how to keep hams cool in summer?

[pinkpink33]

hiya

living in the uk, most homes dont have air conditioning. it's started to get pretty hot here, too hot for me anyway, and i was just wondering what you other brits use to keep your hamhams cool in the summer?
i was thinking of getting a smallish tub and filling it with a soil (store bought) and sawdust mix, as the hams could dig into it, where hopefully it would be cooler?
none of my hams are in direct sunlight, actually we very rarely open the curtains lol (except when the sun has gone from our window or we boil) but i think if im too hot they probably would be as well!
any ideas?

thanks :)

[janie36]

We're quite lucky because our whole flat is pretty cool most of the time(not so good in winter!!) We always have the windows and door open in the summer. I realise not everyone can do this where they live, but we have fresh sea air constantly circulating through our house:)
All our hamster houses are 'open plan' so fresh air goes through their places too!
I like your idea though! Maybe you could have a fan nearby(obviously not directly on Ham Bams house),to help cool things down a bit :)

[pinkpink33]

ah yes i do have a fan, in fact i got it out of storage yesterday! i leave the lids off my dwarf cages when im home as they cant escape anyway (the only other animals in the house are my flatmates 2 rats, who are through 2 doors), but the air here is so hot and humid, yuck!
my family lives on the isle of wight, so there was lotsa cool air there, but im not that near the sea here, so the air is all hot and gross.
i did think of wrapping an ice cube in a sock or something, but hams can get pneumonia if they get cold or wet, so i didnt think this was a good idea - am i right?

[ratbrat21]

i dont live in the UK but i can tell you what i do. If it gets really hot i give all my rodents frozen veggies. Its a healthy treat and they cool down too. I have also heard of putting ice cubes in the water bottles or just putting the water bottles in the refridgerator and letting them get real cold.

[Moosley]

If you can get a terracotta plant pot, plate or tile, they always stay cool and are nice for the hams to sit on/in, they may need to be put in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for an hour or so first though.

If you have a little bowl or even a jamjar lid, you can just put an icecube on or in that and the hamster can lick it. I get an icecube tray and put 1 nut, seed or tiny lump of fruit or berry in each tray and fill it up with water before freezing it so the hamsters get a nice treat too!

[pinkpink33]

yay, those are great ideas, thanks :) now my hams will hopefully not boil this summer! will go to garden centre for plant pot then tomorrow. does anyone else let their hams dig in soil and sawdust mixes? i read that they like it?
thanks for the help!

[pixibubbles]

you can put ice packs under the cage too (jnust not where hams sleep) reduce the amount opf bedding and i use rounded beach stones that i scrub and bake in the oven for half hour to kill all germs and put in the fridge then cage. (worried about chewing tiles)

i've never done the soil and sand thing.

[pinkpink33]

ice packs, genius! the cold should get through a bin cage base no problem! usually im pretty creative, except when it's term time and my brain is fried!
going to some beach stones for claws somewhen, living in brighton there should be plenty lol!
thanks for the help!
pixi, what do you do? and you seem to know a lot, do you have a website?!

[Mighty Hamster]

When our apt got too hot we would use larger flat smooth river rocks and kept them in the fridge. Once cold, we'd put 1 or two in our ham's cage. She would lay on them when she wanted to cool down. Just keep enough rocks in the fridge so that you have enough to keep rotating them between fridge and cage.