# rats and cold weather



## giraffevacuum (Dec 6, 2016)

hi again! i am wondering if anybody knows what the coldest temperature rats can live comfortably in for a day without getting sick.
i have four male rats who live in the attic bedroom with me. because it's an old house, there isn't much insulation up there, and it frequently is 10 degrees F hotter in the attic than it is outside. with the summer in full swing, i have recently invested in an AC unit that works pretty well, keeping the room under 80 degrees F on any days below 95 F. however, i've been turning the AC on before i leave for work in the mornings, around 10:30 when it is still relatively comfortable outside. this tends to cause the room to drop to about 60-65 degrees F for a few hours until the sun fully comes out around the middle of the day. should i be worried about this temperature range? they've got plenty of places to nest out of the path of the AC and double-layer fleece hammocks, as well as their brothers, to snuggle with. is this too cold for them to deal with for a couple of hours? typically when i get off work in the afternoon (around 4pm) it's about 75-78 degrees in the room, so it clearly warms up. 
any help advice would be appreciated


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## crazyfoxmachine (Apr 20, 2017)

A quick Google implies the best temperature to keep them at is between 65 and and 80 which seems to be hedging the bets a little. Because there's four of them they'll most likely keep eachother warm and I've certainly had our rats not overly distressed in temperatures around 50 because they're cuddling and can get quite warm. Really it's only extreme heat that's very bad for them - and in my experience as long as they have eachother they'll be fine. I'd say give them the option of extra bedding and they can add to their if they feel too cold!


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## Basiltheplant (Jan 2, 2017)

crazyfoxmachine said:


> A quick Google implies the best temperature to keep them at is between 65 and and 80 which seems to be hedging the bets a little. Because there's four of them they'll most likely keep eachother warm and I've certainly had our rats not overly distressed in temperatures around 50 because they're cuddling and can get quite warm. Really it's only extreme heat that's very bad for them - and in my experience as long as they have eachother they'll be fine. I'd say give them the option of extra bedding and they can add to their if they feel too cold!


Going off this, you could also cover their cage with a blanket or towel to keep out some of the cold. Warning they might chew on it through the bars, so use one you don't care about


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## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

Yeah, my rats live in my basement and it goes down to 60 F or so in the winter. They've always been fine, even when I only had two girls living together.


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## TheBlizz (May 20, 2017)

They should be fine. Rats can tolerate cooler temperatures if need be and it isn't likely that they will be harmed by it. Plus, they can cuddle together. Of course, if you're concerned that they are too cold, then that may be a different story. It's best to ask a small animal veterinarian or visit the health section of the forum.


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## Coffeebean (Jan 6, 2017)

My room is kept at a stable 50 degrees and they haven't ever shown any indication that they're chilly, they seem pretty happy in the colder temperature. So 60-65 degrees is no problem, I'm sure they appreciate the A/C.


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