# Fleece in the summer? And Other Cooling Questions



## TikkiLink (Dec 4, 2013)

I am getting concerned as the temperature outside is rising fast, and my apartment is always MUCH hotter than it is outside, it is unbearable in the summer. We don't have central air and have ONE air conditioner in this place that does nothing. We do have portable fans: two low-powered ones that do very liittle, and two heavy-duty high-powered ones that make it feel cooler only in the path of the air they blow. Now that I have a thermometer outside my hedgehog's cage, I can see that it gets up to 80 in here when it is in the 60's outside. So no doubt it will get way too hot for a hedgehog. This place is near impossible to cool down because it has a very open layout which makes closing off rooms to cool them difficult.

We are thinking of buying an air conditioning unit for the window near her cage-- it wouldn't blow at her cage but would blow parallel to her cage a short distance in front of it. I don't know if it would be effective, but is this safe to do? She shouldn't get the direct draft on her. The problem is that we are HOPING to move this year, and we're hesitant to dump money into buying an air conditioner for a place we're renting, especally because it's a dive and the landlord is neglegent and we want out.

The other option is to use the fans, but I know I can't point them at the cage and they probably won't have enough effect otherwise... What methods do you guys use to keep your babies cool?

I am also wondering if there is a lighter-weight, hedgie-safe alternative to fleece liners, because fleece is so hot!

Any thoughts would be helpful, as the temp is supposed to keep climbing this week!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I believe flannel is considered a summer alternative to fleece. You'd have to sew it though, since it would produce strands with unfinished ends. If you're going to be sewing anyway, you can also use denim, corduroy, and cotton, etc. which would all be cooler than fleece as well. 

I had the same issues in the summer because my room gets up to 86*. I got lucky though, and Lily needed warmer temps anyway, and wasn't bothered by that temperature (though I usually got nervous enough to move her downstairs or attempt to cool the cage off anyway). You can use ice packs (with a towel under to catch drips), set on the top of the cage, to help cool. The cool air sinks down into the cage. Having a ceramic or marble tile in the cage that hedgie can splat on to cool off is nice as well. I never saw Lily use hers, but others have seen their hedgehogs lay on them.

Some other methods for keeping a room cool - block the windows off with blankets or something to keep sun from coming in & heating the room up. You can keep the windows blocked during the day, and in the evening when it starts cooling off, open them so that you can get the cooler night air in. We've done this before at our cabin in the summer (no air conditioning) when it was 100* over while we were there. We were able to keep the indoors down to 85-90* compared to the heat outside.


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## TikkiLink (Dec 4, 2013)

Thanks, that is all really good advice!


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## Jem (Feb 16, 2014)

Staying in a tropical country, most owners here use flannel liners instead of fleece liner. Instead of sewing it, you can buy a flannel that's slightly larger than yours and fold the sides under. Velcrox it to the bottom or just place food bowls/ wheels on sides to make sure he doesn't burrow under.


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## TikkiLink (Dec 4, 2013)

Thank you Jem!! I've never sewn a lick so I was wondering about folding it under-- i already do that with the excess fleece in my liners and luckily she doen't disturb her liner at all and it's held down in most places anyway. 

It got hot enough today that when I held her I abandoned the fleece for a thin inside-out pillowcase for her to play in on my lap, but the poor thing still overheated because my lap was too warm.


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## TikkiLink (Dec 4, 2013)

Question: which do you think would be a cooler blankie option in the hedgie sleeping area: cotton or silk? I ask because I have three silk scarves that have been sitting in my closet for years and they are already sewn and a good shape for stuffing in her pipe that she sleeps in.


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