Squirrels and water in a tub??????

[crazysquirrels]

So my a/c is out and it looks like it will not get fixed today. Its hot out and my apartment in on the top so it gets very warm. Last night it was 88 deg in my place. All the animals are hot. I was thinking about letting Talula play in the tub with some cold water to cool off. However I have never seen a squirrel cool off this way. We are giving them very cool water through out the day and have funs running but it is still hot. I got no sleep last night due to this. Every time I got up Talula was up as well. What is a good way to keep her cool. SHe hates the heat.

[JLM27]

Well, Rachel's Bean jumps in the swimming pool and then out again because he sees Vincent and Bella doing it. Then she has to rinse him in a bucket because of the pool chemicals, which he squawks about. Normally, he has fan on low blowing air at his cage. Of course, Bean is unusual. Most squirrels would just drown in a swimming pool. In fact, Rachel told me she had to put a few floats in the water trough for the horses because some wilds had drowned in there. So watch her carefully if you try the tub! Maybe something cool like a wet towel to lie on?

[Kelly Brady]

My two have an outdoor cage and they actually have misters that come on every hour and spray them for three minutes. They do not have to be under the misters. They have plenty of dry spots to go, but now they love playing in the misty water. They love it and jump around in the water.
Also while I hold mine they allow me to rub an ice cube on top of their fur and they love it as it melts. I rub down their back at the top of the head all they way to their tail. It is funny to see.
Mine love soaking wet towels and or cotton rags. They pancake on them.
They have never been exposed to any deep water of any kind but my wilds will dip their feet in the bird bath that we keep full of cool water in this terrible Florida heat.

[lilbitsquirrely]

:D When I did not have the A/C on for my boys I put a large pie plate with Ice cubes in it and they like to lick them and play,also you can freeze some blueberries and watermelon or some other kind of fruit that they like and put that in something so she can eat it.I also have tile floors they like to stretch out on the floor and rest I think its because the floor stays fairly cool.If you do not have tile try getting a small square of tile or a piece of marble like a cutting board and put it in her cage,you can make it extra cold by putting it in the freezer for a little while.I hope this helps!:thinking :thumbsup

[crazysquirrels]

I have tile but it will not stay cool long enough. Tried the tub idea and I got slapped in the face. SHe jumped out of the water onto my shoulder and slapped me. So I did the towel idea and she liked that. Thanks.

[CritterMom]

Honestly, CS, I just checked this thread to see how badly she kicked your butt when you tried this!:rotfl :rotfl

The marble or granite tile thing works. Put it up high on a shelf, not on the floor. Natural polished stone maintains a temperature uch lower than the surrounding air. Please don't ask me why. It took Mister P a while to figure it out, but he did.

[Skul]

Tile tends to absorb heat quite well.
That's why it often feels much cooler.
I wonder of a large terra-cotta pot base would work as well.
Soak it in cold water, drain, and set out for Talula to bask on.
Maybe turn it upside down.
Cripes, now I have to go try that.

[Kelly Brady]

I am glad she liked the wet towels. Sorry about the slap to the face.:shakehead

The other thing that mine love is a stainless steel bowl filled with ice and water sitting on the tile. They will lay on the tile right next to the bowl and that keeps the tile cool around the bowl. Mine lay their body right up next to the bowl and lay flat out on the tile.:wahoo

One must constantly think cool in this terrible Florida heat. I hope you get some relief soon.

[crazysquirrels]

Will try all 3 ideas when I get home. Thanks. WIll let you know how it goes.

[Lulu-Bean's Mommy]

Awesome question, CS! :thumbsup I don't have air conditioning at all, so it's generally between 80 and 90 degrees in my apartment daily. I always keep a fan on Lulu-Bean's cage, while I'm at work (sometimes 2 fans!) and she gets lots of cold water and cold food too.

I got her one of those marble blocks for chinchillas, but she hates it for some reason and will not use it.

I'll have to try some of the other suggestions people have listed, thanks for asking this, CS!

[JLM27]

I once suggested a cold stone for Ahrlan the Chipmunk and was promptly told that it was a bad idea because animals get arthritis from lying on cold stones.

[crazysquirrels]

The stone is too warm. I cooled it down and put a small metal ice bowl on top to keep it cool. Not a bit hit but she tried it. She really loves the cold wet towel. I also put a small amout of water in her waterdish. Then froze it. Once frozen I filled the rest with water. She liked that. All her food is being frozen too. She also loves the mini fridge.