Dealing with high heat...

[Jenk]

Stupid Midwest (Chicagoland) weather will again have a heat index of 100-105-deg. F today.

Yesterday, I set the thermostat at 74-deg. F. Well, guess what? It was too hot for the AC to keep up with the heat, so the house held at 77-deg. F. (Dear Hubby said that if it runs constantly throughout the day, it could freeze over and stop working all together.)

I'd like to know:

1) Is this common with everyone's AC (i.e., that it can't keep up once you hit a certain high temp., and that it could freeze and stop working)?

2) If you house temp. reaches above 75-deg., do you take other cooling measures for your bunnies (e.g., run a fan, etc.)?

My concern is that the AC may stop working (freeze up) while we're on vacation and during the afternoon when a pet sitter isn't here.

Jenk

 

[mardigraskisses]

Well, my AC doesn't freeze up, but my dad is a total control freak when it comes to the thermostat. He doesn't bump it below 70 degrees. :grumpy:

I do a few different things though to make sure bunny is okay.

Bayou loves frozen two liters and ice cubes in his water.

I also get a big bowl of water and load it up with ice, then set it in front of a fan. You'd be amazed at how well it cools a room. When I remember, I put salt in the water, cause I heard it keeps it colder longer.


I believe that the older a house is, the more likely it is for your AC to freeze up. When I lived in Mississippi, mine did that from time to time. Haven't had an issue with it up here though.

 

[tonyshuman]

I don't know anything about A/C freezing up, but I always have a fan on for Tony and Muffin. Tony likes to sit behind it, and Muffin likes to sit in front of it. In this case, the front is where the air blows out of, so Muffin likes to be in the breeze and Tony doesn't. 75 isn't too hot, but it depends a lot on your bunnies, how wooly they are, etc.

 

[Jenk]

tonyshuman wrote:

75 isn't too hot, but it depends a lot on your bunnies, how wooly they are, etc.

What makes me nervous, though, is the idea of our AC freezing up while we're on vacation.(I'll need to instruct the pet sitter to check the thermostat temp. on each visit.) Today, we've hit the mid-90s; so although I have the thermostat set for 75-deg. F, the indoor temp. is actually 77-deg. F because the AC can't keep up with the heat (and the AC has been running almost continuously).

We do have a ceiling fan in each of the rabbits' rooms. Perhaps it's time that we dust them off and start using them a few days' before we leave, so that the buns can get used to seeing them on. (Or would they likely spook over something whirling over their heads like a predator?)

 

[myLoki]

We hit over 100 almost every day starting in April (we hit a heat index of 122 the other day). Yes, the air conditioner is not able to hit anything lower than 78 and it does occasionally freeze up towards the dog days of summer. My bunnies are very used to warm temperatures and it doesn't effect them at all.


Edited to add: Also, our ceiling fans are running constantly and the bunnies don't even notice them.


t.

 

[tonyshuman]

ceiling fans=great.

 

[kherrmann3]

I've heard that you can put marble tiles in a rabbit's cage for them to lay on if it gets too hot. Marble/granite stays cooler than room temperature, so they always feel cold. I've been looking around for some for my bunnies. My rabbits have been fine in the weather lately. We have had the air on a few times, but the cold doesn't really reach the room they are in (my bedroom). They do just fine with an oscillating fan that passes over their pens every once in awhile.

 

[BethM]

kherrmann3 wrote:

I've heard that you can put marble tiles in a rabbit's cage for them to lay on if it gets too hot. Marble/granite stays cooler than room temperature, so they always feel cold. I've been looking around for some for my bunnies. My rabbits have been fine in the weather lately. We have had the air on a few times, but the cold doesn't really reach the room they are in (my bedroom). They do just fine with an oscillating fan that passes over their pens every once in awhile.

I use ceramic tiles for my bunnies. I just got two of those big 12" ones at the home store, less than $5 for both of them. I haven't used them yet this year, but I used them a lot last summer. I would keep them in the freezer, and pull one out. After a few hours, I just switched them. They do stay cooler than room temp. if just left out.

