29/07/2026
Small Pet Heatwave Safety: Tips from Your Pet Sitter 🐾
We are officially in the middle of our fourth heatwave, and it’s safe to say everyone is struggling! Looking after your beloved small pets during extreme heat is a massive priority for us to ensure they stay safe and comfortable.
Here are a few crucial tips and reminders that might not always cross your mind when the temperature spikes:
1. Fans, Air Con, and Temperature Control
The Fan Trap: If you're using a standard fan in a hot room, you are often just circulating hot air around. Unless the room is fairly cool, a fan can actually make small pets worse, keep a thermostat in the room and monitor closely.
The 26°C Danger Zone: Guinea pigs and rabbits cannot sweat. Once temperatures hit 26°C and above, they are at high risk of heatstroke. Keep a close, calm eye on them.
-Air Con Positioning: Air conditioning units are brilliant, but direct drafts can cause sneezing and sniffling. Never angle the unit directly at your pet. Instead, angle it slightly off so the cool air gradually circulates around the room.
2. Pause Handling and Playtime
I know households with young kids love interacting with their rabbits and guinea pigs. However, this is not the time for cuddles or playtime.
Even if your pet usually loves being handled, it increases their heart rate. When they are already struggling to cope with the heat, extra handling pushes them past their limits. Please give children a break from petting until the weather cools down.
3. Quick Ways to Cool Their Environment
Porcelain Tiles: You can buy cheap porcelain or ceramic tiles (from DIY stores like Wickes). When fan air hits them, they stay lovely and cool, and your pet will love lying on them to draw heat away from their body.
Frozen Bottles: Freeze bottles of water and place them next to your pet. Keep a rotation going so you always have a fresh one ready in the freezer to swap out as they defrost.
4. The Iceberg Lettuce Truth (Hydration Over Rules!)
There is a lot of mixed info online about iceberg lettuce. Normally, it shouldn’t be a staple part of a guinea pig’s diet because it has next to no nutritional value.
However, during a heatwave, survival rules change! Hydration is the absolute number one priority. For a few days during a heatwave spike, it is completely fine to feed a small amount of iceberg lettuce mixed with celery, cucumber, and other lettuce—all dampened with a bit of water.
Hydration is everything right now; get that wrong, and small pets can get very sick, very quickly.
5. Travel and Vet Appointments
Postpone Non-Urgent Vet Trips: Traveling in the heat is high-risk. If an appointment isn't urgent, please rearrange it.
If You Must Travel: If you are heading away or have an unmovable trip, keep the environment strictly controlled. Move them straight from a cool, chilled room into a car with the air con running. Place them on the back seat (away from direct drafts), and transfer them directly into another cool environment to avoid dangerous heat spikes.
Stay safe, keep hydrated, and reach out if you need any extra advice!
