I got my hamster back in november so I never had him in the summer time yet. A lot of people told me their hamsters died of a heat stroke. I was just wondering what temperature I should keep my room at (that's where my hamster cage is). It's always been really hot in my room in the summer time, especially beacause my room gets a lot of sunlight, so it gets really hot. It was about 80 degrees (it gets even hotter as it becomes closer to summer) in there last week (i have a thermometer in there) so i moved my hamster downstairs were it's cooler. I moved him back up to my room because it got cooler but I was just wondering what temperature it should be in my room. Thanks.
Answers:
80 degrees is about as hot as they should be in temperature wise. They may have been in deserts in the wild, but in captivity they have accustomed themselves to the cooler temperatures. 65-75 is ideal for them and keep away from all sources of drafts and heat (air vents, windows, AC, fans, and doors) Move the hamster down stairs for his safety. They can die from heat stroke. Always keep them away from direct sunlight, in a tank or mostly plastic cage these act like ovens to them. Don't use a fan on him either to cool him off this will make him sick nor give a bath to cool him down either, this causes a respiratory infection in the lungs, which will need treatment by a vet. If you have a room AC keep him away from the unit and the air flow for the same above reasons.
THIS IS IMPORTANT!! Keep it around 70-65 degrees! And mae sure the cage is out of the sunlight! I had a hamster and it lived in my room. One day the sun was shining right on its cage, and while I wasn't home it died!! So make sure you've got that AC going! And keeping it downstairs is probably a good idea.
As long as you keep his cage out of direct sun light ( it should never be in direct sunlight anyway) he will be fine. Hamsters originate from the syrian deserts, so his body will cope fine in the hotter months.
if you worry about him being to hot:
*cut off an old pant leg and sew three sides up, fill the little bag with uncooked rice and sew up the other side, put the 'bean bag' in the refrigerator overnite and put it in his cage in the morning he will love it! well at least my hamsters and rats have! he will lay on it to stay cool. This can also be used in the winter if you want to make it warm (NOT HOT) by putting in the the microwave for a few seconds
Down stairs would be a better location for the summer (heat rises so the upstairs would be too warm.
Don't put him near a window down stairs..it may not get direct sunlight but it will be very warm.
If the weather gets REAL hot..put the cage in the bathtub or shower..the tile will keep it cooler.
And make sure he gets fresh cold water several times a day.
60-70 and out of direct lite not near any heat source either. keep in cool area during summer.
Keep him downstairs, where its nice and cool. To make sure he is warm, though, put in a hasmter castle. Make sure to put cotton on the bottom so that he can rest peacefully. If he has a running wheel, put that to the corner of the cage so you can put a long tube in the center, crawling around the whole cage. If he has a playground, dont use the tube. A perfect tube, though, is Teeny Magic tubes, that are fun shaped and bendy so you make it going up down, all around!!! Dont worry, he wont think its too cold if you put some cotton here and there, or a folded up bandana works perfectly! -Jannie's best friend's advice, Virginia (Ginny) Ellis!! (expert on hamsters) Written by Jannie Wilson.
Your hamster should be alright as long as you don't put him in direct sunlight and as long as it doesn't get TOO hot in your room. It should be around 70 degrees in the room he/she is in, but he shouldn't die if it is just a little cooler or warmer. Another thing you could do, I do this for my rabbit, and used to for my hamster, if you have a little container, such as an extra water dispenser, fill it with cool water and sit it near where your hamster likes to cuddle up, if he/she gets too warm, it will probably go curl up near it. Hope it helps.
Hamsters of either gender (unlike other kinds of hamsters) hibernate if the temperature drops suddenly, becoming less active below 60潞F. If the temperature has dropped below 60 degrees and your hamster appears to barely be moving other than whiskers twitching and very slowly breathing, it may well have begun to hibernate. As this involves physiological changes, do not attempt to bring your hamster out of hibernation around by handling or elevating the temperature markedly. Instead, raise the temperature by 5潞F every 6 to 8 hours until the temperature returns to 70-75潞F original temperature. If you turn the thermostat in your home below 60潞F for sleeping, cover the cage with a padded thermal cover which should keep the cage environment warm enough overnight. (Hibernation is a normal physiological activity which can benefit the animal, but there is a right and a wrong way to "hibernate" your pet. If you are interested in allowing your hamster to hibernate, be sure to get proper information about how to stimulate this interesting phenomenon as well as how to bring them out of hibernation.
Hamsters can be stressed by high temperatures, so keep your hamster in a cool part of the house in the summer.
Would you enjoy sitting in the sun in a beautiful fur coat?
Your friend probably will be happier downstairs during the day. My rabbit likes it dark and cool during the day, and at night she needs to be the center of attention again.
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