Keeping chinchillas cool

[Devynthecatwithsocks]

Besides keeping the a/c running wat are some other ways to keep my chinchilla cool during the summer. I have a lot of granite slabs in her cage that she lays on a lot but rn California is in a state of emergency due to heat and fires. I keep her water cold and provide plenty of it. What are some other ways to keep her cool.

 

[Amethyst]

Do you mean in addition to the AC? or in the event that the power does out?

For the granite slabs you can rotate them into the fridge so there are always cool ones in the cage. Depending on what you use for bedding you can also just lay tiles on the floor to cover as much as you can, so you know the chin stays on the tiles. You can also freeze water bottles or use ice packs and wrap them in fleece to prevent chewing. I recently saw a neat DIY cooler pad thing, you take a square metal pan and put a slightly smaller one inside it upside down with an ice pack inside, the metal will radiate the cold and the chin can't access the ice pack.

Some other things you can do in addition to the AC is make sure you block out the light from the windows so the room stays cooler. Some people even use car wind shield sun blinds to cover the windows with since they are reflective. Obviously no playtime if the temp is above 70F to avoid overheating.

 

[Amethyst]

Oh sorry, just looked it up apparently I remembered wrong, the thing I saw wasn't a pan inside a pan (but that could work too) it's actually a square metal pan, they glued wood blocks inside the thickens of the ice pack, then put the ice pack in the middle, with a tile on top.

 

[Devynthecatwithsocks]

Oh sorry, just looked it up apparently I remembered wrong, the thing I saw wasn't a pan inside a pan (but that could work too) it's actually a square metal pan, they glued wood blocks inside the thickens of the ice pack, then put the ice pack in the middle, with a tile on top.

yeah with addition to the a/c. Someone recommended to get a mason jar and fill it half way with water and freeze it and then wrapt fleece around it and stick it in her cage. I will defiantly try the ice pack thing and do u mind sending me the diy?

 

[Amethyst]

yeah with addition to the a/c. Someone recommended to get a mason jar and fill it half way with water and freeze it and then wrapt fleece around it and stick it in her cage. I will defiantly try the ice pack thing and do u mind sending me the diy?

Filling a glass jar could work too. The diy thing is on a FB page... Chinchilla Owners Group So you'll have to join to see it. Here is a couple pics of it though



and here is the instructions

"
Very cool chill pad by Valorie Hansen.
“**DEEP CHILL CHINCHILLER**
DON'T LET YOUR BABIES OVERHEAT
All right you guys. I think I've got something for you. All these posts about hot and dying chinchillas got me thinking.
I got a 12x12 inch pan because that's the size of tile I already had. I'm sure this would work with any pan and any tile you can find that match or if you have a tile cutter. I also used the scrap wood and adhesive that I already have. There may be better ones to use.
I cut a few pieces of scrap wood that added up to a good height to make the tile about level with the height of the pan.
I don't think wood glue would hold wood to metal but if you've ever gotten that to work let us know.
I had this plumbing adhesive and sealant that I knew would do it. It is super stinky and needs 3 days for all the fumes to go away but it is set after 24 hrs.
I put in the random ice packs I had around but if you are going to use this for a serious part of your ability to keep your chinchilla cooled, it is easy to find all sizes and shapes of ice packs that you can switch out all day as needed.
I ground down two corners of my tile for easier removal because I happened to have a grinder but you can always just tip it out or something if you can't figure out how to make a notch.
If you are worried about the gaps along the edges, it can easily be wrapped in fleece.
I just finished, so I don't know if any condensation might occur. I doubt it but fleece should solve that to.
Any ideas to make better or critique are welcome. My baby's room stays at 68 or below, so this is not a substitute for ac at my house but I thought it might be an idea for some of you.
Please don't let any more floofs die of heat stroke!"