down.
Some of the best and safest ways of cooling your rats down include:
Shallow bowl of water/pea fishing; place a shallow bowl of water into your rats free roam area so they can splash themselves with water if they choose. Add frozen peas to motivate them to use the water
Play sinks/bird baths
Frozen plates and/or tiles placed in high traffic areas inside of the cage. I.e underneath water bottles.
Small dishes filled with cold water and ice cubes + frozen water bottles
Minimize bright lights in the room your rats are located
Place damp towels/cloths inside the cage
Place your rats main cage in the coolest part of the house; if this isn't feasible for you, consider setting up and placing your rats in a smaller cage instead.
Cold/frozen treats: Baby food Yoghurt Frozen/cold fruits/berries and vegetables A kind sample of your icecream/popsicle
Note: please refrain from blasting your AC in the room your rats are located or directly blowing a fan on your rats or their cage. These things can be very harmful for your rats and can do more harm than good.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/Alarming_Tower1984 9h ago
Feed baby food for hydration and put a cool damp cloth on toes as they can’t sweat
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u/ChickenTendiiees 7h ago
I got a big towel, soaked it in cold cold water, winged I t out mostly, but then draped it over their cage. This acted as like a cool barrier between them and outside the cage, but then any fan i had or breeze that maybe happened to go through the room was inevitably cooled down by the wet towel. This stayed coolish for a good 6 hours or so. So you could do this for them right before you go to sleep then as soon as you wake up?
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u/Jet747400 Accidental Litter 7h ago
I use a PC fan in low speed, it does help but it should be used only as a "corner", pepe is in his hospital cage btw.
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u/BenjaminDover02 7h ago
Could you freeze some bottles of water and put them in there with them? Freezing wet rags is a good way to stay cool too.
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u/wishtrib 5h ago
Other members need to ok this as I'm not sure. But can you freeze some bottles of water then place in cage. Then the rats can choose to lay near these to cool down.
DO NOT do this until other more experienced members ok it first as I'm not sure if this is ok or could do harm by causing it to go opposite way by causing hypothermia.
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u/ElthN 4h ago
I used to spray some mist (not pointed at them) and have a rotating ventilator. I also did give them an ice cube now and then, frozen peas in a shallow water tray, and at some point I placed a slab of marble, which stays cool in summer (you can place it in the fridge beforehand. They would lay on top of it. Hope it helps.
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u/UncarvedWood 1h ago
I've often filled a flat bowl like an oven dish with water, throw some frozen peas in there, and let them scurry around for it. They get wet feet and a tasty cold snack. It cools them down for a while.
You can also get a towel, make it wet, wring it a bit so it's not dripping and put it in the cage. They can lie on it when they need cold.
There are also cold packs sold for pets, that you can put in the freezer, take our and put in a soft wrapping, and put them in the cage. They can lie on that as well.
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u/ernie3tones 1h ago
Freeze a couple of those cheap bottles of water. At the state fair here, lots of people do that for their rabbits while they’re in the building waiting for judging. They just put one in the cage with them. They can last for several hours and then be re-frozen.
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u/dazzleunexpired Cricket & Co 10h ago
If you need to cool them off quickly, could you give him a snack while standing inside of the refrigerator? Offer him a cold snack and let him stand inside of your refrigerator for the second while he eats it? This is a wild ass idea but like... I had a memory of my mom saying when we lived in San Diego when I was a baby, that when it was really hot, people would go stand in the refrigerated aisles of the grocery store because they didn't have air conditioning.... It won't work overnight but you could cool them off quickly and then maybe it would be easier to stay cool.
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u/I-Am-All-Me 13h ago
Do you have moving air like a fan? Place a tub of ice in front it to help cool them through the night. They are cooling themselves, they're smart creatures, and laying around is how they keep cool. But I will suggest a fan. Other than that you're doing great! Keep it up and the weather will break.