I find that my bunnies seem a bit nervous when I first turn on the ceiling fan, but after a few minutes they stop noticing it. We've got a fan in their room, and I just leave it on all the time.

 

[snap]

Woah...you're getting worried over 75? Your bunnies didn't come from the Arctic circle.

Bunnies can adapt to things, you know. They're not made of stone or anything. Going up to about 85, slowly at least, most likely will not harm your rabbit depending on how furry they are.

I have two dishpans, and fill one with ice and the other with a small layer of hay and put the hay one in the ice one. The outside rabbits love laying in it, and it keeps them cool.

 

[JimD]

My bunny room is our finished basement.
It usually staysaround 68F - 72F.

Bunsmight get a bit uncomfortable if it gets into the upper 70s, but they shouldn't be in any danger.Most resources indicate that they can tolerate up to85F.

Air movementis important.
Humidity is also a factor that should be considered.
77F with low humidity and adequate air movement should be fine.


I would start running the ceiling fan so they get used to it.
Very good of you to understand that the overhead movement might make them uncomfortable.
If it spooks them too much, you might want to opt for a couple of portable floor fans.
My HEPA filter provides great air flow.

My AC units (window ones) freeze up every now and then, but it's usually when the temp outside dips below the AC setting. I like it really frosty, and usually keep my room set at 65F at night....70F during the day.

Pull all the shades, close doors/vents to rooms not necessary to cool, turn off anything that might generate heat (ie; ac adapters/chargers, lights, computers. etc.)
I suggest using energy-saver/fluorescent lights, too.....they generate a lot less heat than regular incandescent bulbs.

 

[Maureen Las]

I think that we are having the same temps here as Jen is experiencing in Chicago. yesterday heat index was as high as 105 F.

The problem with this is it was a very drastic increase in temperature which doesn't give the buns a chance to acclimate to the changes.

I can keep the ac at a constant 74 here but in the kitchen where Gloria is it feels warmer and more humid. I had two fans running yesterday;;one that she could lie in front of and the 2nd one was oscillating

she did OK and the others were fine but I would have been extremely concerned if our ac had gone out yesterday as outside was unbelievably hot ..today is hot but better.

Jen
Maybe have a repair person go over your unit before you go just to see that it is well maintained and working properly. I don't think that it should freeze over ; never really heard of that.
The other thing is that this weather may just be temporary by the time you leave so maybe it's better to get it over with now

Ceiling fans circulate the cooler air and help a lot!!

heres the library article which I have posted a few times today

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=27899&forum_id=10

 

[kherrmann3]

I don't have ceiling fans in my apartment (minus the "dining room"), but I LOVE those tall oscillating fans! I have one in my bedroom. I share my bedroom with the boyfriend and two bunnies and a hamster, and none of them complain about it. The spaces aren't big enough for noses to go through (or fingers, in the boyfriend's case - I've seen him try it!), so I don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt. They save on space, too!

ETA: Here is a picture of the kind of fan I'm talking about. They are great for people with very little "extra" space for fans. Since they have small bases, I find that I can put them on upside-down 5-gallon buckets with a decorative "sheet" over them, and it doesn't look too "ghetto" or anything.

 

[Jenk]

JimD wrote:

I would start running the ceiling fan so they get used to it.
Very good of you to understand that the overhead movement might make them uncomfortable.

Bunnies aren't my first prey-species pet. I'd had birds for 20 years and know that, for them, ceiling fans are a no-no--and not just because they can usually get some air lift, moving them closer to the moving blades. Birds generally spook over anything passing overhead, including shadows. Cockatiels (and likely Cockatoos) have an innate fear of anything resembling a snake (e.g., a beaded necklace being wiggled on the floor). I'm guessing that's due to their Australian Outback roots, where snakes abound.

