Hamsters will feel most comfortable in an environment of 18-24°C. In warmer temperatures, you'll want to make sure your hamster stays cool. Unlike humans, hamsters cannot sweat. So you have to keep your pet happy and comfortable in hot weather.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preventing Overheating
Step 1. Watch for signs of overheating
Hamsters are very sensitive to heat and get overheated easily. Watch for the following symptoms of overheating:
- Panting
- Bright red tongue
- drool
- Depression
- Looks weak
- Not actively moving
- Seizure
Step 2. Move the cage to a cooler part of the house
Go around the house and find the coldest place. Try moving your hamster's cage there.
- Place the cage in the lower part of the house. When the temperature rises, the basement can be the coldest part of the house.
- Another cool place is the bathroom or kitchen. The tiles can be cool and make a comfortable place to put your hamster.
Step 3. Use a fan
Don't point the fan directly at your hamster, as this can stress your hamster or make it cold. Make sure the room where the hamster cage has good ventilation and there is a fan that can function properly. This will help the process of air exchange and keep the room cool.
Step 4. Keep out of direct sunlight
Do not place the hamster cage in a place that is exposed to sunlight. On a hot day, make sure the cage is out of reach of the sunlight that enters through the windows. A location like this can cause a hamster or other small animal to overheat.
Also avoid other heat sources such as fireplaces, stoves, and air heaters
Step 5. Provide the cage with good ventilation
Make sure the hamster cage is well ventilated. Therefore, experts recommend using an iron or wire cage instead of an aquarium shaped one.,
Place the cage in a well-ventilated area if your hamster's cage is an aquarium
Step 6. Use cold water
An easy way to keep your hamster cool is to provide cold water. Hamsters are easily dehydrated so it is important to always provide clean, cold water.
Step 7. Limit activities
Hamsters cannot sweat, so they are more prone to dehydration than other mammals. It's important to limit playing with your hamster in hot weather to avoid overheating.
If you want to play with your hamster, try doing it early in the morning or at night when it's cooler
Step 8. Never leave a hamster in a car
Never leave a hamster or any other animal in a vehicle in hot weather. The air temperature inside the car can reach a lethal limit. If you take your hamster to the vet or travel with him, be careful to protect your hamster from harmful temperatures.
Part 2 of 2: Utilizing the Freezer
Step 1. Give frozen food
Keeping your hamster's favorite foods frozen is a smart way to cool them down on a hot day. Be careful to choose foods that are safe for your hamster. For that, try freezing:
- Barley
- Cashew nut
- Flaxseeds
- Milet
- Oatmeal
- Peanut
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sesame
- Cooked potatoes
Step 2. Give frozen water in a bottle
Fill a water bottle (or an empty leftover bottle) half full with water. Freeze. Then, wrap it in a towel or cloth, then put it in the hamster cage.
- Make sure you wrap the bottle, as freezing bottles can injure your hamster's skin.
- Freeze the bottle sideways. This way, when you put him in the cage, the hamster has more surface area for the cold bottle to lie on.
- You can also use a bag of ice.
Step 3. Freeze the sand for the hamster bath
Hamsters love to soak in the sand. Freeze hamster bath sand so your pet can enjoy soaking in the cool sand. Put a cup of sand in a plastic clip. Then, put it in the freezer for a few hours, take it out, and place it in the hamster's cage.
Step 4. Freeze the ceramic hamster furniture
If you are providing a ceramic hamster dwelling, freeze it for a few hours to create a cool habitat. Ceramics are able to withstand air temperatures well and can provide a cool place for a hot hamster.
Instead, you can freeze and place tiles or ceramic plates or marble cubes in the hamster's cage
Step 5. Cover the frozen towel in the cage
Wet a towel and freeze for a few hours. Cover it on the outside of the cage and tuck the remaining towels on the underside. This will create a cool temperature barrier that the hamster can lean on.
Make sure the towels you use don't block the cage's airflow
Warning
Getting your hamster cold is just as dangerous as overheating. Keep an eye on the hamster to see how it reacts
Things You Will Need
- Access to use the freezer
- Fan
- Towel
- Food
- Ceramic or metal objects or ceramic plates
- Water
- Drinking bottles
