How to Keep a Hamster Cool in Hot Weather
Keeping a hamster as a pet is rewarding and a great deal of fun, but you have to try to give them a habitat that is close to the one they would tolerate in the wild. Originally they were found in a hot climate, but they were able to burrow underground in the heat in their natural habitat which they cannot do in a typical hamster abode in your home. They are also nocturnal which means they are out foraging for food when it is easier to stay cool, in the middle of the night. These are some tips to help keep your pet hamster cool in the heat.
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Things You'll Need
- Unopened pop can or refilled single serving plastic water bottle
- Fan
- Cool water
Instructions
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Keep air circulating in the room the hamster is in. Don’t put a fan blowing directly on the hamster, but keep it oscillating to help cool the room.
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Keep the hamster in a cooler, darker place in the house when it is hot.
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Keep the hamster from running around in a hamster ball when it is really hot out. Those balls are fun for them in cooler times, but during hot days the balls can be detrimental to the hamster and its ability to stay cool. Even with holes, they are not easily ventilated.
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Make sure the hamster has plenty of cool water in a water bottle and change it frequently. Put a small bowl of water in the hamster habitat besides the drinking water.
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Chill or freeze a recycled plastic water bottle and put a thin sock over it. Set it in the bottom of the cage near where the hamster rests and burrows. Change it periodically for a fresh one. You can also put a cold pop can in the cage the same way. There are also commercial hamster cooling beds available for purchase.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure to check on your hamster often during hot weather.
Hamsters can overheat and suffer heatstroke.
