# Hairless Rats and Cold Weather



## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

So we all know winter is well on it's way. I live in Florida, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't get cold down here. It can get pretty cold actually, but it doesn't snow. Anyway, so what sparked this thread was basically that my hairless rat Molly decided to drag all her paper towel bedding from the bottom floor of the cage to the second main floor into her plastic house this morning at around 5:00am. (She took about 50 trips or so. >.<) Her daughter Mimi is furry, but she doesn't exactly snuggle with Molly all the time. She's more into playing than sleeping during the night hours. So I was wondering if there were ways to keep Molly warm during the winter since she can't exactly grow a winter coat. 

I have an old red heat lamp my Mom used to use for our bird before he passed away that helped keep him warm. Could I use this during the daytime? 

What could I do to help insulate her plastic house more? It's pretty big and I'd rather not use paper towels in it because of it's size. What type of fabric could I use if I were to use fabric in her plastic house?

I was thinking about hanging up some old socks in their cage, kind of like little Christmas stockings. Have any of you guys ever done this before?

Molly used to live in a glass tank which helped keep her insulated last winter, but due to her respiratory issues I can't keep her in a tank. She also had a wooden hut which helped keep her insulated as well, but it got soaked in her urine and I had to throw it out. She has actually gone through several wooden huts that have all ended up the same way.

What do you guys do to keep your hairless rats warm if you have any?


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## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

I plan to just hang plenty of pocket hammocks, cubes, tunnels etc. to keep my boy Ziggy warm.  I sandwich a layer of cotton batting between two layers of fleece when I make my cage accessories, to keep them warm and help absorb any urine if they decide they're too lazy to go to the litter box. Making cubes and such is pretty easy, but it takes a LONG time by hand, so I bought a small $60 Brother sewing machine online and it's really sped things up.


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## Babs (Jan 26, 2012)

It gets real cold where I live, and we can't always afford to put the heating on, so once it starts getting really cold outside, I move all the cages upstairs to my bedroom which is where the boiler is. If you have a room like that, you could always try to move the cages there. Usually though, as long as they have a furry friend and lots of beds and hammocks, I don't think they feel the shift in temperature too dramatically.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

My room pretty much has carpet in it so it is a well insulated room to begin with. It's the room were they sleep in, but it still gets cold in there overnight.


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## Houdini (Sep 17, 2012)

My girls are both hairless, and they haven't had too much trouble with the weather change. I have a small heater that I run, and it keeps my room comfortably warm. When it's not on, they'll just make a nest in their little igloo and cuddle up close. Most times their bodies can adjust well, it's easier for them to overheat that it is for them to get too cold. Just provide lots of warm, fluffy bedding and they'll be just fine. Or purchase a small heater, and just run it when you're in the room.


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## TachisMom (Oct 17, 2012)

I don't have any hairless rats, but I've seen some articles on making fleece hammocks for them to help with the cold. They're pretty easy to make too! Lots of tutorials online


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## trematode (Sep 8, 2012)

Are water bottles an option? Could you take a thick plastic bottle, fill it up with hot water an put it in their bed area at night? It would be safer than a lamp.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

trematode said:


> Are water bottles an option? Could you take a thick plastic bottle, fill it up with hot water an put it in their bed area at night? It would be safer than a lamp.


I was thinking about this one too, but I'm not sure if they'd chew it apart.


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## trematode (Sep 8, 2012)

That's why I was thinking of a thicker sports water bottle and not a plastic, disposable water bottle. One of the vet clinics I volunteered at used huge jugs filled with hot water for animals recovering from surgery. They keep their heat well. Maybe if you can find a way to attach it to the walk of the cage near the bed area, they will be less likely to chew it.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

trematode said:


> That's why I was thinking of a thicker sports water bottle and not a plastic, disposable water bottle. One of the vet clinics I volunteered at used huge jugs filled with hot water for animals recovering from surgery. They keep their heat well. Maybe if you can find a way to attach it to the walk of the cage near the bed area, they will be less likely to chew it.


Maybe, but I was thinking a glass bottle may sound better since plastic when heated to a certain point emits harmful chemicals. (Unless it's a certain type if plastic.)


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