Monday, August 10, 2009

Melt Down Monday

     I hate Mondays but days like today are the worst. The humidity is so high that you sweat while sitting in the shade and dowsing my self with water isn’t bringing the temperature down I feel like I am melting from the inside out. Its days like these that I worry the most about my fur kids.

     Ferrets cannot sweat like humans nor can they cool off by panting like a dog. Because of this, ferrets are prone to heat stroke that can be fatal. The way I deal with this is by having the fan running so that the air is circulating in the room but only when they are in their cages. The other way is to have ice bottles.

     These are easily made and reusable. You can use any size bottle that has a screw on lid. Fill ¾ of the way up with tap water. Right now, I have a half-gallon milk jug, a 2-liter soda bottle, and a single serve water bottle.

     The 2-liter soda bottle is for the bloodhound so she will leave the other bottles alone. Using socks that have lost their mates I cover the other two bottles so not to freeze my fur kids bellies. The milk jug goes in the boy’s cage where James or Lance will move it around until it is under their hammock or so they can both lay next to it.

     The water bottle goes in Gweny’s cage where she slumps over it like it was a log. Until she is cooled off then she will go into her hammock until she gets too hot then she will go back to the bottle to cool off. When the ice has melted I just put the bottles, sock and all, back into the freezer until the next time the humidity makes life unbearable.

     On days like this, my fur kids go though the water quickly and I have to check it several times in an hour to make sure they have plenty. I use to have the 32 oz drip style water bottles for them until Trixie the bloodhound decided those were her personal chew toys. All that is left is the drip spouts.

     This is also the time I make a small swimming pool for my fur kids out of a Rubbermaid® under the bed tub. By putting an inch or so of cool water in the tub, my fuzzies can climb in and out of it cooling off before playing snake on or under the towels.

                        blanket

     I have seen ads for fans for pets but I am leery of them because ferrets are too curious for their own good and don’t have the reputation cats do of having 9 lives.

Jo

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