How do you handle winter temperatures?

[ChinDaddyFL]

Preface: I live in south florida, so my temperature control needs are pretty simple: keep the AC functional and on.

I've been wondering, though, how people who have to deal with actual "seasons" and "freezing temperatures" keep their chins in their happy temperature range. Obviously, right on the heater vent is a bad thing, but what's the 'best practice' for keeping their fuzzy behinds warm-but-not-too-warm?

Just asking as we're considering moving north in a few years (maybe) and I realized I'm way out of practice for dealing with "Real" cold weather. :hmm:

 

[fanov8]

We have central heat and air, so we always have it set on 68 no matter what the season is.

 

[Sandi]

I live near Chicago and I have central air as well. My chins stay put where they are and the house never gets above 70-72 degrees all year long.

 

[ChinDaddyFL]

Where do you have the cage in reference to the vent? Across the room, 6+ feet away, etc?

 

[Carol~Anne]

I live on Vancouver Island which has a fairly moderate climate all year round but it can also get a bit cold when we have some snow. The chins are totally fine in their room and all have nice fleece beds, pillows etc. and of course some of them have each other. Winters are fine for chins here, it's me that gets cold and I have a little space heater in the chin room to keep me warm.

Summers are usually fine too, but last summer the temperature went up to 40 degrees Celsius when taken the humidity into count and I read that quite a few chins ended up with heatstroke. This type of temperature is unusual for these parts but the world weather is changing so maybe it will become a thing of the norm? I sure hope not b/c no one around here has air conditioning.

I am fortunate that my chins are in a lower room in the house and that room faces north and is always cool. When the temperature did rise to 40 degrees last summer, I did start to worry a little and did have fans going in the room to keep the air cool. I also made sure the boys had plenty of cold water to drink and I took all their fleece coverings off their cages for better airflow. If we do get up to those temps again this summer then an a/c window unit will definitely be purchased.

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

Well, as I always say, chinchillas make GREAT pets for Middle Aged Babes like me!!! We both like it cool!!!

I am "hot" all the time, so I keep my thermostat at 65 to keep it cool, then I wear fleece lounging wear and cashmere socks to keep myself warm if it gets too cool. I know the chinnies LOVE winter, because it's always cool!!!

In the summer, of course, I have to blast the air conditioning to keep both myself and the chins cool, but that's OK, since I end up saving money on heat in the winter; I can splurge on the extra AC cost in the summer.

I should mention that my little condo faces West, so I do get some bonus solar heat in the winter, but that does NOT outweigh the beating sun in the summer, even with shades and a covered balcony.

 

[Brittney]

Well here in AZ, winters are cool, yet comfortable 60's-70's all day and maybe 50's at night, while summers are 100-120 all day and 80's if we're lucky at night.

So, I use my AC all summer long and keep it around 72 in my house. It might sound warm, but tile floors and no humidity really make a difference. And in the winter I leave the widows open.

I kind of like to think of it as spend now, save later.

 

[Carol~Anne]

Too late for an edit but wanted to clarify that it wasn't 'my' chins that had heatstroke, just chins in my area. Most pulled through but some unfortunately did not make it. It's very unusual to have the temps go up to 40 degrees Celsius around here. Heck, 30 is high!

 

[starleomach]

Honestly I live in chicago and this winter I kept the windo cracked all year. Kept the room right around 65 and loved it. But we have central heat and air and the heat was on in the rest of the house just my chinchilla room was blocked off

 

[Chins To Love]

We live up in the mountains so we are very lucky. The summers are never to warm, and the winters are great for our chinnies. We have central heating, but don't use it. We have a woodstove in the living room it keeps the whole house comfortable. The chin room is in the back of the house so they never get too warm. I'm not sure if our chinnies will ever let us move, they are very spoiled, and I just can't imagine them living where I had to use an air conditioner, or heater in their room.