# A "What If?" question



## amylynnbales (Jan 27, 2013)

I was thinking about how I live in such a cold area, and how I have to have heaters running to even keep my room out of the low 60's, and I thought "What happens if the power ever goes out?"
... :shock: 

My power went out during the night last night for about 3 hours. I only realized when I saw my clock was reset and it was chilly in my room.

What is you're guys' backup plan if your power goes out while you're at work? In case your heaters, lights, and any other things go out for more than just a little while.
We get them during the night a lot, especially during storms, and I wouldn't want anything to happen if I wasn't home/didn't wake up when it happened. I know there's generators, but you if you're not around when it happens...


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## jholstein11 (Dec 13, 2012)

I live in the South so we don't get that cold. I make sure my hedgie has tons of pieces of fleece and cut up blankets in his cage.

My "what-if" is that I hope he'll have the sense to snuggle down and get warm.

That's a good question.


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## jholstein11 (Dec 13, 2012)

found this for you

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=325


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

If a storm is predicted, I heat up snugglesafe disks (http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Supply-Import ... B00008AJH9) in advance.

I also have an assortment of human hand warmers and reptile shipping heat packs (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Heat-Packs? ... Mgod9VAAwg) in different hour lengths. I put them in the snugglesafe covers or little fleece pouches that I've created (no-sew).

He's not going to keep warm all on his own... even under the blankies if his cage temp takes a nose dive.


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## amylynnbales (Jan 27, 2013)

I don't have a hedgehog yet, but I'm trying to go over every little thing in my head, like lining up a vet and finding where they sell good food, and in the middle of all that this popped into my head. And this one seems the scariest because I wouldn't even know.


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

If you have a land line (phone), you can get a system that monitors the temp in your home and calls you if it falls below a certain threshold.


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## amylynnbales (Jan 27, 2013)

I'd love to see that service. And I just remembered what my dad uses in his office for the computers. It's a battery backup.

Like this one: http://www.walmart.com/ip/12321684?...1=g&wl2=&wl3=21486607510&wl4=&wl5=pla&veh=sem

I'm not sure if that one is big enough to hold more than maybe 5 minutes, but it was just an example. Longer lasting ones cost more.

(Depending on the size) It gives you a couple of hours of power, and beeps when it's being used (when power goes out). It's kinda loud, but it would get your attention and wake you up most likely, while keeping things running until you can figure out what to do. It charges when plugged into the wall, and when there's power it works like a normal power strip. I might need to "borrow" and extra from the office.. :lol:


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

I have a crapton of handwarmers and space blankets.


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## amylynnbales (Jan 27, 2013)

I'm just worry that it wouldn't wake me up. And by the time I did it could be too late.


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## SpikeMoose (Dec 9, 2012)

I've been looking into thermometers that have an alarm if the temp goes above or below a selected temp. range! I keep some hand warmers on hand in case of emergency, and I've got a friend down the road with a generator  I've got two hedgies and my boyfriend has two large snakes so we needed a more heavy duty back-up plan. Snuggle safe discs and hand warmers seem to be standard precautions here.

Oh and here's the thermometer I'm looking at! http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000LDG0P ... -1&pi=SL75


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

A power outage isn't going to instantly drop the temperature of the house to whatever the outside temperature is. It happens gradually the longer the power is out. So if you're asleep, you might wake up and the room is colder than usual, but it won't be freezing. Your hedgehog might be chilled, but not to the point of no return. So in that situation, you warm them up the way you would any other time they're chilled. Same for if they get chilled from an outage while you're out of the house. A few hours of colder temperatures isn't great, but it's also not going to do irrevocable damage, as long as you deal with it right away as soon as you can.

Having hand warmers on hand is the best option for a long-term outage, short of having a space heater on a generator. Keep a small bin on hand - big enough for your hedgehog in a sleeping bag, food/water bowls, and that's it. They can go without a wheel and other accessories when necessary for a few days. Bins keep heat in, and the smaller is it the easier it is to heat. Hand warmers (balled up inside socks, or something similar so there's no direct contact), a sleeping bag, and a bunch of fleece for insulation works wonders to keep a small area heated correctly.


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## alexvdl (Dec 19, 2012)

For people who want a bigger solution...

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&field-k ... mozilla-20

or

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... ene+heater

I lived in a pretty old house on the Thames river in Groton, CT and it was a lot cheaper to buy kerosene and run a kerosene heater or two than it was to try to electrically heat a house that was almost three hundred years old. Especially when the wind came off the water. We had two similar to the one at the top of the kerosene page. one will heat an entire floor of a house, so you'd probably be better off with something a lot smaller if you want to keep one room in your house/apartment warm.


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## eskye (Oct 5, 2012)

I have around a hundred reptiles along with my two hogs, and am picking up a gas space heater for next winter. Fortunately I have a fire place now, and many many hand warmers. I had an outage this winter when it was twenty outside, and believe me, it won't be that big of a deal. It was off for a total of 6 hours, but had only dropped to about 50 degrees inside. By the time it had gone down from 75 in my hot room to 60 degrees, the hogs were in sleeping sacks with hot hands and by my side, and the reptiles were all in travel containers next to the fireplace with me.

With only one or two hogs, it's so much easier. Just make sure you have enough hothands for up to 48 hours without power, a week's supply would be even better. Being close to them will give them warmth as well. Once everything was settled I put on a huge sweatshirt and bundled their sleeping bags under it to be close to my body heat. It all worked well for us.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

I was just going to suggest that Mr. Heater! I need to order that soon. >.>


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## FiaSpice (Jan 16, 2009)

That's what stressed me the most when I had hedgies. Once there was a power outtage (middle of the winter, it was probably -15C outside) and it lasted a few hours. I used all hand warmer I had, covered the cage with a blanket and prayed. It dropped to 17-18C and I was so scared of hibernation. Thanks God everything came back fine. As much as I love hedgie, this kinds of stress, I don't miss.


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

Couple of things.

Costco (maybe Sam's Club too) sell hand warmers in huge boxes. You might also try stores that sell sporting goods, hunting and camping equipment for bulk packages.

If you are home during a power outage, you can always put hedgie inside your shirt or coat to keep them warm. They may huff every time you move, but they will be warm.

Also, last winter when our furnace was off for a couple of hours (broken part) I put Nara in her car (cat) carrier. Since it's smaller it doesn't need as much heat. She was wrapped up in her snuggle sacks and extra fleece blankets and was toasty warm.

ML


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