Heated pads

[Honeyroar]

I’ve got one of those microwave heat pads for my rabbits. I was just wondering where you put yours if you use them? Mine have such deep piles of hay and straw. Do you put it underneath or on top (not sure that it would go on top, they make hollows in the straw.

I shove them in under a layer of straw, although I'm pretty sure I waste my time using them. The dog has woken me at stupid o'clock as she wanted a wee, Storm Ciara is having a blast and the bunnies are sat in the middle of their run, heat pads not touched.

Not rabbits here but I used the SnugglePads for my guinea-pigs .
No fleece covers (they peed on them ) a couple of newspaper sheets wrapped round then under their newspaper layer ,under their hay .

Guinea-pigs have little leathery skin feet and low slung bellies so I didn't want them directly on them .

I also bought some square , squishy plasticey canvas pads but they weren't as warm.

Thank you. My other issue is that I can’t quite decide where they sleep! There are 3 hollows in the straw.

It might not be where they sleep, mine tend to go to the same place every morning to eat their ceacotrophs, but I've never known them sleep in those spots, as long as they have varying levels and places to hide, out of draughts and rain then it's not something I worry about. I put the heat pads in but I think that's just to make me feel better as no matter where I put them I've never seen them used as anything other than a toy lol

My guinea pigs loved the heat mat, they came inside in winter and were always huddled on the mats or by the radiator

When we had the pigs they were in at night in winter then out in their shed by day -(last April our remaining piggie died but when we had our three oldies I kept them indoors all last winter)

We kept ours in a wooden playhouse ( converted for pigs)
They were well insulated .
Rubber floor mats (car mats mainly) cardboard, newspaper and equine card shredding on the floor .

The hutches (open to floorspace 24/7 and on floor level) had deep hay daily.
In winter we brought them in, took out the dirty bedding.
I had a bag of hay indoors (room temp) to go out 30 minutes before they did, Little heater on to keep the chill off .
We put cardboard and that radiator roll behind the hutches where they couldn't chew .

Hay is the best insulator ( remember people used to cook in a haybox. It kept the food hot enough to carry on cooking)

I knew where my pigs sat because of the pooh nests
And had to dig through a bag of waste more than once when I forgot to take the Snuggle Pad out

I found keeping guineas warm easier than keeping guineas cool in summer !

I wrap mine in an old towel. But it does add to the washing as they need clean ones daily. At the moment I have put these snuggle tube things in (they're outdoor piggies) and just slide the pads under those.