In short, because of birds, I'm somewhat more attuned to rabbits' potential discomforts/fears.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

My A/C has been able to keep up with the temp and we had 101 day yesterday. I leave it on a set tempature everyday and bought black out certians that I close between 11 and 4.

Seems to work if I turn the A/C up cause where cold its take forever to get back down to 70.

I don't have a issue with storm getting to hot. But it good to know. What to do for him in the case of our A/C goes out.

And check all you opens doors windows and reseal them you might be A/Cing the world and not even know it. Thats what was happening at my last place. Once we fixed that it stayed colder longer.

 

[wabbitmom12]

We've been dealing with the suckish high heat and miserable humidity a few days too. Yesterday it was 98 degrees outside and 94 degrees inside...because my A/C FROZE OVER a couple of weeks ago, and hasn't been the same since!

We ended up turning it off when the house reached 85 degrees, because it obviously wasn't keeping up and wasn't blowing cold air. Sounds backward, I know, but we suspected it had frozen over again. I have a strong suspicion that today will be a repeat! :X

Lotsa fans, frozen water bottles to lay beside(dual use: coolness, plus they like to lick the water that condenses on the bottle), and plenty of FRESH water help to keep them cool.

Not too surprisingly, the baby bunnersenjoyed their frozen bottle the most. Even in the extreme heat, the silly buns still sleepPILED UP on eachother! So they piled up on each other...on top of the cold bottle, LOL.

 

[Jenk]

wabbitmom12 wrote:

...My A/C FROZE OVER a couple of weeks ago, and hasn't been the same since!

We ended up turning it off...because it...wasn't keeping up and wasn't blowing cold air. Sounds backward, I know, but we suspected it had frozen over again.

That's exactly what ours has done at least twice in the nearly six years' that we've been in our house. I forget what exactly can freeze up in an AC system, but my hubby's explained it to me in the past.

Not too surprisingly, the baby bunnersenjoyed their frozen bottle the most.

I'm curious: Is the bottle made of plastic or glass? Either way, do your rabbits chew on the plastic cap? My concern is that my guys will eat anything. (If I set down the water bottle for two seconds before/after filling my boy's water crock, he starts chewing on it!)

Even in the extreme heat, the silly buns still sleepPILED UP on eachother! So they piled up on each other...on top of the cold bottle, LOL.

Awwwww!!! What an adorable image!

 

[wabbitmom12]

Jenk wrote:

I'm curious: Is the bottle made of plastic or glass? Either way, do your rabbits chew on the plastic cap? My concern is that my guys will eat anything. (If I set down the water bottle for two seconds before/after filling my boy's water crock, he starts chewing on it!)

Even in the extreme heat, the silly buns still sleepPILED UP on eachother! So they piled up on each other...on top of the cold bottle, LOL.

Awwwww!!! What an adorable image!

I use water bottles with the hard plastic screw top, like Sam's Club, or Aquafina. Obviously, the baby bunners couldn't do much damage anyway, but they don't seem to be chewers (yet?). The adult buns can gnaw some good marks into the lids, but they get removed LONG before they could actually get a bite off of one.

When it's really hot, the rabbits get pretty lazy, so I don't see a lot of chewing on anything...even their favorite chewin-on things.

BTW, absolutely adorable!! Even my big 17 year old son cracked a smile over that one!

 

[Flashy]

If water bottles are a no no, what about clean cold bricks?

 

[okiron]

Meh, I always have the ceiling fan on and I've never had an issue with spooked rabbits.

 

[Maureen Las]

I also have birds ; had parakeets most of my life and now I have an African grey parrot . people with birds generally have a terrible fear of ceiling fans because if the bird is out ..goodbye bird. Therefore most bird owners have been warned about the dangers of them.

I also had hesitation re. using ceiling fans because I was somehow afraid it would harm the rabbits. WhatI realized was that I was really transferring my fear of the fans in regard to birds ;

I never have a ceiling fan on unless the parrot is secured in his cage and as for the rabbits they couldn't care less about them and neither does the bird.