Helping your animals beat the heat

1. Keep water source filled and in the shade. If it is not possible to keep the water shaded all day, provide two containers so one will be shaded in the morning and the other shaded in the afternoon.

2. Hose or spray down pets during the heat of the day. For horses, scrape excess water off the coat, otherwise it will hold the heat in.

3. Caged birds will benefit from a fine mist sprayer which can be connected to a timer tap. Chooks will then lie in the damp earth after the sprayer has finished.

4. Use the evaporation technique of a damp bag or towel hung over caged animals. The air going into the cage will then become slightly cooler.

5. Rabbits or Guinea pigs in a hutch appreciate a  frozen bottle of water to lie next to. Their drink bottle can also be part frozen so that the water you add will remain cool for a long time. It is an idea to have a spare so you can keep a part frozen one in the freezer and swap them as necessary.

6. Exercise and play time is best in the earlier morning or evenings.