[cop]

Emma appears to have two beds, her slipper (not sure what the American term is for that, but Wiki says a "House Shoe") or her Tissue (Kleenex) box, which she uses normally after playtime.

If we put a Slipper on top of where the Heat Mat is situated, we have found her laying on her front with her legs spread.

But I'm not sure if she is relaxing when she's laying down in the heat, or if she is too hot, would I be OK keeping the slipper over the Mat if she is laying down like that, or does she have enough common sense to roll up somewhere else if she is too warm?

 

[Reaper]

Slipper is American as well. What she is doing is called "splatting". Normally they will do this if extremely relaxed and content. HOWEVER! It is also a sign of being too hot. Especially if she is panting or has her tongue out she is too hot. Go with your gut feeling. If you think she is too hot she is. Some do not have the common sense as you say and have been burned so it is best to maybe put another layer of fabric under the slipper or redo your set up.

 

[drowsydreamer]

It is possible to be too hot, and having 2 options for sleeping is a good idea. If her slipper is over the heat source, it might be too hot.

For example: Turbo has a PVC pipe and a fleece bag that he sleeps in. 90% of the time, he's in his bag, but if the room gets too hot, he abandons it and heads for the pipe where he can sprawl out and cool down. I find that if he's sprawled in the pipe, a quick cool-down idea is to fill the bathtub or sink with an inch or so of water and let him run around, and by the time we're done playing, the room has cooled down enough (by opening a window or door, or shutting off a heater) for him to safely return to his cage.

Temp is definitely something you should carefully monitor.

 

[cop]

Thanks for your comments guys.

I'll keep an eye on her, she doesn't appear to look dehydrated or anything, I've never really watched her behaviour in regards to "splatting". The first time I saw it, her head was in her slipper with her feet sticking out.

I thought she had snuffed it at first, but she seemed happy enough when I pulled her out.

After a good cage clear out, I tear up newspaper and she seems to like making her own bed somewhere.