Blog

Don’t forget small companion animals during hot weather!

When we talk about caring for our companion animals during the hot summer months, very often the focus is on dogs and cats. But it’s important to remember our smaller companions such as rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish need just as much care to keep them well and thriving during the summer heat.

RSPCA Australia
Wednesday, 17 December 2025

Subscribe to our blog

When we talk about caring for our companion animals during the hot summer months, very often the focus is on dogs and cats. But it’s important to remember our smaller companions such as rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish need just as much care to keep them well and thriving during the summer heat.

Don’t leave your littlest friends outside.

Because smaller companion animals like rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, reptiles, amphibians, rats and mice are often kept in enclosures, cages, or hutches, which can make it harder for them to seek out cooler places for themselves. On hot or humid days be sure to bring them inside into a cool, well-ventilated room as they may overheat, even in a shaded area in the backyard.

It’s also important to ensure they can stay well hydrated; by always providing fresh cool water and ensuring they have extra water sources during warmer weather, as they'll be inclined to drink more.

Create a ‘cool zone’.

Creating a cool zone for your companions to go can go a long way in keeping them comfortable in warmer temperatures. This is especially true for furrier companions such as rabbits who do not cope well with heat. Provide airflow by keeping air conditioning or fans on, although avoid putting cages or hutches in the direct path of a draft. Allow them the choice to rest and roam on cool tiles or ceramic floors and consider providing frozen water bottles wrapped in towels or cooling pads for them to lean against as these will also help keep them and cool and comfortable.

For birds, you can even offer containers of water as bird baths for those inclined to take a paddle.

Keeping reptiles chill.

Caring for pet reptiles and amphibians in hot weather means keeping their environment cool, and balanced. The body temperature of amphibians and reptiles is dictated by environmental temperature, so it’s essential to provide a range of temperatures in their environment, so they have the choice to cool down if they need to.

Fish feel the heat too.

Fish may live underwater, but extreme heat can affect them too. The body temperature of fish is dictated by the temperature of the water they are in and so monitoring water temperature is vital. In addition, warm water holds less oxygen and can quickly disrupt tank chemistry. If the water temperature in their tank or pond rises on a hot day, they can become stressed, develop diseases, become deprived of oxygen, and even die.

Be sure to keep their tank in a cool, shaded area and away from direct sunlight. Check the temperature level inside their tank regularly and conduct water changes as needed. Air conditioning and frozen water bottles placed carefully in their tank can also help cool water gradually.

Proactive planning is the key to prevention.

A little preparation can go a long way in keeping companion animals healthy and thriving during warm weather. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and note any weather warnings. Act proactively based on the weather forecast and take steps to keep your home cool such as closing blinds early, ensuring good ventilation, and providing multiple sources of fresh cool water available. Pre-prepare cool down tools such as frozen water bottles and ice blocks Most importantly know the signs of heat stress for your animal as these vary by species.) and have an action plan and veterinarian information on hand to act accordingly. In the case of extreme weather events, have a to-go plan for how you and your companion animal will travel to a safe location including planning for their essentials such as food and medications.

With a proactive plan, you can prevent emergencies long before they develop and make hot days much easier for your littlest family members.

For more information, visit the RSPCA Knowledgebase.

Share this post

Copy link

Subscribe today and we’ll keep you updated on all the latest campaigns, events and news.

We care about your data in our privacy policy.

Our role

Animal welfare science

Caring for animals

Farm animal welfare

Public education

Advocacy

Enforcing the law

Key issues

News

Blog

Media centre

Podcast

Support us

Learn

Knowledgebase Offsite

Pet Ownership Guides

Animal Welfare Seminar

Animal Welfare Science Update

Education resources

Resources for vets

Cage free and proud

Choose Wisely

Responsible sourcing

RSPCA Approved Standards

About

Contact

Our purpose, vision, mission and values

Annual reports

Annual statistics

Board & governance

Scholarships

Join our team

Our history

Adopt

Adopting a dog or puppy

Adopting a cat or kitten

Adopting other animals

Responsible pet ownership

Don’t forget small companion animals during hot weather!

Stay informed on big issues and how you can help improve animal welfare across Australia.